Two hours from Dibrugarh, 60 km from Jorhat, and 370 km from Guwahati, Sivasagar is a living canvas of history, culture, and engineering. As you journey towards this storied town, nestled in verdant embrace, prepare for an encounter with the sublime. If your route takes you from Jorhat, be on the lookout for 1935 Dikhow steel bridge, whose mid-section once rose to permit ships’ passage—a wonder now retired from service for safety. Fifteen kilometres before you reach the town, pause to marvel at the 1703 Namdang Silar Saku at Gaurisagar, a 60-metre-long, 6.5-metre-wide bridge hewn from a single rock, which even today bears with grace the weight of NH-37’s daily traffic.
Meaning ‘Ocean of Shiva’, Sivasagar’s allure lies in its Ahom heritage. Part of the great Tai group, the Ahoms had established their first capital at Charaideo—today a UNESCO World Heritage Site—in 1228. Later, Sivasagar became the heart of several Ahom capitals, including Garhgaon and Rangpur.
Formidable warriors known for their unique paik system—the base of socio-political life—the Ahoms were versatile as peasants, soldiers, and labourers. All adult males, save for the king, priest, and three Dangoriyas, were to provide compulsory civil and military service as paiks—a system that allowed for continuation of economic activities even amidst warfare.
Encased in lush greenery, Sivasagar unfolds like the pages of an ancient epic. To fully savour its essence, spend at least two days exploring. If you are a bird enthusiast and wetland mitra, keep an extra day for the Panidihing Bird Sanctuary, 22 km away—a veritable haven of resident and migratory avians.
To grasp the town’s magic, enlist a local storyteller-guide. Meander through tree-filled streets, pause at historic sites, and let the treasures reveal themselves. Don’t miss the grand tanks: Joysagar, India’s largest man-made tank spanning 318 acres, its waters whispering of centuries past; Barpukhuri, or Sivasagar lake, an elevated water tank with mesmerising views and the trio of Shiva, Vishnu, and Devi douls (temples) on the banks; and Gaurisagar Pukhuri popularly known as Gourisagar Tank. Sacred temple tanks that have since long been sanctuaries for over 60 bird species, being here is like a pilgrimage into the heart of nature.
Explore Kareng Ghar (Ahom Raja’s palace) in Gargaon, with its original 1540 wooden structure having now evolved into a three-storey one. Step into Rang Ghar, Asia’s first double-amphitheatre with an inverted long boat and three turrets shaped with a blend of baked bricks, stones, jaggery, black gram, mustard oil, elephant grass, and even fish bones. Wonder at the Ahoms’ strategic acumen and martial and espionage prowess inside Talatal Ghar, a palace with underground stories built for military and strategic purposes. Admire the terracotta carvings of Ghanashyam House, an edifice dedicated to the chief architect of the Ahoms, and Fakuwa Doul, an octagonal shaped plinth with eight angashiharas, believed to be a moidam (burial ground) for Ahom Princess Joymati. For history buffs, the museums of Sivasagar are must-visits.
The jewel in the crown is of course Charaideo, 30 km away. The spiritual and symbolic heart of the Ahom kingdom, featuring 90 well-preserved moidams varying from modest hills to hillocks reaching 20 metres, these once cradled the remains of the departed along with their possessions—from ivory pieces, wood artifacts and copper fittings to iron tools, gold pendants, and lead cannon balls. Combining Tai words ‘to bury’ and ‘spirit of death’, these lie draped in moss and vegetation today, evoking reverence for the past. Like Sivasagar, it is a place that can be experienced all around the year, the expertise of an Assam tour operator invaluable in making it a fulfilling one.