vail village bars Kurry Pot SOUTH INDIAN $$ (GNB Rd; mains 100-180) The specialities of this clean and peaceful restau

1 Sights Kamakhya vail village bars Mandir HINDU TEMPLE (admission for no queue/short queue/queue 500/100/free; h8am-1pm & 3pm-dusk) While Sati s disintegrated body parts rained toes on Kolkata (see p443), her yoni fell on Kamakhya Hill. This makes Kamakhya Mandir important for shakti vail village bars (sensual tantric worship of female spiritual power). Goats, pigeons and the occasional buffalo are ritually beheaded in a gory pavilion and the hot, dark inner womblike sanctum is painted red to signify sacrificial blood. The huge June/ July Ambubachi Mela celebrates the end of the mother goddess menstrual cycle with even more blood.

Kurry Pot SOUTH INDIAN $$ (GNB Rd; mains 100-180) The specialities of this clean and peaceful vail village bars restaurant are the dosas ( 40 to 80) and the list of different types is almost as long as the dosa itself. If a dosa s not for you then they dish up a range of other Indian staples. It s popular with the lunchtime work crowd.

oCherrapunjee Holiday Resort HOTEL $$ (%09436115925; www.cherrapunjee.com; Laitkynsew vail village bars village; d 1480-1800; iW) With seven eminently comfortable rooms, this resort is run by truly delightful hosts. vail village bars They off er a selection of hikes, either self-orientated (using their hand-drawn maps) or with a local guide. Built on a ridge, rooms either look down to Bangladesh or up to the escarpment. During peak times tent accommodation ( 600) is available with shared bath

The great muddy-brown Brahmaputra River s ever-shifting puzzle of sandbanks includes Majuli, which at around 421 sq km (2001 figures) is India s largest river island (many locals will tell you that Majuli is the world s largest river island, but in fact this honour belongs to Brazil s Bananal Island). Size aside, what there is no doubting is Majuli s sheer beauty. The island is a relaxed, shimmering mat of glowing rice fields and water meadows bursting with flowers. Aside from relishing the laidback vibe that permeates island life, highlights of a visit include birdwatching and learning about neo- Vaishnavite philosophy at one of Majuli s 22 ancient satras (Hindu Vaishnavite monasteries and centres for art). If all this makes Majuli sounds like your kind of place then don t waste time getting there surveys indicate that at current levels of erosion the island will cease to exist within 20 years.