Hermitage of Vasistha

Located in mesmerizing surroundings, the Hermitage of Vasistha is an important pilgrimage centre of Assamese. It is also known as the Vasistha Ashram. It is located around ten miles from Guwahati. There is a temple located next to the Hermitage of Vasistha. It is dedicated to lord Shiva. It was built by the king Rajeshvar Singh of the Ahom dynasty in the 18th century. Devotees come here to take blessings from the lord. Another attraction of Hermitage of Vasistha is the presence of three holy streams named 'Sandhya', 'Lalita' and 'Kanta'. It is believed that if one takes a bath here, then one not only increases the span of his/her life but also washes away one's sins.

Hermitage of Vasistha not only holds sheer religious importance, but is also a famous picnic spot. People come here to spend some quiet moments with nature. The legend goes that saint Vasistha used to perform his 'sandhya' in the stream located near the Hermitage of Vasistha. One day lord Indra along with his queen and other heavenly women came down to the same stream for some fun. They played there and a result of which the stream got dirty. Seeing this the saint cursed the lord saying that he would have sexual intercourse with a daitya woman. After the saint finished, the lord converted into a normal man and had intercourse with a woman. But that woman received a boon from him that her son would become a king. He was the ancestor of the Ahom dynasty.