Da Parbatia Temple, located at Da Parbatia, is situated some few kilometres away on the west of Tezpur main town. The door frame of the temple is regarded as one of the excellent pieces of monumental art in stone in Assam.
This Hindu temple is believed to be built during the 6th century. Aligned in east –west direction it is made of bricks and stones and the arts present in the temple are mainly in the form of wall carvings having a close resembles to the art style that existed during the early Gupta period. Built on an elevated platform the uniqueness of this temple lies in its construction. The Garbha Griha (sanctum sanctorum) of the temple is square in shape whereas the Mandapa (porch-like structure) is rectangular. ‘Garbha’ literally means the womb, the innermost sanctum of a Hindu temple where resides the Murti (idol or icon) of the primary deity of the temple.
On the ruins of this structure, a brick Siva temple had been built during the Ahom period, which collapsed during the devastating Assam earthquake in 1987, revealing the door frame of the older structure. The stone doors are adorned with the forms of two goddess Ganga and Yamuna, standing with elegance and poise, with garlands in their hands. There are three attendants in the case of Ganga on the right, but two only in that of Yamuna to the left. The door frame had also been ornamented with delicate foliage.
Besides the lush green surroundings of the ruins give a feeling of serene and purity.
Da Parbatia Temple was excavated in the year 1989-90 by ASI with IAR 1989-90, p. 10. It is an archaeological site protected under the aegis of the Archaeological Survey of India. This monument has been declared to be of national importance under the Ancient monuments and archaeological sites and remains act 1958 (24 of 1958).
Uniqueness of this temple, specially the Da Parbatia Gate is beyond description. To have a glimpse of this gate, people from different parts of the country and abroad come to Da Parbatia to see it. It is very easy to reach as it is located on the PWD road side. Now-a-days, it has become a place of worship and tourist attraction.
This article is written by Dhritika Saikia. An M.Tech scholar Dhritika started photography out of her urge to treasure the beauty and jubilation of the moments of her lifetime.
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