Assam Day 9 – Umananda Temple & Return Home Journey

“From the शांत shores of Umananda Temple to heartfelt goodbyes, Day 9 wasn’t just the end of a journey—it was the beginning of memories that will last forever.” 💛✈️

🌄 Day 9 – The Final Chapter Begins in Guwahati

Every journey has a beginning…
and a moment when you realize—it’s about to end.

Today was that day.

👉 The final day of our 8 Nights 9 Days North East Tour (Assam & Meghalaya) with friends and family.

There was a mix of emotions in the air—
not sadness exactly… but a quiet feeling that something beautiful was coming to a close.

🌅 A Slow Start After a Long Night

After last night’s laughter, gossip, and memories that stretched till 2:00 AM,
waking up early wasn’t easy…

Still, by 7:00 AM, we were up.

The morning felt different—
not rushed, not packed with plans…
just calm and meaningful.

🎒 Packing Memories Along with Luggage

After freshening up and enjoying a cup of bed tea ☕,
I got ready for our final visit—to
Umananda Temple 🙏

But today wasn’t just about getting ready…

👉 It was also about packing everything

Clothes, bags, and essentials
Gifts we bought for friends & family 🎁
And most importantly… making sure nothing was left behind

Because sometimes, in travel, it’s not just items—
memories also feel like they’re scattered in every corner of the room.

🍽️ Breakfast Together – One Last Time

By 8:00 AM, all of us gathered in the dining area—together, once again.

Just like yesterday, it was a buffet breakfast, filled with options:

Fresh fruit juice, watermelon & banana
Bread, butter & jelly
Idli, sambar, upma
Kachori, boiled corn, boiled eggs
On request: omelette / poach
Tea & coffee

Simple food… but today, it felt special.

Because this was our last breakfast together on the trip.

🧳 Checkout & Departure

By 9:00 AM, we finished breakfast and began the checkout process.

With the help of hotel staff:

All luggage was loaded into the Traveller
Final room checks were done carefully
Payments were completed

Everything was set.

🚐 Journey Begins for the Last Time

At exactly 10:15 AM,
we started our journey toward our final destination of the tour—

👉 Umananda Temple

A temple not just known for its spiritual significance…
but also for its unique location on a small island in the mighty Brahmaputra River.

And somewhere deep inside, we all knew…

👉 This wouldn’t just be another visit
👉 This would be the perfect ending to our journey 💛

⛴️ Journey to Umananda Temple Begins

By 10:45 AM, we reached the beautiful riverside spot—
👉 Sati Radhika Shanti Udyan

A calm and scenic riverfront park along the mighty
Brahmaputra River 🌊

This is where the journey to the temple truly begins…

🚤 Ferry Point – The Gateway to the Island

Right beside the park is the ferry boarding point—
👉 Umananda Ghat

From here, boats and ferries take you to the temple, located on a small island in the river.

🚢 Ferry Options Available

1️⃣ Government Ferry

Timing: ~10:30 AM to 4:00 PM
Cost: ₹20–₹40 (round trip)
Budget-friendly but can be crowded

2️⃣ Private Ferry

Timing: ~8:30 AM to 5:00 PM
Cost: ₹200–₹300 (round trip)
Faster and more frequent

👉 Travel Time: Around 10–20 minutes to reach the island

🌿 A Quick Look at the Riverfront Park

Before boarding, we got a glimpse of
Sati Radhika Shanti Udyan

🏃 1.2 km walking track
🏋️ Open-air gym
🌅 Scenic viewpoints facing the river & island

A perfect place to relax—but today, our excitement was focused on the ferry ride!

🚤 An Unexpected Adventure Begins

Luckily, we didn’t have to wait at all…

👉 As soon as we arrived, we got a ferry!

And by 10:50 AM,
our boat started moving across the vast waters of the
Brahmaputra River

Standing on the ferry…

Cool breeze touching the face 🌬️
Endless river view all around 🌊
Guwahati slowly fading behind

It wasn’t just transportation…

👉 It felt like a small adventure within the journey

🏝️ Arrival at Peacock Island

By around 11:10 AM,
we reached the घाट of

👉 Peacock Island

—home to the sacred
Umananda Temple

A small island…
yet filled with spiritual energy and natural beauty.

🛕 Temple Visit Information

Before heading up, here are some important details 👇

⏰ Temple Timings: 5:30 AM – 5:30 PM
🧗 Climb: Around 200 steps from ferry point to temple
📱 Pro Tip:
- Government ferries can be crowded
- Check online booking via IWT (if available) to save time

🌊 A Journey to Remember

The ferry ride may have been just 15–20 minutes…
but the experience will stay much longer.

Because sometimes,
it’s not the destination alone…

👉 It’s the journey across the river that makes it unforgettable 💛

🛕 Exploring Umananda Temple – The Island Shrine

Standing on the serene
Peacock Island,
we finally reached one of the most unique temples in India—

👉 Umananda Temple

Often known as the world’s smallest inhabited river island temple,
this place is a beautiful blend of spirituality, mythology, and nature.

📜 History & Legends

This temple is not just a place of worship—it carries centuries of stories.

🏛️ Ahom Era Origins:
Built in 1694 AD by Ahom King
Gadadhar Singha
🔥 Mythological Significance:
The island is also known as Bhasmacala (Hill of Ashes)
👉 It is believed that
Lord Shiva burned
Kamadeva
to ashes here with his third eye
💑 Meaning of Umananda:
The name represents the joy (Ananda) of Shiva with
Parvati (Uma)
🌍 Resilience:
The temple was damaged in the 1897 Assam earthquake and later rebuilt, preserving its spiritual legacy

🏯 Architecture & Surroundings

The temple reflects a unique blend of styles:

Mix of Ahom and Nagara architecture
Stone base with brick superstructure
Intricate carvings and traditional design

Inside the complex, you can also find:

Idols of Surya, Ganesha, Devi, and Vishnu (Dashavatara)
A peaceful and compact temple परिसर

And something truly special…

👉 The island is home to rare
Golden Langur 🐒
considered sacred by locals.

ℹ️ Visitor Information

⏰ Timings: 5:30 AM – 5:30 PM
🎉 Major Festival: Maha Shivaratri
🎟️ Entry: Free (ferry charges applicable)

🙏 Our Experience

By the time we reached, the temple area was quite crowded.

Since:

We had already completed breakfast
And the queue for puja was long

👉 We decided not to go for puja

Instead, we:

Explored the temple surroundings
Felt the peaceful island atmosphere
Captured some beautiful moments 📸

We spent around 1 hour here—
simple, calm, and meaningful.

🌊 A Peaceful Goodbye Moment

Standing on the island, looking at the flowing
Brahmaputra River

There was a quiet realization…

👉 This was the last destination of our journey

No rush.
No checklist.

Just a moment to pause…
and absorb everything we had experienced over the past 9 days 💛

🎥 Watch the Experience

To feel the island journey and temple vibe, watch here 👇

👉 Umananda Shiva Temple – Guwahati Island Tour & Timings – Assam Vlog: Day 9 Ep 1

🚐 Changing Plans for a Smooth Return

After completing our visit to
Umananda Temple,

we had some time in hand before heading to the airport.

Initially, we thought of spending 30–45 minutes at
Fancy Bazar 🛍️

But then reality check kicked in…

👉 We had to reach the airport by 3:30 PM (2 hours before flight)

So instead of taking any risk with city traffic,
we made a smart decision:

👉 Head towards the airport first

🍽️ Lunch First, Then Shopping

On the way, our driver stopped near a local restaurant close to the airport.

Plan was simple:

Finish lunch quickly
Check if any local market nearby
If time allows → shopping

And guess what…

👉 Everything went perfectly!

We completed lunch by 1:30 PM—
in just 30 minutes 😄

That meant…

👉 We still had almost 2 hours left before airport reporting time!

🛍️ Last-Minute Shopping Mission

Now came the final shopping round…

After seeing Suchismita’s purchase from
Fancy Bazar,

👉 All the ladies wanted their own Assamese saree 😄

And so began the final shopping hunt:

Exploring nearby local shops
Checking designs & quality
And of course… bargaining 😄

After some good negotiation,
everyone happily got their पसंद की saree 🎁

Even Suchismita couldn’t resist…
and bought one more saree!

✈️ Reaching the Airport

With shopping done and time perfectly managed,
we reached the airport around 3:15 PM.

Everything was going smoothly—just as planned.

💛 Saying Goodbye…

Now came one of the most emotional moments of the trip…

👉 Saying goodbye to our Traveller, driver, and helper bhai

For the past 9 days,
they were not just service providers…

👉 They were part of our journey

After settling final payments and giving tips,
we shared smiles, благодарियाँ, and a silent gratitude.

🛫 Final Steps Before Departure

At exactly 3:30 PM, we entered the airport.

Then began the usual process:

🧳 Luggage drop
🔍 Security check
⏳ Waiting for boarding

Our flight details:

✈️ Departure: 5:35 PM
🛬 Arrival: Kolkata 6:40 PM

👉 Kolkata – back to where it all connects again

🌅 The Journey Ends… But Memories Begin

As we sat waiting for our flight,
there was a quiet feeling among all of us…

👉 The trip was ending
👉 But something inside us had changed

From:

🌄 Mountains of Meghalaya
🌿 Forests & waterfalls
🐘 Wildlife of Assam
🙏 Spiritual places
🚢 River cruise nights

To:

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Endless laughter
❤️ Bonding with friends & family
📸 Countless captured memories

💫 Final Goodbye to North East

This wasn’t just a tour…
it was a collection of moments, emotions, and stories.

As we boarded our flight,
we didn’t just leave
North East India

👉 We carried a part of it with us 💛

✈️ Final Moments at Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport

As we stepped into the airport,
everything suddenly felt… real.

👉 This was it.
👉 The journey was truly coming to an end.

Located about 20–28 km from the city center,
Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport
is the main gateway to North East India, connecting this beautiful region to the rest of the country and beyond.

With airlines like IndiGo and Air India operating regularly,
the airport was busy—but for us, time felt slow.

🤗 Moments That Words Can’t Capture

Some moments don’t need a camera…
they just stay in the heart.

Kids hugging each other like they were real cousins ❤️
Adults promising, “We’ll meet again soon…”
Smiles hiding a little sadness

What started as a trip…

👉 Turned into something much deeper

💛 More Than Just a Journey

This wasn’t just about visiting places.

It was about:

🤝 Friendships revived after decades
👨‍👩‍👧 Children bonding and growing together
🏡 Families becoming one big family

And creating memories that
👉 no photo or video can ever fully capture

🌍 A Thought to Take Back

Traveling with friends is fun.
Traveling with family is emotional.

👉 But traveling with friends + family together… is magical. ✨

🌄 What North East India Gave Us

Yes… it gave us:

Mountains ⛰️
Rivers 🌊
Forests 🌿
Temples 🙏

But more importantly…

👉 It gave us stories for a lifetime 💛

📸 Last Frames Together

Before boarding:

Final group photos 📸
Tight hugs 🤗
Silent goodbyes

And a promise somewhere deep inside…

👉 This won’t be the last trip together

🛫 Journey Back Home

As the flight took off…

Looking outside the window:

The sky painted in soft colors 🌅
Tiny city lights below
A last glimpse of the land we explored

We captured a few moments…
but mostly, we just sat quietly—absorbing everything.

🏡 Back to Kolkata

Flight was right on time ✈️
Reached around 7:00 PM
After collecting luggage and final goodbyes…

👉 We reached home by 8:00 PM
👉 Others followed, reaching by 9:00 PM

💫 The End… Or Just a Beginning?

The journey ended…

But the stories began.

Because trips like these don’t really end—
they stay alive in:

Conversations
Photos
Memories
And the desire to travel again…

🌟 End of Day 9 – Tour Completed

Assam & Meghalaya Tour – 8 Nights 9 Days
👉 Completed with love, laughter, and unforgettable memories 💛

✈️ Day 9 Travel Tips

Planning your last day in Guwahati?
Here are some practical tips from our experience 👇

🛕 Temple Visit Tips – Umananda Temple

Start early to avoid crowd, especially on weekends
Be ready to climb around 200 steps to reach the temple
Wear comfortable footwear (easy to remove before entry)
Carry water, but travel light for the climb
Ferry timing is important—plan accordingly

⛴️ Ferry Travel Tips

Board ferry from
Umananda Ghat near
Sati Radhika Shanti Udyan
Government ferry is budget-friendly but can be crowded
Private ferry is faster and more comfortable
Try to stand on deck for best river views 🌊
Keep mobile/camera safe from water splashes

🚐 Travel & Time Management Tips

Always keep a buffer time for airport travel
Guwahati traffic can be unpredictable
Plan to reach airport at least 2 hours before departure
If possible, move closer to airport before lunch

🛍️ Last-Minute Shopping Tips

You can shop near
Fancy Bazar or local markets near airport
Assamese sarees are a great souvenir 🎁
Bargaining helps in local shops
Keep cash for small vendors

🍽️ Food & Packing Tips

Finish lunch early if you have a flight
Keep luggage packed and double-check rooms before checkout
Carry light snacks for kids during travel
Keep essentials (ID, tickets, charger) handy

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Group Travel Tip

Final day can be emotional—keep it light and flexible
Plan simple activities (like temple + short visit)
Take time for group photos & farewell moments 📸

🌟 End of Day Nine Summary

Day 9 was not about rushing through places…
it was about feeling the journey one last time.

The peaceful visit to
Umananda Temple
added a spiritual and calm ending to our trip,
especially with the beautiful ferry ride across the
Brahmaputra River.

There was no long checklist, no hectic schedule—
just a few meaningful moments before heading back home.

From the quiet island vibes
to last-minute shopping and shared lunch,
every moment felt special because we knew…

👉 It was the last day together

And then came the most emotional part—
goodbyes at
Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport

Hugs, smiles, promises to meet again—
and hearts full of memories.

This journey wasn’t just about Assam & Meghalaya…