SIVASAGAR DISTRICT

Sivasagar or Sibsagar is an administrative district of Assam with headquarters at Sibsagar town. The district shares common boundaries with Dibrugarh District on the east, Jorhat district on the west, river Brahmaputra on the North and Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh states on the south. It is about 360 kilometres (224 mi) north east of Guwahati. It is the district headquarters of the Sivasagar district. Sivasagar is a heritage place in Assam famous for the monuments of Ahom kingdom. Now it is a multi-cultural city. Sibsagar, ex Rangpur, was once the capital of the Ahom rulers who dominated Assam for more than 600 years. They ruled Assam virtually uninterrupted for 6 centuries until their kingdom fell to the Burmese in 1819, and their ruling class was all but wiped out. The province was liberated by the British in 1825 but, owing to the state of anarchy which prevailed in the province, it was completely annexed in 1826.

This city's main feature is the water body from which it gets its name. This is a 257-acre (1.04 km2) tank(pukhuri) also called Borpukhuri which is one of the largest tank in world, at a higher elevation than the rest of the town, with three temples(Dol's in Assamese) on its banks namely Devi dol,Shiv dol and Bhisnu dil. Of these temples, the most prominent is the Sivadol, standing tall at 104 feet (32 m), drawing large crowds on Shiv Ratri during the month of February-March. This Shiv dol is one of the tallest shiv dol in world. The Shiva Dol is a huge temple with the main temple or the sanctum sanctorum (called GARVA GRIHA) rising to an imposing height of 180 feet. It  is the tallest of all Shiva temples in India. The other temples are the Vishnudol and Devidol. The temples were built by Queen Ambika, wife of Swargadeo Siba Singha, in the year 1734.

Attraction

1) Ranghar : It is a double-storied, oval shaped amphitheatre with a roof which is shaped like an inverted boat is the oldest pavilloin in Asia is situated in Joysagar near about 3 km from main city. This was built by Ahom king Pramatta Singha (AD 1744-1750) for watching various games by families of royals. These included many of Assam's indegenous games like birds fight, buffalo fight, etc.

2) Kareng Ghar : It was a Royal House of the Tai-Ahom kings, which is situated in Gargaon, the third capital of the Tai-Ahoms which is just near about 15 km from main city. It was bulit in 1752 AD by Ahom King Rajeswar Singha. It was the capital of ahom kingdom. The city of Gargaon is surrounded with several ramparts such as Nimanagarah, Bahgarh, etc. Gargaon is known to the Tai-Ahoms as -'Che-hung' means a city surrounded with ramparts. According to Tai-Ahom Buranjis (histories), king Siuklengmung as per advice of his principal queen Chaoching (a princess from Nora kingdom) made this city after Cheregua, the second capital of the Tai-Ahoms.

3) Talatal Ghar :  Talatal Ghar or the Kareng Ghar (meaning the royal palace in Assamese) is located in Rangpur, one of the erstwhile capitals of the Ahom kingdom. This capital was first established by the Swargadeo Rudra Singha in 1707. It is located in the western part of the Sibsagar town. The multi-storied palace, Talatal Ghar, was built by Swargadeo Rajeswar Singha. It is just 5 minitues walkable distance from Ranghar

Rajeswar Singha added three underground stories known as Talatal Ghar made of brick and an indigenous type of cement to the four storied Kareng Ghar (or palace) built by Rudra Singha and his other sons. The Talatal Ghar had two secret underground tunnels connected to the Dikhow river and the Garhgaon Palace for use as an escape route in case of any enemy attack.

Visitors nowadays can only view the ground floor and first floor and some of remaining portion of the 2nd and 3rd floor of the palace. The underground stories have been sealed and many of the wooden structure of the palace has vanished with time. The palace was surrounded by a brick fortification and also by an earthen fort (Garh) with dikes filled with water. There is a Khar Ghar or gun-powder and ammunition store near the palace.

4) Charaideo Maidams(Graveyards of Agom kings) : Charaideo or Charaideo Maidams, a place sacred by the Ahoms. Stands at least 32km east of Sivasagar town. It is located at the foothills of a chain of low lying hills, called Charaideo, an offshoot of the Naga hills. Encompassing an area of 10-12 sq. km , Charaideo is encircled by ramparts(Garhs). Though the capital of the Ahom kingdom moved many times, Charaideo remained the symbolic center. It contains sacred burial grounds of Ahom kings and queens and is also the place of ancestral Gods of the Ahoms. The tombs (Maidams) of Ahom kings and queens at Charaideo hillocks are comparable to the Pyramids of Egypt and are objects of wonder revealing the excellent architecture and skill of the sculptors and masons of Assam of the medieval days. The actual number of Maidam has exceeded 150 but only 30 Maidams are protected by the Archeological Survey of India and Assam State Archeology Department, and the remaining Maidams are unprotected. Most of these unprotected Maidams are encroached by people and so going to be damaged. The biggest unprotected Maidam is the Bali Maidam near Nimonagarh. This Maidam is called Bali Maidam, because while British plundered it, they got obstruction from excess sands (Bali) in the surrounding of the Maidam.

The site has had some archeological works but also has suffered from robbers. There have been calls for the site to be UNESCO World Heritage listed.

5) Joysagar Tank : Joysagar tank is the largest man made tank in the world. distance of its four sides covers 3 k.m. water level of joysagar tank is 14ft higher than ground level. Joysagar tank is situated at a distance of around 5 km south of the present Sivasagar town. This big tank measures approximately 498 Bighas of land. One of the famous educational institutes of Upper Assam "Sivasagar College" stands on its bank other than some historical relics on the other sides of bank of the tank.

6) Sivasagar Tank : Sivasagar tank is situated in Sivasagar district headquarters. The name is semantically adopted as place name at the level of District Name from a tank name. Prior to this excavation of this tank this area was known as 'Klongsupariya Gohain Gaon.' According to Changrung Phukanar Buranji, Draupadi, the second queen of Tai-Ahom king Sivasimha founded this tank sometimes in A.D. 1732 to commemorate her husband's name. So the tank and the name of the Hydronym. It measures about 400 + Bighas of land and the conscretion ceremony was conducted with more than hundred Brahmins so the tank is called 'Sagara'. During winter several migratory birds are seen.

7) Namdang Stone Bridge : The Namdang Stone Bridge is historic bridge located a few kilometers away from Sivasagar town in Assam, India. It was constructed in 1703 by craftmen brought from Bengal during the reign of Ahom king Rudra Singha. The bridge is 60 m long (196.85 ft), 6.5 m wide (21.32 ft) and 1.7 m high (5.57 ft). It runs over the Namdang river, a tributary of the Dikhou river. The present National Highway 37 is passing over it. The unique characteristic of the bridge is that it was cut out from a single solid piece of rock hundred years of age.

8) Ajan Pir Dargah Sharif : Just 22 Km away from the SivasagarAt Saraguri Chapori stands Ajan Pir Dargah Sharif. Ajan Pir was the first Muslim saint to compose "Zikir" in Assamese Language (160 Nos. Approx.). On the day of the "URUS" thousand of devotees gather here to pay homage to the memories of this great Muslim reformer.

9) Gaurisagar Tank and Temples : The Gaurisagar tank was built by queen Phuleswari Devi (1722- 1791) and was dedicated to goddess Durga. It is covering an area of 150 acres and enclosing Shivadol and the Vishnudol temples. Gaurisagar is only 12-km from Sibsagar.

10) Rudrasagar Tank and Temple : King Lakshmi Singha built the tank in 1773 in memory of his father King Rudra Singha. On its banks stand a Shiva Temple and is situated 8-km away from the Sibsagar town.

Economy of Sivasgar District :

Sivasagar's biggest contribution to the world is its tea. Sivasagar produces some of the finest and most expensive teas in the world. Sivasagar also accounts for fair share of Assam's production of rice, rapeseed, mustard, jute, potato, sweet potato, banana, papaya, areca nut and turmeric etc. Sivasagar is also a home of large varieties of citrus fruits, leaf vegetables, vegetables, useful grasses, herbs, spices, etc, which are mostly subsistence crops.

Sivasagar's agriculture has yet to experience modernisation in a real sense and is lagging behind. With implications to food security, per capita food grain production has declined in past five decades. On the other hand, although productivity of crops increased marginally, still these are much lower in comparison to highly productive regions.

Oil and Gas Fields

After independence, the national Government realized the importance oil and gas for rapid industrial development and its strategic role in defense. Consequently, while framing the Industrial Policy Statement of 1948, the development of petroleum industry in the country was considered to be of utmost necessity. Oil and Natural Gas Corporation, ONGC, started it's operation in Assam in post independence days in early 1960s. It found new oil Basin in Sibsagar, Assam. Since then ONGC and oil has been an integral part of Sivasagar's growing economy. The ONGC's contributions to the development of the region is significant.

There are various oil and gas fields avaible in the whole sivasagar district. The major oil fields and LPG plants fields in sivasagar are Lakwa, Galeki, Gaurisagar, Rudrasagar, Nazira, Sapekhati etc.

GAIL (India) Limited, is India’s flagship Natural Gas company, integrating all aspects of the Natural Gas value chain and its related services. In a rapidly changing scenario, they are spearheading the move to a new era of clean fuel industrialization, creating a quadrilateral of green energy corridors that connect major consumption centres in India with major gas fields, LNG terminals and other cross border gas sourcing points. The main plant of GAIL is situated in Lakwa which is about 30 km from Sivasagar town.

Tea Gardens in Sivasagar District :

Upper assam tea gardens contribute a huge role in Assam's economy. Sivasagar also having a numbers of tea gardens. Tea gardens not only produces economy but also it adds the scenic beauty. The beautiful tea gardens provides a very beautiful landscape of sivasagar district. Here is some of the major tea gardens in sivasagar are:

1) AIDEOBARI T.E./P.O. Sonari-785 690, Sivasagar.
2) BEMOLAPUR T.E./P.O. Borhat-785693,Sivasagar.
3) BEZBORUAH T.E./P.O. Sapekhati-785 692, Sivasagar.
4) MASKARA T.E./P.O. Rajmai-785 672, Sivasagar
4) RAJMAI T.E./P.O. Rajmai-785 672, Sivasagar
5) MUKTABARI T.E./P.O. Baruanagar-785 692, Sivasagar.
6) BEHUBOR T.E./P.O. Nazira-785 685, Sivasagar

Gaon Panchyat : Hahchara,   Kheluwa,   Nagarmahal, Cherekapar, Lachit, Desangpar, Betbari , Silakuti, Lakuwa, Gargaon, Chaulkora, Konwerpur, panbecha, Banmukh, Desangdhai ali, Desangmukh, Santipur, Lengibor, Phulpanibaruah.

Orunodoi or Arunodoi (English: Sunrise): Orunodoi is the first Assamese language magazine published from Sivasagar, Assam in 1846. This magazine created a new era in the world of Assamese literature and gave birth to notable authors like Anandaram Dhekial Phukan, Hemchandra Barua, Gunabhiram Barua and Nidhi Linai Pharowal. The magazine took the initiative of innovating the then Assamese dialect instead of borrowing words from other languages.From the Baptist Missionary printing press situated on the bank of Dikhow river, Sibsagar, Orunodoi was first published in 1846(january). The punch line for the magazine was "The Orunodoi, Monthly Paper, devoted to religion, science and general intelligence". The Assamese people got to know about the western world only through this magazine that opened the gate to the modern literacy in Assam. It mainly included various news related to current affairs, Science, astrology, history and also trivia although Christanity was its main aim. The publishing of the magazine came to an end when the printing press was sold in 1883.

Banks in Sivasagar District :

1) State Bank of India    -    Near KPM Chariali.-Phone : 03772-223916
2) United Bank of India    -    Central market. Phone : 03772-222852
3) UCO Bank                -    Hospital road. Phone 03772-222837
4) Allahabad Bank        -    Marwari patty, opposite central market. Phone : 03772-222304
5) Central Bank of India-    Temple road. Phone :    03772-223916
6) Canara Bank             -    Holding NO.431, Ist floor. Phone    : 03772-222228
7) Apex Bank            -    Infront of Shiv Temple. Phone : 03772-222570
8) Axis Bank            -    J. P. Agarwalla path. Phone : 03772- 220222/ 221222/ 223222
9) Bank Of India (BOI)    -    H.C.Barua road, Amulapatty
10) ICICI Bank            -    ICICI bank ltd., BaruaH Bhawan, Babupatty road, Phone : 03772 - 220627
11) Indian Bank (IB)    -    Dolmukh Road. Phone : 03772 - 222570
12) Indian Overseas Bank (IOB)    -    AAPEES Complex, 1st Floor, Temple Road, Ward No. 5. Phone : 03772 - 222078
13) Punjab National Bank (PNB)    -    NR Market HCB road. Phone : +91-9435311999

14) I.D.B.I. Bank  - Idbi Bank Ltd, Babupatty Road, Dolmukh Chariali

Banks in Nazira

1) United Bank Of India (UBI), DHODER-ALI ROAD, NAZIRA TOWN, Phone : +91-3772-252210
2) Indian Bank (IB), NAZIRA MAIN ROAD, Phone : +91-3772-280478

Banks in Sonari

1) State Bank Of India (SBI), SONARI, Phone :   +91-3772-256618
2) UCO Bank, SONARI, Phone :   +91-3772-256525

Various Banks ATM's In Sivasagar :

1) State Bank Of India (SBI) ATM, Near K.P.M. Chariali
2) State Bank Of India (SBI) ATM, JOGANI COMPLEX
3) State Bank Of India (SBI) ATM, Temple Road, In front of old civil hospital
4) Axis Bank ATM, J. P. Agarwalla Path
5) Indian Bank (IB) ATM, Dolmukh Chariali
6) I.C.I.C.I. Bank ATM,  Ground Floor, Baruah Bhawan, Babupatty
7) Punjab National Bank ATM, A.T. Road, Rangpur Nagar, Near hotel Skychief
8) State Bank Of India (SBI) ATM, Near Transport Section, O.N.G.C. Colony
9) I.D.B.I. Bank ATM, Dolmukh Chariali Towards Babupatty
10) HDFC Bank ATM, B. G. Road, Lakshmi Nagar
11) United Bank Of India ATM, Hotel Talatal Building
12) Indian Bank ATM, Nazira Main Road
13) Bank Of Baroda ATM, Near Nrl Energy Centre, Amolapatty, A T Road