Located about 30 km from Guwahati and across the river Brahmaputra, is the city of Hajo in Assam, a highly numinous and sacred place, where three religions - Hindus, Muslims and Buddhists meets. Hajo is also renowned for its bell metal work. Hajo has numerous temples, the chief among those being Hayagriva-Madhava Temple. Hajo is also a Muslim pilgrimage centre, as the mosque called the Powa Mecca, built by Pir Ghiasuddin Aulia is located here.
According to the Hindu mythology, the Pandavas had taken shelter in this region during their agyatvas or during the period in hiding. At the foot of the stairway leading to the Hayadriva- Madhava, is a large pond inhabited by one of Hajo's oldest residents - a giant turtle. The best time to visit Hajo is between October and April.
How to Visit:
Airport :
The nearest airport is at Guwahati, the commercial capital of Assam. One can easily reach Hajo by bus from Guwahati.
Railhead :
The closest railhead is Guwahati, which is well-connected to all the corners of India by rail network.
Road Transport :
One can easily reach Hajo by bus from any part of Assam. Guwahati is close by Hajo, so one can easily reach Hajo from Guwahati by any means of road transport.
Tourist Attractions in Hajo:
HayagrivaMadhavaTemple:
Hayagriva Madhava temple of Hajo is about 30 miles to the west of Guwahati, and houses the image of Vishnu, resembling the image of Jagarnnath at Puri in Orissa. This temple is regarded and respected as a Buddhist shrine also by Buddhist Lamas and Butiyas, who profess Buddhism. It is believed that, Lord Buddha attained Nirvana at this place.
The temple was demolished by Kalapahar ( who is said to have ruined hundreds of temple in India) and was rebuilt in 1543 by the Koch king Raghudev. A smaller temple was built nearby by Ahom king Pramatta Singh where Doul is celebrated on a large scale every year.
Powa-Mecca :
Side by side with the Madhava temple there is a celebrated Muslim shrine at Hajo, known as Powa-Mecca (1/4th Mecca). According to the inscription on the wall of the mosque, it was built by Mir Lutufullah-i-Shiraji in 1657, which was the period of the Mughal emperor Shahjahan. In front of the mosque lies the tomb of Gyasuddin Aulia, who made the first endeavor to impregnate Islam in this part of the world. It is believed that, the foundation of the mosque partly comprises of some earth brought from Mecca.
Some Important Destinations Near Hajo :
Hajo is very close to Guwahati, the commercial capital of Assam. There are numerous tourist attractions in Guwahati, just 28 km from Hajo. About 175 km from Guwahati is Tezpur, one of the most revered historical places of Assam in India. Pabitora is a small Wildlife Sanctuary, located at a distance of about 60 km from Guwahati. Rhino and various rare species of deer enrich this sanctuary of Assam.
