Vishnu Temples of Guwahati

S. BALAKRISHNAN

The Ekadashi thithi that comes on 30^th December is special for Vaishnavaite devotees; it is revered as Vaikunda Ekadashi, a most auspicious day. In South Indian Vishnu temples (in general parlance they are called ‘Perumal kovil’)  the northern doorway that remains closed throughout the year is opened only on this day. The presiding Vishnu deity’s processional idol is brought out through this northern door on that day for darshan of devotees and then taken around the temple in a procession. It is believed that those who pass away on this sacred day reach Vaikunta, the abode of Lord Vishnu, straightaway! Me being a Vaishnavaite I hope I get this lucky chance. But oh, no, not this year; maybe a few years later by which time I hope to fulfil all my bucket list wishes. Entering through this northern doorway on that day is symbolic of entering His abode itself. Hence the doorway is called Paramapatha ‘vaasal’ (doorway)/ Vaikunta Vaasal. It is also said that it was on this day that nectar was obtained bychurning the milky ocean by asuras and devas.

            On such an auspicious Vaikunda Ekadashi day let us visit not one but two Vishnu temples of Guwahati. These two temples are situated just across Guwahati City on the northern bank of River Brahmaputra, hence called North Guwahati. This is a much underdeveloped part of Guwahati City because ferry service is the only link that connects these two parts of the Kamrup District. But with the opening of an under-construction new bridge North Guwahati is set to witness a boom. So let us take a ferry from Guwahati straight across to Majgaon ghat of North Guwahati; you pay just 5 rupees and enjoy a pleasant journey of 10 minutes. If you are lucky, as we were, you could even see river dolphins.

            The Kurma Janardana temple is visible even as the ferry approaches the Majgaon ghat. This very small temple at the foot of the hill is dedicated to the second avatar of Lord Vishnu as ‘kurma’ (tortoise).  Two times I visited this temple but both the times the doors were closed; so I could not have a darshan of the idol inside. Instead, the two kurmas carved on the closed wooden door gave me a darshan. As I circumambulated the small temple I observed a few sculptures in the niches of its outer wall, such as a damsel, goddess, Vishnu, rishi, etc. Content with what I could darshan, I started climbing the steps (Oh, I forgot to count but don’t worry, must be only within 75-100) to reach the second temple on the hilltop.

            The temple on the top is known as the Asvakranta Devalaya for two reasons; both the reasons arelinked to Lord Krishna’s fight withNarakasura. The name "Asvakranta" relates to Lord Krishna’s horses (asva) resting here before the start of the war, so goes one legend. The other legend is that Lord Krishna’s horseswere attacked here. Though the temple is also spelt as Aswaklanta, the correct name is Aswakranta. There were said to be several ‘kunda’ (place of sacrifice), most of which have been eroded by the river.   The presiding deity of this temple isan iconic image of Vishnu reclining on the serpent Sheshnag; hence this temple is also known as Anantasayi Mandir.The sanctum sanctorum also has a Shaligram under worship that was brought from Nepal.But I did not have the privilege to darshan it.The beautiful image of resting Vishnu is said to be of 11-12th century.The ananthasayana posture of Lord Vishnu is found in many south Indian Temples, the most famous being the Shri Padmanabhaswamy temple in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, and the Srirangam Temple in Tamil Nadu. This Anantasai image of Asvakranta Temple is an extremely beautiful image that for a second I was tempted to carry it off to Chennai. May I be forgiven for this sinful thought and allowed entry into Vaikunt – as and when I bid goodbye!Photography inside the temple is not allowed, so I am unable to provide a darshan of this beautiful Guwahati Anantasai.

            These two Vishnu temples and the three rock-cut caves facing River Brahmaputra are protected archaeological sites.Both the temples were erected on earlier temple plinths of 11-12^th century, archaeologists suggest. These temples were reconstructed by Bijay Durara Phukan in 1720during the reign of Ahom dynasty King Swargadeo Siva Singha (1714-1744 CE). But they were severely damaged in the earthquake of 1897 and were renovated under the patronage of Lord Curzon, the then Viceroy, in 1901. The outer wall of the temple has small sculpture panels depicting the avatars of Lord Vishnu among others. A strange sculpture was a man carrying another on his shoulder!   Janmashtami and Holi (Dol utsav) are celebrated here grandly.

            From the Aswakranta Devalaya on the top one gets a panoramic view of the mighty Brahmaputra River,Guwahati City and the Umananda Island, the tiniest inhabited riverine island in the world; as you return by ferry the glittering night view of the city is worth seeing.

As we had enough time to catch the return ferry, we strolled a little in the Majgaon Village, a serene village that will soon lose its serenity when the new bridge connecting this part of North Guwahati with the city of Guwahati on the southern bank of River Brahmaputra is completed. Development has its own collateral damages as well. The bridge will turn out to be both a boon and bane to the residents here, I wondered. The present road travel to North Guwahati involvesa tedious 17 kms by crossing over the famousSaraighat Bridge,aroad-cum-rail bridge.There is also a ropeway a little further but this is not for daily travel as it is costlier and is meant mainly for tourists.The ferry travel is not only cheaper but is also highly enjoyable.                     krishnanbala2004@yahoo.co.in / 9840917608 WhatsApp