Rang Ghar

Rang Ghar ৰংঘৰ
View of the Rang Ghar from the gardens
General information
Architectural style	Ahom Architecture
Location	Sivasagar Assam India
Coordinates	26°58′01″N 94°37′09″E / 26.967055°N 94.619086°E / 26.967055; 94.619086
Client	Swargadeo
Technical details
Structural system	Bricks and Indigenous type of cement

Coordinates: 26°58′01″N 94°37′09″E / 26.967055°N 94.619086°E / 26.967055; 94.619086

The Rang Ghar (Pron:/ˌɹæŋ ˈgɑː/, Assamese: ৰংঘৰ, rong ghor meaning "House of Entertainment") is a two-storied building which once served as the royal sports-pavilion where Ahom kings and nobles were spectators at games like buffalo fights and other sports at Rupahi Pathar (pathar meaning "field" in Assamese) - particularly during the Rongali Bihu festival in the Ahom capital of Rangpur.

It is 3 km away from the center of the Sivasagar Town. Situated by the side of the Assam Trunk Road, it lies to the northeast of the Rangpur Palace, a seven-storied royal complex comprising the Talatal Ghar and the Kareng Ghar.

Said to be one of the oldest surviving amphitheaters in Asia, the building was constructed during the reign of Swargadeo by Pramatta Singha in AD 1744-1750.

The roof of the Rang Ghar is shaped like an inverted royal Ahom long boat. The base of the monument has a series of arched entrances, while atop the roof sits a decorative pair of carved stone crocodiles.

Many of the arched entrances have retained little more than their brick framework, with mere vestiges of sculptural adornments here and there. The Ahoms, who used special, thin, baked bricks, did not use cement but a paste of rice and eggs as mortar for their construction, a pulses called Maati Maah Assames and a fish named Borali Mach in Assamese. They also made use of powdered mixed lime and bricks to cover the surface of the inner walls. It is said that this layer of powder used to keep the inside of the Rang Ghar cool.