Location and Extent (of Sripura)

Sripura of the period of our survey (cir. A.D. 650-800) has continued to survive to our time as a small village named Sirpur, 21^o25’ North Lat and 82^o11’ East Long) on the right bank of the Mahaanadi in the district of Mahasamund in Chhattisgarh State of India. It lies about 85 kilometers to the north-east of Raipur, the capital of Chhattisgarh. After journeying about 60 kilometers on the National Highway No. 6 from Raipur towards Sambalpur, the visitor has to take a left turn and move through a reserve forest for about 18 kilometers to reach the village. It is surrounded by forests on three sides, and by the Mahanadi on the eastern side.

J D M Beglar^[1] who visited Sripura in 1872-73 has described that the ancient city of Sripura extended over a length of five miles, from Khamartai in the north to Cirkhatal in the south, and a breadth of one mile. Of course, mounds and debris are concentrated in a circumference of one mile as revealed by present-day explorations and excavations. Beglar’s narrative is corroborated by A. Cunningham^[2], who visited the place in 1881-82. He states that the ancient city had spread over a distance of six miles from the Gandhesvara temple at Sirpur up to Khirsali and Achanakpur. It is almost corroborated by the findings of the present excavator A.K. Sharma^[3] who has been doing the excavation at Sirpur since 1999 till date. He says that extensive archaeological remains lie spread over an area of nearly 35 sq. kms from Khantarai on the north up to Jamuna-Band at Khirsali on the south-east and Kharwaba at Achnakpur, both places being at a distance of 10 kms from Sirpur. He is of the opinion that the ancient city of Sripura had spread over a triangle of the Mahanadi and the streams of Vardev and Naini in a circumference of 21 miles^[4].

Chinese pilgrim Yuan Chwang or Hiuen Tsang^[5], who visited South Kosala whose capital appears to be Sripura, in 639 A.D. that its circumference was 40 li or 6 to 7 miles.