>Chaipau at 17:22, 1 June 2021

2021-06-01T17:22:10Z

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{{Short description|Ancient archaeological temple of Lord Shiva in Assam,India}}
{{More footnotes|date=April 2020}}
{{Infobox Hindu temple
|name=Deopahar Archeological Site
|image=
|coordinates={{coord|26|36|08|N|93|43|52|E|type:landmark_region:IN|display=inline,title}}
|location=Numaligarh|district=Golaghat
|state=Assam|country=India

|materials=Stone
|established=10th-11th century
}}
[[File:DEOPAHAR NUMALIGARH ASSAM 4.jpg|thumb|Deopahar Numaligarh Assam sculpture ]]
The Deopahar ([[Assamese language|Assamese]]: meaning "The Hill of the Gods") Archaeological Site is situated in [[Numaligarh]], [[Golaghat]] district, [[Assam]], [[India]]. It is a protected archaeological park and has a site-museum under the Directorate of Archaeology.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://archaeology.assam.gov.in/|title=Home | Directorate of Archaeology | Government Of Assam, India|website=archaeology.assam.gov.in}}</ref> On top of the hillock, there is an ancient stone temple whose construction is either incomplete or was damaged during the [[Assam earthquake of 1897]].

==Location==

The Deopahar hillock, also called Deoparvat, is by the side of the [[Asean Highway 1]](NH39) in Numaligarh, Golaghat district, Assam, India. The Deopahar hillock is a part of the Deopani reserve forest. The Deopani reserve forest covers a total area of 133.45 hectares and is very rich in flora and fauna. The Deopani reserve forest area is an Elephant corridor and is also famous for a False Hemp Tree (Assamese : Bheleu)(''[[Tetrameles nudiflora]]''), which has been accorded a Heritage tree status, in the Deopahar hillock. Every year around the months of October to January, migratory wild giant bees follow the same migratory routes from the foothills of Himalaya to come to this particular tree to build several very big beehives. The Deopahar Archaeological Site is a tourist destination in Assam.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://tourismcorporation.assam.gov.in/portlet-sub-innerpage/historical-monuments-0|title=Historical Monuments | Assam Tourism Development Corporation Ltd | Government Of Assam, India|website=tourismcorporation.assam.gov.in}}</ref> The distance of the Deopahar archaeological site is about 5 km from the [[Numaligarh Refinery]], 61.8 km from [[Kaziranga National Park]], 255 km from [[Guwahati]] and approximately 5 km by aerial distance from [[Brahmaputra River]]

==History==

The intricate architectural style of the Deopahar stone temple is indicative of the fact that it belongs to the period somewhere between 10th and 11th century AD. <ref>http://ignca.gov.in/asi_reports/ASSGHT_003.pdf Dated between 10th-11th century.</ref> The Deopahar temple was may be a temple of [[Lord Shiva]]. Legends says that the [[Lingam|Shiva Linga]] from the Temple was shifted and the Baba Than, Numaligarh temple was established in the 19th century near the Deopahar hillock.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.bokakhat.gov.in/hist_monu.htm|title=Welcome to Bokakhat Sub_division|website=www.bokakhat.gov.in}}</ref> As per the Satsari Buranji, there was a burial site of a [[Chutia kingdom|Chutia]] king(''Khunta raja'') adjacent to Deopahar. <ref>Bhuyan, Surjya Kumar,''Deodhai Buranji'',p. 201-202,The founder Chutia raja was known as Khunta raja.</ref><ref>[https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.452953/page/n43/mode/1up Bhuyan, Surjya Kumar,''Satsari Assam Buranji'', p.18, There is a Maidam(burial site) of Khunta raja adjacent to Deopahar.]</ref>

==Architecture==

The stone temple was erected on a monolithic floor. The temple has a big ceiling slab engraved with a large lotus bearing a relief of [[Vidyadhara]] holding a scarf and a necklace by both hands. The vast range of sculptured stone blocks were curved out of [[Precambrian]] rocks. The stone blocks in the base of the temple were stabilised together with iron hinges which can be clearly seen.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/states/north-east/temple-ruins-on-dhansiri-bank/cid/1529496|title=Temple ruins on Dhansiri bank|website=www.telegraphindia.com}}</ref>

The overall creative style and design of the building blocks strongly reflects influences of the later [[Gupta era]]. There are huge door jambs with foliage of drooping petals, encircling creepers with animal and sculptural representations of female door keepers with coronets and huge perforated Patrakundalas. Other sculptural representation found are of [[Kirtimukha]], Kalamakaras, Fangananm Shiva, Sridhar Rudra, Lakshi- Narayana, Hara Gauris Rashlila, Sarpadevata, Pranayam dhyan, Padma Sakra, Ram and Ravana, Sugriba etc. and panels with curvings of figures depicting episodes from the [[Ramayana]], the [[Mahabharata]] and the [[Bhagavata Purana]].

==Photo gallery==

<gallery>
File:DEOPAHAR NUMALIGARH ASSAM INDIA .jpg|Temple Base - Deopahar
File:DEOPAHAR ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE, NUMALIGARH ,ASSAM,INDIA.jpg|Deopahar Archaeological Site View from [[Asean Highway 1]]- ([[NH 39]])
File:DEOPAHAR ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE , NUMALIGARH ,ASSAM ,INDIA KIRTIMUKHA.jpg|Deopahar -Kirtimukha
File:DEOPAHAR ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE NUMALIGARH ASSAM INDIA .jpg|Deopahar - Stone Statue
File:DEOPAHAR ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE NUMALIGARH ASSAM INDI.jpg|Deopahar - Stone Design
File:DEOPAHAR ARCHAEOLGICAL SITE NUMALIGARH ASSAM INDIA 3 .jpg|Deopahar - Stone Statue
File:Deopahar Archaeological Site Numaligarh Assam India.jpg|Deopahar - Iron hinges joining Stone blocks
</gallery>

==References==
{{Reflist}}
* {{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/1160724/jsp/northeast/story_98419.jsp|title=Plea to make Deopahar a reserve forest|work=The Telegraph|access-date=2018-06-15}}
* [http://dainikjanambhumi.co.in/09092018/page5.php ]

{{morecat|date=July 2019}}

[[Category:Golaghat district]]
[[Category:Archaeological sites in India]]
[[Category:Museums in Assam]]

Deopahar - Revision history

>Chaipau at 17:22, 1 June 2021