India 2025 – Day 9 – Sivasagar and Tea Estate - Part 1
We are getting into the sway of the boat now. Morning misty yoga then a delicious breakfast before we get on to the party bus again – this time for a longer transfer to Sivasagar. This small city (around about 50,000 people) was the capital of the Ahom people – it is notable because of it large number of Ahom palaces and monuments. We arrived at the Sivasagar tank and then took in the Sivadol temple – which was busy with pilgrims and school trips. The Sivadol temple is the tallest Shiva temple in India at a height of 32m. Lots of people wanted their photos with people in the party – we felt like celebrities. After taking our shoes off – Kirti our guide remained behind with the shoes to guard them! – we explored the temple. Lots of the pilgrims had brought the traditional offerings – flowers, milk and honey – as you enter the temple there is a large series of bells that you can ring. Inside was very dark and busy and very unlike Christian churches there is something darker, rawer, more primal and more mysterious about the Hindu temples. We watched the local men on the bamboo scaffolding repairing the dome. Back to the bus before going to Rang Ghar.
Rang Ghar was the royal hunting lodge/sports-pavilion – where Ahom kings and nobles would spectate at games like buffalo fights and wrestling. The beautiful red flowers and gardens lead us to the lodge. I noticed that in India it was far more common to see single sex groups going around monuments – it felt particular unusual to see groups of young men (probably in there 20s) looking around some of the ancient monuments – this is not something that English men do (I don’t know why).
