Kachari kingdom ruins cry for care

SILCHAR: The historical Khaspur, capital of the 19th century Kachari kingdom, is considered to be a favourite tourist destination. However, this majestic palace near Silchar fails to attract tourists from within and outside the region because of a lack of infrastructure development in the area. Negligence on the part of the government has rendered this wonderful site inaccessible and badly cared for.
On a visit to Khaspur, one will find this historical palace in poor conditions and the adjoining Rani Chandrabha Hasnu Park unkempt and full of weeds. An untamed jungle has grown all around the ruins, risking the security of visitors and making it unsuitable for tourism.
Historically, in the December of 1706, the Kachari king, Tamradhaja (whose capital was at Maibong on the bank of the Mahur River now in Dima Hasao district of Assam), was invaded by the most powerful Ahom king, Rudra Singha. Defeated by the Ahom king, Tamradhaja fled southwards to Khaspur. From then onwards, the Kachari princes settled in the plains of Cachar with their court located at Khaspur. It was originally named the Hirimba kingdom in memory of the demoness Hirimba, the wife of the Pandava Bhima, who was said to have resided in the region.
King Suradarpa Narayan aimed at pleasing his people and, to make improvements in the capital, he constructed brick palaces and temples in different parts of Khaspur. The last of the Kachari Kings, Raja Gobin Chandra, was assassinated by a group of seditious people along with some of his personal attendants on April 24, 1830 at Haritikar in Cachar. In the absence of natural heirs, his kingdom lapsed to the British under the terms of an agreement executed in 1826.
The Palace is now under the joint supervision of the Archaeological Survey of India and the Assam government.
"The Khaspur Palace requires renovation and continuous care by the authorities. The road leading to Khaspur from Shalganga, a place on Silchar-Kumbhirgram Road, is in a dilapidated condition. The Palace and the park are full of jungles," said Nabarun Chakrabortee, a local resident and social worker. Because of negligence by authorities, visitors face security risks. "For these reasons, people hardly visit the Palace. If it is developed well, the Palace, however, could become one of the major tourist attractions in the state", added Chakrabortee.
Sources said the Assam government developed the Rani Chandrabha Hasnu Park five years ago to boost tourism. However, the park is now abandoned without any care from the authorities and people barely visit the park named after the Kachari queen.
Ajit Singh, a minister and local MLA, claimed that work towards renovating the palace has been going on over the years. However, because of a lack of funds, the works sometime derails. However, he assured that, with the completion of the East-West Corridor and Lumding-Stinchar broad gauge project, Khaspur will soon become a major tourist attraction for people outside the region as well.