Living museum Sri Suryapahar

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‘Sri Suryapahar’ in the Goalpara district of Assam is situated on the eastern slope of the Suryapahar hill amidst of a picturesque lush green ground in the lower Brahmaputra valley. Historical records show that Goalpara district was an integral part of ancient Kamarupa and throws light on the cultural history of ancient Assam.
‘Sri Suryapahar’ as the name implies was perhaps associated with the sun worship. Literary accounts corroborate that among other Brahmanical deities worshipped in ancient Assam, ‘Surya’ or ‘Sun-God’ occupied a prominent place in the cultural history of Assam. References are found in the ‘Kalika Puran’ about the two seats of ‘Sun worship’ in ancient Assam. One of the centres is now identified as Sri Suryapahar in the Goalpara district of Assam which bears the iconographic significance of the cult as well.
Numerous rock carvings of the Brahmanical pantheon can be seen at the foothills of Sri Suryapahar and its adjacent areas. Notable among them are the sculptural panels of Siva and Vishnu, carved under a twelve handed ‘Vishnu’ figure in standing posture under a canopy of snakehood. Other notable carvings are the Ganesha, Harihara, rock cut Sivalingas, Vishnupads, rock cut caves etc. on granite outcrops. Most of the Brahmanical figures appear in the niches and the carved figures are assigned to circa 9th century AD.
Here one stone slab contains the carvings in the circular form. The central figure is identified as prajapati carved inside an inner circle while the surrounding outer circle is in the form of twelve lotus petals. Each lotus petal ha sthe seated figure of an Aditya. These twelve Adityas are infact twelve ‘solar divinities’ viz. Dharti, Mitra, Aryaman, Rudra, Varuna, Surya, Bhaga, Vivasvan, Pushan,Savitri, Tvastri and Vishnu. Therefore ‘sun worship’ at Sri Suryapahar can be attested with the iconographic representation too.
Vestiges of Buddhist relics in the form of rock-cut votive stupas at Sri Suryapahar are highly significant as it is commonly believed that the Buddhism was not prevalent in the cultural history of Ancient Kamarupa. The rock cut votive stupas are shaped in various sizes lying in the hill appear to be archaic in shapes, designed in the form of hemispherical drum except one stupa hewn out in the form of cylindrical drum. The archaic nature of the carvings shows that the stupas at Sri Suryapahar were hewn during the Hinayana phase of Buddhism and assigned to the early Christian era.
Remains of the Jaina affiliations in the form of inscription and rock carvings are assigned to 9th century AD. The two figures carved in a big granite boulder are in low relief. The figures are shown in standing posture with their hands hanging down to the knees and their cognisance are shown below the figures in low relief. Another figure carved at the top of the hill is identified as “Adinath”. The figure is carved in sitting posture in the rocky outcrop and two bulls are marked at the base, the mark of cognisance of the first Tirthankara.
Courtesy: ASI Guwahati Circle