Jorhat is one of the major cities of Assam. The city acts as a gateway to upper Assam and to the state of Nagaland. It was the last capital of the Ahom Kingdom and home to many historical monuments of Assamese culture. The city today has evolved to be one of the major commercial and business hubs of the state with growing numbers of shopping malls, restaurants, hotels, flats and educational institutions. The city also serves as the base for tourism to famous places such as the Kaziranga National Park and the largest river island Majuli. Centrally located within the state, the city depicts a vibrant assamese township and culture, making it one of the most preferred places for local people to conglomerate.
In the north of the district, the Brahmaputra River forms the largest riverine island of the world, Majuli, which spreads over 924.6 square kilometres with a population of about 150,000. The island, threatened with constant erosion by the mighty and unstableBrahmaputra River, had been the principal place of pilgrimage of Vaishnavites since the age of the Ahom rulers. Several Sattras(monasteries) resembling those of medieval times are headed by Satradhikars teaching Vaishnavism, which was introduced bySrimanta Sankardeva (1449–1568). Each Sattra has an unknown wealth of Vaishnavite scriptures and extensive revenue-free lands cultivated by the Bhakats (celebated monks) of the Sattras
