TEZPUR, Oct 4 � �Tezpur, the city of eternal love lying along the mighty river Brahmaputra, has enough potential to attract both foreign and the domestic tourists. The legends like the war by Lord Krishna with King Bana�s army for his grandson Aniruddha (which led to bloodshed all around the place and the whole place was filled with blood and hence the name Tezpur), is a spellbinding story not only for the people of the State but for people across the globe.� This was observed by noted litt�rateur and retired Professor Dr Satish Chandra Bhattacharya while addressing a mammoth gathering at a special function organised at Da-Parbatia-Madhab Mandir, near here on the occasion of World Tourism Day.
Dr Bhattacharya further said that the Tezpur is famous for tourist spots like Da-Parbatia stone gate where one can see the architecture of ancient Assam dating back to 4th century of the pre-historic era as was mentioned by the great Kapila Vatsyayan. �Da-Parbatia temple ruins in Tezpur are the oldest and finest representation of architectural splendour. It is famous for sculptural or iconoclastic art in Assam in the form of the ruins of the door-frame of the Da-parbatia temple that displays the characteristic style of the early Gupta School of architecture sculptures. The two legs of the door-frame have the stone carvings of the two Goddesses Ganga and Yamuna. Both of them are standing at the bottom with garlands in their hands. The whole frame is elaborately decorated with beautiful ornamental foliage.� He said that it is needless to mention that there is much scope and potential in Tezpur and its peripheral areas for boosting up the tourism sector, but the authorities must come forward to deal with these issues with a positive attitude.
Earlier, after lighting the ceremonial lamp, DC Sonitpur, Lalit Gogoi appreciated the administration and civil society for preserving the historical monuments and the tourists spots. Highlighting the importance of the day, Dr Niranjan Das, Post-Doctoral Fellow, Department of Business Administration said that the United Nations World Tourism Organisation has been observing September 27 as the World Tourism Day since 1980. The purpose of this day is to raise awareness on the role of tourism within the international community and to demonstrate how it affects social, cultural, political and economic values worldwide.
Welcoming the gathering, Prof Debabrata Das, HoD, Business Administration, TU said that for tourism Tezpur can be categorised as heaven on earth. �Legends regarding Tezpur revolves round King Bana the demon king, his beautiful daughter Usha and her friend Chitralekha. The ancient Sonitpur was the capital of the Asura dynasty. The princess saw a handsome prince in her dreams and fell in love with him. Chitralekha, a talented artist, not only painted his portrait from Usha�s description but also recognised him to be Aniruddha, the grandson of Lord Krishna and ruler of Dwarka. Using her magical powers, Chitralekha spirited Aniruddha away to the princess� boudoir where the two married each other according to Gandharva rites, without the knowledge of the king. When Banasura learnt of the clandestine romance, he imprisoned Aniruddha, which led to the arrival of Lord Krishna to Sonitpur to rescue his grandson. A fierce battle followed and the entire city was drenched in human blood, hence the name Sonitpur. In the battle of Hari (Lord Krishna) and Hara (Lord Shiva in the form of Banasura), Bana was defeated and the lovers were united forever.
He adding that situated on the banks of river Brahmaputra, Tezpur is known for its natural beauty and fascinating archaeological ruins. It is the headquarters of Sonitpur district. Undulating green valleys surrounded by the lofty hills and snow-capped peaks of the Himalayas, and lush tea gardens make Tezpur a tourist�s delight. He highlighted that Tezpur University has been trying to offer affordable courses on tourism.
In the day-long function, altogether nine noted personalities Budheswar Bora, Sapon Neog, Mohini Hazarika, Mukut Das, Narayan Keot, Hara Kalita, Anand Jivan Singla, Sunil Saraf and Dip Kumar Kalita were felicitated for their contributions in different fields. Among these, Dip Kumar Kalita who was felicitated for his book on Travel and tourist Guide, receiving the felicitation said that it was an adequate recognition to his work. Tezpur, MLA, Rajen Borthakur also spoke on the importance of the day.
Events like prize distribution among the winners of the essay competition were also held on the occasion. Presentation of a �borgeet� by Dulumoni Bora enchanted the audience.
