The Keshavnarayan Vishnu dol, popularly known as Joy dol, was constructed in 1698 by Ahom king Swargadeo

Rudra Singha Sukhrungphaa (reigned 1696–1714), or Swargadeo Rudra Singha, was a Tungkhungia ahom king and 30th king of the Ahom kingdom under whom the kingdom reached its zenith of power and glory, he is considered as the most illustrious of the Ah ...

(1696–1714) in honour and memory of his mother Joymoti . Particularly this temple is dedicated to Hindu god Lord

Vishnu Vishnu ( ; , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism. Vishnu is known as "The Preserver" within t ...

. The presiding deity of the temple was before known as Kesavaraya Visnu This temple is constructed of brick and stone. The walls are exquisitely decorated with images of celestial beings and sculptures representing the social life of the day such as the sports and favourite pastimes of the erstwhile Ahom kings. The Joysagar Group of temples standing on the banks of the tank of the same name includes the Joydol, the Sivadol, the Devi Ghar (also known as the Devi dol), and the Ghanasyama House. Devidoul, Jaysagar, Sivasagar 02

Joysagar

In the month of December, 1697 king

completed the excavation of the joysagar at the Rangpur capital after 45 days. The tank was consecrated after 3 months of its excavation in around March/April in 1698 by holding an assembly of the Mahajans, and named it Jaysagar. In the next year,

, built the temples on the bank of the tank dedicated to Vishnu, Shiva, Durga and Surya. It is also said in some chronicles that

constructed this sea-like tank to commemorate his mother's name Joymoti. The area of the tank with its bank in 318 acres, and the area under water is 155 acres. During the reign of

Lakshmi Singha Sunyeophaa also Lakshmi Singha (1769–1780), previously known as Kalsiliya Gohain, was an Ahom king. After Rajeswar Singha's death, he married Queen Kuranganayani and became the king of the Ahom kingdom. Shortly after he was installed he bec ...

he provided buildings for the Parvatiya Gosain on its bank and the Moamaria rebels entombed the son of the blind Charing Raja in the (west bank) during the reign of

Gaurinath Singha Suhitpangphaa reign (1780–1795), also Gaurinath Singha, was an Ahom king of the Ahom kingdom. He lost his capital Rangpur to the Moamoria rebellion and camped in the Nagaon and Guwahati region till Captain Welsh removed the rebels. Thereaf ...

. In 1806, Swargadeo

Kamaleswar Singha Suklingphaa (ruled 1795–1811), or Kamaleswar Singha, was a king of the Ahom kingdom. He came to power when he was a toddler, and died in his teens during a small pox epidemic. The ''de facto'' ruler during his reign was Purnanada Burhagoha ...

visited the temples of Jaysagar and paid its respect.

Siva dol

The Sivadol (also known as the Vaidya Natha) and the Devi dol, constructed by the same king

in the year 1699 CE, stand on the north and west banks of the tank respectively. The Siva temple was constructed on a square plinth. The main shrine height is 16.85m high. It has four massive turrets around the main sikhara. There are niches in the wall containing stucco figurines representing various aspects of Lord Siva. The surrounding of the temple is protected by brick fort.

Devi dol

The Devi dol at Joysagar is a simple brick built double-roofed hut built on a rectangular plinth. A similar type of mukhamandapa provides entrance to the temple. There are niches on the walls of the main temple containing different representations of the goddess. Besides these temples, on the south-west bank of the tank there is a very beautiful small brick-built temple commonly known as the Ghanashyam House or Nati-Gosain temple.

Gallery

References

{{coord missing, Assam Hindu temples in Assam Shiva temples in Assam Sivasagar Tourist attractions in Assam Tourism in Assam