As part of the year-long celebrations marking the 400th birth anniversary of legendary Ahom general Lachit Barphukan, Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday laid the foundation stone of a memorial to be constructed in Jorhat district.
Sarma said the ₹150-crore project to develop the memorial at Gohaigaon is a befitting tribute to the 17th century military leader revered across Assam.
“Our government has acquired additional 42 bighas (of land) for the project that will include a 125-feet bronze statue of Lachit Barphukan, a museum, an auditorium, residential area, water body, approach road among other facilities,” the CM tweeted.
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Lachit, who was a general in the Ahom kingdom that ruled Assam for six centuries played a decisive role in the Battle of Saraighat which took place in 1671 near Guwahati. Despite being severely ill, the Ahom troops led by him defeated the Mughal army of Aurangzeb and thwarted their attempt to conquer Assam.
The general, who died in 1672, is known to have killed his maternal uncle for slackness in construction of a fortress. Since 1999, the National Defence Academy (NDA) at Pune has been conferring the best passing out cadet with the Lachit Borphukan gold medal.
{{/usCountry}}The general, who died in 1672, is known to have killed his maternal uncle for slackness in construction of a fortress. Since 1999, the National Defence Academy (NDA) at Pune has been conferring the best passing out cadet with the Lachit Borphukan gold medal.
{{/usCountry}}Last month, the state government had organised a three-day celebration in the national Capital that included an exhibition on Lachit as well as history of Assam and a 45-minute documentary made on Lachit was also released.
The events were attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and union home minister Amit Shah.
The state government will also build a Lachit Bhawan at National Police Academy in Hyderabad.