Day 1
Assam is a little-known Indian travel destination full of charm and attractions. Starting from the Brahmaputra River running through it, the area is defined by origin, size and the course of this mighty river. Daybreak in northeastern India this time of year is around 05:30 – life on the river starts with dusk and ends with dawn …
Today the weather looked grey – it was raining and it had been raining plenty during the night. The sun had risen, but could not yet penetrate the grey clouds. I got up early and did some paper work on the lap top while having my traditional morning tea.
Nevertheless, at 08:00 – after a breakfast – we all got onto our country boat which took us a little further upstream to the ferry pontoon. We would normally walk a few meters to the mini busses, but due to last night’s rain the path to where the ship was tied up on the sandy bank was too muddy now even for our mini busses to get there. But it was not a problem, because only a few hundred meters upstream was the ferry dock for all the ferries to the Island of Majuli. That was not our destination today however.
Here at Neamati Ghat the ship is moured right at the bank of the river or sometimes at an old pontoon depending on the water level. This morning the view was not good, but all the other times I was here – which was always January, February or March – the sun had been out and the ship was bathed in beautiful morning sunlight.
We would then just get off and walk to the busses parked above the river bank on a bumpy country road. When we were here last January that path even led us past a very special field … not sure if it was wild or planted, though … looked like planted to me …
We got on our busses and backtracked yesterdays road for approx 1.5 hrs. The narrow road was leading through rice paddies and small villages. As usual goats and cows were walking the streets, dogs were sleeping in the middle of the road, people on bicycles were going to the market or to work, tuktuks loaded up with school kids were on the way to school. There was much to see along the way.
Our first stop of the day was the small stone bridge of Nam Dang. Built in 1703 by the Ahom people, it is still standing strong and the main road – National Highway #37 – is passing over it.
The Nam Dang Stone Bridge is a historic bridge constructed by craftmen brought from Bengal during the reign of Ahom King Rudra Singha. It is 60 m long, 6.5 m wide and 1.7 m high and runs over the Nam Dang creek. The unique characteristic of the bridge is that it was cut out from a single solid piece of rock hundred years of age. During the time of Ahom Kings cement was not in use for construction. A paste of Bora (sticky) rice, duck eggs, black lentils and lime was used to make the bridge. There are very nice stone carvings adorning the bridge depicting gods.
Unfortunately, the historic heritage here had been very much neglected over the years. When I came here the last few times, we were always wading through much garbage. People were throwing everything over the bridge and on the banks of the little creek below it. The stone carvings were hard to even make out.
Since that bridge is a treasured historic site in the region, it is a pity that it is so hard to visit. Our guests had always complained about the garbage and why we had to stop at such an unwelcoming place. So, last time we were there our Guide Mohan had taken photos and since he is well linked with all Tourism Authorities in Assam, he had posted those photos – foreign tourists wading through garbage to see the famous bridge. Some local newspaper even picked up one of the photos and printed it along with a short article.
Maybe that moved something … when we came today the area was cleaned up as good as in India possible. A viewing area was cleared and some brand new bamboo benches were installed. Definitely a progress! I had to test sit the benches of course!
Getting back on our busses it was only a few kilometer to Sivasagar – “the Ocean of Shiva”. The city gets its name from the big tank Sivasagar situated in the heart of the city. The city – formerly known as Rangpur – was the capital of the Ahom Kingdom – also known as the Kingdom of Assam – from 1699 to 1788. The Ahoms had migrated from South China in 1228 and established their first capital at Charaideo – after which our ship is named – 28 km from present day Sivasagar in 1253. Initially they were Buddhists, though Hinduism came to prevail. The Ahoms ruled Assam for nearly 600 years successfully resisting Mughal expansion in Northeast India until their kingdom fell to the Burmese in 1819 and their ruling class was all but wiped out. With the defeat of the Burmese after the First Anglo-Burmese War and the Treaty of Yandabo in 1826, control of the kingdom passed into East India Company hands.
Sivasagar Tank – also known as Borpukhuri – was dug by the Ahoms in the 18th century. It was built by Queen Ambika between 1731 and 1738 and has an area of 53 ha with a depth of 9 m. It is said that the lake water remains stable throughout the year without any fluctuations even during the monsoon months. The tank is located near the Sivasagar Sivadol, a major landmark of the town and is also one of the oldest structures in Assam.
Sivasagar Tank is an important habitat for migratory birds during winter season and it is also a home of many flowering plants. This makes the tank an attractive landscape in the town. And of course the holy water gets collected before visiting the Sivadol located on the banks of the tank. Bathing is not allowed in the tank, however.
We came here to visits Sivasagar Sivadol – the Temple of the Lord Shiva – which is a group of structures comprising 3 Hindu temples of Sivadol, Vishnudol – the temple of the Lord Vishnu, and Devidol – the temple of the Goddess Durga. The temples were built in 1734 by Bar Raja Ambika, queen of Ahom King Swargadeo Siba Singha. The Sivadol – dol means temple in Assamese – built in the Shikhara architecture – more specifically Ahom temple architecture – has a central tower of 32 m which is said to be the tallest Shiva temple tower in India. It is crowned with a 2.4 m high golden-dome. The tower itself is built with parallel ridges and furrows. The lower part of the tower is flanked by four smaller identical towers.
The ever present temple bells were hanging in clusters next to the main entrance. The saying is, that on entering the temple the bell has to be rung in order to alert the god and get his attention …
We had already left our shoes outside – being watched by one of the crew members of the ship. We always have a bunch of them accompanying the group to make sure nobody gets lost and no shoes disappear.
The temple is built with stone and bricks. Inside the Garbhagriha – the sanctum sanctorum – the Shiva Linga is deified, which is here in a reverse setting. A lingam – a sign, symbol or mark – is an abstract or aniconic representation of the Hindu deity Shiva. It is a votary symbol revered in temples, smaller shrines or as self-manifested natural objects. The lingam is often represented within a disc-shaped platform – the yoni. Here however is a Shiva Lingam with a unique form – in contrast to nearly all other Shiva Lingams in India, which protrude from the ground, the Sivadol Lingam is reversed into the ground which is apparently very unusual and very special.
The smell inside the sanctum of age old temples is usually overwhelming and something to get used – especially by sensitive western noses. Fortunately, in most temples the burning of oil lamps and incense is nowadays restricted to outside the temple. Therefore racks are set up to hold all those oil lamps in the garden. In Hinduism, lighting of the oil lamps during prayer ceremony has been mandatory. Right from the ancient times, Hindu people considered fire and oil as holy. The oil lamps are a gesture of inviting positivity in the house.
In Hindu mythology, Lord Shiva is the Destroyer responsible for the destruction of the universe, with the goal of recreating it and the most important god in the Holy Trinity – the other 2 being Brahma the Creator and Vishnu the Protector. Lord Shiva has always fascinated his followers by his unique appearance – he has 3 eyes, has ash smeared all over his body, has snakes coiled up around himself, wears tiger and elephant skin, leads a wild life in cremation grounds far removed from social pretenses and is known for his proverbial anger…
Lord Shiva is considered to be the most divine among all Hindu gods. Maha Dev – which means greatest God – is another name given to him. In the Hindu religion, Lord Shiva is also considered to be the father of the whole universe. This powerful god is known for his contradictory nature but he can be generous to his worshippers.
Worshipping Lord Shiva keeps one’s mind calm and balanced and also keeps sorrows away. Monday is considered to be the most auspicious day for worshipping of Lord Shiva. It is said that the one who worships Lord Shiva on Monday, their dreams get fulfilled. Whorspippers were presenting cold milk, traditional bilva leaves or grains like barley, millet, rice and wheat – all considered good, worthy offers for Lord Shiva. Offerings can increase your favor with the god.
Lord Shiva is the only Hindu God who is offered milk as a prayer. During old times, people used to believe that milk turns into venom on the onset of monsoons. So they offered that milk to Shiva Linga. In fact, they themselves used to condemn the consumption of milk completely so that they can protect themselves from diseases. It is said that Lord Shiva can drink even the venomous milk for the welfare of his creation. He is the Destroyer and he consumes everything which can be fatal for our existence. Even if it is a venom.
The Bel Tree – Bilva Tree – is a sacred tree having sacrificial importance. Its trifoliate leaf is symbolic of the Hindu Trinity of Devas – Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. This tree is also called Wood Apple, Bengal Quince, Golden Apple, Japanese Bitter Orange or Stone apple and its botanical name is Aegle Marmilos. Bel trees are considered an incarnation of goddess Parvati. It is believed that Lord Shiva is fond of those trees and therefore they are found near all Shiva Temples.
It is said that if a Shiva Lingam is worshipped with proper rituals, Lord Shiva can be pleased and fulfils people’s desires, brings good fortune but can also get desired life partner and job. Not only that, but worshipping a Shiva Lingam also impresses all other gods as well.
The exterior walls of the temple are embellished with sculptures and floral designs set in bas-relief. Some of those unique sculptures set on the outer walls of the temple are of the goddess Durga, which are seen carved with 2 arms, 4 arms, 6 arms, 10 arms and 16 arms. The 16-armed Durga holding various weapons is a pan-Himalayan theme adopted in plastic arts of Ahom temple architecture. Durga is depicted decimating Mahishasura, the demon king with a buffalo head, by thrusting a spear. She is riding a lion, her mount, which supports her in the fight with the demon. This feature represents the harmonious blend of brahminical Hindu culture with the Shaktism cult which the royalty of Ahom dynasty had adopted as their religious practice throughout their kingdom.
Today it had started to rain again – well, actually it only drizzled … – and our crew brought out the umbrellas. It is always amazing, that the crew is prepared for pretty much everything.
Sivadol is surrounded by 2 subsidiary temples – Visnudol and Devidol – which are architecturally similar to the larger Shiva temple. Vishnudol is dedicated to the God Vishnu while Devidol is a Durga temple. While the Vishnu temple’s tower has a honeycomb design with an ornamental criss-cross framework, the Durga temple’s tower is designed, in its vertical elevation, with an undulating pattern.
Every year, during the Mahashivaratri, a huge mela – fair – is organized in the Shiva temple and pilgrims visit from all parts of India to offer puja. During our March cruise this year, we were visiting the temple the day before Mahashivaratri and it was very busy. All around the temple market stalls were being set up. On the temple grounds there was much going on as well.
Usually during the 11th month in the Hindu calendar – in the month of Phalguna (February/March) – Mahashivaratri is celebrated on the night before amavasya – no moon night before the arrival of the spring season. The day is known as the Great Night of Shiva. It is believed that on this particular night Lord Shiva gulped the poison created from the sea when it was churned in order to obtain the nectar of immortality and beheld it in his neck which bruised and turned blue and he so saved the universe from destruction on the condition that people worshipped him with great pride and enthusiasm. It marks also the day of the consummation of marriage of Shiva and Parvati.
Since foreigners are always the attraction in these parts of the country, we usually get much attention anyway – One selfie, ma’m? Please? – but that day it was mayhem. TV crews were there and also the head priest of the temple. That on top of all the worshippers and visitor … Of course we got interviewed for the local TV!
After we finally made it inside the temple and out again, the organizing committee invited us for tea into the official tent. There were many photos taken on both sides!
They showed us the traditional Assamese costume the volunteers and dancers for the festival were wearing. The girls had to pose for many photos and selfies as well.
In the end the organizers wanted to present preferably all guests from our group with a Gamoosa, but of course that was too many. Therefore they chose me as the representative once more. I received a nice one and of course had to pose with them for the mandatory photos. I am sure we all ended up in the newspaper as well …
From the Shivdol it was only a short bus ride to our next point of interest – the Rang Ghar – House of Entertainment – a 2-storeyed building which once served as the royal sports-pavillion where Ahom kings and nobles were spectators at games like buffalo, elephant or cock fights, wrestling and other sports at Rupahi Pathar – the field in front of it – particularly during the Rongali Bihu festival.
Said to be one of the oldest surviving amphitheaters in Asia, the building was first constructed during the reign of Swargadeo Rudra Singha with bamboo and wood. It was later rebuilt with brick by Swargadeo Pramatta Singha in 1744 – 1750. The roof of the Rang Ghar is shaped like a royal Ahom long boat on top of which is a decorative pair of carved stone crocodiles.
The base of the monument has a series of arched entrances. Many of them have retained little more than their brick framework, with mere vestiges of sculptural adornments here and there. The Ahoms, who used special thin, baked bricks, did not use cement but a paste of rice and eggs as mortar for their construction. They also made use of powdered mixed lime and bricks to cover the surface of the inner walls. It is said that this layer of powder used to keep the inside of the Rang Ghar cool.
The building is 10 m high, 27 m long and 11 m wide. A very steep set of stairs leads to the upper floor – this was supposedly the place from where the kings and other royal dignitaries were enjoying the sports competitions. Nowadays it is of course not used anymore, but nevertheless it is a popular historic monument visited by many local tourists as well as the few foreigners that find their way to Assam.
The adjoining field wore a festive look when games were held on different occasions during the Ahom rule. Rang Ghar besides standing as the royal pavillion also contributed in spreading the games to different parts of the kingdom and its neighbouring states.
We always have some 20 minutes to walk around the garden like grounds and marvel at the structure which is one of my favourites in Sivasagar. Of course, there were many selfie enquiries here as well ….
Our next point of interest was the Talatal Ghar – also known as The Rangpur Palace – one of the grandest examples of Tai Ahom architecture. The Talatal Ghar is also the largest of all Tai Ahom monuments and was initially built as an army base. We walked along the brick path and around the remains of the buildings. This being as popular a place to visit as Rang Ghar, we met many school kids on a day out.
Visitors nowadays are only allowed to scout through the ground floor, the 1st floor, and what remains of the 2nd and 3rd floors of the Talatal Ghar. Swargadeo Rajeswar Singha added also 3 floors below ground made of brick and an indigenous type of cement – a mixture of Bora Chaul – a sticky variety of rice grain – eggs of swan, etc. When I was visiting the first time in 2018, parts of the buildings were under restoration – but they did not use the original ingredients.
The floors below the ground have been sealed off as visitors tended to get lost within its mazy structure and were never heard of thereafter … that is the story … It is said that the Talatal Ghar once had 2 secret tunnels – one approx 3 km in length connected the Talatal Ghar to the Dikhow River while the other 16 km long led to the Garhgaon Palace and was used as an escape route in case of an enemy attack. Here the story has it that the British tried to scout out the tunnels and the soldiers disappeared as well … However the first Ground Penetrating Survey in the northeast undertaken in early April 2015 has not revealed the existence of any secret tunnel …
The earliest constructions were commissioned by Swargadeo Rudra Singha in 1698. The presently remaining structures were mainly built around 1752 over an earlier wooden palace. From east to west, several rooms run along a long corridor and from north to south are numerous smaller wings. The ground floor served as stables, store rooms and servants’ quarters.
Walking through those narrow and very low tunnel-like corridors was much fun for some of our guests. Others walked around the building and used the outside path.
The Royal apartments were on the upper floors, of which only a few rooms now remain, close to an octagonal room on the northern wing which once served as the Puja Ghar – the private temple prayer hall of the royal family. The Palace went through many architectural alterations to its structure over the centuries which resulted in its irregular shape. There are stairs leading up to the terrace.
Not much of the grand interior of the royal quarters is left. The fine ornamentation on the walls is mostly gone and only a few small examples remain over the doors to the king’s room. Inside the rooms there are many small niches which once held oil lamps to light up the rooms. In the royal quarters there were more of those niches, while in the servants’ quarters were very few. Also some kind of natural air condition was installed in the royal quarters – openings close to the floor to have the breeze pass through.
We usually visit on a Sunday here and that means there are many visitors and as usual we are as interesting for them as they are for us. Often we have to decline selfie inquiries due to the time factor. We are always on a relatively tight schedule and posing for tenth of selfies takes time. But there are also plenty photo opportunities.
Outside the palace grounds is a favourite picnic area for locals. They come here by the busload and bring their entire kitchen with them, then cook lunch for everybody. Of course, often they also bring the boom box with huge speaker …
Leaving the former Ahom capital Sivasagar it was an approx 75 min drive to our lunch stop – the Haroocharai Tea Estate. It was the same road we had driven yesterday afternoon in the dark arriving from the airport and traffic was as usual … Our mini busses were stalled often by typical Indian scenes – a lumbering bus disgorging passengers in the middle of the road – the Sunday vegetable market taking up half the width of the highway – cows ambling at a relaxed pace … Much to see for the guests – at least for those who did not give in to the jetlag and took a nap.
The first impression that soothes the senses travelling across Assam is that of oceans of green flanking the road – a sight that is refreshing. Inarguably, tea is one of the prized exports from Assam that has people the world over addicted to it. Assam Tea is known to be the best in the world.
Nestled in the midst of the quality belt of Assam the Haroocharai Tea Estate is an ideal getaway from the hustle and bustle of life. The tea estate has its own history of colonialism and newly-wealthy local owners. Haroocharai means Small Bird in the local language. The estate boasts 430 acres of beautiful, short, green bushes with large, fat tea leaves.
We got greeted by Rajib Barooah who owns what is one of the oldest tea estates in Pulibor near Jorhat and he escorted us through the estate home. The Khongia Barooah family is one of the foremost tea-planter families of Assam. In 1906, they purchased Haroocharai Tea Estate, a prize property, from the British Kingsley Golaghat Tea Co. The original bungalow belongs to the romantic times of the English tea planters and is a walk down memory lane.
We then proceeded to the back garden where the open pavillion was already set for our lunch. A traditional, home cooked Assamese buffet meal awaited us. The food was outstanding, as usual. My favoutite is the home made chutney of tomatoes. I could just have that with the papadum – the crispy fried bread made of lentil flour. To die for, this is.
After lunch we got a short introduction about tea in India in general and Assam Tea in particular from a Sikh who’s Name I always forget – he therefore asks to get called JP only. I call him Tea Guru.
Although tea was first drunk in China, it was the discovery and subsequent commercial planting of Camellia Sinensis in India that enabled the British to export their favorite brew around the world, turning it into a household staple. In 1823 a Scot named Robert Bruce, who had made several trips to interior Assam in search of trade, was at Rangpur where he learnt of the existence of indigenous Assam Tea from a native nobleman. From time immemorial native tribes of that region, such as the Singphos and Khamtis, were acquainted with the bush growing in the wilderness of Assam and drank a brew from its leaves. Bruce realized that what he drank there really tasted like tea and entered into an agreement with a friendly Singpho Chief for supply of tea seeds and plants, which he sent to the Botanical Gardens of Calcutta to be tested. Later they were indeed classified as to be of the same species as the china tea plant. However, the indigenous Assam tea plant had to wait for another decade before it was acknowledged as such. It was only after the East India Company’s monopoly of the Chinese trade ended in 1833 that the British Government took firm steps towards the establishment of tea plantations in India. It was only in 1839, when the first company for growing and making tea was set up in Assam. Nowadays, Assam is the world’s largest tea growing region stretching both sides of the famous Brahmaputra producing more than 400 mio kilogramms of tea annually.
Our Tea Guru explained us everything about the different tea growing region of India, but of course he was proudest of the Assam Tea. We had once more missed the harvesting season … well, not exactly – tea is plucked in Assam between March and December – but today was Sunday and it was the day off for everybody …
When tea is plucked – mostly by women teagarden workers – they only pick the top butt and first 2 leaves. One plot is plucked once every 7 days. That allows for exceeded growth during the other 6 days. Tea plants will grow into a tree if left undisturbed, but cultivated plants are pruned to waist height for ease of plucking. Camellia Sinensis Assamica is the large-leaved Assamese plant used mainly for black tea.
There are between 2 and 7 steps involved in the processing of fresh tea leaves, the addition or exclusion of any of these stages results in a different type of tea. First the fresh green tea leaves are withered to reduce moisture content in the leaves and to allow flavor compounds to develop. During the course of withering, the moisture content in the leaf goes down by about 30%, making the leaf look limp and soft enough for rolling. Additionally, the volatile compounds in the leaf, including the level of caffeine and the flavors, begin to intensify. A short wither allows the leaves to retain a greenish appearance and grassy flavors while a longer wither darkens the leaf and intensifies the aromatic compounds.
Fixing then refers to the process by which enzymatic browning of the wilted leaves is controlled through the application of heat. It is held that the longer it takes to fix the leaves, the more aromatic will be the tea. Oxidation results in the browning of the leaves and intensification of their flavor compounds. From the moment they are plucked, the cells within the tea leaves are exposed to oxygen and the volatile compounds within them begin to undergo chemical reactions. In order to bring out specific intensities in flavors, tea makers control the amount of oxidation the leaves undergo. Withered and rolled leaves are spread out on long shelves and left to ferment for a fixed period of time, depending on the type of tea being made. Rolling involves shaping the processed leaves into a tight form. During the rolling action, essential oils and sap tend to ooze out of the leaves, intensifying the taste further. The more tightly rolled the leaves, the longer they will retain their freshness. The processed leaves are then dried in order to keep the tea moisture-free, enhance the tea’s flavors and ensures its long shelf-life.
Here at Haroocharai Tea Estate they only produce CTC tea – cut, tear & roll tea. This is a method of processing in which the leaves are passed through a series of cylindrical rollers with hundreds of sharp teeth that crush, tear and curl the tea into small, hard pellets. This replaces the final stage of orthodox tea manufacture, in which the leaves are rolled into strips. Orthodox blends are loose leaf teas produced in traditional method. CTC teas are produced to provide tea lovers with a quality beverage at a faster rate. They are fast in production, can easily meet the increasing demand of the market and they are the more affordable option. Orthodox teas however produce a more authentic tea experience. Orthodox blends of all types – oolong, white, green or black – have a delicate flavor. CTC teas have a generic taste and produce a dark, strong brew with a distinct astringent flavor.
Haroocharai Tea Estate sell their CTC tea exclusively at the tea auction – they do not market them themselves. CTC teas are the ones that in the end mostly end up in the tea bags of huge tea companies – theoreticly it could be that when we buy a box of tea bags of black tea in the supermarket at home, there is a chance that a couple of the CTC pellets of Haroocharai are in there too …
Once the Tea Guru had answered all the questions – and I had translated as good as possible – we also took a short walk in the tea garden. I was as usual impressed with the well-manicured tea bushes.
In the well-laid out garden of the estate they also had spice trees. Our guests are always keen on checking out the cinnamon tree. Most people know how cinnamon is grown, but there are always a couple that find it surprising, that it is obtained from the inner bark of several tree species from the genus Cinnamomum.
They also have huge Indian Bayleaf trees – Cinnamomum tamala. Those leaves are about twice as long and wider as the Bay Laurel leaves we commonly know in Germany, usually olive green in colour and with 3 veins down the length of the leaf. Also it is culinarily quite different, having a fragrance and taste similar to cinnamon bark, but milder.
Soon after we had to leave the tea estate – it was another 30 min or so drive back to the ship and the Captain wanted to sail for a little bit more before sunset. We reached the ship right in time. Sunsets are the best on the Brahmaputra … I know, I know, I said the same about the sunsets on the Ganges River … nevermind … the sunsets are breath taking!
