SRI SURYA PAHAR (ASSAM)

The name Surya Pahar is indicative that perhaps the site was associated with the practice of worshipping the Sun God or Lord Surya, who occupies a prominent place in the religious and cultural life of the Assamese people. Surya Pahar is one of the two Sun temples that existed in ancient Assam and finds mention in the Kalika Purana. Archaeological excavations at this site have uncovered artefacts of different ages, dating from the 5th to the 12th century CE. The terracotta and stone sculptures found here showcase the confluence of three religions - Hinduism, Jainism, and Buddhism. Due to its strategic location on the banks of the River Brahmaputra, it is believed that the site must have served as a flourishing trade and administrative centre in the pre-Ahom era. Travellers and traders from various regions congregated here, making it a hub of different faiths and cultures. Accounts of the Chinese traveller Huen Tsang suggest that the ancient land of Pragjyotishpura (mentioned in the Mahabharata) relates to the present-day region of Sri Surya Pahar.

At the foothills of Sri Surya Pahar, rock carvings of Hindu deities can be seen. Amongst them are panels with sculptures of Hindu deities like Shiva and Vishnu. The twelve-armed Vishnu with a seven-hooded canopy over its head is very prominent. Now worshipped as Dasabhuja Durga, the deity stands atop a lotus. However, though the ASI has identified it as a male deity, there are other scholars who deem it to be that of Ma (mother) Manasha. Further south, there are as many as 25 votive stupas of different sizes cut out of granite boulders. The Buddhist influence is unmistakable here, and according to the ASI, the shape of the carvings indicates that they were hewn during the Hinayana phase of Buddhism. Carvings and inscriptions of various Jain figures, like Adinath - the first Tirthankara, dating back to the 9th century CE, were also found at the site. These Jain remains provide proof of the existence of Jainism in North-East India.

A carved stone slab called Surya Chakra, now housed in the Sri Surya Temple, is believed to be a portion of the ceiling of the old Surya Temple that got detached Worshipped as Lord Surya, the central figure carved inside the inner circle of the slab is identified as Prajapati (the creator deity of the Vedic period of ancient India). The outer circle of the slab is in the form of twelve lotus petals. Each lotus petal has a seated figure of different solar divinities known as Aditya. Similar to the Surya Chakra is the Chandra Chakra, which lies in ruins now.

Excavations carried out in Sri Surya Pahar by the ASI and the Assam Archaeological Department, have unveiled numerous artefacts from the 5th to the 12th century CE. There is a museum at the site that exhibits most of the antiquities unearthed from the excavation, such as stone sculptures of Gajasimha, Mahishasuramardini, a decorated lion head, moulded fish, plaques of the human figure, mythical animals, kiritimukhas, decorated tiles of floral and geometric designs, etc. The Sri Surya Pahar stands as a testimony to Assam's rich and layered cultural history, and it is expected that more artefacts will be uncovered with further excavations.