Lately, packing
our bags for a spiritual journey (Pilgrimage) has become a lifestyle trend,
often showcased on social media. However, if we examine our history closely,
embarking on a pilgrimage—or Teerth Yatra—is hardly a modern fashion statement.
In our ancient land, sacred journeys form an unbroken tradition spanning
centuries. For generations, people from the present Northeast region have travelled
to the spiritual heartlands of Bharat, just as revered sages, mystics, and
wanderers from the mainland have journeyed to our sacred hills. This isn't
merely about sightseeing. It is the very lifeblood of our civilisational
continuity. It is an invisible, enduring thread that has tied this region
eternally to the mainstream of Indian civilization since time immemorial. This
profound connection dates back to antiquity. The geopolitical and cultural
footprints of Lord Sri Krishna are deeply embedded in the Northeast. Whether it
is his legendary intervention and victory over Narakasura of ancient
Pragjyotisha, his enduring marriage to Rukmini from our easternmost frontiers,
or the epic narrative of present-day Tezpur surrounding his grandson Aniruddha
and Banasura’s daughter Usha—these stories are the bedrock of our collective
memory. Later, during his triumphant philosophical tour across India, the
Digvijaya Yatra, the great Adi Shankaracharya made his way to ancient Kamarupa.
Today, a dedicated mandap within the Kamakhya Temple complex atop the Nilachal
Hills stands as a quiet witness to his historic visit to the oldest of the 51
Shakti Peethas.
The spiritual
traffic was never a one-way path because our ancestors felt the same pull
toward other parts of Bharat too. Our great polymath, Mahapurush Srimanta
Sankardeva, undertook the monumental Bharat Vraman not once, but three times.
At the age of 32, following the passing of his first wife, he handed over his
administrative duties and set out on a gruelling 12-year pilgrimage. Walking
alongside his disciples—including his mentor and close companion—he traversed
the subcontinent. He journeyed to Mathura, Vrindavan, Kashi, Gaya, Ayodhya,
Dwaraka, and Badrikashram, where he penned his very first Borgeet. His extended
stay in Puri, lasting well over a year, sparked a massive and lasting cultural
exchange between Assam and Odisha. We can still find a Namghar that honours the
time Sankaradeva spent in Puri, where he engaged in spiritual discourse,
studied texts, and absorbed the local culture. The magnetic pull of these
sacred sites was so strong that even Maharaja Kulachandra of Manipur, while
imprisoned and suffering from rapidly failing health, petitioned the British
government with a final, poignant dying wish: to be allowed to spend his last
days in the holy soil of Radha Kunda, near Vrindavan, rather than in a royal
palace or a prison cell.
Historically, the
mighty Brahmaputra River has acted as a guiding highway for seekers arriving at
our doors. In the 16th century, Guru Nanak travelled up the river by boat,
arriving in Dhubri in Assam during his first major journey to the East, known
as the Udasi. He travelled extensively, even reaching as far as Mechuka in
Arunachal Pradesh. His visit left a permanent mark on the region. A century
later, the ninth Sikh Guru, Guru Tegh Bahadur, arrived in Dhubri and
established a raised platform to honour Guru Nanak's footsteps, a site that
remains a vibrant centre of faith today. It was during this period that one
of the most remarkable spiritual summits in Indian history is believed to have
taken place, the meeting of Guru Nanak and Srimanta Sankardev. Historical
accounts and traditions suggest that these two great reformers crossed paths in
the Kamrup region. Others followed the call of the East as well. During his seven-year
ascetic wandering across the subcontinent from 1792 to 1799, Neelkanth Varni
crossed from Bengal into the Brahmaputra valley. His time in the Kamrup region
is defined by his intense interactions with the deep-rooted occult traditions
of the area.
Moving into the dawn of the 20th century, the spring of 1901 saw Swami Vivekananda arrive in undivided Assam. Seeking to recover his rapidly failing health and fulfil a pilgrimage for his mother, Bhuvaneshwari Devi, Swamiji spent several days at the Kamakhya temple. He even left a handwritten note of gratitude for the Kamakhya priests (Pandas), dated April 17, 1901. He also delivered a speech at Sonaram High School of Guwahati and shortly after, he delivered his final recorded public speech at the Quinton Memorial Hall in Shillong (then capital of Undivided Assam), with Sir Henry Cotton presiding over the meeting. When we map out this sheer volume of historical movement, the truth becomes undeniable. Pilgrimage in Assam and the Northeast is not a newfound hobby or modern trend. It is an ancient, enduring dialogue of the soul—a continuous, restless exchange of philosophy, culture, and faith that has shaped our regional and national identity long before the concept of modern tourism ever existed. By taking a Teerth Yatra today, we are simply walking the ancient, well-worn paths laid down by our greatest saints and ancestors.
