Every year on December 2nd, Asom Divas also known as Sukapha Divas is celebrated across Assam . Asom Divas or Sukapha Diwas is a regional public holiday in Assam.
This day is observed to celebrate the legacy of the first king of Ahom kingdom Sukhapaa in Assam and also to commemorated as Sukaphaa Divas in honour of the founder of the Ahom kingdom that existed for nearly 600 years. Since 1996 ,Dec 2 has been celebrated as The Sukapha Diwas, Or Asom Divas.
Chaolung Sukaphaa , also called Siu-Ka-Pha was the first Ahom king and was the first founder of the Ahom Kingdom. His birthday was honoured and celebrated as Foundation Day of the Ahom Kingdom . He was known for his heroic and courageous leadership.
According to legend, Chaolung Sukapha was a Tai prince from the Tai state of Mong Mao, close to present-day Ruili in Yunnan, China . Sukaphaa was forced to migrate after the birth of a cousin blocked his claim to the throne of Mong Mao. And, after 13 years on the journey and crossing the Patkai mountains, he arrived in Namrup, in the southeast of the Indian state of Assam in 1228, and founded the Ahom kingdom.
According to Sir Edward Gait’s book “A History of Assam”, Sukapha left the city of Maulung in 1215 AD with eight nobles and a small group of people. Maulung which is now in Myanmar, but it used to be in Burma. In 1235 AD, he and his clan settled in Charaideo, in upper Assam, after having traveled to the Brahmaputra valley. Sukapha started with a small principality in Charaideo.
Sukaphaa’s clan established a brand new state by removing the political orders of the Bhuyans. The Ahom lived in clans known as khels. The “Paik” label was given to those who were pressured into working for the government. Even though they believed in their own tribal gods and traditions, they were open to Hinduism and the Assamese language. With time, Sukaphaa befriended many locals, adapted their simple ways of living and established marital relations with women from other Assamese communities and the majority of Sukapha’s people were male.
During the Ahom dynasty land grants were awarded to poets and intellectuals, and the performing arts were supported. Notable works originally written in Sanskrit have been translated into the language of the region. Buranjis, which are historical texts, were also written, first in the Ahom language and then in Assamese.
Swargadeo Chaolung Sukaphaa was a true leader who played a crucial role in unifying various ethnic groups of Assam by treating them as equals and encouraging intermarriage between various tribes.
According to Ahom tradition, Sukaphaa was a descendant of the god Khunlung, who had come down from the heavens and had ruled Mong-Ri-Mong-Ram.
According to legend, Sukaphaa was known for his unique ability to create unity and brotherhood among people of various tribes which is why he was honoured with title of Chaolung and he is considered to be the architect of Bor Asom (greater Assam).
The Ahom community mostly settled in the northern districts of Assam such as Sibsagar, Golaghat, Jorhat, Dibrugarh, Tinsukia, Lakhimpur, Sonitpur, and Dhemaji. Additionally, they also reside in some parts of Arunachal Pradesh, Karbi Anglong, and Lohit districts.
