Tourist Places To Visit In Sivasagar

Besides its popularity as an ancient city, Sivasagar’s also known for its climate that’s relatively mild and temperate with an average precipitation of 93” with plain landscapes, hilled valleys and mountains as well. An idyllic setting, Sivasagar’s Assam’s jeweled crown and situated about 363km from Guwahati. It is also well connected to the rest of the state by an excellent train and road network. Originally called Rongpur, Sivasagar was the capital of the glorious Ahom Empire for nearly 600 years. Here’s a list of tourist places you can visit in Sivasagar.

Located in the northeast part of Assam, the Rangpur Palace or Talatal Ghar is one of the most impressive architectural feats of Tai Ahom, which not only is a beautiful representation of Assamese culture and its ancient past, but also one of the largest monuments in the world. Enriched with the usual Mughal Designs and Styling, the upper tier of the palace is also called Kareng Ghar and was originally used as a residential palace by the Assamese Royalty. Built with purely organic materials, this structural marvel stands tall to date made of only bricks and organic cement.

Also called the Coliseum of the East, and one of the oldest amphitheaters in Asia, the Rang Ghar is located close to the Rangpur Palace, about 3km from the town of Sivasagar and actually represents a house of entertainment that dates back to 1746 AD, from the Ahom regime. A significant representation of architectural finesse and glory from the past, the monument was originally a two-tier structure, built by King Swargadeo Pramatta Singha, so that other Ahom Kings and Nobles could enjoy various sports from the pavilion. The monument has also earned itself the honor of being featured as a logo for the 33rd National Games in Assam in 2007.

The Tai Ahom Museum is a significant representation of Sivasagar’s local culture and ancient past, located by the banks of the Sivasagar Pukhuri, standing tall as a relatively simple building. Opened to the public in 1992, the museum has been a popular attraction for visitors with an assortment of artifacts that go way back to before 600 years including a royal armory, ornaments, utensils, books, scriptures and a lot more from the Ahom Era. The structure aims to promote the Tai Ahom heritage by sponsoring its research and study.

Situated about 28km from Sibasagar, Charaideo was built by the founder of the Ahom Empire, Sukhapa and is popular for the burial tombs, tumuli or maidams as they are locally known of the royal members of the Ahom Dynasty as well as the King. Built of rocks and bricks, these maidams are currently in shambles. The Charaideo was established 20 years after hunting for a suitable and the name chosen, was done so with due consideration to its essence which implies ‘the shining city of the hills’. The Ahom Royalty was buried here after a long drawn burial ritual, and their tombs are compared to the Egyptian Pyramids easily, given that the tombs display the exquisite craftsmanship and skills of the artisans and Assamese masons from the bygone days.

Located in the vicinity of the Joydol Temple or Kesavanarayan, the Joysagar Tank and Temples are huge constructs that were completed in a record time of 45 days way back in 1697, spanning nearly 320 acres, in addition to the temples situated on the water bank, including the Nati Gosain, Devi Ghar and Shiv Temples. Considered one of the most popular tourist sites in the area, the temples were built during the Ahom Reign, under the rule of King Rudra Singha and tales of his reign and legacy linger on. There’s a water reservoir that was excavated in honor of Joymati, of which the octagonal Garbagriha is an integral part. This site holds significant relevance in terms of archeological and religious sentiments among the locals.

A renowned temple erected in Lord Shiva’s honor, the Shivadol stands by the shores of the Sibsagar Lake and was built in 1734 by Bar Raja Ambika, Ahom King Swargadeo Siba Singha’s Queen. Standing tall at 32m with a base perimeter of 59m, this sanctuary essentially includes a group of edifices that comprise 3 Hindu temples of Sivadol, a Vishnudol, a museum and shrines. The built is adorned with an 8ft. high golden dome as well. Annually a huge fair’s organized in the Shiva Temple where pilgrims from all over the country come visiting to offer their reverence and during August-September, the Hare Krishna Hymns and Chants can be heard far and wide through the night. Besides this, the Rath & Dol Yatra are two festivals that also take place each year at Vishnu Dol, as is Durga Puja during September-October at Devidol.

An artificial reservoir, the Gaurisagar Tank, that spans nearly 150 acres, was excavated in 1723 by Ahom king Swargadeo Sivasingha’s first wife, Queen Phuleswari and has a number of temples places all around it, in honor of Lord Shiva, Goddess Durga and Lord Vishnu. Initially the name of a small village Bezgaon, Gourisagar was given its name after building the three temples.

Also known as the Gargaon Palace, the royal throne for the Ahom Dynasty, Kareng Ghar is a renowned tourist spot located 13km from the town and includes about 7 floors, of which three lie underground, with many underground passages that aren’t accessible to visitors for safety reasons. Owing to its grandeur, the palace is one of the most beautiful symbols of Ahom Architecture, given its wooden and stone-built, a brick wall spanning nearly 5km and a masonry gate leading to the palace. After the old palace got damaged, it was rebuilt in 1752 with its 7 tiered structure by Suremphaa.

A landmark of the town of Sivasagar, the Sibsagar Lake’s an artificial reservoir built by King Shiva Singha’s Queen, Ambika in 1734. Also called Bhorpukhuri, the lake’s bank is encompassed by a series of historic monuments, government offices, mosques, temples, churches, a Buddhist Monastery, parks and gardens. Custom-built by the King the lake spans 129 acres. When you come visiting, you will also get to see a number of cannons from the Tai-Ahom era well preserved by the banks.

Built-in reverence of Goddess Durga, the temple of Devi Dol is decades old and located in Sivasagar, where an annual Durga Puja is celebrated and attended by scores of devotees from all parts of the country. Flanked by the Shiva Dol and Vishnu Dol on both sides, Devi Dol’s is 60 ft high and has a base of 120ft. one of the most sacred portions of the Dol, the Bolisthal is earmarked for worshipping Goddess Kali and Goddess Durga, with a small Shanti temple that’s nearby as well.