Incredible Indyeaah!

A Surprise Wonder in the North-East!,

Sibasagar, Assam. Circa April, 2011.

A dull and sullen four of us, carrying a just out-of-college-and-so-let’s-drink-till-the-liver-dissolves-away mentality accidentally happened to land up in Hotel Blue Moon at Golaghat, Assam staring amusingly at the name-board of the hotel. We burst into pangs of mirthful laughter engineered caused by a perverted implication of the Hotel’s suggestive name in our minds. The plan for the next few days was to be guests at Mrigu’s (Mriganka, our dear friend) wedding…err..engagement. To cut a very long and dry story short, we ended up drinking every night, and day. Day? well not exactly because we eagerly waited for the night to creep in every time our eyes had to open because of daybreak. This was to halt, when Mrigu decided to take us on a tour to Sivasagar, which is towards the eastern tip of Assam. We all hauled ourselves to board the hired vehicle and carried a dull expression throughout without having a sign on our face which could have in any manner pointed to the impending moments of history which we were going to experience.

Chewing on Assam's evening munchy - taamul-paan, a local tobacco-betel nut combine, I looked out of the window trying to get any sign that would signal the proximity of our destination for the day. After a considerable lapse of time, I could feel the air changing, the climate getting a little cooler, and it was not long before my eyes glanced over a large signboard indicating our vehicle’s penetration into the virgin heritage site of Sibasagar, the crown resting place of the original Tai King Sukhapaa – The first Ahom King (from an area which now falls within modern Thailand). Sukhapaa’s exploits and his followers, after mixing with other local communities, has resulted in the modern state of Assam now.

We soon had to stop as the future course of action demanded exploration on foot. Mrigu played the perfect guide in generating interest in us in the development of Assamese history and the role of TAI immigrants. We were taken to the royal palace of some King (I was still down with a hang-over to remember the name of the king, but that’s not the point of this article anyway, but I regret not having the factual details to make this piece more accurate). The palace was well maintained even after passage of two centuries. (Good job, ASI!). I would not say, I was thrilled beyond my wildest dreams to be inside a brick and mortar building that was once the resting seat for royal ass.

We then proceeded to the royal temple and then the Ranghar (I remember this one because I had made a joke on the name). Ranghar was the royal sports pavilion for the Ahom Kings who viewed sports and games on the ground below from an exalted position under the top dome of the structure. The premises around the structure were well draped in a lush green raiment. It was nice for a change to view vulnerable ancient buildings being meticulously preserved instead of modern marvels of architectural skills easily viewable in any upcoming urban area in the country now.

All along, Mrigu’s Fiancee had managed to ask Rimjhim her friend to come along with the group on this exploration so she could catch up with her as well. Mrigu informed me after her arrival, that she is a descendant of the original Ahom people and is not a descendant of the mixed generations like himself – which formed as a result of the coming together of the pre-ahom population and the subsequent ahom people. I could not help not noticing her features which were quite different, well reflected on the colour of her hair, the structure of her jaw, and other facial features, which were nothing of the sort I have been used to seeing in mainland India, and which also does not quite fall within the stereotyped “north-eastern” look (chinki for the non-politically correct).

Rimjhim, in herself stood as a very curious piece of puzzle in the historic melting pot that India is. Perhaps that’s why, I regret not having made an effort in knowing Assam or the North-East better. Assam, as part of the north-east offers us a great way of understanding how the great Indian melting pot works. To even know about structures built by Thai kings in Assam was as astonishingly surprising as refreshing. It filled my chest with a strange pride after becoming aware of an ancient Indian connection with Thailand, which hitherto appeared a very distinct and un-connected nation to me. To know, that there is more to India than Vedas and Mughals was an eye-opener. India as a whole continues to surprise me at each and every turn and juncture. But Indian history will never be complete without also giving the history of North-east, the formation of its cultures, the stories of its Kings and the common citizenry, their appropriate due in our school’s text-books.

This is not a lesson in history; just an observation.........through the Lookin' Glass.