Temples of Gauhati and Town of Assam
The 41st Session of the Indian National Congress will have been held at Gauhati (Assam), under the presidency of Mr. S. Srinivasa Iyengar ex-advocate General of Madras, before the publication of the present issue of the Modern Review. This is the first session of the Indian National Congress held in Assam.
Assam is fairly rich in natural resources and her natural grandeur is magnificent. With the lofty mountains standing along the north, with vast plains bounded by high ranges such as Bhutan, Khasia- Jaintia, Naga and the Garo hills and with the mighty river Brahmaputra majestically flowing through her heart, Assam may stand comparison with the most beautiful country in theworld. The total area of the province is 77,000 sq. miles.
Assam is sacred with a thousand memories of India’s past glories, memories of culture movement, of heroic deeds and in Assam from a long time past progressive Hindu religion has been a living force. It was in Assam that princess Joy moti practiced passive resistance and cheerfully bore the tortures of death while firmly refusing to disclose the name of her beloved and brave husband who was wanted by the king.
Gauhati (Gua- hathi- High land covered with areca- nut trees) is situated on the left bank of the river Brahmaputra. The town is located in the district of Kamrupa. The origin of the name kamrupa is mythologically explained as follows:
When Sati died of vexation at the discountesy shown to her husband Siva by her father Daksha. Siva overcome by grief, wandered about the world carrying her dead body on his head. In order to put a stop to his penance. Vishnu followed him and lopped away the body piecemeal with is discus. It fell to earth in fifty- one different pieces, and wherever each piece fell, the ground was held to be sacred. Her organs of generation fell on Kamgiri i.e., Nilachal Hill near Gauhati and the place was thenceforth held sacred to Kamakhya. As Siva still continued to do penance, the other gods became afraid that he would thereby acquire universal power, and accordingly dispatched Kamdeb, the Indian cupid, to make him fall in love again, and thereby break his penance. He succeeded in his mission, but so enraged was Sivaat the result, that he burnt him to ashes by a fiery glance from the eye in the centre of his forehead. Kamdeb eventually recovered his origional form and the country where this took place became known as kamrupa. (Gait: A History of Assam p.11).
Narak- Asur, according to legends is said to have erected the temple of Kamakshya in the heroic period of the Mahabharata. He made Pragjyotishpur (Modern Gauhati) his capital and fortified it. There is still a hill in the vicinity of Gauhati which is called the hill of Narak- Asur. Narak’s son Bhagadatta fought for the Kauravas in the great battle of Kurukshetra. It was in this holy land of Kamrup that ancient sages like Basistha, Sankaracharya, Kasyapa and others found.... Places for their Tapasya. For many centuries the history of the district is involved in great obscurity. Some historians assert that the line of Narak was displaced by a Bodo chief who ruled at Gauhati. It appears that in the 11th century A.D. Kamrupa was included in the territories of the Pala Kings, who were powerful and civilised monarches. They were lords of Pragjyotishpur (Modern Gauhati). The huge tanks in the neightbourhood of Gauhati and the bricks and mortar found in every direction beneath the soil show that it must have been a place of great importance. To the south there are remains of ramparts (one made by Arjun, the Buragohain in 1667 AD.) nearly four miles distant from the river’s bank and it is obvious that such an extended line of fortifications could only have been held by a large army. The contrast between the glories of old Gauhati and the dead level of mediocrity which is the distinguishing feature of the district at the present day is very marked. In the 16th century the Koch Kings came into possession of the district. The power of this dynasty, however, rapidly declined and in the 17th century ‘the district was the scene of continual conflicts between the Muhammadans and the Ahoms. Within a short space of 50 year. Gauhati was taken and re- taken no less than 8 times by rival aspirants and these raids brought great misery and hardship upon the inhabitants. Towars the end of the 17th century Kamrupa was definitely incorporated in the kingdom of the ahom Kings. 38 Kings of the dynasty ruled the country after which the King of Burma began to exert his influence in the administration of the country. British help was unavoidably asked for. An expedition under Col. Richardson was dispatched to drive out the Burmess from Assam. The Burmese suffered a defeat and according to the terms of the treaty of yandabo in 1826, although the Burmese quitted the territory, the destiny of the Assamese was vitually transferred to the hands of the British- Indian Government. And in 1926, just a century later, Assam has invited the Indian National Congress to shape and guide the future destiny of the Indians by the Indians themselves!
Gauhati is a port of call for, the river steamers, and an excellent metalled road runs from Gauhati Ghat to Shillong, the head quarters of Assam. The townis growing steading and the population in 1872, 1881,1891,1901, and 1921 was 11,492; 8,283; 11,661, 16000 respectively. During the Ahom rule this town became the residence of the Viceroy for Lower Assam. The Ahom Viceroy usen to be the ruler of the extensive district and was in charge of the relaions between Assam and Bengal. At that time Gauhati was garrisoned by some five or six hundred men.
From the European point of view the city has not been very attractive. Buchanan Hamilton in his Memories of Assam (1809) describer the city as a "very poor place." The bracing climate of Shillong was perhaps more attractive to the European officials who did all they could to effect the transfer of the seat of Government from Gauhati to Shillong. The District Gazetteer states: For many years after our (British) occupation Gauhati remained the headquarters of the province but it enjoyed a very evil reputation for unhealthiness. Col. Hopkinson, the Commissioner in 1866 brought a powerful indictment against the district when advocating the transfer of his head quarters to Shillong.. The European population of the place must have been very small but death was only too busy in their ranks." Their agitation however was successful and even to this day, when Assam has got the status of a province, Shillong is the capital of Assam.
Inspire of the denunciation by Europeans the situation of the town is extremely picturesque. To the south Gauhati is surrounded by a semi circle of thickly wooded hillocks, while in front the mighty river Brahmaputra rolls on. "In the centre of the river lies a rocky island, the further bank is fringed with graceful palms, and the view is again shut in by ranges of low hills. Considerable improvements in drainage and water supply have been effected and the town is now very healthy.
The most noteworthy event in the recent history of Gauhati was the great earthquake of 1897 which devastated the whole town.
Gauhati is the chief town and administrative headquarters of the district and principal centre of trade in Lower Assam. Tea is a flourishing industry in the district. There are good educational facilities in the town. The Cotton college, named after Sir Henry Cotton formely Choef Commissioner of Assam, is now affiliated to the Calcutta University up to M.A. standard. Besides there is a Law College (Earle Law College) and a large number of H.E. Schools.
Recently a museum under the appellation of Kamrupa Anusandhan Samity have been established at Gauhati. It will surley bring to light all the past glories of Assam that are now consigned to oblivion.
Gauhati has aptly been called the templetown of Assam. About two miles to the west of Modern Gaubati on the summit of the Nilachal Hill the Kamakhya temple- a place of pilgrimage visited by the Hindus from every part of India.
"Kamakhya should be visited bye very lover of the picturesque. A paved causeway, which tradition says was constructed by Narak- Asur thousands of years ago, stretches from the Trunk Road to the spur on which the temple stands. The path is steep, and the rocks had been worn to a slippery smppthness by the feet of generations of pilgrims. The sides of the hill are rocky, in places even precipitous, but, wherever they can find a foot- hold, the giants of the froest have driven their roots into the earth, and huge pepul and rubber trees cast their shadows over the path. At either end it passes through an archway of fine masonry and here and there the rocks along the side have been hewn into the semblance of gods From the summit of the hill there is a magnificent view over the surrounding country. Its feet are washed by the mighty Brahmaputra, whose channel, at this point is shut in by rocks on either hand. To the south there are the tumbled masses of the Khasia Hills, rising out of the alluvium as cliffs rise out of the sea, the flat and fertile valleys, with which they are intersected, forming a striking contrast to their precipitous and jungle- covered sides. On the north are fields of golden rice and yellow mustard, groves of palms and feathery bamboos, surrounded and enclosed by rocky hills, while far away in the distance are the blue ranges of Bhutan and the snowy peaks beyond." Another place of pilgrimage situated in the vicinity of Gauhati is the Umananda island- the place which was the delight of Uma. Siva Sinha built a temple at this place in 1720 A.D., and dedicated it to Siva and Parvati.
Near the Umananda, there is another small hillock called Urbasi and on the north bank of the river stands on a rocky promontory the temple of Aswaklanta. The story goes that Srikrishna halted here with Rukmini and the holes now visible in the rocks have been made by his horse’s hoofs. Near about lies the temple of Ugratara and Chatrakar. The most interesting temple near Gauhati is Navagraha (nine planets). It stands on the summit of a low hill on the east of the town and the roof of the dome has completely disappeared. Looking down from above on to the floor of this open cockpit are seen the altars of the sun, moon and other seven ‘planets’. The Vasistha- Assam lies nine miles south of Gauhati amongst the most romantic and picturesque surroundings. The temple was erected in 1751 A.D., by Rajah Rajeswar Singha in honour of the sage Vasistha, who is said to have spent some time in the locality. Rudreswar is another temple near Gauhati erected by Siva Singh in memory of his father, the hero Rudra Singha who died in 1714. At Hajo, near Gauthati, stands the celebrated temple containing the image of Nrisingh Avatar of Vishnu, and Buddhists too consider this as a place of pilgrimage. The place is also regarded as the holy Pot Mecca of the Muhammadans.
To the north bank of the Brhamanutra just opposite to Gauhati lies the battle- field of Saraighat. Here the army of Aurangzeb under the command of Raja Ram Sing had to suffer an ignominous defeat at the hands of … Bar Phukan in 1668. The historical association of Saraighat is revered by every Assamese.
The Congress town is located at Pandu about four miles off modern Gauhati, where the Pandavas are said to have halted for some time during their exile. The temple of Shiva, known as pandunath, was said to have been founded by the Pandavas.
"The Congress Town it self is divided into two parts- the Congress grounds proper and the Leaders’ Camp. The Leaders’ Camp is built".the railway land on the Brahmaputra towards the west of the Pandu Railway Stationn, and is about half a mile off from the Congress grounds proper.
The Congress grounds proper are at the fods of the Kamakhya hill, and the Pandu Feeds Road passes through a portion of it encircling the other portion. The entire Congress Town comprises an area of about 105 acres of land. The pavilion is located in the centre of the ground having the delegates’ camp on the north- west and the family cottages on the south- west and .. the exhibition grounds. The romantic spot on the bank of the Brahmaputra, where the special cottage with the president’s camp is situated, has been named Chittaranjanpur. The main gate of the Congress pavilion has been named Swaraj gate. The western gate of the pavilion has been name Gandhi gate, while Ansari gate is the name given to the southern gate."
Assam is fairly rich in natural resources and her natural grandeur is magnificent. With the lofty mountains standing along the north, with vast plains bounded by high ranges such as Bhutan, Khasia- Jaintia, Naga and the Garo hills and with the mighty river Brahmaputra majestically flowing through her heart, Assam may stand comparison with the most beautiful country in theworld. The total area of the province is 77,000 sq. miles.
Assam is sacred with a thousand memories of India’s past glories, memories of culture movement, of heroic deeds and in Assam from a long time past progressive Hindu religion has been a living force. It was in Assam that princess Joy moti practiced passive resistance and cheerfully bore the tortures of death while firmly refusing to disclose the name of her beloved and brave husband who was wanted by the king.
Gauhati (Gua- hathi- High land covered with areca- nut trees) is situated on the left bank of the river Brahmaputra. The town is located in the district of Kamrupa. The origin of the name kamrupa is mythologically explained as follows:
When Sati died of vexation at the discountesy shown to her husband Siva by her father Daksha. Siva overcome by grief, wandered about the world carrying her dead body on his head. In order to put a stop to his penance. Vishnu followed him and lopped away the body piecemeal with is discus. It fell to earth in fifty- one different pieces, and wherever each piece fell, the ground was held to be sacred. Her organs of generation fell on Kamgiri i.e., Nilachal Hill near Gauhati and the place was thenceforth held sacred to Kamakhya. As Siva still continued to do penance, the other gods became afraid that he would thereby acquire universal power, and accordingly dispatched Kamdeb, the Indian cupid, to make him fall in love again, and thereby break his penance. He succeeded in his mission, but so enraged was Sivaat the result, that he burnt him to ashes by a fiery glance from the eye in the centre of his forehead. Kamdeb eventually recovered his origional form and the country where this took place became known as kamrupa. (Gait: A History of Assam p.11).
Narak- Asur, according to legends is said to have erected the temple of Kamakshya in the heroic period of the Mahabharata. He made Pragjyotishpur (Modern Gauhati) his capital and fortified it. There is still a hill in the vicinity of Gauhati which is called the hill of Narak- Asur. Narak’s son Bhagadatta fought for the Kauravas in the great battle of Kurukshetra. It was in this holy land of Kamrup that ancient sages like Basistha, Sankaracharya, Kasyapa and others found.... Places for their Tapasya. For many centuries the history of the district is involved in great obscurity. Some historians assert that the line of Narak was displaced by a Bodo chief who ruled at Gauhati. It appears that in the 11th century A.D. Kamrupa was included in the territories of the Pala Kings, who were powerful and civilised monarches. They were lords of Pragjyotishpur (Modern Gauhati). The huge tanks in the neightbourhood of Gauhati and the bricks and mortar found in every direction beneath the soil show that it must have been a place of great importance. To the south there are remains of ramparts (one made by Arjun, the Buragohain in 1667 AD.) nearly four miles distant from the river’s bank and it is obvious that such an extended line of fortifications could only have been held by a large army. The contrast between the glories of old Gauhati and the dead level of mediocrity which is the distinguishing feature of the district at the present day is very marked. In the 16th century the Koch Kings came into possession of the district. The power of this dynasty, however, rapidly declined and in the 17th century ‘the district was the scene of continual conflicts between the Muhammadans and the Ahoms. Within a short space of 50 year. Gauhati was taken and re- taken no less than 8 times by rival aspirants and these raids brought great misery and hardship upon the inhabitants. Towars the end of the 17th century Kamrupa was definitely incorporated in the kingdom of the ahom Kings. 38 Kings of the dynasty ruled the country after which the King of Burma began to exert his influence in the administration of the country. British help was unavoidably asked for. An expedition under Col. Richardson was dispatched to drive out the Burmess from Assam. The Burmese suffered a defeat and according to the terms of the treaty of yandabo in 1826, although the Burmese quitted the territory, the destiny of the Assamese was vitually transferred to the hands of the British- Indian Government. And in 1926, just a century later, Assam has invited the Indian National Congress to shape and guide the future destiny of the Indians by the Indians themselves!
Gauhati is a port of call for, the river steamers, and an excellent metalled road runs from Gauhati Ghat to Shillong, the head quarters of Assam. The townis growing steading and the population in 1872, 1881,1891,1901, and 1921 was 11,492; 8,283; 11,661, 16000 respectively. During the Ahom rule this town became the residence of the Viceroy for Lower Assam. The Ahom Viceroy usen to be the ruler of the extensive district and was in charge of the relaions between Assam and Bengal. At that time Gauhati was garrisoned by some five or six hundred men.
From the European point of view the city has not been very attractive. Buchanan Hamilton in his Memories of Assam (1809) describer the city as a "very poor place." The bracing climate of Shillong was perhaps more attractive to the European officials who did all they could to effect the transfer of the seat of Government from Gauhati to Shillong. The District Gazetteer states: For many years after our (British) occupation Gauhati remained the headquarters of the province but it enjoyed a very evil reputation for unhealthiness. Col. Hopkinson, the Commissioner in 1866 brought a powerful indictment against the district when advocating the transfer of his head quarters to Shillong.. The European population of the place must have been very small but death was only too busy in their ranks." Their agitation however was successful and even to this day, when Assam has got the status of a province, Shillong is the capital of Assam.
Inspire of the denunciation by Europeans the situation of the town is extremely picturesque. To the south Gauhati is surrounded by a semi circle of thickly wooded hillocks, while in front the mighty river Brahmaputra rolls on. "In the centre of the river lies a rocky island, the further bank is fringed with graceful palms, and the view is again shut in by ranges of low hills. Considerable improvements in drainage and water supply have been effected and the town is now very healthy.
The most noteworthy event in the recent history of Gauhati was the great earthquake of 1897 which devastated the whole town.
Gauhati is the chief town and administrative headquarters of the district and principal centre of trade in Lower Assam. Tea is a flourishing industry in the district. There are good educational facilities in the town. The Cotton college, named after Sir Henry Cotton formely Choef Commissioner of Assam, is now affiliated to the Calcutta University up to M.A. standard. Besides there is a Law College (Earle Law College) and a large number of H.E. Schools.
Recently a museum under the appellation of Kamrupa Anusandhan Samity have been established at Gauhati. It will surley bring to light all the past glories of Assam that are now consigned to oblivion.
Gauhati has aptly been called the templetown of Assam. About two miles to the west of Modern Gaubati on the summit of the Nilachal Hill the Kamakhya temple- a place of pilgrimage visited by the Hindus from every part of India.
"Kamakhya should be visited bye very lover of the picturesque. A paved causeway, which tradition says was constructed by Narak- Asur thousands of years ago, stretches from the Trunk Road to the spur on which the temple stands. The path is steep, and the rocks had been worn to a slippery smppthness by the feet of generations of pilgrims. The sides of the hill are rocky, in places even precipitous, but, wherever they can find a foot- hold, the giants of the froest have driven their roots into the earth, and huge pepul and rubber trees cast their shadows over the path. At either end it passes through an archway of fine masonry and here and there the rocks along the side have been hewn into the semblance of gods From the summit of the hill there is a magnificent view over the surrounding country. Its feet are washed by the mighty Brahmaputra, whose channel, at this point is shut in by rocks on either hand. To the south there are the tumbled masses of the Khasia Hills, rising out of the alluvium as cliffs rise out of the sea, the flat and fertile valleys, with which they are intersected, forming a striking contrast to their precipitous and jungle- covered sides. On the north are fields of golden rice and yellow mustard, groves of palms and feathery bamboos, surrounded and enclosed by rocky hills, while far away in the distance are the blue ranges of Bhutan and the snowy peaks beyond." Another place of pilgrimage situated in the vicinity of Gauhati is the Umananda island- the place which was the delight of Uma. Siva Sinha built a temple at this place in 1720 A.D., and dedicated it to Siva and Parvati.
Near the Umananda, there is another small hillock called Urbasi and on the north bank of the river stands on a rocky promontory the temple of Aswaklanta. The story goes that Srikrishna halted here with Rukmini and the holes now visible in the rocks have been made by his horse’s hoofs. Near about lies the temple of Ugratara and Chatrakar. The most interesting temple near Gauhati is Navagraha (nine planets). It stands on the summit of a low hill on the east of the town and the roof of the dome has completely disappeared. Looking down from above on to the floor of this open cockpit are seen the altars of the sun, moon and other seven ‘planets’. The Vasistha- Assam lies nine miles south of Gauhati amongst the most romantic and picturesque surroundings. The temple was erected in 1751 A.D., by Rajah Rajeswar Singha in honour of the sage Vasistha, who is said to have spent some time in the locality. Rudreswar is another temple near Gauhati erected by Siva Singh in memory of his father, the hero Rudra Singha who died in 1714. At Hajo, near Gauthati, stands the celebrated temple containing the image of Nrisingh Avatar of Vishnu, and Buddhists too consider this as a place of pilgrimage. The place is also regarded as the holy Pot Mecca of the Muhammadans.
To the north bank of the Brhamanutra just opposite to Gauhati lies the battle- field of Saraighat. Here the army of Aurangzeb under the command of Raja Ram Sing had to suffer an ignominous defeat at the hands of … Bar Phukan in 1668. The historical association of Saraighat is revered by every Assamese.
The Congress town is located at Pandu about four miles off modern Gauhati, where the Pandavas are said to have halted for some time during their exile. The temple of Shiva, known as pandunath, was said to have been founded by the Pandavas.
"The Congress Town it self is divided into two parts- the Congress grounds proper and the Leaders’ Camp. The Leaders’ Camp is built".the railway land on the Brahmaputra towards the west of the Pandu Railway Stationn, and is about half a mile off from the Congress grounds proper.
The Congress grounds proper are at the fods of the Kamakhya hill, and the Pandu Feeds Road passes through a portion of it encircling the other portion. The entire Congress Town comprises an area of about 105 acres of land. The pavilion is located in the centre of the ground having the delegates’ camp on the north- west and the family cottages on the south- west and .. the exhibition grounds. The romantic spot on the bank of the Brahmaputra, where the special cottage with the president’s camp is situated, has been named Chittaranjanpur. The main gate of the Congress pavilion has been named Swaraj gate. The western gate of the pavilion has been name Gandhi gate, while Ansari gate is the name given to the southern gate."
