Sibsagar in Assam is an important
cultural and historical town. It was once the stronghold of the Ahom kings and
is situated in upper Assam, about 360 kms to the east of capital city Guwahati.
Currently it is the district headquarters of Sibsagar district and an important
centre of tea and oil industries. This town has a lot of ancient palaces and
monuments belonging to the Ahom rulers.
The name of this town translates to
‘ocean of Lord Shiva’ and holds true to its name. It has many historical,
religious and cultural places that the tourist can visit. Some of its major
attractions are –
Charaideo –this place houses about
42 tombs of the kings and queens of the Ahoms. The burial sites of this place
are excellent examples of the architectural skills and craftsmanship of artists
of that time.
Gaurisagar tank – this tank was
built about 200 years ago and has three temples along its bank which is
dedicated to the goddess of power – Goddess Durga. This tank and the
surrounding temples were constructed by the 18th century Ahom king
Rani Phuleswari Devi. It is located about 12 kms from the centre of Sibsagar
town.
Rang Ghar – this two storied
structure is touted as the oldest amphitheatre in Asia. It is also referred to
as the ‘Colosseum of the East’ and is one among the major attractions of Assam.
Kareng Ghar and Talatal Ghar – this
seven storied palace was constructed by founder of Ahom rule, Swargeo Rudra
Singha in the 17th century. This palace is constructed of wood and
other locally available materials.
Joy dol –Joy dol is one of the
three temples built by the famous Ahom ruler Rudra Singha, on the banks of
Joysagar tank. It is about 5 kms from the main town and is dedicated to Lord
Vishnu and his incarnations.
Namdang Bridge – this bridge was
built with a single solid rock over the Namdang River in 1703 by the Ahom king
Rudra Singha. This bridge was originally constructed by the skilled artisans of
Bengal and later bought here.
Ajan Pir Dargah – about 22 kms from
the main town in the small region of Saraguri Chapori, this is a dargah built
in the memory of Muslim reformer and saint Hazrat Shah Milan who was also known
as Ajan Pir.
Shiva Dol – this is the highest
Hindu temple in the whole of India and also the tallest Shiva temple in the
whole of northeast. It is one of the most popular pilgrimage centres of India.
Devi Dol - this temple is dedicated
to Goddess Durga and is built alongside the Shiva Dol and Vishnu Dol. It was
built about 200 years ago.
The Joysagar tank and its temples
and the Rudrasagar tank and temples – these tank and temples built by different
Ahom kings are important centre of their history and culture.
Accommodation – there are decent
accommodation options available for the tourists. There are a few budget hotels
like the Shiva Palace hotel, Brahmaputra Hotel, Vrindaban hotel, Raj Palace
hotel etc. which provide you decent rooms at reasonable rates.
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