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Voykit pocket guide · India
Bordua
বৰদোৱা
Visit Bordua as a half-day trip from Nagaon or Guwahati for the Bordowa Than and Sattriya dance heritage; one night only if you want the Dol Jatra festival.
Bordua (also called Batadrava) is the birthplace of Mahapurush Srimanta Sankardev (1494), the founder of Vaishnavism in Assam. The Bordowa Than satra, a 600-year-old pond and a monolithic culture of single-god worship draw researchers and travellers interested in Assamese spirituality and Sattriya dance. The town itself is small — most visitors come for the than, the Aliphukhuri pond and the Laikhuta pillar, then move on.
- Country
- India
- Local name
- বৰদোৱা
- Best months
- Oct–Mar (winter, pleasant); first week of March for Dol Jatra
- Avoid
- Jun–Sep (rainy season)
- Stay
- 0 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- INR
- Money
- Indian rupees (INR, ₹) in small notes for autos, street food, tips and entry tickets.
- Daily spend
- Budget ₹1,000–2,000 excl. bed · Mid ₹2,000–4,000 excl. bed · High ₹4,000+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Jio, Airtel and Vi sell tourist SIMs at airport counters and their shops; passport, visa and a photo needed; activation can take a few hours.
- Emergency
- Police 112 · Fire and ambulance 112
- Plugs
- Types C, D, M · 230 V · 50 Hz · Round two-pin C plugs fit most sockets; D (three round pins) is the common wall socket; hotels often have universal sockets. UK and US plugs need an adapter.
- Tipping
- Street food and dhabas: Nothing.; Restaurant: 5–10% if no service charge is on the bill.; Car and driver: ₹300–500 a day at the end of the trip.; Guide: ₹300–500 for a half day.; Hotel porter / housekeeping: ₹50–100.; Auto or Uber: Round up.
- Water
- Not drinkable from the tap. Buy sealed bottles (check the cap), or use RO-filtered refill stations in hotels and cafés; avoid ice from street stalls.
- Toilets
- Western toilets in hotels, malls and airports; squat toilets with a water jug or hose in stations and villages. Carry tissue and sanitiser; paid public toilets (Sulabh) cost ₹5–10.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Kumal rice (soft rice) meal | ₹50–100 |
| Tea at a local stall | ₹10–20 |
| Tempo ride (shared) | ₹10–30 |
| Taxi Nagaon–Bordua (one way) | ₹500–700 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- GAU · Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport (Guwahati)
- About 120 km (75 mi), 3–4 h by roadAbout 75 mi (120 km), 3–4 h by road
Typical fares
- Nagaon → Bordua, tempo
- about ₹50, 30 min (check)
- Nagaon → Bordua, taxi
- ₹500–700, 30 min
- Guwahati → Bordua, bus
- about ₹200–300, 3–4 h (check)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Tempo (shared auto-rickshaw), bus and taxi between Nagaon and Bordua. TomTom e-rickshaws available locally. Walking covers the than area.
See and do
Known for
- Bordowa Than (satra)
- Birthplace of Srimanta Sankardev
- Sattriya dance and Vaishnavism research
- Kumal (soft) rice
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Kaziranga National Park | Bus or taxi from Nagaon, about 80 km (50 mi), 2 hBus or taxi from Nagaon, about 50 mi (80 km), 2 h | About 2.5 h |
| Tezpur | Bus from Nagaon, about 50 km (31 mi), 1.5 hBus from Nagaon, about 31 mi (50 km), 1.5 h | About 2 h |
| Guwahati | Bus or taxi, about 120 km (75 mi), 3–4 hBus or taxi, about 75 mi (120 km), 3–4 h | About 4 h |
Sleep
- Bordua town
- A few guesthouses and Airbnbs; limited options.
- Nagaon
- 18 km (11 mi) away, wider choice of hotels and eateries.11 mi (18 km) away, wider choice of hotels and eateries.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Thank you | ধন্যবাদdhônyôbad |
| How much? | কিমান দাম?kiman dam |
| Where is the than? | থান ক’ত?than kot |
| I don't understand | মই বুজি নাপাওঁmoi buzi napao |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Namaste (palms together) or a handshake between men; wait for a woman to offer her hand; avoid: Hugging or kissing strangers
- Hands and feet: Give and eat with the right hand; apologise if your foot touches someone; avoid: Pointing feet at people or shrines; touching books or food with your feet
- Temples: Shoes off, walk clockwise around shrines, accept prasad (blessed food) with the right hand; avoid: Leather in Jain temples; entering sanctums that say Hindus only
- Home visit: Bring sweets or fruit; accept tea at least once; avoid: Refusing all food; wearing shoes inside
- Questions: Expect personal questions (married? job? salary?) as friendliness; avoid: Taking offence; answer vaguely if you prefer
- Saying no: A firm, polite 'nahi, dhanyavaad' (no, thank you) and keep walking; avoid: Long explanations to touts
- Dress: Loose clothes covering shoulders and knees; kurta tops are cheap and cool; avoid: Swimwear or shorts away from Goa beaches
Scams and watch-outs
- No ATMs in Bordua; carry cash from Nagaon or Guwahati.
- Dol Jatra draws large crowds — book accommodation weeks ahead.
- English is limited; Assamese and Hindi are the main languages.
Bordua is safe for tourists. The main risks are limited English, cash dependency and monsoon flooding. Keep valuables secure during festivals.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Bordua yet. Suggested stay: 0 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Bordowa Than (satra)
- Birthplace of Srimanta Sankardev
- Sattriya dance and Vaishnavism research
- Kumal (soft) rice
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Bordowa Than official website: bordowathan.org/
- Wikivoyage: Bordua, revision 5303445 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5303445
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Printed from Voykit (/bordua). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.