Parashuram Kund is a religious site of the Hindus situated on the Brahmaputra plateau on the lower reaches of the Lohit river, in Lohit district of Arunachal Pradesh. Every year during Makar Sangkranti, in the month of January, thousands of pilgrims from across India and the neighbouring country of Nepal visit this holy site to take a dip in the water because it is widely believed that your sins are washed away if you do so. A fair is also held on this occasion with many activities like angling, river rafting in the rocky waters of Lohit river. Trekking and camping options are available for adventure enthusiasts.
Source: https://instagram.com/himangshuk28?utm_medium=copy_link
Religious Importance:
The mythological story behind the religious importance of this site centres around Lord Parashuram. Lord Parashuram, the sixth incarnation of Lord Vishnu, beheaded his mother on the orders of his father Rishi Jamadagni. The axe with which he beheaded his mother got stuck in his hand for the heinous crime he committed of killing his own mother. However, pleased with his action his father granted him a wish to which he asked for his mother to be restored back to life. But inspite of his repentance the axe was still stuck in his hand. On the advice of other rishis he arrived at the banks of the river Lohit to wash his hands in its pure water. As soon as he washed his hands in the river, the axe got detached and since then this place has been considered holy by the sadhus and came to be known as Parashuram Kund.
The original site of the Kund went under water in the great earthquake of Assam in 1950 which also hit the neighbouring states. However, several massive boulders have embedded in a circular pattern in the exact place of the kund which is now worshipped as sacred.
Road Trip:
This road trip starts from Tinsukia, in Upper Assam which is a major tourist destination because of the Dibru-Saikhowa National Park and parts of Dehing-Patkai National Park. Tinsukia has easy connectivity by trains from all major cities of India, and the nearest Airport i.e. Mohanbari Airport in Dibrugarh is just 40 kms away. Hotels, homestays and guest houses are available at ease in Tinsukia.
Source: https://instagram.com/the_lost_travellers?utm_medium=copy_link
Parashuram Kund is situated at a distance of around 152 kms and takes around 3.5 hours of drive from Tinsukia. Located at Lohit district of Arunachal Pradesh, Parashuram Kund is easily accessible from Tinsukia via Kakopather-Namsai. Book a cab and start your journey early from Tinsukia to avoid the insane traffic, although the by-pass is a much better option nowadays. You need to get an entry permit at the border entry gate which is not much of a problem.
Source: https://instagram.com/the_world_and_its_reflections?utm_medium=copy_link
The road is bumpy at places, narrow and winding at others but the perfect landscape compensates for all the toil and discomfort. There’s a dense pine forest near the Kund and a temple dedicated to Parashuram, Laxmi-Narayan and Shiva. From the temple area you need to take around 300 concrete steps downhill to reach the exact location of the Kund.
Apart from the religious importance the location is a perfect getaway for nature lovers. On your way you would come across orange orchards, pine forests, and green mountains surrounding the Lohit river near the location is a pleasant sight to behold.
Source: https://instagram.com/justaa_555?utm_medium=copy_link
On your way back to Tinsukia visit the Golden Pagoda at Namsai which is a beautiful Burmese style Buddhist temple built in a 20 hectare complex. The Kathina Festival is the biggest festival celebrated at the Golden Pagoda with proper rituals and customs.
The climatic conditions is favorable through the year but because of the religious significance of the place it’s best to visit during that time, i.e. during Makar Sangkranti.
Read more about Tinsukia
Destination Assam 