Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on February 9th, 2020, directed the concerned departments to take necessary initiatives to preserve and promote the archaeological and spiritual heritage of Sri Sri Surya Pahar located about 12 km from Goalpara town.
“I have directed departments concerned to prepare a proposal in consultation with the temple management committee for preserving and promoting the archaeological and spiritual heritage of Sri Sri Surya Pahar. Our Govt will take necessary steps based on the proposal to develop the site,” Sonowal said.
Offering prayers at the temple on occasion of Sri Sri Maha Vishnu Yagya, the CM said, “The natural scenic beauty of the temple in Goalpara, a sacred archaeological site amidst lush green forests, is really spectacular.”
The district administration has also initiated a number of schemes to make the site a tourist-friendly. The deputy commissioner Varnali Deka on February 7th, 2020, inaugurated the newly constructed guest house at the site. “The guest house will fulfil a long pending demand of the tourists,” she said.
Besides, the district administration also handed over ten dustbins to the management committee of the temple.
The temple is located at about 132 km Northwest of Guwahati. The site is a hilly terrain where several rock-cut Shivalingas, votive stupas and the deities of Hindu, Buddhist and Jain pantheon are scattered in an area of about 1 km. The popular belief is that 99,999 Shiva Lingas were engraved here by Vyasa in order to build up a second Kashi (where there were 1,00,000 Shiva Lingas) and once it was one of the holiest pilgrimage sites in the region.
Photo credit: @sarbanandsonowal
