Places to visit in North Assam -- Lakhimpur district

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LAKHIMPUR
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North Lakhimpur :

It is the district headquarter of Lakhimpur district and is one of the fastest growing commercial centre of Assam. It is also the major ommercial hub for the people of the various districts of Arunachal Pradesh including papumpari district (which include the state capital, Itanagar).
Area : 2,277 sq. km.
Population :7,51,517.
Distance from Guwahati : 396 km.
Places to visit : Shiva temple located near the National Highway, Padumoni temple on the way to North Lakhimpur from Dhemaji, etc.


Lakhimpur District is situated on the North East corner of Assam . The district lies between 26048’ and 27053’ northern latitude and 93042’ and 94020’ east longitude (approx.). It is bounded on the north by Siang and Papumpare District of Arunachal Pradesh and on the east by Dhemaji District and Subansiri river. Majuli Sub Division of Jorhat District stands on the southern side and Gahpur sub division of Sonitpur District is on the West.
The name Lakhimpur is believed to be originated from the word “Lakshmi”, the goddess of prosperity. The district is mainly dependent upon agriculture and paddy. Paddy is regarded locally as “Lakhimi”. The word “pur” means “full”. Lakhimpur therefore means full of paddy or the place where paddies are grown abundantly. Besides, the soil of the district is alluvial and fertile for which crops flourish without use of any artificial manure or hard labour. Over and above fish, meat, vegetables, milk were abundant in this district. Others say that the word originated from Lakhsmi Devi, the mother of Bhuyan Raja who was the descendent of King Arimatta . As per Lakhimpur District Gazette (1976:4) , the district was notified as Lakhimpur District through a proclamation issued by then Governor General on July, 1839. On 2nd October, 1971 the district was reorganized with two sub divisions viz. Dhemaji and North Lakhimpur . Later it was again reorganized in the year 1980 with two subdivisions viz. Dhakuakhana and North Lakhimpur leaving Dhemaji as a separate district.
The district was earlier regarded as “Koliapani” because there was practically no road communication to this district till 1950. In the year 1954, the temporary aerodrome was started. From 1957 the ASTC buses started plying from Lakhimpur and from 1963 the North East Frontier Railway started train services from this district. The District covers an area of 2977 Sqkm out of which 2957 Sqkm is rural and 20 sqkm is urban.
The district is divided into two sub divisions viz. North Lakhimpur and Dhakuakhana. North Lakhimpur Sub-division consists of 4 Police stations viz. North Lakhimpur, Boginadi, Laluk and Bihpuria,. Dhakuakhana Sub Division consists of two Police stations viz. Dhakuakhana and Ghilamara.


HISTORY
Lakhimpur figures largely in the annals of Assam as the region where successive invaders from the east first reached the Brahmaputra. The Bara Bhuiyas, originally from the western provinces of India, were driven out by the Chutias (a Shan race), and these in their turn gave place to their more powerful brethren, the Ahoms in the 13th century. The Burmese, who had ruined the native kingdoms, at the end of the 18th century were in 1825 expelled by the British, who placed the southern part of the country, together with Sibsagar under the rule of Raja Purandhar Singh; but it was not till 1838 that the whole was taken under direct British administration. The headquarters are at Dibrugarh.
Subdivisons and circles of Lakhimpur district

Sub-Divisions

North Lakhimpur
Dhakuakhana

Circles

Lakhimpur
Dhakuakhana
Kadam
Nauboicha
Bihpuria
Narayanpur
Subansiri (Ghilamara)

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SHRI SHRI BASUDEV THAN:

NARUA SATRA



Collected by – Sri Jyoti moy Dutta Ujani Jalbhari.

Grateful to: Sjt. Birendra Nath Goswami

“Shri Shri Basudev Than: Narua Satra, the well known temple of Assam is situated in the north-East part of the historical place Dhakuakhana. It is one of the ancient Temple of Assam . It impressed many people of Assam for many years. It situated at Subansiri, a small area between Balahi Sampara and Saupara.



Coming from Bijani Rajya, Damodar Aata, the grandson of Sankardeva established this Satra in the middle part of 17th century, when Assam was ruled by the Ahom king Jayadhaj Shingha. The first name of the Narua than was the Laumuri Satra. There are many controversies among people about the name of this Satra. Many people want to say that Damodar Aata came from upper Assam . At first he established the Laumuri Satra. A Brahmin named Bahude devoted the land of the Satra to Damodar Aata as a gift. Before this in 1314, Satyanarayan, the king of Sadhayapur gave the above mentioned area to Narayan Dwij for Bishnupuja. Later, the land transferred to this family from Narayan Dwijs family – for this reason it was called as Na-rua Satra instead of Laumuri Satra. According to under opining in 1323, Sadhayapuriya king Lakhinarayan devoted this land Ravidev Basaspati for Bishnupuja. After him, Haridev Basaspati, a son of this Brahman family gave this land and a statue to Damodar Aata. For this reason this Than became famous as Basudev Than: Narua Satra in later days. After some years the Satra transferred to under place. The land was given by the Ahom king Jayadhaj Shingha. This is the place where the present Satra is situated.

In 1585, Damodar Aata had died and his son Ramakanta Aata became the Adhikar, of the Basudev Than. When Maan attacked Assam he the Adhikar of this Satra. In those days, one Adhikar should see altogether three Satras i.e. Balipara, Bardua and Basudev. It became difficult to him to see the works of those three Satras in the same time. So gradually, Basudev than neglected by the Adhikar and it became as a waste land. The wood was growing and the place became as a forest. In 1683, after his death, Ramdev Ata became the Adhikar of this Satra. In that time the Adhikar was respected by the Ahom kings. In 1707 Ahom King Gourinath Shingha had come to Narua Satra by boat but some reasons he went back. From which part of the river the king had gone back to his Rajya, now called as Uvata Sampara. Knowing this fact, Ramdev Ata felt sorry and he went to the lower Assam and started to stay in Barpeta. But knowing his fault after many days, the king sent Mahidhar Dangharia to Narua Than and bestowed a Bor- kah.

Gradually, the building of the temple started to break and the place became deserted. It changed to a forest. In that time a well known man of Jalbhari Gaon Rangain Aldhara came to the Mandir in the day time and he look cares of Satra. For more than so years he had been doing those for the development of the situation of this temple. After long times, an honest person Achyut Ata came to the Satra from Bardua and he started to stay in Jalbhari. With Rangain Aldhara he established this Satra in that desired place. He also discovered some valuable wealth of the Mandir from a nearest cannel. From that day, even today also, it is known as Dhankhana Pukhuri. Near the old temple he started to build the new Mandir. In Maghi Purnima he has established Basudev Mandir in that new building and celebrated. From that day, men celebrated “Pal naam” in Maghi Purnima every year. In the time of his younger brother Mahesh Ata, a big “Namghar”was made.
Another name of Shri Krishna was Basudev. It is said by the common people that Rukmini had made this statue of Basusdev to find himself as her husband. So it is called that if any were who prayed these and wish the God Basudev will fulfill all their wishes. Like this, the Basudev than impressed many Bhaktas of it for long long times.

Including three slopes and 16 Nos. of highland, the Basudev Than covers about 200 Bighas of land which are full of dense forest. The Ajars, by the side of the entrance road make beautification of the area. Many Vishnu statues and other historical materials are found nearby the villages namely Ghanhibari, Amud Borbari, and Ubhatamukh etc. Such types of statue found in the village Ubhatamukh in 1952 and was deposited to the Than by the villagers. The Ramdhemali Gai festival is being celebrated at the Than by setting such a statue mentioned earlier. Many animals are sacrificed on the occasion and the people who get fruitful result of it leave animals and birds in the Than. It is a significance of the Than that the traditional mixture “salt” is not mixed in the Prasad, instead “sugar” is mixed. Now this tradition is maintained.

Few years ago, the area of the Than was covered with dense forest. The depth of the forest was vividly described by the re-known writer Mr. Homen Borgohain in his story “Bagh” published in the “Prantik”. Some “Orchids” along with the trees available here beatify the whole area. The two rare birds “Bor charai” or “Moukhan” and “Moupia” has still been existing in the few forest it has.