Plea for Heritage Site tag to Surya Pahar

GUWAHATI, March 6 – The Bongaigaon-based non-government organisation (NGO) Appropriate Technology Mission, Assam (ATMA) has pleaded for a Worth Heritage Site status for the Sri Surya Pahar archaeological site in Goalpara district of the State. In a memorandum to the President of India, the NGO has stated that the Surya Pahar site has treasured the ruins of the structures built during the 7th century AD when a powerful king Kumar Bhaskara Varma used to rule Assam, known at that time as Kamarupa.

“… it will be a tragic loss if the historical ruins of that era were to be lost forever owing to lack of vision, wisdom and timely action,” says the NGO.

Now, the need of the hour is to conduct archaeological excavations on a war footing to find out the principal sites of the temples, forts, places, etc., and preserve this place of historical importance as a World Natural Heritage Site for the benefit of the future generations, the NGO says.

Sri Surya Pahar site is known for its ruins of Buddhist, Jain and Hindu temples and other places of worship. The NGO has stated that there is a majar (grave) of a Sufi saint Kamal Uddin Shah in Deck Duha Hill, about a kilometre away from the Sri Surya Pahar.

The evidence of the influences of four religions at the site has given it a unique status. The existence of a large built-up area of 25 square kilometre points to the fact that this was possibly the capital of a great and prosperous kingdom. That the town was located near the Brahmaputra is also significant. For, in the ancient times, large navigable rivers were the main highways for the purpose of administration and commerce, argues the NGO.

Earlier, the then Member Secretary of the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), Ashis Banerjee, wrote to the then Governor of Assam Lt Gen (Retd) SK Sinha in July 1999 that there was room for further exploration at the site. Besides, accurate historical interpretation of the site and the region also needed, said Banerjee. His suggestions came in the wake of a representation made by ATMA before him.

Superintending archaeologist of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), Guwahati Circle, Dr SK Manju, told this correspondent that though he was not competent to make any comment on the assertions made by ATMA on the Sri Surya Pahar, it has already been recognised as a site of National Importance.

Surya Pahar has a number of Centrally-protected monuments dating back to early Christian era to 11th to 12th centuries AD. The monuments comprise the Buddhist rock-cut stupas, plan of a panchayatana temple, brick-built temple, rock-cut Hindu deities, Shivalinga and the Dwadashbhuja sculpture of Vishnu. Besides these, rock-cut Jaina sculptures are also the noteworthy archaeological components of the site, said the ASI expert.

This is the only site in the NE region at present which can give evidence of Buddhist activities dating back to the early Christian era and the Jaina sculptures dating back to the 9th-10th century AD. The combination of the evidences of three religions has provided a unique mosaic of our tradition.

The site has the potential to provide a good link to the existing archaeological sites of Goalpara area like Paglatek, Jogighopa, etc. Moreover, the handicrafts of the local artisans, specially the objects like the sheetal paati, have the power to draw buyers, said Dr Manjul.