Sivasagar

The cultural capital of Assam, 'Sivasagar' is a perfect spot to showcase the history of this majestic land. The land of the royals, this place has roots deep in the history of Assam. The iconic 'Siva Dol' is a testament of its cultural heritage. We began our tour from this impressive structure. uncovernortheast!!!

The 'Borpukhuri Lake' beside the temple premises ,add to the serenity of this place. The hymns sung by the priests and the tolls of the bells create a rather mystical atmosphere. We sat on the benches by the trees and time flew by us as we immersed ourselves into the saintliness. The 'Siva Dol' is capped with a seven feet tall golden dome that can be seen from distances.

The 'Vishnu Dol and the 'Devi Dol' stand beside the 'Siva Dol'. We offered our prayers to the Deities and carried on with our journey. We felt blessed and at peace.

The religious side of 'Sivasagar' now gave way to a more historical and cultural side of it. We were on our way to see one of the crown jewels of the 'Ahom Kingdom', the 'Talatal Ghar'. This seventeenth century building with sprawling gardens and peculiar architecture, still stands tall, guarding the pride of Assam.

The garrison is also believed to have secret tunnels running for kilometers. The maze type structure of the building is perfectly built to keep the enemies at bay. After pacing around the palace , we went to the restaurant of the hotel 'Shiva Palace' for refueling.

The 'Kareng Ghar' was our next stop. It served as the administrative center for the 'Ahom' dynasty. Elegantly designed structure in midst of a flower garden, provides with the perfect post card shot.

'Sivasagar' has so much to see that you need to be on your toes to cover everything in a day. Next in line was the 'Rang Ghar'. A two storeyed building used by the royals to witness the festivities and sports from a high ground. It has been converted into a park by the authorities.

We took a quick tour around the building and headed towards our next destination 'Charaideo'. Its about 28 kms from 'Sivasagar' town. It was the first capital of the 'Ahoms'. The 'Charaideo Maidam' has the burial mounds of the kings. The setting is between hillocks and first thing you sense upon arrival is tranquility. A tree is planted on every birthday of the descendants of the dynasty (and others) in the lawns of the 'Maidam'. Now that is taking environmental issues seriously.

It was time for us to head back but we decided to visit one last monument on the way, the 'Joydol' temple , alongside the 'Joysagar Tank'.This temple complex is one of the most beautiful and scenic location we have been to in Assam. Beautifully carved stones make up the temple and the backdrop of the lake , just amplifies the aesthetics of this place.

We decided to hang by the 'Heritage'restaurant',just next to the tank till dark. It was an amazing experience, with the view of the lake, sipping away some lemonades. With the setting sun, the day ended, so did our time in Sivasagar.

VITAL STATISTICS :

Accommodation: Hotel Shiva Palace, Sivasagar . .
Transport: It is advisable to hire a local taxi from Sivasagar or Jorhat.

Refreshments: Hotel Shiva Palace, Sivasagar and Heritage Joysagar ,Sivasagar.

Nearest Railway Station: Sivasagar has a railway station but the more serviceable is the nearby Jorhat station.

Nearest Airport: Jorhat.