Rang Ghar, Royal sports pavilion in Sivasagar district, India
Rang Ghar is a two-storey brick and cement pavilion on a flat grassy lawn in Sivasagar. Its lower level has an arched central opening flanked by smaller arched openings, and an arched gallery with five openings runs around the upper storey. A rounded roof carries a small domed kiosk with finials and small stone figures at its left and right edges.
The Rang Ghar was first built with bamboo and wood under Swargadeo Rudra Singha, then rebuilt in brick by Swargadeo Pramatta Singha between 1744 and 1751. It served as the royal sports pavilion at Rupahi Pathar in Rangpur, the Ahom capital. After the British took Assam by the Treaty of Yandabo, an officer named Borthan sold it and the Talatal and Kareng Ghar walls for 1,300 rupees.
The pavilion served as a gathering place where Ahom rulers and their court watched buffalo fights and sporting contests during festival celebrations. This reveals how central such events were to the kingdom's social life.
The pavilion stands on a flat lawn beside the Assam Trunk Road, about 3 km from central Sivasagar and 1 km southwest of Joysagar Pukhuri. The ground level is entered through arched openings; the upper gallery is reached by stairs. The site is exposed, so carry water and sun protection.
The construction used thin baked bricks joined with a special mortar made from rice paste, eggs, and local fish rather than standard cement. This unusual binding method has proven remarkably durable over the centuries.
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