This is regarding the recently inaugurated bridge connecting North Guwahati and Guwahati named Kumar Bhaskar Varma Setu. While admitting that this is a laudable achievement of the Government of Assam, the naming of the bridge has raised some concern among a section of the people of Assam. The name of the king who ruled Ancient Assam (Kamrupa) during the 7th century CE and was more or less a contemporary of Harsha Vardhana has been referred to by almost all the authoritative histories of Assam as Bhaskar Varman/Kumar Bhaskar Varman/Bhaskarvarman.
Sir Edward Gait's A History of Assam (first published in 1905), Kanak Lal Barua’s Early History of Kamrupa (first published in 1933), Dr H K Barpujari's edited The Comprehensive History of Assam – Vol 1 (first published in 1981) and Dr S L Baruah's A Comprehensive History of Assam (first published in 1997) have all referred to the said king as Bhaskar Varman.
However, Kamrupasasanvali, published by the Publication Board, Assam, with Dr Dimbeswar Sarma as the editor (first edition – 1981), does have references to him as Bhaskaravarma, although in the preface of the same edition, Late Chandra Prasad Saikia, a person of formidable scholarship and Secretary of the Publication Board during those days, used the name Bhaskara Varman.
In view of the above, I would like to request the panellists tasked with naming the bridge to consider whether a suitable correction might be possible.
Anup Kumar Baruah
Rukmininagar East,
Guwahati-781022