Evolution of Built Heritage in the “Tea Garden State of India”: Assam
- Ellora Ghosh
- Mar 7, 2021
- 4 min read
The land of mighty Brahmaputra and Ahoms, Assam is a state whose medieval architecture is greatly influenced by its cultural contact with West Pakistan, i.e., present-day Bangladesh and Burma, yet maintaining its firm cultural relation with mainland India. Through time immemorial, Assam has witnessed great rulers occupying the plains of Brahmaputra, but have left remarkable architecture and heritage to talk about and be thrilled of its beauty. The heritage of Assam is all about extravagant historic temples, classic heritage sites, and different kinds of wildlife. The architectural heritage of Assam is often easily perceived when seen through the lens of how various dynasties ruled over the land of Assam.
Pre-Ãhom Period
The earliest sources of architecture in the Gateway to the North-east dates back to the Gupta Period, during the rule of the Varman dynasty in the Kamarupa district. Not one temple of this era is in standing condition and only ruins are seen, over which temples of the Ãhom period were constructed. Da-Parbatia is an ancient village near Tezpur consisting of ruins of two ancient temples, one belonging to the 5th, on which another temple was constructed during the Ãhom rule.
Ãhom period
Assam got its name from the Ahoms, who established their cultural and economic stability within the region for over six centuries, which may be seen in their monuments in the town of Sivasagar. The town has over 170 tanks, depicting a typical kind of architecture. The most famous heritage sites of Assam, Kareng Ghar, and Talatal Ghar are historical treasures of its era. In the former capital of Rangpur, Swargeo Rudra Singha built a palace from organic bricks, later constructed into a seven-story palace by his successor Rajeshwara; the three ground storeys are referred to as ‘Talatal Ghar’ while the other distinct four-storey building is named as ‘Kareng Ghar’. Another construction by King Swargdeo is the two-storied structure known as‘Rang Ghar’. It is used as a royal sports pavilion that is additionally used for cultural programs and to watch the traditional ‘bull-fights. In this second phase of temple architecture, inclination towards Hinduism was observed with the construction of Hindu temples, specially dedicated to Goddess Durga. The style reached its zenith during the reign of Siva Singha, after the emergence of the tallest historical monument in Assam, the Siva Temple at Sivasagar. Like the pre-Ãhom period, the temples of this era even influence Indo-Aryan culture, consisting of Garbhagriha, Vimana, Sikhara, and Mandap.
After Siva Singha his successors, we notice secularism in architecture. But they are temples smaller in stature and mostly work of renovation and restoration. After Rajeswar Singha the temple architecture lost its reputation and started declining. The Chandra Sekhar temple at Umãnanda and the Baneswar temple in Gauhati, which portray the declining picture of art and architecture, was built by Chandra Kant Singha (1811-1818 A.D.) the last Ãhom ruler of Assam.
Chutia dynasty
The Chutiãs ruled in the Northeast corner of Assam. The cultured tribe erected the Tãmresvari temple at Sadiya within the precincts of the Dibrugarh district. This temple popularly known as Sakta Goddess Kesakhati is no newer. During the great earthquake, it fell and the Brahmaputra eroded the site completely so no trace has been found of the monument to date. This simple stone temple must have lost its sikhara in some earthquake and later copper-sheets were put in it. So, it was called Tãmresvari. The style of Architecture of the ruined temple bear the Indo-Aryan traits and therefore the sculptures bear the mark of the late eastern Indian medieval school, which was known to the Chutiã artisans.
Koch Dynasty
During the reign of King Naranãrãyana and his brother General Chilãrãi, the dynasty reached its epitome of power. The king built the famous Kamakhya temple on Nilachal hill, in 1565 AD over ruins that trace back to even before the pre-Ãhom period. This sacred temple of Kamakhya Devi is flocked by pilgrims all year and is surrounded by four primary Shakti Pithas. The ‘Nilachala style’ originated from this temple, which put more Islamic style ignoring the Indo-Aryan kind of architecture.
Secular Architecture
The secular building architecture is rare in Assam and some of the most noteworthy examples are the three monuments that were built during the Ãhom period- the Rang Ghar, the Talatal Ghar, and the Kareng Ghar. The Rang Ghar is made in Islamic style for the members of the then royalty. However, the Talatal Ghar is made within the Mughal style and therefore the Kareng Ghar is made within the South-Asiatic style.
Muslim Architecture
Despite their best efforts, the Mughals were unable to conquer Assam due to the strong resistance by the Ahom dynasty, yet in the few parts of Assam, Mughal advances are marked by three Muslim monuments: Rangamati mosque near Gauripur, Pach Piran Dargah, and Mirijumlar Masjid.
Conclusion
Thus, architectural activities in the Pre- Ãhom period were done per the Indo-Aryan formula with a slight variation here and there. The Ãhom architecture was also formulated in the same way i.e., in the Indo-Aryan style, but it was greatly influenced by the Islamic style. The Chutia architecture, it appears, did not get a chance to undergo Islamic influence. Likewise, both in the Pre-Ãhom and in Ãhom period, influence from South-East Asia did fall on the architecture of Assam. But compared to the influence from the West, the influence from the East appeared to be very less because of the communication and geographical factors.
Assam is enriched with beautiful craft and heritage, very less talked about concerning the Indian context, and through the perils of technological exploitation, and the diminishing importance given to culture and heritage, Assam’s heritage is gradually losing its color and needs to be revived and discussed in textbooks! It is pretty strange to witness that none of Assam’s architectural marvel is under the list of UNESCO world heritage sites or for that matter, most of the monuments are neither Protected nor Authorized under Govt. of India.
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