:: WELCOME::

For centuries, before the arrival of the British, this part of the world was controlled by a number of tribal chieftains. Foremost amongst these was the Ahom dynasty who ruled a large part of Upper Assam for six centuries. At their capital in the town of Sibsagar you can see the well preserved relics left behind by these people. Palaces, forts, places of worship and burial sites are all there to see. The richness of this highly evolved civilisation shows just how advanced these people were.

More recent history can be found at Digboi, ab out two hours drive from Dibrugarh. It was around here that in the mid nineteenth century the first commercially producing oil well in India was sunk. Following this discovery the Indian oil industry was established. Today you can visit the oldest operational oil refinery in the world which was first commissioned at Digboi in the year 1901. Here there is a fascinating museum constructed to celebrate the first century of oil refining at Digboi.
The area east of Digboi formed the front line between the invading Japanese forces and the allied armies during the Second World War. Reminders of these grim days can be found at the well preserved cemeteries that commemorate the fallen soldiers of this campaign. Read the moving tributes to these men who died so far from home, the most poignant of which reads "When you go home, tell them of us and say – that for their tomorrows we gave our today". Also from this period can be seen the remains of the wartime road – known as the Stillwell Road – that linked Upper Assam with Yunnan Province in China. Designed to keep the Chinese supplied, this road, which was built at the cost of many lives, was never to be a viable transport route. Today, only the occasional trace of this road can be seen, the remainder has been swallowed by the encroaching jungle.