Highlighting the intangible cultural heritage of Assam, the gateway to northeast India, the present volume contains papers under seven them for documenting such heritage. They include Folk Tales, Rituals, Cults and Regligious Practices. Festivals, Music and performing Arts, Arts and Crafts, Culinary Traditions, Ethno-Sciences and Conservation of Biodiversity. Based on field work of a number of scholars, this book is an humble tribute to the creativity as well as the ingenuity of the Assamese Intangible Cultural Heritage.

This volume offers a fresh approach to the existing literature on religion in Early Assam, bringing together perspectives from the fields of archaeology, religion, history and heritage. For decades, the Naraka legend has been incorporated into history without due critical attention and analysis of the historical context, while archaeological studies in religion have been largely descriptive. The sacred landscape of the erstwhile Prāgjyotiṣa and Kāmarūpa kingdoms had linkages with the history of other parts of India, and beyond. This book offers a comprehensive reconstruction of religion in Early Assam based on an exhaustive use of archaeological sources. It opens with a useful overview of the conceptual and methodological foundations of religion, archaeology and history. Heritage conservation of sacred sites such as Kāmākhyā which face the impact of rapid urbanization illustrates implications for Assam’s history and identity.

Illustrations: Few Maps Description: This work is the first analytical and comprehensive account of the civilization of Assam from earliest to the present times. Its object is ti acquaint the readers with the forces and factors moulding the society and culture of Assam through the ages. It analyses the salient features of Assamese civilization giving proper weightage to the contributions made by different tribes or ethnic groups of both the hills and the plains as well as by the followers of different faiths towards its growth and development. The work is divided into four parts. Part I gives a brief idea of the present state of Assam. It also discusses the source materials as well as the pre-history and the proto-history of the land. Part II deals with the ancient period beginning with the legendary kings till the dismemberment of the ancient kingdom of Pragjyotisha or Kamarupa in the close of the twelfth century AD. Part III treats the history of the medieval period from the rise of different tribal states on the ruins of the ancient kingdom till the fall of the Ahom monarchy in 1826. Part IV deals with the modern period covering the history of the British rule upto the attainment of the country's independence in 1947. It also contains a chapter dealing briefly with the events after independence. The authoress has made full use of all available sources, published and unpublished, preserved in different libraries within and outside the state. Attempt has been made to make the information up-to-date with proper notes and references and the treatment clear and precise. The work also contains a bibliography, glossary and index.