Panchatirtha Hajo

HAJO PANCHATIRTHA _{-THE PLACE OF PEACE}

HAJO :

          Some thirty-two kilometres to the north-west of Guwahati across the river Brahmaputra is place named HAJO. It is one of the most interresting places in Assam and perhapes the only place in the state where one may find shrines and Temples dedicated to Vishnu, Siva, Durga, The Buddha and a Muslim saint. Hajo was under the rule of different royal powers form early peroid of history to the late medievel period.

It was an important seat of rule of three poerful royal camps of medievel Assam. i.e., the Koches, Mughals and the Ahoms. The religious and political iomportance of hajo brought people belonging to various and even conflicting faiths together so as to built up a magnificent social-cultural heritage in the area.

          The name and boundaries of Hajo hajo have changed in different periods of history. The place was known by various names, such as, Apunarbhava, Vishnupuskara, Manikutagram, Sujabad and Hajo. In the early assamese literature we have found mention of the name Hajo from the 15th century A.D. There are more than one explanations regarding the origin of the name. It was in all probability, given after the name of Haj or Hajo, A Mech king who had build his capital here in the early medievel period. In the Kalika Purana (10th-11th century A.D) we get an idea of boundaries of Hajo for the first time. The Purana states that Hajo was bounded by the river Lauhitya in the east ans south. River varnasa was snaking its course through the northern boundary while the Lahutya sea was situated to the western boundary of it.

         The population structure of Hajo may be devided mainly into two religious groups - Hindu and Muslim. The Hindu include a number of caste and communities. i.e., Brahmin, Kalita, Koch, Kaivarta, Namasudra etc. The Muslims are devided into two communities, Viz, Fakir or Garia and Maria. Almost all the people of Hajo were one time the ritual functionaries and officers attached to the shrines and temples here.

SHRINES And TEMPLES OF HAJO :

• Hayagriva Madhava Temple
• Kedareswar Temple
• Kamaleswara Temple
• Kameswara Temple
• Ganesha Temple
• Durga Temple
• Poa-mecca
• Dhoparguri Satra

HAYAGRIVA MADHAVA :

          Hayagriva Madhava is the most important temple of Hajo. The temple is situated at the top of a hilloc called Manikut. The present building of the temple was constructed by the koch king Raghudeva Narayana in 1583 A.D. However, the original temple was constructed, in all probability, in the 6th - 7th century A.D. A portion of the original temple still exists in the present building Many scholars hold that the original building of the temple of Hayagriva Madhava belonged to a Buddist chaitya. Certain motifs of the original work, particularly a row of caparisoned elephants I m high relief encirching the building appear to be specimens of buddhist architecture. The elephant motif is identical to the decorative style of the cave temple at ellora. There is another temple, It is also called Daula - griha and was constructed by King Pramatta Singha in 1950 A.D.

          A number of stone images another things mostly in demolished condition are lying scatterd in the precinct of the temple.Among these a few stone slabs with lion motifare the most remarkable pieces of architecture. These are said to the parts of an Ashokan pillar installed to the original Buddhist chaitya. Another master pieces of art was one simhasana. The simhasana was decorated with winged lions made of ivory, in its four corners. Today the simhasana is not there but the broken pieces are lying unnoticed in an interior room of the temple. These are Bura madhava, Hayagriva Madhava, Chalanta Madhava vasudava and Garuda.

         The temple of Hayagriva-Madhava is said to be one of the oldest centres of worship of Vishnu In his Hayagriva or house-hesded from. Again from the days of yore it has been regarded by the Buddhist world most holy places connected with the life of the Buddha. Many Buddhist people as well as some scholar belive that the Buddha attained his mahaparinirvana where in the present Hajo area. In winter a large number of Buddhist pilgrims from different parts of the world flock to Hajo. They claim the image of Buddha and call it Mahamuni. It is to noted that both the Hindus and the Buddhist offer prayer in the temple according to their own rites and costoms.

KEDARESWAR TEMPLE :

          The second important Hindu Temple is dedicated to Kedareswar or Kedar Siva. It finds mention both in the Kalika Purana and the Jogini Tantra. The main Idol of Kedara is a big linga of stone.It is called a svayambhu linga. This linga apears to be an ardhanariswara form of Lord Siva.

          The linga kept always covered with a big metal bowl. It is difficult to ascertain the date of construction or to name the founder of the main building of the temple. In 1753 A.D. king Rajeswara Singha adjoined two walls in the gateway of the temple.

KAMALESWARA TEMPLE :

          The temple of Kamaleswara was one of the prominent Siva temple of Hajo in the past. The kalika purana and the Jogini tantra have made special mention of this temple. Today the temple has lost its past glory and become a subordinate institution of the Kedara Temple.

KAMESWARA TEMPLE :

          The temple of Kameswara has a significant role in the sacred complex of Hajo. Probably, it was centre of Madana worship in the past.

GANESHA TEMPLE :

          At the foot of the temple is the temple of Ganesha. On a gaint elephant shape natural rock, King Pramatta Singha constructed the temple building in 1744 A.D. The temple processes a big image of Lord Ganesha carved out on the elephant shaped rock. This temple is called Deva Bhavana and is the meeting place of the other deities of the panchatirtha on special occasions.

DURGA TEMPLE :

          Besides these temples known as Panchatirthas, there is another important hindu temple dedicated to joy Durga, the mother Goddess. The temple was built by king Lakshinath singha in 1774 A.D. There is a ten armed stone image of Durga on its alter. The temple has an independent establishment and administrative system.

POA-MECCA :

          Poa-mecca, the holy shrine of the muslims, stands at the top of the Gorudachal hill. The main object of veneration in the shrine is a tomb attributed to Ghiyasuddin Auliya. There exists a mosque close to th tomb. the History of Poa-mecca, as an Islamic shrine, is connected with one saintly person named Ghiyasuddin. There are more than one legend connected with the name poa-mecca and its founder. It is considered as the most holy islamic shrine in the region.Thousands of pilgrims from different parts of the country as well as outside visit this holy place. People belive that visit to poa-mecca confers one fourth of the marits obtained from a pilgrimage to mecca itself. Hindu pilgrims of the locality also visit the shrine particularly on the full moon day of the month of Jaistha.
         Emperor Aurangazeb and more than one Assam king also made grant of land and property for the welefare of poa-mecca.

          Both of the koch and Ahom king took keen interresting in the administrative matters and management system of the secred complex of Hajo. All the five Hindu temples of the area area cantrally managed in the name of HAYAGRIVA MADHAVA TEMPLE. As the temple of Hayagriva Madhava was petronised by the Koch and the Ahom kings with generosity, it earned the fame of becoming the richest religious institution of Assam. Again, because of the petron age of different rules,the people without the distinction of caste and creed have been engaged in management of the secrad complex. It may be mentioned that the procession of the deities of the Hindu temples coming out in various festival occasions are led by the muslims here and Hindu devotes visit the shrine of poa-mecca and pray in front of the tomb of Ghiyasuddin Auliya.

DHOPARGURI SATRA :

Dhoparguri Satra is a famous satra of Hajo. The satra was established by Madhavadev in 1587 A.D. He made Lakshmikanta the Acharya of the Satra. Gokarna, Vikarna, Swargdwar etc. are scattered in various localities of the scared complex.

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