India, Oct. 3 -- Picture a glittering capital that once defined power in India's northeast. The Tai Ahoms ruled here for six centuries, shaping language, art, and spiritual life while holding back Mughal armies. Their legacy endures in rolling Maidam mounds and royal burial grounds, which are now recognised as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Set amid the lush floodplains of the Brahmaputra Valley, the city unfolds across emerald rice fields, slow rivers, and mist-tipped hills. Vast waters gleam like mirrors, ancient embankments hold centuries of memory, and monsoon skies tint everything green and gold. The air smells of tea, betel leaf, and handwoven Muga silk, while Bihu rhythms and folk songs ripple through courtyards and markets. At dawn,...