উমানন্দ দেৱালয়

উমানন্দ দেৱালয় হ'ল অসমৰ ব্ৰহ্মপুত্ৰ নদীৰ মাজমজিয়াৰ উমানন্দ দ্বীপত অৱস্থিত এটা শিৱ মন্দিৰ। উমানন্দ দ্বীপক বিশ্বৰ আটাইতকৈ সৰু নদী দ্বীপ হিচাপে জনা যায়। যি পৰ্বতত এই মন্দিৰ নিৰ্মাণ কৰা হৈছে, সেই পৰ্বতক ভস্মাচল বুলি জনা যায়। এই দেৱালয়খন ১৬৯৪ খ্ৰীষ্টাব্দত আহোম ৰজা গদাধৰ সিংহৰ আদেশত নিৰ্মাণ কৰা হৈছিল যদিও ১৮৯৭ চনৰ অসমৰ ভূমিকম্পৰ ফলত ভাঙি যায়।^[1]

উমানন্দ দেৱালয়
উমানন্দ দেৱালয়
স্থান
ৰাজ্য	অসম
স্থান	গুৱাহাটী
স্থানাংক	26°11′47″N 91°44′43″E
ইতিহাস
প্ৰতিস্থাপক	গদাধৰ সিংহৰ নিৰ্দেশত গড়গায়ন সন্দিকৈ বৰফুকনৰ দ্বাৰা নিৰ্মাণ কৰা।

Entrance of Umananda Temple

Legend

Siva is said to have resided here in the form of Bhayananda. According to the Kalika Purana, in the beginning of the creation Siva sprinkled ashes (bhasma) at this place and imparted knowledge to Parvati (his consort). It is said that, when Siva was in meditation on this hillock, Kamadeva interrupted his yoga and was therefore burnt to ashes by the fire of Siva’s anger and hence the hillock got the name Bhasmacala.

This mountain is also called Bhasmakuta. The Kalika Purana states that Urvasikunda is situated here and here resides the goddess Urvasi who brings Amrit (nectar) for the enjoyment of Kamakhya and hence the island got the name Urvasi Island.

Presiding Deity

The presiding deity of the temple is Umananda (Tatrasti bhagavan sambhu- ruma- nandakarah Prabhu). The name 'Umananda' comes from the two Hindi words, namely 'Uma', which was another name for Lord Shiva’s wife and 'Ananda' which means happiness. In fact, Peacock Island is one of the smallest inhabited island.

History

Evidence of a stone temple belonging to the post-Gupta period can be seen on the site. The site has stone sculptures and carvings belonging to the early medieval period. Achaturbhuja stone female figure still exists here besides rock-cut figures of Ganesha and a cave.

Brick temple of Umananda was built in 1694 CE by the Bar Phukan Garhganya Handique by the order of King Gadadhar Singha (1681–1696), one of the eldest and strongest rulers of the Ahom dynasty. The temple was desecrated by the Mughal Army. Aurangzeb later conferred jagir to the temple when Gauhati came under his control.^[2]

The original temple was however immensely damaged by a devastating earthquake of 1897. Later, it was reconstructed by a rich local merchant who chose to inscribe the interior part of a Siva temple with Vaishnavite slogans. ^[3]

Structure

The main shrine is reached by a flight of steep steps. Aside from Lord Shiva, there are 10 other Hindu Gods whose idols reside in the shrines. Representations of Surya, Ganesha, Shiva and Devi (with a scorpion as emblem) in addition to those of Visnu and his ten incarnations (avatar) are found here. The sculptures here show that the worshippers there followed all the principal Hindu gods. The temple has inherited some rock-cut figures.

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