Guwahati (Assamese: গুৱাহাটী Guwāhāti (help·info)), Pragjyotishpura (Sanskrit:प्राग्ज्योतिषपुर) and Durjoya (Sanskrit:दुर्जय) in ancient Assam, and formerly known as Gauhati in modern era, is a metropolis, the largest city of Assam in India and is the fastest developing city in India, ancient urban area and now largest metropolitan area in north-eastern India. It is said to be the "Gateway" of the North East Region. Dispur, the capital of the Indian state of Assam is located within the city and is the seat of the Government of Assam. Guwahati, formerly Prāgjyotishpura meaning City of Eastern Light, other view is Prāg meaning eastern and jyotish meaning astrology and Durjaya meaning impregnable were the capital's of ancient state of Kamarupa under Varman's and Pala's respectively. The city has many ancient Hindu temples located within the city. Kamakhya Temple, Umananda Temple, Navagraha Temple, Sukreswar Temple, Basistha Temple, Lankeshwar Temple, Doul Govinda Temple, Dirgheshwari temple, Ugro Tara Temple, Rudreswar Temple, etc., are to be named a few. Thus, the city is also known as the "The City of Temples."

The city is situated between the southern bank of the Brahmaputra river and the foothills of the Shillong plateau, with LGB International Airport to the west, and the town of Narengi to the east. The city is gradually being expanded as North Guwahati to the northern bank of the Brahmaputra. The Guwahati Municipal Corporation, the city's local government, administers an area of 216 km², while the Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority, the planning and development administers an area of 264 km².

Guwahati is a major commercial and educational center of North-East India and is home to world class institutions such as the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati and other premier institutions like Gauhati University and Cotton College. The city is also a major center for cultural activities and sports in the North Eastern region and for the administrative and political activities of Assam. The city is also an important hub for transportation in the North East Region.

Guwahati and its environs are also rich in wildlife with several rare mammals such as Asian elephants, Gaur, Tiger and primates. The birdlife in and around the city is also rich and diverse.