In news- The residence of the British Deputy Commissioner of Kamrup, the iconic DC Bungalow of Guwahati, was recently opened to the public as a heritage centre.
About the heritage centre-
- It is located atop Barphukanar Tilla, a small hillock named after the most famous Ahom general Lachit Barphukan.
- It is the site from where the Ahom forces planned and launched attacks on the Mughal army during the Battle of Saraighat in 1671, which the latter lost.
- Saraighat is regarded as the “greatest naval battle ever fought in a river”.
- After the British annexed Assam in 1826 (after the Treaty of Yandaboo), the post of DC was created for Guwahati in 1839.
- Captain Archibald Bogle, posted as the Assistant Commissioner and Collector of Kamrup district in the 1850s, had the bungalow built.
- Post-Independence, it continued to be the Deputy Commissioner’s Bungalow until 2011.
- A project to convert it into a heritage museum was later taken up under the Brahmaputra Riverfront Development plan.
- The heritage centre today has on display the heritage of boats, an amphitheatre, an exhibition space, a cafeteria etc…
- The other attractions include a collection of traditional fishing equipment, photographs and artifacts related to the history of Guwahati and river transport.
Source: The Hindu
