Poonam Nath

In honour of '10,000 Ahom martyrs,' Construction underway for the Alaboi Memorial

Digital Desk: The building of a magnificent memorial to the martyrs of the "Battle of Alaboi" is now under way, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Tuesday in a moving remembrance of a pivotal period in Assam's history.

The monument will honor the ten thousand Ahom soldiers who lost their lives in a bloody conflict with the Mughal army on August 5, 1669, close to the Alaboi Hills in North Guwahati.

CM Sarma referred to the battle as "one of the most important chapters in the history of Assam" on social media, highlighting the government's dedication to upholding the Ahom dynasty's legacy.

अलाबोई: जहाँ अहोम साम्राज्य के वीरों का त्याग असम की अस्मिता की माटी में अमर हो गया।

यही बलिदान वह चिंगारी बना, जिसने मुग़लों को दिखा दिया कि असम न तो झुकता है, न ही मिटता है, वह लड़ता है, जीतता है और इतिहास रचता है। pic.twitter.com/rEyJSJAiyS

— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) August 5, 2025

In addition to being a place of remembrance, the proposed memorial is anticipated to be an educational landmark that honors the area's heroic resistance to imperial forces. A 100-foot-tall Hengdang, or traditional Ahom sword, will serve as the focal point of the memorial.

According to the government, the "Alaboi Ranakshetra" is being built on 75 bighas of land in Alaboi, Kamrup, at a cost of Rs 150 crore.

Under the renowned leadership of Lachit Borphukan, the Mughal navy and forces ultimately suffered a crushing defeat at the Battle of Saraighat (1671), which was followed by the Battle of Alabai.

Alaboi has a special place in Assamese history as a sobering reminder of the high cost in lives associated with the fight to preserve Assamese identity and sovereignty.