Main Article Content
Abstract
The worship of the elephant-headed deity Ganeśa is widespread in the Indian state of Maharashtra. Yet it is in Assam that rock cut representation of the deity is found in abundance. The worship of a popular deityof western India in the interior of Assam in northeast Indiamerits enquiry. The Yogini Tantra, a 16th century text composed in Assam states that Ganapati(Ganeśa) resides in the four corners of Pragjyotisapura, as Assam was known in ancient times. It is contended that the worship of Ganeśa was popular in the region of the present city of Guwahati and its outlying areas inhabited by various ethnic communities. This appears to be indicated by the numerous rock-cut sculptures of the deity found in the city and its vicinity. Many of these sculptures have been enshrined in structural temples. To trace the historical roots of these temples, there is a need to explore both the historical evidence, as well as oral myths regarding the sites where Ganeśa sculptures are found. Nazirakhat, is an archaeological site located to the south of Guwahati in Sonapur, Kamrup Metro district, which has evidence of a temple of Ganeśa of the early medieval period. In this paper an attempt has been made to reconstruct the history of the site on the basis of archaeological as well as oral sources.