Assam Monuments & Temple

ASSAM MONUMENTS & TEMPLES

The entire northeastern state of Assam is straddled with innumerable monuments and temples.

Some of the monuments and temples date back to the hoary days. Such monuments do not have any corroborative data.

The folklores, lullabies and even the lyrics of community songs and beliefs of the local people bear the sole witness to the common belief of the ancestry of these monuments.

The monuments include the rock inscriptions, rock sculptures of the ancient times; the copper plates and other inscriptions during the historical age up to the medieval times.

Among the Hindu temples, there are many such religious pilgrimage spots whose roots are traced to some myth.

ARCHAEOLOGICAL HERITAGE: A RICH TRADITION

The archeological heritage of Assam connects the land to the ancient civilizations of the world.

Various groups of tribes and their sub tribes have been settling on the fertile valleys of the Brahmaputra River and its tributaries since the prehistoric days.

These peoples have left their imprints in the caves, rock walls of cliffs or hills in the forms of drawings using natural raw materials that cannot be erased by the vagaries of time.

A careful study of these drawings inside caves or the carvings on the solid walls of imposing rocks and cliffs provide us invaluable information as to their socio-economic and religious beliefs.

SHAKTI PILGRIMAGE SPOTS

In fact, Assam is one of the prominent ancient Shakti peeths or the epicenters where the power of the female supernatural power is worshipped. Many cave temples are dedicated to Lord Shiva – the creator and destroyer of the world according to the Hindu religious belief.

The typicality of such temples is the linga and the yoni – the male and the female procreative organs respectively.

These two primary reproduction organs of the human beings are combined into a whole. This demonstrates the importance of man and woman in the continuance of the human society.

TOUR OF THE ASSAM MONUMENTS

The monuments of Assam can be broadly divided into two sections, viz., the ancient and the modern.

This division is for convenience sake. It has been adopted to clearly demarcate the time period of the rich cultural heritage of the Assamese people.

Notably, whichever group we analyze, one thing is for sure though. There are many monuments including depicting the typical architectural styles of the respective times.

The above two broad divisions can be further sub-divided into three sections. This division is on the basis of their socio-economic political and religious connotations.

Some of these monuments fall into multiple categories. This is primarily because the monuments are repositories of a community’s myth, folklore, beliefs and they also form the very basis of their ethos.

Here we will check the monuments only according to the time division, namely ancient and modern.

THE ANCIENT MONUMENTS

Among the ancient monuments are the rock and cave carvings and sculptures. Many have been destroyed by vagaries of nature and owing to the apathy of the authorities concerned.

The ancient monuments including the temples are scattered across Assam. This extensive area stretches from Lower Assam to Upper Assam.

The areas are as follows: Ambari at Guwahati and its suburbs besides Madan Kamdev in Kamrup district; Singri and Tezpur in Sonitpur district; Mornoi and Sri Surya Pahar in Goalpara district; Numaligarh and Deopani in Golaghat district; Dabaka and Jogijan in Nagaon district; and Sualkuchi among others.

Mention may be made of Rongpur – the seat of the Ahom dynasty – in Sivasagar. Gargaon palace and the Talatal ghar were the residences of the Ahom royalty.  The largest standing amphitheatre – Ranghar – is in Rongpur as well. Among the innumerable temples of the Ahom age are the Sivadol, Vishnudol, and Devidol to mention but three. There are also many ‘kharghars’ or ammunition stores, and even stone bridges constructed during the Ahom rule.

All the seats of power in the medieval age are home to innumerable monuments.

The Khaspur ruins and the Maibong stone temple – remnants of the Kachari rule – are in NC Hills district;

The list is endless. Many such monuments are lying undiscovered amidst the verdant tropical forests. Some are being still excavated. Interestingly, the gateway to the North East – Guwahati – is one the main archeological centers. Many ancient sites are being excavated in the very heart of this city.

Here is a bird’s eye view of some of the prominent monuments and temples:

The most ancient of the temples is the ruins of the Dah Parbatiya Siva temple at Tezpur in Sonitpur district.

Another famous Shakti peeth is the Kamakhya mandir atop the Nilachal hill in the heart of Guwahati.

• 
  • 0

  Astrology Swami (Anil Rajasthani)

  KAMAKHYA DEVI Guwahati, Assam India
  

  Anil Rajasthani (Punjabi) Astrology Swami.
  When the solution is simple, God is answering