Kareng Ghar is a seven storied palace, located about 6 km east of Sibsagar in Assam. Formerly the military station of the Ahom kings, it was built by Rudra Singha during 1696-1714. Uniqueness is that the palace has three underground floors known as Talatal Ghar. The upper storeys are known as Kareng Ghar. Besides, there are two underground tunnels connecting Talatal Ghar and the Gargaon palace with the Dikhow River. These tunnels, which served as the emergency exit, were later blocked by the East India Company.
Shiva doul................................Njoy d pic………The magnificent Shivadol, with a height of 104 ft, is among the highest Shiva temples in the country. Built in 1734. Situated at Sivasagar. The temple belongs to the dvaikuta class in Indian temple architecture and consists of two cells -- a garbhagriha (sanctum sanctorum) and a mandapa (pillared hall). The majestic shikhara (dome) with fluted vertical lines rises over the garbhagriha. Around the main shikhara lie several replicas, which are known as uramanjaris. The Shivadol becomes a hub of activity during the annual Shivaratri festival (February/March) when devout pilgrims from far and near visit the temple.
At Rangpur (which was the name of the old Ahom capital), 5 km from Sibsagar, there is another large man-made pond known as the Joysagar, built by King Rudra Singha (also Sukhrungpha; 1696–1714) in 1697, a year after he came to power. The pond and the temple Joydol (erected a year later, in 1698) commemorate the memory of his mother, Queen Joymoti, who was tortured to death at the nearby Jerenga Pothar. Just as the Sivasagar pond has three temples constructed on its shores, Joysagar too has a set of three temples of which the Joydol is one; the other two are, as at Sibsagar, the Shivadol and Devidol, dedicated to Shiva and Devi, respectively. From what remains of the sculpture decorating these temple walls, one can see carving of elephants and other animals in panels and rows reminding one a little of the workmanship at Belur and Halebid in Karnataka state. There is a depiction of Brahma astride a peacock, and hunting scenes on the outer panels along with a rare 16-armed Durga and Narasimha. However, many of these relics have been irretrievably lost to the ravages of time.
Rudra Singha (also Sukhrungpha; 1696–1714), who erected the temple around Joysagar, was also responsible for the construction, in 1703, of the Namdang Xaku (xaku: bridge), a stone bridge cut from a monolithic rock over the Namdang River, 12 km from Sibsagar. Today, the national highway 37 passes over this historic bridge.
Close to the Gargaon Palace is Rang Ghar (entertainment house), an oval-shaped, two-storeyed pavilion from where the Ahom kings are said to have watched elephant fights and other sports. Built by Pramatta Singha (also Sunenpha; 1744–1751), the Rang Ghar is one of the earliest pavilions of outdoor stadia in India. There is a wide meadow around the structure, which was probably meant for the public. The pavilion is 10 m high, 11 m across and 27 m long; a steep flight of steps leads to the higher elevation from where, presumably, the royal patrons used to watch the contest on the grounds below. The base of the monument has a series of arched entrances and atop the roof is a decorative pair of carved stone crocodiles. All these structures have been designated as protected national monuments. In many of these, only the brick framework exists with vestiges of sculptural adornments here and there. The Ahoms, who used special thin baked bricks, did not know the use of cement and, therefore, used a paste of rice and eggs as mortar for their construction. Even then, what still stands after so many decades of neglect is astonishing.
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