One of the major towns in Assam Sivasagar formally called as Sibsagar is located in the upper ranges of Assam. A popular tourist destination in Assam, Sibsagar is known for its rich and diverse biodiversity surrounded by many historic attractions especially Ahom monuments and palaces which are quite exquisite. Tourism in Sivasagar gets the boost from lovely ambience and beautiful hills that surround it making it a perfect destination to those who are interested in history. Its economy depends on tea and oil industries, tourism mostly besides agriculture.
One of the top things to do on a visit Sivasagar is to visit to Sivasagar Sivadol Temple which gave this town its name and was built in 1734 by Kuwori Ambika, the wife of Swargadeo Siba Singha. Around the time of Shivratri, grand celebration by the devotees of Lord Shiva make a spectacle makes the town a sght to behold. can also visit Devidol which is dedicated to Devi Durga and hosts Durga Puja during the months of April-May and September-October; Vishnudol that is dedicated to Lord Vishnu; and Ghanashyam Dol, which is a marvellous temple built from terracotta and a part of its original path way still exists.
Amongst places, tourist can visit the Talatal Ghar that was originally built to be an army base and comprises of several hidden passageways constructed underneath till the Rangpur Palace. Sivasagar was earlier known as Rongpur and Rongpur was earlier known as Meteka. The original name of Sivasagar was Sibpur and was the capital of the Ahom Kingdom from 1699 to 1788.. Tourist visiting Sivasagar can also visit Talatal Ghar located in Rangpur, 4 km from Sivasagar, Assam.
It is one of the grandest examples of Tai Ahom architecture. ivasagar is a nature lovers paradise and has numerous reserved areas such as Pani Dihing Wildlife Sanctuary, and Abhaypur forest, Dilli forest, Diroi forest, Geleky forest and Saleh forest. There are some unclassified forests along the Nagaland and Arunachal border. the forests are full of tropical evergreen trees like hollong, titachapa, nahor, mekai etc. Various rare and endangered mammals like tiger, elephant, sun bear, sambar, hoolock gibbon are found in the reserve forests.
Bihus are the most popular agricultural festival in Sivasagar. Whether it is the Bohag Bihu/Rongali Bihu marks the advent of the cropping season, the Magh Bihu is the harvest festival and the Kati Bihu held in the lean period of agriculture is marked by the observing of penance and prayer, it holds special significance in Sivsagar. The Vaishnav community observes the birth and death anniversaries of the prominent Vaishnava saints of the state at the same time. Tribal communities like the Mishings and Deoris also perform Bihu in their own styles.
Other Hindu festivals observed in the district are Ambubashi, Durga Puja and Sivaratri . Id-ul-Zuha and Id-ul-fitr are religious festivals of the Muslim community. The Sivaratri Mela of Siva Dol since the days of Ahom rule, Shiva Dol temple is dedicated to the Hindu God, Lord Shiva. It is a major place of worship in East India and devotees consider it a once-in-a-lifetime journey to make it here. The best time to see this temple, the largest one in India is during the festive season of Shivaratri. The Jhumur dance and traditional music of these communities are very popular here.
Another place worth visiting is the Tai Ahom Museum that has been established to display the artefacts and former glory of the Ahom kingdoms of past. Many historical pieces like manuscripts, swords, vestments, etc. have been preserved here – much to the history enthusiast’s delight. Another plae worth visiting is the Talatal Ghar. Initially built as an army base, Talatal Ghar is famous for housing two secret tunnels.
It was said to be a stronghold of Ahoms during wars. The Rangpur Palace is the underground structure within the Talatal Ghar; its sibling the Kareng Palace making up the four floors above ground level. Talatal Ghar is a popular tourist spot for this very reason. Tourist can also visit the Rang Ghar, a two-storeyed building which once served as the royal sports-pavilion where Ahom kings and nobles were spectators at games like buffalo fights and other sports at Rupahi Pathar – particularly during the Rongali Bihu festival. It is 3 km away from the center of Sivasagar Town.
Siva dol is a group of structures comprising three Hindu temples of Sivadol, Vishnudol and Devidol shrines, and a museum. These are located on the banks of the Sivasagar tank, also known as the Borpukhuri tank, was constructed between 1731 and 1738 and the temples were built in 1734 by Bar Raja Ambika, queen of Ahom king Swargadeo Siba Singha. Other places worth visiting are Devi Dol Vishnu Dol and Joysagar Tank. Well connected by rail, road and air, the best time to visit Sibsagar is from October to March.
