Sirpur, Chhattisgarh
| Sirpur Sripura, Shripura, सिरपुर | |
|---|---|
| town | |
 Hindu temples above farms in Sirpur | |
  Sirpur Location in Chhattisgarh, India  Sirpur Sirpur (Chhattisgarh) | |
| Coordinates: 21°20′43″N 82°11′05″E / 21.345225°N 82.184814°ECoordinates: 21°20′43″N 82°11′05″E / 21.345225°N 82.184814°E | |
| Country |
 |
| State | Chhattisgarh |
| District | Mahasamund district |
| Population (2011) | |
| • Total | 1,467[1] |
| Languages | |
| • Official | Hindi, Chhattisgarhi |
| Time zone | UTC+5:30 (IST) |
| Postal code | 493445 |
| Vehicle registration | CG |
Sirpur is a village in Mahasamund district in the state of Chhattisgarh 78 km away from Raipur and 35 km from Mahasamund city[2] on the banks of the river Mahanadi.[3]
The village hosts the Sirpur Group of Monuments consisting of Buddhist, Hindu and Jain temples and monasteries. These are dated from the 5th to 12th century. Some of these were visited in 1872 by Cunningham, who published his findings about the Laxman temple and its interesting carvings. Recent excavations have uncovered 12 Buddhist Viharas, 1 Jain Vihara, monolithic statues of Buddha and Mahavira, 22 Shiva temples and 5 Vishnu temples, underground granary market and a sixth century ‘snaan kund’ (public bath).
Other famous attractions of Sirpur are the Gandheshwar Temple and the Buddha Vihara. Sirpur is also famous for paper industry.
History and location
Sirpur, also referred to as Shripur, Sripura or Sripur (literally, "city of auspiciousness, abundance, Lakshmi") in ancient Indian texts and inscriptions, is a village on the Mahanadi River 78 kilometres (48 mi) east of Raipur.[4] The closest airport is the Swami Vivekananda airport at Raipur (IATA: RPR), with daily flights to major cities in India. Sirpur is accessible from Raipur by a recently built four lane National Highway 53 and bus services. It is about 18 kilometres (11 mi) north of the highway after crossing the Mahanadi River. Sirpur is also connected by the national railway network through Raipur or Mahasamund railway stations.
Historic and cultural significance
Sirpur village is a major archaeological site along Mahanadi River. It was visited in 1872 by Alexander Cunningham, a colonial British India official. His report on a Laxman (Lakshmana) temple at Sirpur brought it to international attention. The location is mentioned in the memoirs of the Chinese traveler Xuanzang as a location of monasteries and temples. The site has been significant for its temple ruins of Rama and Lakshmana of the Ramayana fame, as well as those related to Shaivism, Shaktism, Buddhism and Jainism. The site excavations after 1950, particularly after 2003, have yielded 22 Shiva temples, 5 Vishnu temples, 10 Buddha Viharas, 3 Jain Viharas, a 6th/7th century market and snana-kund (bath house). The site shows extensive syncretism, where Buddhist and Jain statues or motifs intermingle with Shiva, Vishnu and Devi temples.[4]
Other attractions
Sirpur is a pilgrimage site for the followers of Jainism, Buddhism and Hinduism. It hosts a major fair (mela) during the Makar Sankranti.
Barnawapara is a nearby wildlife sanctuary set midst a hilly terrain and dense forests. The Indian bison (Gaur), cheetal, sambhar, neelgai, wild boar are found in this sanctuary.[5]
See also
References
- ↑ http://www.censusindia.gov.in/pca/SearchDetails.aspx?Id=469554
- ↑ Sirpur raipur.gov.in
- ↑ SIRPUR : A Goldmine of History Prasar Bharti
- 1 2 Atula Kumar Pradhan and Shambhoonath Yadav (2013), Sirpur - A unique township of early medieval India, Proceedings of the Indian History Congress, Vol. 74 (2013), pp. 854-864
- ↑ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-08-01. Retrieved 2014-08-06.
External links
Sirpur Archaeological Survey (Hindi) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=81sV01vPles