Dedicated to Lord Shiva, the Sukreswar Temple is one of the most important Shiva temples in the state of Assam. Located in the Kamrup district of Guwahati city, the Sukreswar Temple is on the hillock of Itakhuli, which is also known as Sukreswar, on the southern banks of the Brahmaputra River. There is an embankment adjacent to the temple, which is used for holy dips by the devotees.
History of Sukreswar Temple
As per the Kalika Purana, the history of Sukreswar Temple is associated with the Indian sage Sukra, who had once retreated to the hills of Sukreswar for meditation and worshipping Lord Shiva. The place where he meditated resembled the shape of the hump of an elephant and was thus called Hastagiri.
The Sukreswar Temple was constructed many decades later in 1744 by the Ahom king Pramatta Singha. In the later years, the king"s brother, Rajeswar Singha took the reins and promoted the Shiva cult. He made some special financial provisions to the Sukreswar Temple and was crowned king after the death of Pramatta in 1751.
Significance of Sukreswar Temple
The Shiva Lingam inside the temple is said to be the largest Lingam built in the 18th century and the Sukreswar Temple itself is one of the greatest contribution of the Ahom rulers of Assam. During the various religious Hindu festivals particularly Mahashivaratri, the temple is decorated with lights and thronged by devotees from all over.
Visiting Information on Sukreswar Temple
The Guwahati railway station is the closest at a distance of 1.7 km from the temple and the Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport is the nearest at about 22 km away from the Sukreswar Temple.
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