Sukapha Samannay Kshetra

The Swargadeo Chaolung Siu-Ka-Pha Samannay Kshetra, commonly called the Sukapha Samannay Kshetra, is a memorial and museum complex at Mohbondha, near Dergaon in Jorhat district, Assam, India. It is dedicated to Sukaphaa (Siu-Ka-Pha), the first king of the Ahom kingdom, and commemorates 600 years of Ahom rule from 1228. The complex includes a museum, an art gallery and a park with a statue of Sukaphaa.

Background

Sukaphaa is regarded as the founding king of the Ahom kingdom, which ruled Assam for about 600 years from 1228. In Assam, 2 December, the day on which he is held to have entered the region, is observed as Asom Divas or Siu-Ka-Pha Divas, a state holiday. Ahom tradition holds that Sukaphaa was a descendant of the celestial god Khunlung.

History

The project was conceived by the Government of Assam in 2009 to commemorate Sukaphaa. During construction, Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi reviewed progress at Mohbondha on 5 July and said that the remaining work was expected to be completed within four months, in time for Siu-Ka-Pha Divas to be observed at the site on 2 December.

On 2 December 2014, Gogoi inaugurated the complex before it was complete. The gate, the statue of Sukaphaa and part of the art gallery were in place at the time, while ticketing, guidance and monitoring staff had not yet been appointed, and the complex was not yet open to visitors. At the inauguration, Gogoi said that the project would attract students and researchers from India and Southeast Asia, and described Sukaphaa as a model of "unity in diversity". In a statement issued the following day, he said that the government intended to develop the complex into a centre for cultural activity and research, and linked it to India's Act East Policy.

The complex is run by the Swargadeo Chaolung Siu-Ka-Pha Samanway Kshetra Society, whose board includes the chief minister of Assam. In June 2024, a memorandum of understanding was signed between the society and the Directorate of Museums, Assam.

Features

The complex has a museum and art gallery displaying cultural artefacts related to the Ahoms and other tribes of Assam, and a memorial park with a life-size statue of Sukaphaa. It was designed to present the history of the assimilation of the people of Assam of different castes, communities and ethnic identities.

Events

The central observance of Asom Divas has been held at the complex. On the occasion in Jorhat, Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal paid tribute to Sukaphaa at the complex, and announced a statue of Sukaphaa at the Janata Bhawan premises and a chair in Sukaphaa's name at Dibrugarh University. He also said that further steps would be taken to develop the complex and that a similar Samannay Kshetra was planned at Charaideo. The chief minister had asked for a project report to develop the complex as a link between Kaziranga National Park and Sivasagar district. The Siu-Ka-Pha Award is conferred every third year on a person working for integration and harmony among the people of Assam.

See also

• Sukaphaa
• Asom Divas
• Lachit Borphukan Maidam
• Charaideo