Sivasagar

Formerly known as Rangpur, Sivasagar is the administrative headquarters of the Sivasagar district. The districts covers an area of 2668 square kilometers and comprises three sub-divisions – Sivasagar, Charaideo and Nazira. This historical city of Assam situated 363 kms east of Guwahati and 55 km east of Jorhat, was the capital of the mighty Ahoms who ruled Assam for more than six hundred years before the advent of the British. It is home to several monuments and temples   Sivasagar not only has several monuments including the Talatal Ghar (palace with underground floors – now sealed – built in 1669), Kareng Ghar (multi-storeyed palace) and Rangghar (amphitheatre) built by the Ahom kings, but also several temples. The Talatal Ghar is a palace which was initially built as an army base. It houses two secret tunnels, and three floors below ground level which were used as exit routes during the Ahom wars (and which give the structure its name). The Talatal Ghar constitutes the underground structure of the Rangpur Palace, whose four floors above-ground make up the Kareng Ghar.In all, the Rangpur Palace is a seven-storied building. Rang Ghar is a double-storied, oval shaped, amphitheater with a roof shaped like an inverted boat. It was constructed by Swargadeo Pramatta Singha. The Rang Ghar is said to be amongst the largest of amphitheaters. Amongst the temples, the three most important among them are the Shiva-dol, Vishnu-dol and Devi-dol, all standing by the Sivasagar pukhuri, a 200 year old man made tank. The Shiva-dol is said to be the tallest Shiva temple in India. Shiva Dol was built in 1734 by Kuwori Ambika, wife of the Swargadeo Siba Singha. Dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva, this is the most sacred of the three temples. Rising to a height of 104 feet (32 m), it encircles an area of 195 feet (59 m). It is thronged by devotees during the festival of Shivratri. Vishnu Dol was also built by Kuwori Ambika. It is dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu. According to the Hindu calendar, the month of "Bhada" is considered auspicious and sees a greater number of visitors to the Dol, although it remains open throughout the year. Devi Dol is dedicated to the Hindu Goddess of Power, Durga. Durga Puja, the most important festival marked at the temple, is celebrated twice a year: in the months of Chaitra (April–May) and Ashwin (September–October). On the southern banks of Devi-dol is the Tai Museum, which houses textiles and other artifacts including vestments, swords, manuscripts, goblets, and household utensils belonging to the Ahom kings and the Tai-Ahom people. In the heart of Sivasagar town, by the Sivasagar tank is situated the Central Baptist Church, which was originally established in 1845 by Rev Nathan Brown, the American Baptist missionary who also played a major role in restoration of Assamese as of􀏐icial language after the British had replaced it with Bengali. Joysagar, said to be the biggest man-made lake in the country, is spread over 318 acres (1.29 km2) of water on the edge of the town in an area called Rangpur, 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) away from the present town of Sivasagar. This lake was built by Swargadeo Rudra Singha in honour of his mother, Joymoti. The Ahom queen Bor Kuwori Phuleshwari Devi built Gauri Sagar tank, which is spread over 150 acres (0.61 km2). Swargadeo Lakshmi Singha built the Rudra Sagar tank, and dedicated it to his father Swargadeo Rudra Singha, in 1773. A Shiva Temple was also built on the bank of this beautifully constructed tank. It is 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) away from the town of Sivasagar. CHARAIDEO An hour’s drive from Sivasagar is Charaideo, which has maidams – burial tombs resembling the pyramids of Egypt but built of earth with brick chambers below – of more than 40 Ahom kings and queens. Currently vying for a World Heritage Site status, Charaideo attracts large number of visitors round the year. CHALAPOTHAR SHYAM GAON This is the oldest Buddhist temple in Assam located at Moniting area of Chalapothar in Sivasagar district. AJANPIR DARGAH About 22 km from Sivasagar, at Saraguri chapori on the banks of river Dikhow, is Ajanpir Dargah built in the memory of 17th century Sufi saint Hazrat Shah Miran, Shah Milan or Ajan Fakir who hailed from Baghdad. Thousands of devotees gather to pay homage at his grave on the day of his urs. PANIDIHING WILDLIFE SANCTUARY This Sanctuary is located 22 km from Sivasagar. A rich wetland eco-system of 33.93 square kilometres (13.10 sq mi) on the southern bank of the river Brahmaputra, it is in Sivasagar district. A paradise of migratory and resident birds, over 165 species of birds have been identified and recorded here. Among these is a high concentration of geese and other migratory birds. Common species include bar-headed goose, grey leg goose, spot billed duck, mallard, gadwall, wigeon, gargany, shoveller, red-crested pochard, common pochard, ferruginous duck, adjutant stork, lesser adjutant stork, open-bill stork, and the white-necked stork. Several varieties of fish have also been identified here, along with various species of frogs, snakes, and other amphibians and reptiles.