Singri (Assam)

Last updated
Singri

Singri is a village in Dhekiajuli, Sonitpur district in the Indian state of Assam. It is situated in the bank of the Brahmaputra river. It is known for Singri Tea Estate and Gupteshwar Temple as well as the ancient ruins of Vishwakarma Temple.

Contents

History

Singri has been a pilgrimage site for Tibetans,Monpas, Shajalongs and Bhutanese since the 14th century, as mentioned by Jigme Lingpa in the 18th century.Thangtong Gyalpo or Lama Chag Zhampa(Tibetan Yogi) visited in 13th century,He mentioned there were a stupa also.Monpa H.E. 12th and 13th Thegtse Rinpoche Namgye Tsering and Yeshe Zangpo also visited annually in 18th and 19th centuries as a pilgrimage.

Gopteswar temple of Singari Hill is held in high veneration by the Tibetan Buddhist and Bhutanese since very early times. The Ahom chronicles informs us that, during the Ahom-Mughal war (1615-- 1638 C. E.) the silver cap of the idol of Gopeswar temple earlier endowed by the Bhutanese was damaged and looted by the Mughals. Ahoms established a military station and also a market under the supervision of a Duaria Baruah near this temple.

Swargadeo Siva Singha Sutanphaa repaired the ancient Gopeswar temple belonging to 7th -- 10th century A. D. Besides Gopeswar, ruins of three temples were seen of Bhaga Mandir, Bangla basti and Biswakarma mandir. The extensive ruins of temples of Singari belong to Buddhist, Shiva and Durga shrines of about 9th century A. D.

Buranji mention the name of the Singari Hill as also variously as Chungari and Chowari. A division of Ahom kingdom army was stationed by Suhungmung against the Muslim invaders. According to the chronicles seizing of the Mughal boats and killing of a Mughal merchant who traded aloe wood at Singari trade mart was the immediate cause for the Ahom-Mughal war in 1615 C. E. During the reign of Supatphaa Swargadeo Gadadhar Singha at Singari Chawki (Check post) was established to protect traders and travellers.

Demographics

The tea estate and its adjacent settlements are inhabited mostly by tea-garden workers. According to data of Census of India, 2011, Singri has a population of 3,722 including 1,897 males and 1,825 females. [1] 1,172 are workers, including 1,032 males and 140 females.

Singri Tea Estate

Singri Tea Estate is run by Hoograjuli Assam Tea Co and provides the bulk of jobs in the area. A factory and an adjacent office are present.

Gupteswar temple

Gupteshwar Temple is located along the bank of river Brahmaputra. People from around Assam and abroad come to Gupteshwar Temple during Maha Shivratri. It is a prehistoric temple of lord Shiva. While the Sringhi Rishi was meditating in the Singri hills, the rakshasas became jealous and chased him. He entered a pool to hide. Tinali Center lies downhill of guptshwar.

A large fair with attractions and a circus takes place during the temple's annual festival.

Vishwakarma temple (ruins)

Various sculptures and carvings of the walls are present in the temple ruins. A fair takes place during the annual festival of Vishwakarma.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sonitpur district</span> District of Assam in India

Sonitpur district [Pron: ˌsə(ʊ)nɪtˈpʊə or ˌʃə(ʊ)nɪtˈpʊə] is an administrative district in the state of Assam in India. The district headquarters is located at Tezpur.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Susenghphaa</span> Chaopha Swargadeo of Ahom Kingdom

Susenghphaa or Pratap Singha, was the 17th and one of the most prominent kings of the Ahom kingdom. As he was advanced in years when he became king, he is also called the burha Raja. His reign saw an expansion of the Ahom kingdom to the west, the beginning of the Ahom-Mughal conflicts, and a reorganization of the kingdom with an expanded Paik system and reoriented village economy designed by Momai Tamuli Borbarua. His expansion to the west is underlined by the two new offices that he created: that of the Borbarua and the Borphukan. The alliances he formed with the rulers of Koch Hajo resulted in formation that successfully thwarted Mughal expansion. The administrative structure that he created survived until the end of the Ahom kingdom in 1826.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ahom kingdom</span> Kingdom in the Brahmaputra Valley in Assam, India

The Ahom kingdom was a late medieval kingdom in the Brahmaputra Valley that retained its independence for nearly 600 years despite encountering Mughal expansion in Northeast India. Established by Sukaphaa, a Tai prince from Mong Mao, it began as a mong in the upper reaches of the Brahmaputra based on wet rice agriculture. It expanded suddenly under Suhungmung in the 16th century and became multi-ethnic in character, casting a profound effect on the political and social life of the entire Brahmaputra valley. The kingdom became weaker with the rise of the Moamoria rebellion, and subsequently fell to repeated Burmese invasions of Assam. With the defeat of the Burmese after the First Anglo-Burmese War and the Treaty of Yandabo in 1826, control of the kingdom passed into East India Company hands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hajo</span> Historic site in Assam, India

Hajo is a historic town set in the hills northwest of Guwahati, Assam, India. It is a meeting point of Buddhists, Hindus and Muslims due to the various pilgrimage sites on the different hills of Hajo. To the Hindus, the Manikut Parbat of Hajo is the site of the 10th-century temple ruins and the 11th- to 16th-century temples complex for Vaishnavism as well as shrines of Shaivism and Shaktism. To the Buddhists, particularly from Bhutan and Tibet, Assam is where the Buddha died and the Hayagriva temple in Hajo is a part of the sacred geography of the Buddha. To the regional Muslims, the Mughal era Poa-Mecca shrine on another hill of Hajo has the tomb of Giyasuddin Aulia built in the 17th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ahom–Mughal conflicts</span> 17th-century conflict in Assam

Ahom–Mughal conflicts (1616–1682) refers to the series of 17th-century conflicts between the Ahoms and the Mughals over the control of the Brahmaputra valley. It began soon after the eastern branch of the Kamata kingdom then under the Koch dynasty, Koch Hajo, collapsed after a sustained Mughal campaign bringing it face-to-face with the eastern Ahoms. After nearly seventy years of sustained efforts, the Mughals were finally ousted in the Battle of Itakhuli in 1682. The Mughals since then maintained interest to the region west of the Manas river via zamindars, till they were ousted from Bengal by the British about a hundred years later.

Choapha Supatpha also Swargadeo Gadadhar Singha, was the twenty-ninth king of Ahom kingdom, who reigned from 1681 to 1696. He established the rule of Tungkhungia royal house of Ahom kings, whose descendants continued to rule till the climactic end of the Ahom kingdom in 1826. He was earlier known as Gadapani Konwar and was a son of Gobar raja, a descendant of Suhungmung, and who had become king for twenty days. Gadadhar Singha stabilized the Ahom kingdom, which was going through a long decade of political turmoil and instability. This period saw the ruthless power grab of Debera Borbarua and Laluksola Borphukan's abandonment of Guwahati to the hands of Mughals and oppression via Sulikphaa alias Lora Roja.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Suremphaa</span> Chaopha Swargadeo of Ahom Kingdom

Suremphaa, or Rajeswar Singha, the fourth son of Rudra Singha, became the king of the Ahom kingdom after the death of his brother King Pramatta Singha. Rudra Singha's third son, Mohanmala Gohain, was considered ineligible for kingship as his face was pitted with smallpox marks. According to the norm established after Sulikphaa Lora Roja, an Ahom prince had to be free from any physical disability, defects or deformities to become a king.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sukreswar Temple</span> Hindu temple in India

The Sukreswar (Pron: ˌʃʊˈkreɪʃwə) Temple is an important Shiva temple in the state of Assam in India. The temple is located on the Sukreswar or Itakhuli hill on the south bank of river Brahmaputra in the Panbazar locality of Guwahati city. Leading down from the temple compound is a long flight of steps to the river. Sitting on the steps of Sukreswar ghat one can enjoy the scenery of sun setting on the river, boats moving across the river, people performing puja in honour of their relatives who have left this world, children and older people bathing. It has one of the largest Lingam of Lord Shiva.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sivasagar Sivadol</span> Hindu temple in India

Shiva 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, in the heart of Sivasagar, in the Indian state of Assam. The tank was constructed between 1731 and 1738 and the temples were built in 1734 by Bar Raja Ambika, queen of Ahom king Swargadeo Siva Singha (1714–1744). The height of the Sivadol is 104 feet (32 m) and the perimeter is 195 feet (59 m) at the base. It is crowned with an 8-foot (2.4 m) high golden-dome.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sunenphaa</span> Chaopha Swargadeo of Ahom Kingdom

Sunenphaa also, Pramatta Singha, was the king of Ahom Kingdom. He succeeded his elder brother Swargadeo Siva Singha, as the king of Ahom Kingdom. His reign of seven years was peaceful and prosperous. He constructed numerous buildings and temples. The most famous of his buildings was the Rang Ghar, which is also considered as the oldest amphitheatre in Asia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rudreswar Temple</span> Hindu temple in Assam, India

The Rudreswar Temple or Devaloya is a temple dedicated to Lord Shiva in the village of Rudreswar, under Sila Sindhurighopa Mouza, on northern bank of the river Brahmaputra, in North Guwahati. Built in 1749 CE by Ahom king Pramatta Singha, in memory of his father Swargadeo Rudra Singha, the temple is a fine example of a mixed style of Ahom-Mughal architecture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sutanphaa</span> Swargadeo

Sutanphaa also Siva Singha was the 31st king of Assam from the Ahom dynasty who reigned from He was the eldest son of King Rudra Singha. Siva Singha was with his dying father at Guwahati, who then proceeded to the capital Rangpur where he ascended to the throne. He is noted for his elaborate system of espionage. He had numerous temples erected and made large gifts of land to them. With his patronage, Hinduism became the pre-dominant religion of the Ahoms. The king was also a patron of music and literature and music and himself composed Sanskrit songs and learnt songs. His reign coincided with the arrival of the first Europeans traders into Assam.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tourism in Assam</span> Tourism in Assam, India

Assam is the main and oldest state in the North-East Region of India and as the gateway to the rest of the Seven Sister States. The land of red river and blue hills, Assam comprises three main geographical areas: the Brahmaputra Valley which stretching along the length of the Brahmaputra river, the Barak Valley extending like a tail, and the intervening Karbi Plateau and North Cachar Hills. Assam shares its border with Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Tripura, Mizoram and West Bengal; and there are National Highways leading to their capital cities. It also shares international borders with Bhutan and Bangladesh and is very close to Myanmar. In ancient times Assam was known as Pragjyotisha or Pragjyotishpura, and Kamarupa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kolong river</span>

The Kolong River or Kailang is an anabranch of the Brahmaputra River, which diverts out from the Brahamputra river in Hatimura region of Jakhalabandha, and meets the same at Kolongpar near Guwahati. The tributary is about 250 kilometres (160 mi) long and flows through the districts of Nagaon, Morigaon and Kamrup. On the way, several smaller streams meet it. The river flows through the heart of the Nagaon urban area, dividing the town into Nagaon and Haiborgaon.

There are at least 2 places in India called Singri. One in South India, in the state of Tamil Nadu, close to the city of Vellore. This place is also referred to as Singiri or "Singri". There is a 1000-year-old temple built in the honor of Lord Lakshmi Narasimha. There is a pratiti that Lord took the form of a half lion and half human to defeat an asura (Demon) who had a boon that no man or beast can kill him. Since he got the boon, however, he had become too proud and condescending toward everyone and troubled them in every possible way. So people prayed to the lord for help when Lord took the form of Narasimha. The statue is amazingly beautiful and witness to the skills of the artists of that day. The place is situated far from all the commotions of a city, reflecting the need for peace sought by every human being.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dirgheshwari temple</span> Hindu temple in Assam, India

Dirgheswari Mandir is a temple situated in the northern banks of the river Brahmaputra in North Guwahati, Assam, India. Many ancient images made on rocks existed along with the temple. Brick temple was Built by Ahom king Swargadeo Siva Singha, Dirgheswari temple is considered as a Shakti Peetha for Shakti Worship. The main attraction of Dirgheswari temple is the annual Durga Puja celebrations, in which devotees from far of places use to attend.

Beltola is a prime residential area in the southern part of Guwahati, Assam. It is an adjoining area of the Dispur capital complex. During Ahom reign, Beltola was a small Koch kingdom, whose ruler assisted in the administration of the Borphukan in Guwahati, the Ahom viceroy of Lower Assam and in maintaining relations with the communities of Khasi Hills. The kingdom of Beltola survived under the British rule and existed till 1947 when it finally joined the Union of India.

The Koch–Ahom relations (1532–1571) refer to the diplomatic, strategic and military relationships between the Koch and the Ahom kingdoms over the control of the Brahmaputra Valley. Though an initial contact between the Ahoms and Koch occurred during Biswa Singha's reign, the relationship became belligerent with Nara Narayana ascending to power and consolidating his hold over the western portion of Assam; and it ended with the failure of Chilarai's campaign against Sulaiman Karrani. This was followed by an alliance that soon gave way to a fierce conflict between the Ahoms and the Mughals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Athkheliya Namghar</span> Hindu temple in Assam, India

Sri Sri Athkheliya Namghar or Sri Sri Athkhelia Namghar is a prominent pilgrimage place of Assam and North Eastern India. It is located at Bosa Gaon, Golaghat, Assam where the three rivers - Ghiladhari, Matrang and Kakodonga meet. It was constructed by king Gada Pani in the year 1681 AD. Before 1970s, temple was called Sri Sri Athkheliya temple but later, it was renamed as the Sri Sri Athkheliya Namghar due to the influence of Vaishnavism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hinduism in Assam</span>

Hinduism is the dominant religion practised in the state of Assam. According to some scholars, it is home to some of the most complex and poorly understood traditions in Hinduism. People follow traditions belonging to Shaivism, Shaktism, Tantra, and an indigenous form of Vaishnavism called Ekasarana Dharma; taken together the practitioners constitute around 61% of the state population as per the 2011 Census. Hindus form a majority in 17 out of the 29 districts of Assam. By region, there is a significant diversity among the ethnic groups that profess the Hindu faith, traditions, and customs. As per as 2011 Census, In Brahmaputra valley of Assam, Hindus constitute 62% of the population, the majority being ethnic Assamese. In the autonomous Bodoland region of Assam, Hindus constitute 71.3% of the region's population, most being of the Bodo tribe. In the Barak valley region of southern Assam, Hindus constitute 50% of the region's population, most being ethnic Boinga (Bengalis). The Hill Tribes of Assam, particularly the Karbi people of Karbi Anglong and Dimasa people of Dima Hasao, are mainly Animism.

References

  1. "Singri - Census of India, 2011". Govt. of India. 2011.