Sivasagar was the capital of the mighty Ahoms, who ruled Assam for more than six hundred years till the advent of British. The town, dedicated to Lord Shiva- its name literally meaning "the ocean of Shiva" is strewn with tell-tale ruins of a powerful empire. The most remarkable landscape of the town is the 280 years old Sivasagar tank comprising 129 good acres. Although situated within the heart of the town, the water level of the lake is above the level of town. On its bank are three temples- the Shivadol, the Vishnudol and the Devidol- all three built by Queen Madamika, wife of Shiva Singha in the year 1734. The Shivadol is believed to be the highest Shiva temple in Assam.
PLACES TO EXPLORE
RANG GHAR
Rang Ghar also known as "Colosseum of the East" the towering and expansive Rang Ghar stands tall in Sivasagar. The two storied oval shaped amphitheater was constructed by Ahom King Swargadeo Pramatta Singha (1744-1751) in the 18th Century and served as a pavilion from where royal and dignitaries watched various sports and games like buffalo-fight, cock-fight, wrestling and races, etc held in the Rupshi Pathar- the vast field in front of it.
KARENG GHAR AND TALATAL GHAR
A seven storied palace having three storeys underground known as Talatal Ghar and upper storeys known as Kareng Ghar built by Swargadeo Rudra Singha (1696-1714) stand majestically at 4 kms away from Sivasagar town. A well planned brick-wall compound, which housed the royal court and offices, as well as the strategic military headquarters of the Ahom Kingdom. It also had two underground tunnels from Talatal Ghar connecting Dikhow River and Gargaon Palace which were subsequently closed by East India Company.
GARGAON PALACE
Gargaon, the principal towns of Ahoms, built by the XV the king, Suklengmung in 1549, lies 13 kms east of Sivasagar. The old Palace was destroyed and the present seven palace was rebuilt around 1762 by King Rajeswar Singha.
NAMDANG STONE BRIDGE
The bridge, a cut out from a single rock over the Namdang river, 12 kms from Sivasagar town was constructed by workmen brought from Bengal during the reign of Swargodeo Rudra Singha in 1703. Today, the National Highway 37 passes over the bridge.
JOYSAGAR TANK
Considered as the largest man-made in India, the Joysagar Tank is an example if human excellence. Encompassing an area of about 318 acres, the tank was built by Swargadeo Rudra Singha (1696_1714) in the memory of his mother "Joymoti Kunwari" who was tortured to death by their enemies because she would not reveal her husband's where-abouts, who later ascended the Ahom throne as Gadadhar Singha.
GAURISAGAR TANK AND TEMPLE
The Gaurisagar tank was built by Queen Phuleswari Devi (1722-1791) and was dedicated to Goddess Durga. It is 150 acres under water and on its banks stand the Devidol, Sivadol and the Vishnudol temples. Gaurisagar is only 12 kms from Sivasagar.
PANIDEHING BIRD SANCTUARY
A rich wetland Eco-system of 33.93 sq. km situated on the southern bank of river Brahmaputra in the Sivasagar district. This bird sanctuary is a paradise of migratory and resident birds; so far 165 species of birds have been identified and recorded.
ALSO VISIT: Rudrasagar Tank and Temple, Ajan Pir Dargah Sarif, Ramkhapith Devaloy and Pahugarh.
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