Guwahati, the largest city in the green state of Assam is situated on the banks of the mighty river Brahmaputra. The name is the combination of two words: Guwa meaning areca nut and Hat meaning market. Guwahati or Gurahati is the gateway to the most exotic and fascinating north-eastern regions of India. Once known as 'Pragiyotishpura' or Light of the East, the city was the capital of former Kamrup kings. A service centre for the oil industry and tea plantations, it has  the largest tea auction market in India. There are many ancient Hindu temples in and around Guwahati of which the Kamakhya temple dedicated to the Goddess Kamakshya is a part and parcel of Assamese life and culture.