Sibsagar was the capital of the Ahom Kings who ruled Assam before the advent of the British. The town is build round the Sibsagar tank, dug over 200 years ago. The tank is above town level although situated in the heart of the town. On its banks are located some of the famous temples of Sibsagar. The Shiva temple, constructed in the year 1734 is believed to be the highest Hindu temple in India.

How To Get There :

Air : The nearest airport is at Rewriah, Jorhat (55 kms away) connected by Indian Airlines with Calcutta, Guwahati and Tezpur.

Rail : The nearest railhead is Simaluguri (16 kms away) on main N.F. Railways.

Road : Sibsagar is connected by road to most of the important places in Assam. Some distances are : Guwahati - 369 kms
Kaziranga - 152 kms
Jorhat - 55 kms
Nowgong - 249 kms
Dibrugarh - 76 kms
Tinsukia - 114 kms
What To See

Sibsagar Tank and Temples :The tank comprising 120 acres of water, dug ever 200 years age, is above town level although situated down town. fed by natural springs, the tank is surrounded by deep ditches and earthen moats. Three temples are built on itsbanks - Siva temple, Vishnu temple and Devidol temple.

Talatal Ghar : Built in 1699 by king Rudra Singha about 6 kms from Sibsagar it is an underground garrison having three stories the lowest connected with Dikhow river by tunnel.

Kereng Ghar :9 kms from Sibsagar, this is a seven storied castle-four above and three below the ground containing two underground pathways to Dikhow river and Garden palace.

Rang Ghar :The Ahom Kings watched elephant fights and other sporting events from this two- storied oval-shaped pavilion built by king Pramutta singha.

Joysagar Tank and Temple : Historical records reveal that the tank was constructed in 45 days at Rangpur in 1697. The tank stands on the area of 318 acres half of which is under water and on its banks stand the Jeydol (Vishnu) temple, Shiva temple and Devi Ghar and Ghanashyam (Nati Gosain) temple.

Gaurisagar Group : 16 kms south of Sibsagar on the Assam Trunk Road, Gaurisagar is one of the historical tanks constructed by Queen Phuleswari in the year 1723. This springfed tanks is 150 acres under water and on its banks stand three temples dedicated to Devi, Shiva and Vishnu.

Gargaon Palace : The principal town of the Ahom Kings, constructed by the 15th Ahom King Suklemnung in 1540 lies in 13 kms east of Sibsagar. The present seven storied palace was built by King Rajesshar Singha in about 1762. All the underground stories and passages were blocked by the East India Company. The magazine made of bricks is within the palace compound and further eastward are two old stone bridges constructed by King Gadadhar Singha.

Charaideo : 28 kms east of Sibsagar, was the original capital of the Ahom Kings built by Sukhapa the founder of the dynasty in about 1229. Charaideo is famous for its numerous maidams (vaults) of the kings and members of the royal family resembling the pyramids of egypt. Most of them were build of stones and bricks and are in ruins now.

Other Places : A great number of old Sastras of the Vaishava cult Muslim Dargahs, Budhist and Sakta shrines are to be found around Sibsagar, Besides, there are more than 500 tanks, vaults, earthen forts and castles belonging to the Ahom, Manipuri, Jaintia Shan and Kachari kings in this sub-Division.

Excursions :

Jorhat (55 kms.)
Itinerary is famous for its sprawling tea gardens. It is the nerve centre of tea industry. It has the world reknowned Teklai Experimental Centre.Research is carried out to find new varieties of tea and also therapeutic effected of green tea. Regional Research Laboratory which is situated here conducts investigation on plants, herbs and seil. There are also other organisations such as Assam Agricultural University, Technical School etc. From Jorhat, one may visit majuli, the largest island on the Brahmaputna. In Majuli, there are numerous satras or monasteries. 60 kms aways from Jorhat, lies Nambar Foprest reserve which is famous for being a rejuvenating hot spring. Further 90 kms down, one comes across Dimapur (in Nagaland), once the seat of Cachar Kingdom.

Dibrugarh (76 kms)
It is an upcoming major trading centre and a lovely river side town in Upper Assam. This is the place where the mighty river Brahmaputra is at its majestic best.
City To Visit

Guwahati -|-Kaziranga-|-Sibsagar