ourbiswanath

Places · Sootea

Nagsankar Temple

নাগশংকৰ মন্দিৰ

An old Shiva temple at Sootea, about 15 km west of Chariali, with a large pond full of turtles and fish.

Nagsankar Temple at Sootea
Photo: BhuyanBhaskar, CC0

Nagsankar Temple is at Sootea, about 15 km west of Biswanath Chariali. It is believed to date to around the 4th century AD, though its exact origins are uncertain, and different legends name different founding kings. The Ahom king Su-sen-pha repaired the temple in 1480.

Turtles, fish and deer

The temple’s large pond is home to many turtles and fish, and peacocks and deer live on the campus. Please don’t feed the animals anything the temple staff haven’t approved.

Softshell turtles resting on the steps of the temple pond Turtles at the Nagsankar temple pond. Photo: BhuyanBhaskar, CC BY 4.0

Festivals

Maha Shivaratri is a major festival here. The temple is also a popular place for weddings.