The Mahabahu Brahmaputra River Heritage Center: Celebrating Assam’s Cultural Soul

The Mahabahu Brahmaputra River Heritage Center (MBRHC), located in the heart of Guwahati, was officially inaugurated on 2nd October 2021 under the auspices of the Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA). The initiative was conceived as a visionary cultural and historical project to honor and celebrate the timeless legacy of the River Brahmaputra, which has, for centuries, shaped the identity, civilization, and spirit of Assam and the Northeast.

The Center was built on a historically significant hillock overlooking the river that originally housed the Deputy Commissioner's residence, a heritage structure going back approximately 170 years to the British colonial period. The restoration and renovation of this site into a dynamic, multifunctional public space exemplifies a distinct combination of history preservation, modern design, environmental care, and cultural celebration.

Long before it became the site of a colonial administrative bungalow, this hillock and its surrounding landscape held immense historical and strategic importance. Known in the annals of Assam’s history as Itakhuli, this elevated location played a central role during the reign of the Ahom Kingdom.

Itakhuli served as a strategic military post and was the base camp of the BorPhukan, the Ahom Kingdom's naval and military commander-in-chief of the western region. It was from this very hillock that Lachit BorPhukan, one of Assam’s most revered military heroes, directed and led the Battle of Saraighat in 1671 against the Mughal forces. Despite being severely ill, Lachit displayed extraordinary valor and leadership, launching a surprise and decisive attack that not only turned the tide of the battle but permanently halted Mughal expansion into Assam. The River Brahmaputra bore silent witness to this historic moment, a testament to the unyielding spirit of Assamese resistance and sovereignty.

Today, the Mahabahu Brahmaputra River Heritage Center is more than a historical site it is a space where the past and present coexist. The once-forgotten hillock is now a vibrant pedestrian-only campus, featuring a restored bungalow-turned-museum, a glass-façade café, an open-air amphitheatre, art gardens, riverside lawns, and viewing decks. The center also provides silent electric carts for accessibility and a dedicated parking area connected via an overhead walkway to maintain the area’s serenity.

The Mahabahu Brahmaputra River Heritage Center is more than just a destination. It’s a journey through time, memory, and identity. It reminds us that heritage is not just something to preserve in books or buildings, but something to live, feel, and share. So, the next time you’re in Guwahati, take a walk through this beautiful campus. Listen closely and you might just hear the echoes of history carried by the wind over the river.