The stone sculptures of Deopahar

Northeast India is a hidden paradise for visitors and Assam is no different. The state has many archaeological sites that are still underdeveloped and some are open for the public, too. One of those sites is Deopahar. Sidheswar Kumar Mishra, Founder, Assam Tours & Travels, talks some more about the destination.

Situated on the national highway 129 in Numaligarh of Golaghat district of Assam, Deopahar is well connected with public transportation. Deopahar site is situated on the hillock and the area will spellbind any nature and sculptor admirer. The long, steep steps of Deopahar (Deo means god and Pahar means hills in Assamese language) is hiding the beautiful story of 10th-11th AD, is very hard to believe until you climb to its peak. A tough flight of staircase is rewarding once you scale and you will be greeted by the cool calm breeze of fresh air coming from the surrounding lush green tea estates. A sight to cherish! The panoramic view of this hillock is very soothing to the eyes as it is set amid the greenery of the tea garden on the hillocks and the shade tree in between the tea plants which acts as saviours of tea bushes from the scorching sun during the high temperature of sunlight.

The huge structure of the Deopahar temple narrates the golden history and architecture of its importance. Though it had shredded its hugeness and little remains of the base structure which depicts the belief system that the locals had for Lord Shiva. The legends say that the shivalinga that was worshipped here had to be shifted under known reasons and soon after, the Baba Than temple was established in the 19th century which is situated on the foothills. But the construction atop the hill is what makes it mesmerizing. From the first step to the last step on the hillock, one can find many carved stone sculptors of different shapes and sizes. These statuettes are of different deities, flowers, animals and are believed to be related to the stories of Ramayana and Mahabharata, the two great epics of India, perhaps making it one of its kind in the world where both the epics have been represented together.

A natural phenomenon occurs during the flowering season, Deopahar becomes the home for giant honey bees and the bees built their giant hives on the bhelue tree or the tetramelesnudiflora. Giant honey bees prefer to build hives in open area far off the ground in the forested area. Witnessing giant bee hives is extremely rare. Looking at its hive one can easily guess the size and the humming sound they make. It is also considerably close to the famous UNESCO World Heritage Site Kaziranga National Park.