Kareng (Pron:/ˌkɑ:ɹɛŋ ˈgɑ:/, "royal palace"), also known as The Garhgaon Palace, is located in
Garhgaon
Gargaon (Pron:/gɑ:ˈgɑ̃ʊ/) is a town in Assam, India and was the capital of the Ahom kingdom for many years. It was built by the Ahom king Suklenmung (Gargoyaan Rojaa) in 1540. It is said that the capital was built at the suggestion of ...
from
Sivasagar
Sivasagar (Pron: or ) ("the sea of Shiva"), is a city in and headquarters of the Sivasagar district, Assam. Sivasagar is situated about 360 kilometers (224 mi) northeast of Guwahati. It is well known for its Ahom palaces and monuments. Si ...
,
Assam
Assam (; ) is a state in northeastern India, south of the eastern Himalayas along the Brahmaputra and Barak River valleys. Assam covers an area of . The state is bordered by Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh to the north; Nagaland and Manipur ...
, India.
Of all Ahom ruins, the Kareng Ghar is one of the grandest examples of Ahom architecture. The palace structures were made of wood and stone. In 1751
Sunenphaa
Sunenphaa () also, Pramatta Singha, was the king of Ahom Kingdom. He succeeded his elder brother Swargadeo Siva Singha, as the king of Ahom Kingdom. His reign of seven years was peaceful and prosperous. He constructed numerous buildings and te ...
, son of
Sukhrungphaa
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 ...
, constructed the brick wall of about in length surrounding the Garhgaon Palace and the masonry gate leading to it.
After the destruction of the old palace it was rebuilt around 1752 as the present seven-storied structure by
Suremphaa
Suremphaa (reign 1751–1769), or Rajeswar Singha, the fourth son of Rudra Singha, became the king of the Ahom kingdom after the death of his brother King Pramatta Singha. Rudra Singha's third son, Mohanmala Maladev Gohain, was considered i ...
(reign: 1751-1769).
The earliest constructions were commissioned by
Sukhrungphaa
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 ...
in AD 1698. Rangpur was the capital of the Ahom Kingdom and served as its military station.
Architecture
Kareng
After
Sukhrungphaa
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 ...
's death, the Kareng Ghar went through many architectural alterations to its structure, which resulted in its irregular shape. From east to west, several rooms run along a long corridor; and from north to south are smaller wings. The ground floor served as stables, storerooms, and servants' quarters. The Kareng was built mainly of wood, which was largely destroyed over time. The royal apartments were on the upper storey, of which only a few rooms now remain, close to an octagonal room on the northern wing which once served as the Puja Ghar (prayer house). There are stairs leading up to the terrace. An isolated room stands on the south which is believed to have been used by the queen during her confinement.
File:Gargaon Kareng Ghar or Gargaon Palace, of the Ahom Kingdom.jpg
File:AHOM ROYAL PALACE GARGAON-KAREG GHAR.jpg
File:A passage within Gargaon Kareng Ghar.jpg
File:Texture of karengghar sivsagar.jpg, Surviving design at karengghar
See also
*
Ahom Kingdom
*
Charaideo
Charaideo or Che-Rai-Doi (Literally: ''the shining city on the hills'' in Ahom language) is a town in Charaideo district, Assam, India and was also the first capital of the Ahom kingdom established by the first Ahom king Chao Lung Siu-Ka-Pha ...
*
Rang Ghar
The Rang Ghar (), ( Assamese: ৰংঘৰ, ''rong ghor'' meaning "House of Entertainment") is a two-storeyed building which once served as the royal sports-pavilion where Ahom kings and nobles were spectators at games like buffalo fights a ...
*
Sibsagar
Sivasagar (Pron: or ) ("the sea of Shiva"), is a city in and headquarters of the Sivasagar district, Assam. Sivasagar is situated about 360 kilometers (224 mi) northeast of Guwahati. It is well known for its Ahom palaces and monuments. Si ...
*
Talatal Ghar
The ''Talatal Ghar'' ) is an 18th century palace and military base located in Rangpur, from present-day Sivasagar, Assam, India. It is the largest of the monuments built by the Ahom dynasty.
The visitors are only allowed to scout through ...
*
Tai people
Tai peoples are the populations who speak (or formerly spoke) the Tai languages. There are a total of about 93 million people of Tai ancestry worldwide, with the largest ethnic groups being Dai, Thais, Isan, Tai Yai (Shan), Lao, Tai Ahom, an ...
*
Ahom people
The Ahom (Pron: ), or Tai-Ahom is an ethnic group from the Indian states of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. The members of this group are admixed descendants of the Tai people who reached the Brahmaputra valley of Assam in 1228 and the local indi ...
References
External links
Kareng Ghar, Gargaonat assamportal.com.
Kareng Gharat indiamapped.com.
Kareng Gharat meghalayatimes.org
at mapsofindia.com
{{Forts in India
Capitals of Ahom kingdom
Tourist attractions in Assam
Forts in Assam
Royal residences in India
Palaces in Assam
Sivasagar
Cultural history of Assam
1752 establishments in India
Buildings and structures completed in 1752
Ahom kingdom