Chapter 8


Material Heritage

Exercises

1. 1. Answer the following questions.

(a) Kamakhya Temple is situated on which hill in Guwahati?

Answer: The Kamakhya Temple is located on the Nilachal Hills to the west of Guwahati.

(b) Which island of Assam was called 'Peacock Island' by the British?

The British called the Uma Nanda Temple in Assam 'Peacock Island'

(c) What is the name of the Ahom king who built the Bashishta Temple?

The Ahom king who built the Bashisht Temple was Rajeshwar Singh. 

(d) Which is the most famous work of art of the South Mountain Temple?

The most famous work of art of the Southern Hill Temple is the architecture and sculpture.

(e) Where in Assam is the confluence of the three rivers Sandhya, Lalita and Kanta found?

The confluence of three rivers named Sandhya, Lalita and Kanta is found in the Sandhyachal Mountains south of the city of Guwahati in Assam. 

(f) What is the name of the hill where the Hoygriva-Madhava temple is located?

The hill where the Hoygriva-Madhava temple is located is the Manikut hill in Hajo on the north bank of the Brahmaputra. 

(g) On which hill of Hajo is Powamka situated?

Answer: Powamka is located in the Garudachal Hills of Hajo. 

(h) Which is the largest man-made pond in Assam?

Answer: The largest man-made pond in Assam was called Jaisagar Pond.

(i) Which Ahom king built 'Dhodar Ali'?

Answer: Swargadeo Gadadhar Singh built 'Dhodar Ali'  

2. 2. Write a brief.

(a) Ambubachi festival

Answer: Ambubachi Festival: The Kamakhya Temple is located on the Nilachal Hills to the west of Guwahati. This is the place where the body parts of Sadashiva's wife Sati, who was cut to pieces by Lord Vishnu with his Sudarshan Chakra, fell and the Kamakhya Temple was built there. 

    The Ambubachi Mela is the most famous of the Pujas and Melas celebrated with great pomp at the Kamakhya Temple every year. The fair is celebrated from the 7th to the 10th of the month of Ahar. The ancients believe that Mother Vasumati is menstruating. Therefore, the Ambubachi festival is celebrated with great pomp in Kamakhyadham. The doors of the Kamakhya Temple are closed during the days of Ambubachi and are opened to the pilgrims as soon as the Ambubachi ends. At that time, a big fair is held at Kamakhya, and it is called the Ambubachi Mela. 

(b) Sri Surya Hills

Answer: Srisurya Pahar: Srisurya Pahar is located near Goalpara town. There is a circular stone sculpture on the south side of the hill and the sculpture is said to be a symbol of the sun and the hill is called Sri Surya Pahar. Srisurya Hill is also known as 'Satali Hill' as it has seven small and large hills.

     There are many rock carved idols, Shiva Lingas, and stupas on the Sri Surya Hill. Buddhist and Jain idols are also found along with Hindu gods and goddesses. There are many idols of Shiva and Vishnu along with others discovered on the banks of a stream near the mountain. The most beautiful statue on the hill was a statue of twelve hands with two spears on either side on a lotus flower on a rock. 

    The main attraction of Srisurya Hill is the rock sculptures of the caves carved in the rock. Among the idols found in the cave called Chepashil were a temple of Ganesha and another of the moon. The largest Shivling on the hill was 9 feet long. 

 (c) Powamkka

Answer: Powamka: Powamka is situated on the top of the Garudachar Hills in Hajo. There was a legend that the eagle, the vehicle of Lord Vishnu, ate on the mountain. On the full moon of the month of Jeth, the eagle rested on this mountain. Therefore, the name of this mountain is Garudachal. 

    Powamkka was founded by Siddhapurush Ghiyasuddin Auliya. There are several legends about the origin of the name Powamka . According to one, the founder, Saint Ghiyasuddin Auliya, brought a piece of holy soil from the holy city of Mecca and mixed it with the name Powamka. There was a mosque in Powamka along with the tomb of Saint Ghiyasuddin Auliya.  

(d) Azaanpir Dargah

Answer: Azaanpir Dargah: Azaanpir Dargah was a holy place of worship for Muslims. Tea Miran from Baghdad in the Far Middle East brought several pious men including his brother Nabi with him at a young age to spread the holy message of Islam in Assam. He entered India with his companions through the Khyber Pass. He first stayed in Ajmer for a while and then came to Assam via Gaur country and settled in Hajo. He built a mosque in Garhwal, the capital of the Ahom kingdom, while in Chunpora, and in that mosque the religious customs called the Azan and urged the local Muslims to pray. Therefore, he was named 'Azan Fakir'

    Azan Fakir mastered the Assamese language in a very short time. He also mastered the customs, songs and songs of the Vaishnava religion of Assam.   They composed the words of the Holy Qur'an in rhythm and rhythm as songs, and preached them among the illiterate people, which were called 'Zikr' The songs became popular among Hindus and Muslims. In doing so, Rupai Dadharai, the Muslim official of the Ahom king, falsely accused the king of being a spy against the fakirs. Therefore, he took away the eyes of Azan Fakir and threw them into the Dikhou River. After that incident, the Dikhou River began to flow back. The place where the Azan Faqir recited the Qur'an was not flooded. 

(e) Malini Thana

Answer: Malini Than: Malini Than is an ancient Shaktipeeth located in West Chiang district of Arunachal Pradesh. The shrine is located north of Dhemaji district in Assam. According to legend, King Bhishma of Vidarbha rested there when his daughter Rukmini was abducted by Krishna. There, Shiva and Parvati welcomed them with garlands of flowers and Krishna named Parvati 'Malini' Therefore, the name of this shrine is Malini Than. 

    The area of Malini Thana belonged to the former Chutia kingdom. Excavations have revealed the ruins of rock temples, Shivalinga, toothed elephant, lion, Indra, rat, Ganesha and peacock, Kartik with chariot, Sun with chariot, trident, Nandi wearing bells, There are idols of Goddess Durga, and idols of yogis with mandalas. Hundreds of people came every day to the ancient Shaktipeeth Malini Thana. There are many temples built by the Ahom kings and donated land. There are many temples like Yogeshwar Temple, Hatigarh Temple, Rudrapad Temple, Suryamadhav Temple, Dhareshwar Shiva Temple, etc. 

(f) Maidan

Answer: Maidan: Maidan in Ahom language means 'foundation of the dead' The body of the deceased of the Ahom people was placed inside a wooden box called 'Rung-dang', which was dug into the ground and buried on top of a semi-circular foundation made of earth. That whole method is Maidan. Maidan is one of the architectural arts of the Ahoms. 

    The king's body is placed inside the rung-dang and brought to the place where the rung-dang is to be buried. There is a house built of shawl wood and the house is called 'Kareng Rung-Dang' The house was later built of brick. After the conversion of the Ahom kings to Hinduism, they cremated the bodies of the dead kings and buried the ashes in the Charideo Mountains. Many kings and queens were given maidans in Charideo. 

3. 3. What is meant by material heritage? Write a brief note on the architecture and sculptures of ancient Assam.

Answer: Material history 

  (a) Temples, shrines, mosques. (b) houses,

  (c) pond,     (d) field,

  (e) forts      (f) stone-bridges, and

  (g) Streets and alleys.

 The architectural sculptures of ancient Assam are discussed below 

    The ruins of ancient Assam are scattered in Guwahati, Deopani, Goalpara, Nagaon, Tezpur, Kashmari, Malinithan and Numaligarh. They used clay, sand, stone and brick to build them. The stone pieces were carved with images of gods and goddesses, animals, birds and trees and plants. In addition, idols of gods and goddesses were made of silver, gold, bronze, and copper. 

    Brick is used in medieval temples in Assam. It uses very little stone and clay. During the Ahom dynasty, a type of brick called 'karal' was used in indigenous techniques for cement stone work. 

 4. The Discuss the architecture and sculpture of the Ahom period.

The architecture and sculpture of the Ahom period is discussed below

    In the Ahom era, the common people lived in two-story bamboo and wooden houses. They first lived in huts. They later abandoned that habit. They decorated it with wooden poles, flowers, plants, and animals. History mentions that the Ahom kings built the palace in two tiers on the model of the Barahis. 

    Garhwal Karengghar: Garhwal is located to the east of the present city of Shivsagar. The Ahom-era Garhwal Karengghar is still intact. Earlier, the fort was built of bamboo and wood, hence the name Holongghar. The hollow house was 120 cubits long and 30 cubits wide. . . . .

   The Talatal Ghar of Rangpur: The Talatal Ghar was the finest example of architecture of the Ahom period. The capital Rangpur had two most famous buildings and they were the Rangghar and the Talatal Ghar. The Talat Ghar was partly decorated by His Majesty Rudra Singh, and completely built by His Majesty Rajeshwar Singh. The palace was called Talat Ghar because it had seven brick locks. The house was built three stories underground and four stories above it.  

 Maidan: Maidan means 'foundation of the dead' in the Ahom language. The body of the deceased of the Ahom people was placed inside a wooden box called 'Rung-dang', which was dug into the ground and buried on top of a semi-circular foundation made of earth. That whole method is Maidan. Maidan is one of the architectural arts of the Ahoms. 

    The king's body is placed inside the rung-dang and brought to the place where the rung-dang is to be buried. There is a house built of shawl wood and the house is called 'Kareng Rung-Dang' The house was later built of brick. After the conversion of the Ahom kings to Hinduism, they cremated the bodies of the dead kings and buried the ashes in the Charideo Mountains. Many kings and queens were given maidans in Charideo. 

 5. 5. Write down what you know about the pond industry of the Ahom era.

The pond industry of the Ahom period is Jaisagar, Athaisagar, Gauri Sagar and Rudra Sagar during the Ahom reign. There are several large ponds in Assam like Shivsagar, Jaisagar and Gauri Sagar which were dug about 180-300 years ago. The water in those ponds never ran out or dried up. The water in these ponds was cleaner than others. There are several huge ponds of the Ahom era 

   Jaisagar Pond: This pond is located south of the present town of Shivsagar. The Jaisagar Pond was dug by His Majesty Rudra Singh on 3 Aghon 1619 AD in memory of his mother Jaymati Kunwari at Jerenga Pathar, south of the capital Rangpur. The Jaisagar Pond was the largest pond of the Ahom era. The pond had an area of 210 pura 1 bigha 2 katha 10 locha. 

    Shivsagar Pond: This pond is located in the middle of Shivsagar town. The Shivsagar Pond was dug in 1733 AD by Queen Ambika of His Majesty Shiv Singh. The total area of the pond was 194 pura 2 bighas 2 katha 6 lochas. 

6. 6. Write a note on the streets of medieval Assam.

Answer: The streets of medieval Assam are discussed below

    In the Middle Ages, there were not enough historical streets in Assam. There were only a limited number connecting the major sites. These rivers and other waterways are widely used as there are many boats like Mar Nao, Chara Nao, Bar Nao, Khel Nao, Jap Nao, Mogari Nao, Hilai Chara Nao, Par Nao etc. which were powerful navies of the kings of the ancient kingdom of Kamrup. 

    Inside the road, there is evidence of three brick roads in the Dayang-Dhansiri valley during the reign of the Kacharis. Gohai Kamal Ali mentions the improved streets of the Koch kingdom. 

    Barali: During the reign of Swargadeo Pratap Singh, the capital of Barali was from Garhwal across the Dikhou River along the southern bank of the Brahmaputra to Negheriting Dergaon. 

    Dhodar Ali: Dhodar Ali was built by Swargadeo Gadadhar Singh from Jaipur near Naharkatia to Kamargam in Golaghat. The street was built with the labor of lazy people and hence the name Dhodar Ali.

    Cheuni Ali: Cheuni Ali was built by Swargadeo Jaidhav Singh (1648-1641 AD). The responsibility of building the alley was given to Swargadeo Baduli Fukan. The road was named Cheuni Ali because Bat Fukan built the road by camping along the road.  

7. 7. Write down what you know about the forts and stone bridges of the Ahom period.

Answer: The forts and stone bridges of the Ahom period have been discussed

    Forts: Assam has also been a leader in fort construction techniques since ancient times. These forts were built of earth in various militarily important areas to crush the enemy. The Ahom's fortification techniques were of a very high standard. The Ahom fought by building forts and fortresses. They dug a moat around the city and built a wall around it. They planted thick kotoha bamboo on all sides of the fort, because the enemy could not cross the fort even if they climbed the fort.

    The city is surrounded by forts such as Barkala Rangpur and Garhwal. Most of the forts were killed with earth. Some of the forts were given earth as well as bricks. The walls were quite high and wide, and their tops were flat like streets. There are many forts in the Ahom period and they are   Rangli Fort, Momai Kata Fort, Maskhwa Fort, Kotoha Fort, Shimlugarh, Chamdhara Fort, Chawatal Fort, Chintamani Fort, and Hati Fort . 

    Stone bridges: The Ahom kings started building stone bridges from around the 16th century. The advanced architecture of the Ahom period includes stone bridges built across rivers and streams. These stone bridges were built using 'karal' of bricks, slate stones, aggregate stones and stick stones over rivers and streams from the roads. The craftsmen of the Ahom era built a stone bridge overnight. Some of the stone bridges are discussed below

    Namdang Stone Bridge: Swargadeo Rudra Singh built a stone bridge over the Namdang River in 1703 AD. The bridge was built by tunneling through a large rock. The ark was 202 feet long, 21.5 feet wide, and 5.5 feet thick. 

   Naphuk Stone Bridge:   The Naphuk Stone Bridge was built in 1723 AD by Barraja Phuleshwari Kunwali, queen of His Majesty Shiva Singh. 

   The Darika Stone Bridge was built by His Majesty Pratap Singh. It was built on the Darika River east of present-day Garhwal.

Dijaikhana Stone Bridge: This stone bridge was built by His Majesty Gadadhar Singh after the Darika Stone Bridge.