Tourism in Darrang District means an enriching experience full of adventure and exploration. The natural beauty of the district offers a vast range of sightseeing options. And all these attract a large number of travellers from different parts of the world. This district of Assam also offers pilgrimage tourism to the visitors. One of the biggest tourist attractions of Darrang District is Gandhi Smriti Park, which is located in the heart of the Mangaldai town and within walking distance from Deputy Commissioner`s office. It is a very well maintained and beautiful park. Another attraction of Darrang District is Patharughat Swaheed Minar.
Satras are the popular religious attractions of Darrang District. Satras are similar to monasteries and unique about Assam. Satras were conceived and founded by Srimanta Sankardeva and then by his followers. Not only the Bhagawatee Baishnav religion was practiced here, but also many types of art forms were being nourished, known as the Satriyaa Art, which is a characteristic stream in Assamese culture. Thus the Satras can also be defined as state`s cultural heritage centres.
There are mainly two Satras in Darrang and these are Khatara Satra and Dihing Satra. Khatara Satra is one of the oldest Satras and located at Dipila, 22 km from Mangaldai. Dihing Satra is located at Kurua, 45 km from Mangaldai. To the south-west of Kalaigaon District, near Lakhimpur village is the Kamakshya Devalaya. There is a stone fetish inside the temple with eight lotus petals on it. The auspicious Holi festival is celebrated here in spring. It was founded before 12th century AD and favoured by Ahom and Koch kings.
Thaans are other religious attractions of Darrang District. Thaans are another kind of place of worship. Usually triggered by some fetish like for instance, some old tree or stone etc. afterwards are often transformed into place of institutional worship. There are several mosques in Darrang District. Bar Masjid is one of the oldest mosques in the region, and located at the heart of the Mangaldai town. Its architecture is very beautiful. All these places of interest of Darrang District are well connected by road.
Further, there are several historic ponds in the district. In 1615 AD, Koch Kings took over in Darrang from Bhuyans. It was these two periods where most of the ponds were created in the region. Moreover, many large ponds were also created during British rule and post independent period. Darrang District offers great opportunities to the bird watchers. Hundreds of migratory birds come to this region every year.
Last but not the least, Orang Sanctuary, also termed as a miniature Kaziranga National Park, is one of the well renowned tourist spots of Darrang District. It is located near Silbori, and on the north bank of Brahmaputra River. It covers an area of 78 sq km. its main attractions are some rare species of animals and birds. The travellers can find one horned Rhinoceros, Royal Bengal Tiger, Barking Deer, Elephant, Leopard, Sambhar and Hogdeer, Pangolin, Civet Cat and more. One can also explore both migratory and local birds like Palican, Green Imperial pigeon, Bengal Florican, Cormorant, Greylag Goose, Large Whistling Teal, King Vulture and more. Orang Sanctuary is located at a distance of 140 kms from Guwahati, 32 kms from Tezpur and 68 kms from Mangaldai, the district headquarters by road. Hence, these tourist attractions of Darrang District offer a perfect blend of pleasure and adventure to its visitors. These places are worth visiting.
