Ghuguha Doul

Ghuguha Doul (also spelled Ghuguha Dol; ) is an early 18th-century brick temple in Dhemaji district, Assam, India. As per the Directorate of Archaeology, Assam, it is a temple of the Ahom period constructed by the Ahom king Siva Singha (1714–1744) in the name of his queen Ambika Devi during the early 18th century.

The temple has an octagonal plan, with a garbhagriha and a mandapa. The larger archaeological complex contains brick fortifications, several tanks and other structural remains.

History

The Assam Directorate of Archaeology dates Ghuguha Doul to the early 18th century and attributes it to Siva Singha, during whose reign a number of temples and religious monuments were constructed in the Ahom kingdom. According to the department, the temple was erected in the name of his queen Ambika Devi.

The region surrounding Ghuguha had a considerably earlier history of settlement. Habung, situated in the wider region of present-day Lakhimpur and parts of Dhemaji, is recorded in inscriptions of the Chutia kingdom belonging to the 14th-16th centuries. Historian Amalendu Guha similarly describes Habung before its annexation by the Ahoms as a dependency of the Chutia kingdom. The area became incorporated into the Ahom kingdom in the early 16th century after the Chutia-Ahom wars.

Architecture

Ghuguha Doul is constructed principally of bricks. The main shrine is octagonal in plan, and the octagonal form continues through the upper portion of the structure. It rises to a height of approximately . The Directorate of Archaeology describes the monument as consisting of a garbhagriha with an attached mandapa. The upper part of the shrine terminates in a form described as resembling a traditional Assamese xorai. Sculptural decoration that formerly existed on the outer walls has largely disappeared. The wider complex contains several tanks and traces of brick-built defensive or enclosure works. Archaeological remains are spread over a substantially larger area surrounding the principal shrine.

Conservation

Ghuguha Doul is a state-protected archaeological monument under the Government of Assam. It was declared a protected monument in 1985. The Assam Archaeology Department undertook major conservation work at the monument during the 2000s. The work included restoration of the upper structure and structural strengthening intended to improve its resistance to earthquakes. Flat bricks made in forms comparable to bricks used in Ahom-period monuments were obtained from Sivasagar for the conservation work, while lime and surkhi mortar were used as binding materials. The surrounding site was also developed as an archaeological park.

Worship

Shiva worship has been conducted at Ghuguha Doul since around the middle of the 20th century.

See also

• Siva Singha
• Dhemaji district
• Ahom kingdom