Asurgarh

Asurgarh
Asurgarh Asurgarh Show map of OdishaShow map of IndiaShow all
Coordinates: 20°05′43″N 83°20′39″E / 20.095410°N 83.344277°E / 20.095410; 83.344277Coordinates: 20°05′43″N 83°20′39″E / 20.095410°N 83.344277°E / 20.095410; 83.344277
Country	India
State	Odisha
District	Kalahandi

Asurgarh is an archaeological site in the Kalahandi district of Odisha.

Description[]

It is almost rectangular in shape, having four gates piercing the surrounding mammoth wall made of brick, rubble and earth.^[1] After the wall, a wide and deep moat girdles the fort on three sides respectively, the north, south and east. The fort area measures 24.29 hectares of land. On the west of the fort, the river Sandol flows close to the western rampart towards north to meet the river Utei, a tributary of the Tel, at a distance of about 3 km from the fort site.

Close to the eastern ditch, the builders of the fort excavated a huge water reservoir measuring 200 acres of land. It is popularly known as Asursagar. It has been pointed out that the water of the reservoir could be trained into the ditch of the fort through two sluices gate. On the southwest corner of the fort, another small tank was dug, which is known today as Radhasagar. The Habitation zone of the inhabitants is documented towards the south and north of the fort immediately after the fortified wall. Lowe town or habitation area is further superimposed by another mud wall within 100 hectares radius at each settlement zone, the mud wall has a single gate in the middle.^[2][3]

Archaeologists have unearthed artefacts believed to be 2,300-year-old while carrying out excavation at the Asurgarh Fort in Odisha’s Kalahandi district.^[4]

References[]

Further reading[]

• Paul Yule, Early Historic Sites in Orissa (Delhi 2006) ISBN 81-89645-44-7