Information on Namdang Stone Bridge (Sivasagar, Assam) - History & Architecture

The Namdang Stone Bridge is a particular historic bridge situated in the Indian state of Assam. The place is located near the Sibsagar region which is just handful kilometres away from the bridge. The bridge is an important part of the National Highway 37 of the country.

Namdang Stone Bridge Architecture

Architecturally, the bridge is deemed to be a masterpiece with numerous attractive features associated with it. Notably, the bridge was built entirely with the use of stone but the aspect that can amaze anyone is the fact that it was constructed only with one single stone which more that hundred of year of age during the time of construction. The bridge was built on the basis of the Arch bridge style by the craftsman of Bengal. The total length of the structure is around 60 m and its overall width is 6.5 m. The height of the structure is around 1.7 m which is quite short indeed. It is one of among the ten stone bridges that were constructed during the reign of the Ahom kings. The bridge takes of loads of thousands of vehicles on a regular basis without getting affected a little. It is a display of the rich architectural skills of the great rulers of the Ahom kings. The shape of the bridge is curved. Other than stone the construction of the bridge also used paste of rice and eggs along with lime to bestow it with utmost strength.

Namdang Stone Bridge History

This particular bridge has a long history of more than 300 years associated with it. The bridge was specifically built during the year 1703 under the reign of the ruler King Rudra Singha. One vital point about the bridge is that it was built entirely by the craftsmen of Bengal which were brought by King Rudra Singha. In the present day context, the bridge is being managed as well as maintained by the government of the state of Assam. The bridge had been built upon the Namdang River of Assam. It is one of the oldest and the most well persevered bridges in the country and the state of Assam. The bridge is also alternatively known as the Namdang stone bridge. Again in the local Assamese language the bridge is named as Namdang Hilo Haku. It is often debated that the bridge is one of the most valuable structure that has ever been made during the reign of the Ahom kings. This is largely because of the fact that it serves as an important part of the road communication of the state. Another vital characteristic of the bridge is that during the last 300 years of its existence the bridge it has been repaired minimum number of times despite of the fact that it has been receiving end of numerous natural calamities like flood and earthquake. This aspect shows the strength of the bridge despite of the aspect that it was built entirely on human resource in the absence of any modern day technology.

Namdang Stone Bridge Tourism Importance

Though the bridge is more popular for its architectural and historical importance, it is also seen as a major tourism sight by the state government. A person who passes over the bridge is witness the rich historical heritage of the structure which is more than 300 years old. The fact that it was built with one single stone also attracts visitors from all over the country throughout the year.