GUWAHATI: Did you know that the historic Rudreswar Devalaya, located in North Guwahati, is the very place where Ahom king Swargadeo Rudra Singha or Sukhrungphaa (reign: 1696–1714) breathed his last? The temple was built by his son Pramatta Singha in 1749 CE to commemorate his great father.
Swargadeo Rudra Singha desired to expand the Ahom Kingdom to present day West Bengal and Bangladesh. And in order to fight the powerful Mughal army, he prepared a massive military expedition comprising over 4 lakh soldiers in Guwahati. He was supported by the Dimasa and the Jaintia kings. Unfortunately, Rudhra Singha succumbed to a fatal illness in August 1714 at his camp site. History records that although his mortal remains were taken to Charaideo in present-day Sivasagar District for burial as per ancient Tai-Ahom customs, a small finger of the king was cremated at North Guwahati, the site of his death, where now stands the Rudreswar Devalaya.
After the completion of the temple, Pramatta Singha established a Shiva Linga in the temple and named it the Rudreswar Shiva Linga. A large plot of land was allotted to the temple and priests and other helpers appointed to maintain the same as he returned to his headquarter.
The temple is a fine example of a mixed style of Ahom-Mughal architecture. The design of the temple imitates a Mughal mausoleum. The temple has underground chambers, presumed to be used as store houses. The entrance to these chambers is from the front of the temple. The main sanctum sanctorum or the 'Manikut' is situated just above these chambers.
The temple exhibits great architectural work with proper drainage and ventilation system. The surrounding wall of the temple had two stone inscriptions of the period which are presently preserved in the state museum.
The pond adjacent to the temple complex is famously known as Konwari Pukhuri, as the queens and princess who accompanied the military expedition bathed there. There are two more ponds to the east of the Konwari Pukhuri, called the Hiloidari Pukhuri, the ponds being used by the artillery-men and the soldiers.
During the British rule the Rudreswar temple suffered major losses in its landed property. It was severely damaged in the great earthquakes of 1897 and 1950, especially the tomb. The locals set up the ‘Manikut’ in the function hall of the temple.
Presently, the temple is maintained by the Archaeological Society of India.
