Barabar Caves

Most likely no other country in the world is that rich with exquisite cave temples as India – there are more than 1000 locations with such temples. Some of the earliest rock-cut temples in India are Barabar Caves. While some scientists consider Babarbar Caves to be the oldest ones, some others though consider that the mysterious Son Bhandar Caves in Rajgir are a bit older. Most likely Barabar caves were hewn in the monolithic granite cliff during the reign of the great Mauryan king Ashoka (Asoka) - at least inscriptions on the walls of caves tell that king Ashoka dedicated some cave chambers to Ajivika followers.

Barabar Caves, Sudama and Lomas Rishi visible. 
Wikimedia Commons, Klaus-Norbert Müller

Name Satgharwa means "seven houses" – some consider that this refers to seven rooms in Barabar Caves, but some – that this refers to seven caves of this area - four in Barabar and three - in nearby Nagarjuni Hills (see Nagarjuni Caves).

Caves were discovered to Western world through a thorough description made by Alexander Cunningham in 1868.

Legendary temples

These caves seem to be mentioned in "Mahabharatha" under name "Gorathgiri" – the same place name has been identified on cliff inscriptions at Barabar as well.

More recent and famous work where these caves take significant role, is a novel by E.M.Forster "A Passage to India".

In some respects the mouth of one cave – Lomas Rishi – resembles also the Doors of Durin leading to the Mines of Moria in the fiction of J.R.R.Tolkien. Even a mysterious inscription is there.

Ajivika

King Ashoka (reigned in 273 – 232 BC) and his son Dasaratha were Buddhists but their state had religious freedom. Several Jain sects and branches flourished in this time among other religious and philosophical trends.

Portal of Lomas Rishi cave. 
Wikimedia Commons, Klaus-Norbert Müller

One of such trends was Ajivika – considered by many to be a separate belief – in some respects rather an atheistic movement in philosophy. This deeply ascetic movement originated few centuries earlier together with Buddhism and was characterised by belief in determinism. In Hinduist and Buddhist sources practitioners of Ajivika were presented as strict fatalists.

Father of Ashoka was believer of this philosophy and during Ashoka’s time it reached its peak of popularity. This belief has not survived up to this day and in fact there is little known about it. Unfortunately no original scriptures of this ancient philosophy have survived.

Secrets of Barabar cliff

The granitic (rather – quartzite gneiss) monolith of Barabar cliff north from the Punpun River near its mouth in Phalgu River resembles a dark, sinister submarine rising from the soil. It is located at the base of the 300 metres high Siddheshwar mountain – interesting place with a later Shiva Temple and remnants of fortification on its top and some ancient cliff carvings as well.

Barabar cliff is approximately 200 metres long and contains several very interesting monuments of history, notably – four rock-cut caves. These caves are hewn out in the very hard monolithic stone and only one – Lomas Rishi has masonry details at the entrance portal. Interesting peculiarity of caves is their highly polished surfaces (famous "Mauryan polish") and high degree of symmetry – in fact it is not quite clear how people 2,200 years ago did this. Entrance portals in several caves (Karan Chaupar, Visva Zopri) resemble Egyptian architecture to some researchers. These portals with sloping jambs in the desolate landscape somehow resemble also sights from "Star Wars" movies.

Three caves have two chambers. First chamber is large, rectangular hall (mandapa), here gathered worshippers. Second chamber is smaller, circular, with domed ceiling. This was a place of worship, possibly with some sanctum (like stupa) in the centre. Now these chambers are empty. It has been speculated that these circular premises have been inspired by the ancient beehive houses.

Portal of Lomas Rishi, taken by Alexander Cunningham before 1875. 
Wikimedia Commons, Klaus-Norbert Müller, public domain.

The four caves

Northern side of the hill contains cave named Karan Chaupar (also Karna Chaupar, Karan Chopar, Karnachopar) with floor area 10 x 4.2 m. Barrel vault over the chamber is up to 3.3 m high. At the western end of the room there is platform – the only unpolished detail. To the right from the entrance there are seen traces of inscription from 245 BC – cave here is named Supiya and hill - Khalatika: "The King's Grace, when he had been consecrated nineteen years, granted the (?) Supiya Cave in the (?) Khalatika Hill for as long as sun and moon endure." (4). Later it has been named also Bodhimula (The root of intelligence), Daridra Kandara (the cave of the poor).

Further to the west in unknown times there are hewn two human figures and lingam in the smooth surface of stone. Southern side of the hill has two very interesting caves.

Lomas Rishi is one of the oldest rock-cut chambers in India. It consists of rectangular, partly polished mandapa - with unfinished barrel vault, through the doorway connected to a circular, domed, unpolished chamber. Cave has interesting, arch-shaped entrance portal, imitating a wooden structure of time – it seems as if the barrel vault continues as arch-shaped portal outside. Doorway is adorned with a procession of elephants going upwards to the stupa symbol adorning the keystone of arch. Cave contains inscription from later times – 7th – 8th century AD referring to kings Sarddulavarman and his son Anantarvarman, Maukhari dynasty. Inscription mentions, that Anantarvarman placed an image of Lord Krishna in the cave. Above this cave in 1914 there was discovered an inscription which names the hill – Gorathagiri – name mentioned in Mahabharatha.

Unfortunately lately cracks have developed in the cave and water during the rain seeped in.

Sudama (Sumdava, Saad Dharma, Nigoha-Kubha) – another oldest cave in complex, located opposite the Karan Chaupar and close to Lomas Rishi. Entrance of this cave is simple, functional. Consists of two rooms. The first – mandapa – is 10x6 m large, barrel vault up to 3,5 m high. Through a doorway it is connected to a circular, domed chamber with diameter – 6 m. At the eastern end of mandapa there is shallow, roughly shaped recess – most likely unfinished extension. According to inscription in ancient Brahmi writing, the cave is dedicated by Ashoka in 12th year of his reign (261 BC), cave is named "Nigoha-Kubha" – "banyan tree cave". Inscription reads: "This Banyan-tree cave was granted to Ajivikas by the King's Grace when he had been consecrated twelve years." (4)

This cave has the most amazing polishment, and it feels as if the cave has been layered with a sheet of glass.

Most likely this cave in earlier times had more complex entrance portal – excavations have unearthed pieces of pillars.

Fourth cave – Visva Zopri (Vishajhopri, Visvajhopri) – can be reached by simple steps cut in stone - "Ashoka Steps" 500 – 1000 metres north-west from the other three caves in south-facing cliff face. Entrance in the cave is simple, square cut. Walls of cave are not polished. This cave also has two chambers – both have approximately cubical form and are connected through a doorway. Both cubes have approximately 2 m long sides. Cave contains several lines of Brahmi inscription: "This cave in Khalatika Hill was granted to the Ajivikas by the King's Grace, when he had been consecrated twelve years." (4)

Echo effect

The most unusual feature of caves is their echo effect. Vault and the polished walls in the enclosed, small room make perfect conditions for making otherworldy sounds. Reverberation continues for several seconds and initial sound is continuously changing. Most likely the walls were polished exactly for attainment of this echo effect – it must have served well for religious experiences during the chants.

Agam Kuan

Agam Kuan is known to be the oldest and the most important archaeological sites in Patna. Agam Kuan, which means"unfathomable well", is said to date back to the period of Maurya Emperor, Ashoka. The well is located east of Patna, Bihar State, South-West of Gulzarbagh Station.

Agam Kuan Patna, Bihar

The architecture

Agam Kuan is 105' deep, circular in plan, with a diameter extending over 20'2". The well is brick-encased in the upper half of its depth (down to 44') and thereafter, secured by a series of wooden rings. The surface structure, which now covers the well and forms its most distinctive feature, has eight arched windows.

History and legends

During the 1890s, the British explorer, Laurence Waddell, while exploring the ruins of Patliputra, identified Agam Kuan as the legendary well built by Ashoka for torturing people, a practice reported by Chinese travellers (most probably Fa Hien) of the 5th and 7th centuries A.D.

Kumhrar

Kumhrar, Exhibition Hall

Kumhrar or Kumrahar is the remains of an ancient city of Pataliputra, located 5 km　of east from Patna Railway Station, on Road, Patna, Bihar.

The archaeological remains of the Mauryan period (322–185 BCE), has been discovered here, this include the ruins of a hypostyle 80-pillared hall The excavation finding here dates back to 600 BCE, and marks the ancient capital of Ajatshatru, Chandragupta and Ashoka, and collectively the relics range from four continuous periods from 600 BCE to 600 CE.

Bihar

The Mahabodhi temple in Bodhgaya, India

Bihar is a state in eastern India. It is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size at 38,202 sq mi (98,940 km2) and 3rd largest by population. It is bounded by Uttar Pradesh to its west, Nepal to the north, Northern part of West Bengal to the east and by Jharkhand to the south. The Bihar plain is divided into two parts by the river Ganges which flows through the middle from west to east. Bihar has forest area of 6,764.14 km2, which is 7.2% of its geographical area. In 2000, Bihar was subdivided, the southern part becoming the state of Jharkhand. Close to 85% of the population lives in villages. Almost 58% of Biharis are below the age of 25, which is the highest proportion in India.

Ancient Bihar was a centre of power, learning and culture in ancient and classical India. From Magadha arose India's first and greatest empire, the Maurya empire as well as one of the world's most widely adhered-to religions, Buddhism. Magadha empires, notably under the Maurya and Gupta dynasties, unified large parts of South Asia under a central rule. Its capital Patna, earlier known as Pataliputra, was an important centre of Indian civilization. Close to Patna, Nalanda and Vikramshila were centres of learning established in the 5th and 8th century respectively in Bihar, and are counted as one of the oldest international universities of the time.

Dibrugarh

A view of sunset from Dibrugarh

Dibrugarh is a city and is the headquarters of the Dibrugarh district in the state of Assam. Well known as the Tea City of India, Dibrugarh is a major city in eastern India in line with Guwahati and Bhubaneswar and is the emerging communication and industrial hub of North East India. Dibrugarh is also one of the two main cities in the state of Assam to receive urban development aid from the Asian Development Bank and is the nerve centre of industry, communication and healthcare of the upper Assam region. Dibrugarh is located 439 km (273 miles) east of Guwahati, the capital city of the Indian state of Assam. Dibrugarh is well connected to the rest of India by rail, road and air transport and thus serves as a gateway to eastern Assam and also parts of Arunachal Pradesh. Moreover, there has also been a consistent demand, particularly from the industrial sectors, for starting international flights from Dibrugarh to Bangkok and Singapore. Mega projects like Brahmaputra Cracker and Polymer Limited, India's longest rail cum road bridge Bogibeel bridge and other upcoming modern urban infrastructure are transforming Dibrugarh into a vibrant city. Of late, the city of Dibrugarh is emerging as a popular destination for business and leisure trips for tourists from India and abroad and the 9th edition of the North East Business Summit was held in the city with the theme 'Building bridges with South East Asia', where representatives from South East Asian nations and business leaders of the country pledged to contribute substantially for the socio-economic growth of the North East. Dibrugarh is also a centre of education and research and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) organized the 18th National Space Science Symposium in the city in January–February, 2014. The city Master Plan area of Dibrugarh is 66.14 sq. kilometres and population is 186,214.

Panoramic view of Dibrugarh city

Tinsukia

A view of the Tinikunia Pukhuri

Tinsukia is a small town and municipal board in Tinsukia district, Assam, India. Tinsukia is a regional business hub in the Indian state of Assam. It is situated 480 kilometres (298 mi) north east of Guwahati and 84 kilometres (52 mi) kilometres away from the border with Arunachal Pradesh.

It is the administrative headquarters of Tinsukia District of Assam, India. Hailed as the business capital of Assam, the place has a heady mix of Assamese, and Hindi- speaking people. The city is changing with the construction of numerous new malls and buildings.

Tinsukia is an industrial and commercial centre of Assam dealing in agricultural products such as tea, oranges, ginger, citrus fruits and paddy. Tinsukia also serves as the rail-head of Assam, housing the state's largest railway junction and is also a junction connecting the state and the country by road and rail.

Past History

Tinsukia is the site of Bengmara, which was originally known as Changmai Pathar. It was the capital city of the Muttack Kingdom which was fouded by Swargadeo Sarbananda Singha.

Swargadeo Sarbananda Singha was known as Mezara, who rose to become an able administrator. Mezara adopted the name Sarbananda Singha after become the King. Swargadeo Sarbananda Singha introduced coins after his name and in Saka 1716 and 1717, he inscribed the title Swargadeo in the coins.

As instructed by Swargadeo Sarbananda Singha, his Minister Gopinath Barbaruah alies Godha dug a pond in triangular shaped which is known as Tinikunia Pukhuri. In 1884 a station was constructed near this pond, when the Dibru-Sadiya Rail line was laid, which was named as Tinsukia. Ever since then the City was popularly known as Tinsukia.

Hajo

Entrance Madhab mandir

Hajo is an ancient pilgrimage centre for three religions: Hindus, Buddhists, and Muslims. It lies on the banks of the Brahmaputra River, 24 km from the city of Guwahati in the Kamrup district of Assam, India. The area is dotted with a number of ancient temples as well as other sacred artifacts. The Hayagriva Madhava Mandir is the most famous temple of Hajo. Lesser known temples of Hajo like that of Ganesha was constructed during the reign of Ahom King Pramatta Singha in 1744 AD. The Kedareswara Temple, a Shiva temple, has inscription on the temple showing that it is of Rajeswar Singha period.

Sivasagar

Sivasagar, formerly known as Rangpur, was the capital of the Ahom Kingdom from 1699 to 1788. The Ahoms ruled Assam, virtually without interruption, for six 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, it was completely annexed in 1826. For administrative purposes it was divided into three sub-divisions.
It is said that the original name of Sivasagar was - 'Kalansupar' after the name of 'Kalansu Gohain' who resided in a village originally existed in the place where currently the Sivasagar tank is located.

This town's main feature is the water body from which it takes its name. This is a 257-acre (1.04 km2) tank, also known as the Borpukhuri, which is at a higher elevation than the rest of the town, with three temples ("Dol"s in Assamese) on its banks. Of these temples, the most prominent is the Sivadol, standing tall at 104 feet (32 m), drawing large crowds on Shiv Ratri. The other temples are the Vishnudol and Devidol. The temples were built by Kuwori Ambika, wife of Swargadeo Siba Singha, in 1734.

Jorhat

Jorhat is the 2nd largest city of the Indian state of Assam. Jorhat acts as a gateway to upper Assam and to the state of Nagaland. It was the last capital of the Ahom Kingdom and home to many historical monuments of Assamese culture. In the north of the district, the Brahmaputra River forms the largest riverine island of the world, Majuli, which spreads over 924.6 square kilometres with a population of about 150,000. The island, threatened with constant erosion by the mighty and unstable Brahmaputra River, had been the principal place of pilgrimage of Vaishnavites since the age of the Ahom rulers. Several Sattras (monasteries) resembling those of medieval times are headed by Satradhikars teaching Vaishnavism, which was introduced by Srimanta Sankardeva (1449–1568). Each Sattra has an unknown wealth of Vaishnavite scriptures and extensive revenue-free lands cultivated by the Bhakats (celebated monks) of the Sattras. The cultural diversities which prevailed in Jorhat nearly a century ago has inspired the people to participate in cultural activities through the decades and as a result Jorhat has been able to produce many creative writers, musician, actors, historians and journalists, terming Jorhat “The Cultural Capital of Assam”.

Sonitpur

Welcome to Sonitpur- a land of natural beauty, ancient monuments and rich culturalheritage. Tezpur is an important tourist destination with beautiful parks, temples and ancient monuments. The name Tezpur is derived from the Sanskrit words 'Teza' (meaning blood) and 'Pura' (meaning town or city). Legend has it that the original name of this place was 'Sonitpur' ("sonit" in Sanskrit also means blood!) but when the battle between Krishna's army and Banasura's army fought for the rescue of Aniruddha (who was the grandson of Lord Krishna, according to legend) there was so much bloodshed that the whole place was stained in red. This led to the name of the place becoming Tezpur.It is the seventh largest city of Assam after Guwahati, Silchar, Dibrugarh, Jorhat, Nagaon and Tinsukia.

Jatinga

Jatinga, a village on a ridge, is located in Dima Hasao district (DHD), Assam State in India. It is 330 km south of Guwahati. It is most famous for the phenomenon of birds “committing suicide”. Although the birds do not commit suicide and are actually killed, the phenomenon of suicide has spread far and wide among common people. The village is inhabited by about 2,500 Khasi-pnar tribal people and few Dimasa people.

Jatinga, famous for the phenomenon of birds "committing suicide", is located on a spur of the Haflong ridge, the head quarter of the district of North Cachar Hill. It itself is an offshoot of the main ridge of the Borail range. Here, the mist & fog lie like a veil around the beautiful face of the damsel from September to November. During these late monsoon months, mysterious behavior of birds takes place. During moonless and foggy dark nights between 7 p.m. and 10 p.m., flying birds come crashing to the ground with no prior warning whatsoever. The local tribals first took this natural phenomenon to be spirits, flying from the sky to terrorize them. However, some other conditions are also necessary for the phenomenon to occur. The air must be foggy, cloudy or misty. The unusual behaviour of the birds seems to occur due to the peculiar weather conditions at Jatinga. There also appears to be a correlation between the breeding period of the birds and the Jatinga phenomenon. Studies also reveal that the flight of water birds to Jatinga may be attributed to heavy rains and floods and submergence of their natural habitat in the surrounding areas. It has been observed that there was a high congregation of birds at Jatinga during 1988 which happened to be a year of high floods.

Kaziranga National Park

Kaziranga National Park is a national park in the Golaghat and Nagaon districts of the state of Assam, India. A World Heritage Site, the park hosts two-thirds of the world's Great One-horned Rhinoceroses. Kaziranga boasts the highest density of tigers among protected areas in the world and was declared a Tiger Reserve in 2006. The park is home to large breeding populations of elephants, wild water buffalo, and swamp deer. Kaziranga is recognized as an Important Bird Area by Birdlife International for conservation of avifaunal species. Compared to other protected areas in India, Kaziranga has achieved notable success in wildlife conservation. Located on the edge of the Eastern Himalaya biodiversity hotspot, the park combines high species diversity and visibility.

Majuli

Originally, the island was a narrow and long piece of land called Majoli (land in the middle of two parallel rivers) that had Brahmaputra flowing in the north and the Burhidihing flowing in the south, till they met at Lakhu. Frequent earthquakes in the period 1661–1696 set the stage for a catastrophic flood in 1750 that continued for 15 days, which is mentioned in historical texts and reflected in folklore. As a result of this flood, the Brahmaputra split into two anabranches—one flowing along the original channel and the other flowing along the Burhidihing channel and the Mājuli island was formed. The Burhidihing's point of confluence moved 190 km east and the southern channel which was the Burhidihing became the Burhi Xuti. The northern channel, which was previously the Brahmaputra, became the Luit Xuti. In due course, the flow in the Luit Xuti decreased, and it came to be known as the Kherkutia Xuti; and the Burhi Xuti expanded via erosion to become the main Brahmaputra river.

Guwahati

Guwahati's myths and history go back several thousands of years. Although the date of the city's beginning is unknown, references in the epics, Puranas, and other traditional histories, lead many to assume that it is one of the ancient cities of Asia.

Epigraphic sources place the capitals of many ancient kingdoms in Guwahati. It was the capital of the kings Narakasura and Bhagadattaaccording to the Mahabharata. The ancient sakti temple of Goddess Kamakhya in Nilachal hill (an important seat of Tantric and VajrayanaBuddhism), the ancient and unique astrological temple Navagraha in Chitrachal Hill, and archaeological remains in Basista and other locations support the mythological assertions of the city's ancient past.

River cruise at Brahmaputra

The Brahmaputra also called Tsangpo-Brahmaputra, is a trans-boundary river and one of the major rivers of Asia.

With its origin in the Angsi Glacier, located on the northern side of the Himalayas in Burang County of Tibet as the Yarlung Tsangpo River, it flows across southern Tibet to break through the Himalayas in great gorges (including the Yarlung Tsangpo Grand Canyon) and into Arunachal Pradesh (India) where it is known as Dihang or Siang. It flows southwest through the Assam Valley as Brahmaputra and south through Bangladesh as the Jamuna (not to be mistaken with Yamuna of India). In the vast Ganges Delta it merges with the Padma, the main distributary of the Ganges, then the Meghna, before emptying into the Bay of Bengal.

Assam

Assam is the central state in the North-East Region of India and serves as the gateway to the rest of the Seven Sister States. The land of red river and blue hills, Assam is reflected peerlessness in the exquisite natural beauty, cultural richness and all round socio-economic scenario by its name. In ancient times Assam known as Pragjyotisha or Pragjyotishpura, and Kamarupa.

Assam (Asom, Axom) is a beautiful and diverse state with an incredible range of cultures and landscapes located in the northeast of India. It shares it’s borders in the North and East with the Kingdom of Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh.

Assam is rich in culture, ethnic groups, languages/dialacts spoken and literature. It is known for Assam tea, large and old petroleum resources (the first oil reserves of India were discovered in Assam in the late 19th century), Assam silk and for its rich biodiversity. Assam has successfully conserved the one-horned Indian rhinoceros from near extinction, along with the tiger and numerous species of birds, and it provides one of the last wild habitats for the Asian elephant. It is becoming an increasingly popular destination for wildlife tourism, and Kaziranga and Manas are both World Heritage Sites. Assam was also known for its Sal tree forests and forest products, much depleted now. A land of high rainfall, Assam is endowed with lush greenery and the mighty river Brahmaputra, whose tributaries and oxbow lakes provide the region with a unique hydro-geomorphic and aesthetic environment.

Namdhapa National Park

The park is located in Changlang district of the Northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh, near its border with Myanmar. It spans an area of 1985 km2 with 177 km2 in buffer zone and 1808 km2 in the core area. The park is located between the Dapha bum range of the Mishmi Hills and the Patkai range with a wide altitudinal range between 200 m asl and 4571 m asl. The area falls under both the Palearctic and Indo Malayan biogeographic areas resulting in a diverse species assemblage. The habitat changes with increasing altitude from tropical moist forests to Montane forests, temperate forests and at the higher elevations, to Alpine meadows and perennial snow. The park has extensive bamboo forests and secondary forests in addition to the primary forests.

Namdapha National Park is the largest protected area in the Eastern Himalaya biodiversity hotspot and is located in Arunachal Pradesh in Northeast India. It is also the third largest national park in India in terms of area. It is located in the Eastern Himalayan sub-region and is recognized as one of the richest areas in biodiversity in India. The park harbours the northernmost lowland evergreen rainforests in the world at 27°N latitude. The area is also known for extensive Dipterocarp forests.

Pasighat

Welcome to Pasighat, the oldest town of Arunachal Pradesh. Pasighat was founded in 1911 A.D. by the British as a gateway to administrative convenience of the greater Abor Hills and the north area in general. Primarily there were settlements of Pasi and Minyong communities who are still living in the villages in and around Pasighat. Year 2011 (January) marked 100 years of its existence and this occasion was celebrated in the DSA Ground (in February last week) after having extended the function for more than half a dozen times, thereby creating a mass public irritation.

Along

It is 297 km from Itanagar and is the headquarters of West Siang District. Aalo is situated in a picturesque valley at the confluence of Sipu and Siyom rivers against the backdrop of verdant hills and is one of the oldest towns with a strong educational setup. Some places of tourist attraction here are the Patum Bridge over Yomgo River, Museum and Donyi-Polo Dere. The place is also popular for trekking, hiking and angling 

Daporijo

The town of Daporijo is located in the Upper Subansiri district of the state of Arunachal Pradesh. The town is home to many different ethnic groups and each has its own culture and traditions. One can witness a mix of these cultures in the town and some of the minority groups are Tagin, Galo, Nah and Hilmiri.

Daporijo is a small scenic town where one can see suspension bridges over Subansiri River made from bamboo and cane - a testimony of rich tribal craftsmanship. The Sigem-Daporijo Reserve forest and Kamala Reserve forest with its rich avi-fauna diversity are worth seeing. Subansiri River is also ideal for river rafting, angling and picnic.

Museum and Craft Centre are other places which could hold your interest.