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Sivasagar
—  town  —
Rang Ghar (ৰং ঘৰ)
Sivasagar Location of Sivasagar in Assam and India
Coordinates	26°59′N 94°38′E / 26.98°N 94.63°E / 26.98; 94.63Coordinates: 26°59′N 94°38′E / 26.98°N 94.63°E / 26.98; 94.63
Country	India
State	Assam
District(s)	Sibsagar
Nearest city	Jorhat, Dibrugarh
Population	53,854 (2001[update])
Time zone	IST (UTC+05:30)
Area • Elevation	• 95 metres (312 ft)
Codes • Pincode • 785640 • Telephone • +91-3772
Website	www.sivasagar.nic.in

Sivasagar (previously spelled Sibsagar) (Assamese: শিৱসাগৰ Xiwôxagôr), the Ocean of Lord Shiva, is a town in the Sibsagar district in the state of Assam in India, about 360 kilometres (224 mi) north east of Guwahati. It is the district headquarter of the Sivasagar district.

Apart from its history, culture, and tanks, it is also famous for its Ahom Palaces and Monuments. Now it is a multicultural town. Sivasagar today is also an important center for oil and tea trading.

History[link]

Carvings on the walls of the Sivadoul(শিৱদ'ল)

Sivasagar, formerly known as Rangpur, was once the capital of the Ahom Kingdom from 1699 to 1788, who ruled Assam for more than 600 years. They ruled Assam virtually uninterrupted for 6 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 in the province, it was completely annexed in 1826.

Sivasagar[link]

This town's main feature is the water body from which it gets its name. This is a 257-acre (1.04 km²) tank also called Borpukhuri, at a higher elevation than the rest of the town, with three temples("Doul"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 Vishnudoul and Devidoul. The temples were built by Kuwori Ambika, wife of Swargadeo Siba Singha, in the year 1734.

Siva Temple & Sivsagar Tank

Attractions[link]

Tanks[link]

Joysagar

Joysagar, said to be the biggest man-made lake in the country, is spread over 318 acres (1.29 km²) of water on the edge of the town in an area called Rangpur, 5 Km away from the present Sivasagar Town. This lake was built by Swargadeo Rudra Singha in honor of his mother Joymoti.

Gaurisagar

Bor Kuwori Phuleshwari Devi, the queen then built this tank and is spread over 150 acres (0.61 km²). The three famous temples namely the Vishundoul, Devidoul and Shivdoul were constructed on its bank.

Rudrasagar

Swargadeo Lakshmi Singha built this tank in the year 1773 and was dedicated to his father Swargadeo Rudra Singha. A Shiva Temple was also build on the bank of this beautifully constructed tank. It is 8 km away from the city of Sivasagar.

Temples[link]

Sivadoul

Dedicated to the Hindu God, Lord Shiva, one the most sacred temple. This is at a height of 104 feet. It is thronged by all the devotees during the festival of Shivratri. It was built in the year 1734 by Kuwori Ambika. It is 104 feet tall and encircles over an area of 195 feet.

Vishnudoul

Dedicated to the Hindu God, Lord Vishnu, this is another important temple in Sivasagar. According to the Hindu calendar the month of "Bhada", is supposed to be very auspicious, though one can visit throughout the year. Kuwori Ambika constructed these temples. She was the wife of the Swargadeo Siba Singha.

Devidoul

Dedicated to the Hindu Goddess of Power, Durga, which is another important temple in Sivasagar. Durga Puja, the most important festival of the temple is celebrate twice in a year. The first one is celebrated in the month of Chaitra (April–May) and the other in the month of Ashwin (September–October).

Amphitheater[link]

Rang Ghar(ৰং ঘৰ)

Rang Ghar

Rang Ghar is a double-storied, oval shaped amphitheater with a roof which is shaped like an inverted boat. It was constructed by Swargadeo Pramatta Singha. It is said to be amongst the largest of amphitheaters.

Palaces[link]

View of one of wings of the Talatal Ghar(তলাতল ঘৰ)

Talatal Ghar

Talatal Ghar is a palace with two secret tunnels, used as exit routes during wars and three floors underground. The upper four stories are known as Kareng Ghar. In total it is a seven floored building. The palace was built, initially, as an army base.

Museum[link]

Sivasagar Tai Museum

A new addition is the Tai Ahom Museum on the bank of the Sibsagar. It stores artifacts of the rulers, including swords, clothes, manuscripts, goblets and platters.

Panidihing Birds Sanctuary[link]

A rich wetland eco-system of 33.93 km² on the southern bank of river Brahmaputra in the Sibsagar district. Birds: A paradise of migratory and resident birds, 50 far 165 species of Birds have been identified and recorded. A place for quite high concentration of Geese and other Migratory birds. The common birds seen are Bar-headed Goose, Grey leg Goose, Spot billed Duck, Mallard, Gadwall, Wigeon, Gargany, Shoveller, Red crested Pochard, Common Pochard, Ferruginous Duck, Adjutant Stork, Lesser Adjutant Stork, Open bill Stork, White necked Stork etc. Aquatic Fauna: Varieties of fishes have been identified along with various species of Frogs & Snakes etc.

Other Attractions[link]

The ancient capital of the Ahoms is Gargaon about 13 km east from Sivasagar, where the major draw is the Kareng Ghar, a seven-storied palace built by 18th century architects. Charideo situated nearby, is another old capital which was built by Sukapha, the founder of the Ahom dynasty. There are Maidams or Vaults for the king and members of royal families here. Travellers cross the Namdang stone bridge, carved out of a single boulder hundreds of years ago, over which the busy national highway (NH 37) still runs today.

Transport[link]

Road

Sivasagar is well connected by road with rest of the state. State run buses ply to places like Guwahati, Dibrugarh, Jorhat very frequently from Assam State Transport Corporation's (ASTC) bus station in Sivasagar town. Private buses are also available. Taxis are also available for hire .

Auto-Rickshaws & other modes of Transports are also available in and around the town. The cheapest one are like Tata Magic and Tempoes are available through Nazira, Mechagarh, Joysagar to Sivasagar.

Airport

The closest airport is located at Jorhat (55 km) from away from the city of Sibsagar. The airport is connected with many major cities such as Guwahati, Kolkata, Bangalore. It is also connected with Dibrugarh and Shillong. Another option is the Dibrugarh Airport that is located at a distance of (80 km) from the city. There are frequent flights services to both the places and one can opt for either choice. You can opt for taxis from the airport.

Railway

Sivasagar Town is a beautiful town & it also have a railway station. The Dibrugarh - Yesvantpur Express connects this station. The nearest railway station on the Tinsukia-Guwahati sector of North East Frontier Railways is Simaluguri, 16 km from Sivasagar town. Buses ply regularly from Simaluguri towards Sivasagar. It is approximately a half-hour bus ride from Simaluguri town.

Demographics[link]

As of 2001^[update] India census,^[1] Sivasagar had a population of 53, 854. Males constitute 56% of the population and females 44%. Sivasagar has an average literacy rate of 81%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 83%, and female literacy is 79%. In Sivasagar, 10% of the population is under 6 years of age.

Most of the inhabitants of the town are Assamese belonging to Ahom, Assamese Muslims, Assamese Brahmins and other ethnic groups. There are also significant numbers of Marwari and Bihari people living in the town.

Energy[link]

Assam State Electricity Board (A.S.E.B), Maibella is located to the east of Sivasagar Town. ASEB, Maibella is recently renamed as Assam Power Generation Corporation Limited (APGCL).

Educational Institutes[link]

• Sibsagar Govt. H.S.& M.P. school
• Fuleswari Girl's H.S. School
• Bezbaruah High School
• Sibsagar College Joysagar
• Sibsagar Girls' College.
• Sibsagar Commerce college
• Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Petroleum Technology,Palasani, Govt. of India.This is an Institute of National Importance
• Assam Rajiv Gandhi University of Co-operative Management
• Regional Chemical Laboratory, ONGC, Sibsagar, Assam 785 640
• Bir Lachit Borphukon College
• Sivasagar Junior College
• Holy Name School
• Gyan Bikash Academy
• Nazira Govt. H.S. & M.P. School
• Mechagarh M.V. School
• Joktali Higher Secondary School, Mechagarh
• Kendriya Vidyalaya Sivasagar ONGC Colony
• Kendriya Vidyalaya Nazira ONGC Colony
• Delhi Public School Nazira, Sivasagar
• Purna Vikash Academy
• Sophy Mercy School
• Thanuram Gogoi Memorial Higher Secondary School
• Godhula Brown Memorial English High School
• Sri Sundarmal Modern School
• Sankardev Vidya Niketan

Hospitals[link]

• Govt. Civil Hospital
• Pragati Nursing home and research center
• Sharma Nursing Home
• Aditya Nursing home
• Sampriti Hospital
• East Point Hospital
• Joktali Primary Health Centre, Mechagarh

Hotels[link]

• Hotel Shiva Palace
• Hotel Brahmaputra
• Hotel Siddhartha
• Hotel Bridavan
• Hotel Raj Palace
• Hotel Atlanata
• Hotel Priya
• Hotel Talatal
• Hotel Rangghar

Climate[link]

The weather in Sivasagar is pleasant throughout the year. The temperature ranges from 10°C in winter to 40°C during summer. Due to Brahmaputra river following very close to the region, Sivasagar is characterised by highly humid atmosphere and the average rainfall is about 90 to 94 inches in a year. Due to high rainfall during summers, the weather is normally pleasant.

Politics[link]

Sivasagar is part of Jorhat (Lok Sabha constituency) Present representative of State assembly is Pranab Gogoi of Congress party .^[2]

Gallery[link]

• Karenghar asi.jpg

  Plaque at the Talatal Ghar(তলাতল ঘৰ)
• 

  A dol in Sivasagar
• 

  A Night View of Sivadol in Sivasagar
• Karenghar bortope.jpg

  Cannons guarding the Talatal Ghar(তলাতল ঘৰ)

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Sibsagar

• http://www.panoramio.com/user/2230455 Some shots around Sivasagar (Sibsagar)
• http://onlinesivasagar.com Complete website dedicated to Sivasagar(Sibsagar)
• http://sivasagar.nic.in Official website of the district
• http://www.dongme.ning.com Official ning network for Jorhat and Sivasagar

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This article may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. No cleanup reason has been specified. Please help improve this article if you can; the talk page may contain suggestions. (April 2010)

This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (September 2010)

Utpal Datta is a National Film Award-winning film critic, long associated with Bismoi, an entertainment Assamese magazine, and works with the All India Radio Guwahati, where his book 24 Frames (2008), an anthology of articles on Indian cinema, was released as a radio program.^[1]

Personal life[link]

Utpal Datta (birthday: 9 January) did his Masters in Arts from Guwahati University. later he did Post Graduate Diploma in Marketing Management. Started his career as Sub Editor of Bismoi, the largest circulated monthly of North East and Assistan Editor of Rangghar - a cultural monthly.

For few years he represented Assam as a special correspondent to Cinema India International. At present he is working with All India Radio at Guwahati station, the public service broadcaster of India, in the capacity of Programme Executive. He is married to Namrata Datta, a writer and research fellow and both of them stay at Guwahati with their daughter Ragamala.

Books[link]

Published books – original work[link]

His first published book was Ami Kene Aachot, a short-length play written for environmental theatre. The theme of the play was youth unrest set in a small-town environment. Then he tried to explore a new ground for his writing with a travelogue Aparupa Andaman, which first appeared in one of the leading Assamese journals PRANTIK and later came in a book form and was marked as an instant hit. Then he came with his novel Naishajatri based on day and night life of working women of Guwahati. That book was also a hit for his unique writing style and contemporary theme. In this book he used style from film, radio play and journalistic prose to find out his own way of expression. Mozartor Swaralipi is his only detective novel, later adapted to radio play and TV serial in Assamese and Hindi languages. Though he is primarily known as a film critic and his first book on film writings came vary late. His first book on film study is Chalachitra, an anthology of articles written on various aspects of film of the State and the country. The book was published by one major publisher of the state, Lawyer's book stall.

• Ki Naam Ei Premar – a novel, based on a real-life love story

7. Maramar Neha – Novel written in a format of letter, translated into Bodo Language also
8. Cine-Quiz - an descriptive quiz book on film

Published books – edited[link]

1. Chalachtra Katha – Film study, Ist Assamese book on film 2. Ekhan Swasa Mukhare – poems of Nabakata Baruah 3. Nabakanta Baruar Uapnyash – Novels of Nabakata Baruah
4. Satikar Srestha Premar Galpa – Selected Assamese love stories of 20th Century
5. Soi Dasakar Gadya – selected prose of Bhabedra Nath Saikia
6. Sampadakar Kothlait – Bhabendra Nath Saikia’s satirical writings
7. Nobel Bota Bijoyi Lekhakar Galpa – translated stories from Nobel Laureates
8. Amar Chinaki Tassaduk – Anthology of articles written on Assamese Actor - Director Tassaduk Usuf.
9. Anirban – Screenplay by Dr Bhabendra Nath Saikia
10. Kalasandhya – Screenplay by Dr Bhabendra Nath Saikia
11. Agnisnan – Screenplay by Dr Bhabendra Nath Saikia
12. Kolahal – Screenplay by Dr Bhabendra Nath Saikia
13. Abartan – Screenplay by Dr Bhabendra Nath Saikia 14. Itihash - Screenplay by Dr Bhabendra Nath Saikia 15. Sandhyarag - Screenplay by Bhabendra Nath Saikia

Published books – translated[link]

1. Tuglak and Nagamandala – two plays by Girish Karnad, Tuglak was staged by Seagull group under Bhagirathi's direction.

Other works[link]

1. Original Play – Godmother, based on women in politics - staged by Hengool Theatre
2. Adopted play – Kanchan – based on sexual harassment on women in office, staged by Hengool for two continuous years, one of the major play in touring professional theatre of Assam
3. Translated play – Ayn Rand’s Night of January 16 – staged by Aikatan, Guwahati Dooradarshan telecasted this play to observe world theater day.

Awards[link]

• RAPA Award for Radio Production (along with Prabal Sarma on AIDS ORPHANS)
• Special Jury Mention for writing in Cinema at the National Film Awards ^[2]
• Moonlight Media Award for Cultural Journalism
• Jyotirupa Media Award for Film Criticism

Notes[link]

1. Served as Jury member for Excellence in Radio Award 2. Served as Jury member for Assam State Film Award 3. PANOS Media Fellow 2011

References[link]

External links[link]

• http://kamrupa.blogspot.com
• http://passionforcinema.com/radio-premier-of-24-frames/

Bhupen Hazarika
Dr. Bhupen Hazarika
Born	(1926-09-08)8 September 1926 Sadiya, Assam, Indian Empire
Died	5 November 2011(2011-11-05) (aged 85) Mumbai, Maharashtra, India[1]
Nationality	Indian
Occupation	Musician, singer, poet, filmmaker, lyricist
Years active	1939-2011
Notable work(s)	Rudaali Darmiyaan: In Between Gaja Gamini Daman: A Victim of Marital Violence Indramalati
Influenced by	Bishnu Rabha[citation needed]
Political party	Bharatiya Janata Party
Political movement	Indian Peoples Theater Association
Spouse	Priyamvada Patel (1950-1963)
Partner	Kalpana Lajmi (1972–2011)
Children	Tej Bhupen Hazarika (b. 1952)
Awards	Padma Shri (1977) Dadasaheb Phalke Award (1992) Padma Bhushan (2001) Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship (2008) Asom Ratna (2009) Muktijoddha Padak (posthumously, 2011)
Signature	150px
Website
Official website

Dr. Bhupen Hazarika (Assamese:ড: ভূপেন হাজৰিকা) (1926–2011) was an Indian lyricist, musician, singer, poet and film-maker from Assam. He belonged to Dom, the untouchable caste. His songs, written and sung mainly in the Assamese language by himself, are marked by humanity and universal brotherhood; and have been translated and sung in many languages, most notable in Bengali, and Hindi. Known for writing bold lyrics with themes of communal amity, universal justice and empathy, his songs have become popular among all sections of ethnic and religious communities in Assam, besides West Bengal and Bangladesh. He is acknowledged widely in the Hindi film industry for introducing Hindi film to the sounds and folk music of Assam and Northeast India. He received the National Film Award for Best Music Direction in the year 1975. Winner of Padmashri (1997), Padmabhushan (2001), Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (1987), Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship (2008) and the prestigious Dada Saheb Phalke Award in the year 1992, Dr. Hazarika was posthumously awarded the Padma Vibhushan, India's second highest civilian award in the year 2012. The Government of Assam honoured him with the title Asom Ratna, the highest Civilian Award in the state of Assam. Dr. Hazarika also held the position of the Chairman of the prestigious Sangeet Natak Akademi from December 1998 to December 2003.

Biography[link]

Early life[link]

Hazarika was born on 8 September 1926 to Nilakanta and Shantipriya Hazarika in Sadiya, Assam. His father was originally from Nazira, a town located in Sivasagar district. The eldest of ten children, Bhupen Hazarika (as also his siblings) was exposed to the musical influence of his mother, who exposed him to lullabies and traditional Music of Assam. His father moved to the Bharalumukh region of Guwahati in 1929,^[2] in search of better prospects, where Bhupen Hazarika spent his early childhood. In 1932 his father further moved to Dhubri,^[3] and in 1935 to Tezpur.^[2] It was in Tezpur that Bhupen Hazarika, then 10 years of age, was discovered by Jyotiprasad Agarwala and Bishnu Prasad Rabha where he sang a Borgeet taught by his mother at a public function. In 1936, Bhupen Hazarika accompanied them to Kolkata where he recorded his first song at the Aurora Studio for the Selona Company.^[2] His association with the icons of Assamese Culture at Tezpur was the beginning of his artistic growth and credentials.

Education[link]

He studied at Sonaram High School at Guwahati, Dhubri Government High School^[3] and matriculated from Tezpur High School in 1940. He completed his Intermediate Arts from Cotton College in 1942, and his BA (1944) and MA (1946) in Political Science from Banaras Hindu University. For a brief period he worked at All India Radio, Guwahati when he won a scholarship from Columbia University and set sail for New York in 1949. There he earned a Ph.D. (1952) on his thesis "Proposals for Preparing India's Basic Education to use Audio-Visual Techniques in Adult Education".

In New York he befriended Paul Robeson, who influenced him.^[4] His song Bistirno parore is based on the imagery and theme of Robeson's Ol' Man River. He was exposed to the Spiritual, and the multi-lingual version of We are in the Same Boat Brother became a regular feature in his stage performance. At Columbia University, he met Priyamvada Patel, whom he married in 1950. Tez Hazarika, their only child, was born in 1952,^[5] and he returned to India in 1953.

Professional life[link]

After completing his MA he briefly worked at the All India Radio station at Guwahati^[5] before embarking for his doctoral studies at Columbia University.

Soon after completing his education, he became a teacher at the Gauhati University.^[4]

He was elected the President of the Asam Sahitya Sabha in 1993.^[6]

Later life[link]

He met Kalpana Lajmi in the 1980s^[7] and they made the film Ek Pal (' at the Internet Movie Database) (1986). Subsequently, Lajmi began assisting him professionally and personally till the end of his life.^[8][9][10]

He was persuaded by the Bharatiya Janata Party via Kalpana Lajmi to enter the electoral fray as its candidate in the 2004 Lok Sabha elections from the Guwahati constituency,^[11] which he lost to the INC candidate Kirip Chaliha.

Death[link]

Hazarika was hospitalized in the Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital and Medical Research Institute in Mumbai in 2011.^[12][13] He was admitted to the intensive care unit on 30 June 2011. He died of multi-organ failure on 5 November 2011.^[14][15][16] His body lay in state at Judges Field in Guwahati and cremated on 9 November 2011 near the Brahmaputra river in a plot of land donated by Gauhati University. His funeral was attended by an estimated half a million people.^[17][18]

Artist's biography[link]

Beginnings[link]

A young Bhupen Hazarika was noticed by the doyens of Assamese culture, Jyotiprasad Agarwala and Bishnuprasad Rabha, when he had performed a Borgeet at the age of 10 in Tezpur. Subsequently, Hazarika sang two songs in Agarwala's film Indramalati (1939):^[19][20] Kaxote Kolosi Loi and Biswo Bijoyi Naujawan at the age of 12. He wrote his first song, Agnijugor Firingoti Moi at the age of 13^[4] and he was well on his way to becoming a lyricist, composer and singer.

IPTA years[link]

Hazarika began close association with the leftist Indian People's Theatre Association soon after returning from the USA in 1953.^[4] and became the Secretary of the Reception Committee of the Third All Assam Conference of IPTA, held in Guwahati in 1955.

Later years[link]

In the period after the release of Ek Pal (1986) until his death, Bhupen Hazarika mainly concentrated on Hindi films, most of which were directed by Kalpana Lajmi. Ek Pal (1986), Rudaali (1993) and Daman (2001) are major films this period. Many of his earlier songs were re-written in Hindi and used as played-back songs in these films. These songs tried to cater to the Hindi film milieu and their social activist lyrics were browbeaten into the lowest common denominator.^[21]

Legacy and influences[link]

Hazarika (right) with Hartmut König (left) at the Berlin Festival of Political Songs in 1972

As a singer, Hazarika was known for his baritone voice and diction;^[22] as a lyricist, he was known for poetic compositions and parables which touched on themes ranging from romance to social and political commentary; and as a composer, for his use of folk music.^{[citation needed]} Some of his most famous compositions were adaptations of American Black Spiritual that he had learned from Paul Robeson, whom he had befriended during his years in New York City in the early 1950s.^[23]

Awards and honors[link]

• Award for the Best Regional Film (Chameli Memsaab; music by Bhupen Hazarika) in the 23rd National Film Awards (1975)^[24]
• Padma Shri - the fourth highest civilian award in the Republic of India (1977)
• Gold medal from the State Government of Arunachal Pradesh for "outstanding contribution towards tribal welfare, and uplift of tribal culture through cinema and music." (1979)^[25]
• All India Critic Association Award for best performing folk artist (1979)
• In 1979 and 1980 he won the Ritwik Ghatak Award as best music director for two theatre plays, Mohua Sundari, and Nagini Kanyar Kahini
• Bengal Journalist's Association Indira Gandhi Smriti Puraskar in (1987)
• Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (1987)
• Dadasaheb Phalke Award (1992)
• First Indian to win Best Music for the film Rudaali at the Asia Pacific International Film Festival in Japan (1993)
• Padma Bhushan - the third highest civilian award in the Republic of India (2001)
• Honorary Degree from Tezpur University (2001)
• 10th Kalakar Award for Lifetime Achievement in the year 2002, Kolkata.
• Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship (2008)
• Asom Ratna - the highest civilian award in the State of Assam, India (2009)
• In February 2009, the All Assam Students Union erected a life size statue of Hazarika on the banks of Digholi Pukhuri in Guwahati.^[26]
• Muktijoddha Padak - the highest civilian award by Bangladesh Government (posthumously, 2011)
• Asom Sahitya Sabha has honoured him with the title "Biswa Ratna".
• Padma Vibhushan - second highest civilian award in the Republic of India (2012)^[27]

Filmography[link]

Notes[link]

External links[link]

• Official website

Gallery[link]

Some relevant photographs

People outside Hazarika's home on 7 November 2011   Hazarika lying in repose in Judge field, Guwahati. 8 November 2011   Paltan Bazar, Guwahati, December 2011, one of many centres commemorating Lt. Dr. Bhupen Hazarika   Hazarika lying in repose in Judge field, Guwahati. 8 November 2011