Motorcycling

Heritage

Alien Words

Window

Links

Contact

Home
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

a floating Kailash, lost civilizations and shimmering peaks...
meeting the stream
 
 

a secret mission, snow fields and an Iradium that didn't work...
View from the top
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A Gupt Kashi.

Approximately 100 km east of the modern town of Tezpur on the north bank of the Brahmaputra, Bishwanath is situated on confluence point of the Buri Ganga. An ancient settlement and river port from the pre-Ahom era, it subsequently became a stronghold of the Ahom army before being taken over by the British forces who maintained a huge garrison there in the early years of Assam's annexation. 

With the building of roads, the role of riverine transportation diminished and so did Bishwanath's importance as a port and military bastion. Known today only as an obscure pilgrimage site, it has lingered on as a forlorn remnant of ancient grandeur. 

Being an agnostic of sorts, Bishwanath Ghat would have remained off my wandering circuit had I not been gathering data about curious labyrinth, maze and spiral drawings often found on riverside rocks of Assam. And as Bishwanath is one such place, the visit was inevitable. 

We left Tezpur early in the morning and headed east along the highway towards the turn-of-point, Bishwanath Chariali. A faceless commercial town revolving around a crossroad "Chariali", best known as a place where long distance buses halt to oblige their passenger's need of release and refreshments. 
The going was slow as the highway was full of  bumps, cracks and craters. Forced off the road at least five times by bulldozing army convoys manned by scowling soldiers, it took three hours to covered the 80-km stretch. 

We turned right from the "Chariali" and headed south, and soon were on an empty road passing through harvested paddy fields, lined by giant coral-flower trees in full bloom, their leafless flowering branches appearing ablaze with crimson flames. 

In its present-day incarnation Bishwanth Ghat is a large fishing village with the main road twisting through it middle before terminating by the riverside. 
Still in early spring, the water level of the Buri-Ganga was low, its  width reduced to 250 meters. The water appeared motionless with a slight greenish tinge as during winter the mouth of the river becomes just an inlet of the Brahmaputra. 

A cluster of country boats tied to a few posts swayed on the lapping waters, nearby children splashed around, while a flock of geese dutifully swam to and fro. Behind, a number of temple domes rose above the roofline. The tallest of them belonging to the Bishwanath Doul, a two hundred year old Ahom legacy. 

A few Sanyasis walked about spreading the unmistakable wisps of cannabis smoke in the air. With two bathing Ghats, the eastern one descending to the Buri Gang and the southern to the Brahmaputra, wet pilgrims could be seen jaunting from one side to another. Despite the Kalika Purana's Vaishnav legend, Bishwanath seemed to be a Shaivait site. 

The river bank was strewn with boulders of greyish-purple quartzite, rounded smooth by water. More were seen on the other side and forming small islands. To the left rose a high wall of rock, cutting perpendicularly into the river reaching almost to the middle forming a natural wharf. 
The entire  terrain looked like it had been formed by a savage force, while the bizzare rock formations struck as a setting from a si-fi movie or a realm of goblins and spirits, with unseen serpents gliding beneath the river's tranquil surface. Surroundings befitting Shiva, especially as his Bhutnath title makes him the lord of  Buths and Prets(Ghosts and Demons). 

A hundred odd meters to our right, the river converged with the vast glassy expanse of the Brahmaputra. Across the river on the south bank were the tall hills of the Kaziranga National Park. 

As we got out of the car, a number of people offered their boats. Not sure why one was needed, we were told that the Bishwanath Baba's temple was on the other side as were the rock carvings for which I was there. Recruiting the services of the one standing closest and agreeing to pay exactly half of what he asked, we set forth to a large heap of the rocks projecting like a finger from the opposite bank. On top of the mass stood two thatched huts. 

"This is the actual Bishwanath Baba's temple" our boatman guide illuminated us, pointing at the thatched huts, " he can only be worshipped for half a year, as once the rains start the river covers up the place, thus the temporary hut". 
Interestingly, the mound featured piles of chiselled stone blocks; telltale remnants of an ancient structure. Some were quite eroded, others well preserved, mainly comprising rectangular units with the charactaristic inverted pyramid dowel orfices and other structural bits and pieces characteristic to early medieval Hindu temple design. 

Carved from the same greyish-purple quartzite, few had Kirti Mukhas (demon faces) carved on them. A humanoid figurine resembling Vishnu could be seen on a heavily eroded block. 
Entering the thatched temples we beheld a very peculiar sight. Instead of the customary Shiva linga or idols of the god, the objects of worship in both the shrines, were cylindrical pits.  Carved by the rotating action of water for hundreds of years, these were deep potholes bored in rock. 

What was stranger still, was that the larger thatched shrine was built upon the floor and the lower vestige of an ancient rock temple. Moreover, as the pothole is situated right in the middle of the floor, it raises a number of questions about the design of the ancient temple. Obviously, it was not designed to remain submerged for half a year !! But, to have a pothole develop right at the centre is equally unusual. 

Our Boatman guide further informed us that all the round rocks lying around are considered to be Shiva lingas in their own right, and there are Unakouti, (one less then a crore) of them. By believing him, we took the easier way out.

Bishwanath has two parallel legends of it's association with Shiva. Almost identical, one involves King Bana, a contemporary of Narakasura, the mythical first Aryanised king of Assam, the other is about Sage Vyas. The Kalika Purana's account somehow doesn't figure in the local lore. 

The first legend has it that Bana, who ruled in Tezpur was a devotee of Shiva and wanted to establish another Kashi in the east, and so installed one crore Shiva lingas in Bishwanath. However, as no Kashi can exist outside Benaras, Ganesha stole one of them and rendered the place ineffective!! 
Discovering one of the lingas missing, a despaired Bana appealed to Lord Shiva, who in turn told him to consult the two sages Kumud and Koustav who lived nearby. 
Approaching the  two sages who were then meditating, Bana bellowed, "Where is Kashi ?" Disturbed by the king's unruly behaviour they answered disdainfully, "Where will you find Kashi here? Go west." 
Disgusted, Bana contemplated suicide by immolation, but Shiva materialised in front of him and forbade his bid, cursing the two hermits to turn to stone. 
When the two astonished sages inquired about the reason, Shiva accused them of not knowing what is going on in their own neighbourhood. The sages then answered in unison, "well if you willed a creation of a secret Kasha, then let it remain so". Hence Bishwanath became known as Gupta Kashi or hidden Kashi. 

Interestingly, there are two enormous rocks standing in the  Brahmaputra near Kaliabor in the Nowgaon district of Assam known as the Dui Muni Sil, or the two sage rocks. Believed by the people to be none other than the ill-fated Kumud and Koustav. 

The second myth describes how Sage Vyas came east to establish a second Kashi after his earlier plan to create Vyas Kashi north of Benaras failed. Apparently after he ran into foul weather with the Goddess Annapurna or Durga, who cursed anyone dying there to be reborn as a donkey. 
Hence, Vyas arrives at Bishwanath and installs one crore Shiva lingas. This time it was Naradh who mischievously steals one of them, and proceeds to inform Lord Shiva about the creation of a new Purba Kashi. A curious Shiva then comes to region and starts searching for the site. He then comes across Kumud and  Koustav, who were busy teaching their students. Shiva repeatedly questions them about the location of the new Kashi, but so involved were the hermits with their task, that they didn't even notice him. An enraged Shiva turns them to stone. 

As history is silent about the origins of the enigmatic temple ruins, religious lore must suffice. My only condolences are for hapless Kumud and Koustav. Who says ignorance is bliss!! 

Finishing with the unique Bishwanath Mandir, we next moved on to the site of the rock drawings. Located in the midst of low scrubs not far from the eastern bank, was a large flat shoulder of rock, with a slight crest on one edge. The unique diagrams were engraved on the flat face along with a few other crude animal and geometrical patterns. On the side of the crest was engraved a Ganesha and an indecipherable inscription. 

Noticing our activity, a cowherd and a boatman who brought a couple of pilgrims to a nearby temple volunteered their knowledge. Pointing at the Ganesha, the cowherd said," this is Vyas Muni". "These are Pakha Khells''' or dice boards, he continued, referring to the square maze-like diagrams and described the spirals as something to do with Abhimanu or Arjun. Apprehending another confusing parable of stolen lingas and reincarnated donkeys,  clarifications were not asked. 

The last stop of the boat ride was a small isle, positioned right at the mouth of the Buri Gang. Consisting of a few huge rocks, it was home to a tall water level indicating pillar and a magnificent giant engraving of a Trishula. 

By the time we finished our little exploration, it was well in the afternoon. Making use of the little time left, we checked out the numerous shrines located all around. However, the various Vasudev, Durga and Shiva mandirs failed to impress. 
The natural Shiva linga's of  the Buri Ganga and Bishwanath must have intimidated our attention. Besides we were just tired from too much sun and jumping around rocks!