Sripura (Archaeological Survey)

by Bikash Chandra Pradhan | 2011 | 37,938 words

This study examines the Archaeological remains of Sripura from the period A.D. 650-800, revealing all varieties of archaeological materials, viz., art and architecture, coins, copper plate and stone epigraphic records and seals etc. highlighting the history and cultural heritage of Shripura. This ancient city was the capital of South Koshala under ...

Secular Buildings (Residential Houses and Palace Complex)

Among the Secular structure, mention may be made of the forty-three residential quarters excavated from below the earth by MG. Dixit. But more important and impressive of them was a structure supposed to be a palace brought out upon the earth by the recent digging of J. Joshi and A.K. Sharma. It lies in the South of the present village Sirpur on the right bank of the Mahanadi. It measures 60 x 40 m and faces to the east. The remains suggest that it was a gorgeous royal structure which was built in the combination of Indian-classical Vastu-Sastra and royal grandeur. The building appears to have been availing of water facility from the Mahanadi.

The most unique features of this structure are its stone-slab basement system. Long incised red as well as white stone slates are being used in proper sequence in the foundation of brick walls throughout the plan of the total complex. Burnt bricks were used in the construction of the walls which are now in the form of rubbles. Brick works are still survived in few portions of this building. It is quiet clear from the stone foundation plan that the Simhadvara (main gate) was facing to the east. There were two large and long halls which extended from east to west. To the left and the right of these halls residential and household quarters were constructed different portion of the building has a long verandah like halls on both south and north sides incised, square but flat red and black stones, which are similar to the pillar basement on AnandaprabhaKuti-Vihara, were used as the basement where brick pillars were raised to support the roof of interiors. Long red-stone beams were also used, perhaps over the top of the door jambs. The south west and north of this site is still full of burnt brick rubbles which profess about the sudden collapse of this splendid structure. The verandahs were mostly standing on wooden pillars.

On north western side a huge residential complex for the essential staff of the ruler has been exposed. This complex comprised of a number of rooms and has a west facing verandah towards Mahanadi. In Chhattisgarh this is the first evidence of its kind. It is evident that the complex was at least a twostorey building with the ground floor comprising of an open darbar and a series of wooden pillared verandahs for free passage of air that kept the palace roof in blazing summer.

The kings and queens quarters are separate, the chamber to be approached from the left whereas the latter from the right. To the north of queens quarter there are a number of rooms which might have housed the kitchen. The palace is east facing and has guard’s rooms on the north-eastern corner just at the entrance of the pillared verandah. All these rooms are well ventilated as they have windows with carved laterite upright.

The grand palace was burnt down as a huge standing column of charred wooden pillars were covered in-situ.

In the Baleshwara temple complex, Balarjuna’s house is a north facing double storeyed building. The ground plan measuring 15.50 m (east-west) x 15.0 m (north-south) up to plinth level is of laterite and shale blocks, whereas the superstructure was of bricks. Ground floor has sixteen rooms measuring 4.40 x 2.60 m, each facing a long east-west verandah measuring 16.30 x 1.50 m. The house is entered through a pillared verandah measuring 13.30 x 2.60 m. The pillars appear to be of bricks. The staircase with same flooring is in the central verandah on the western corner. It is raised on a 2.30 x 2.30 m platform. Below the stair case are stacked lumps of lane. From the eastern side also, on the north-west frontier, there is another entrance. The door uprights are of laterite blocks and had a single fly over each as evidenced by presence of single door sockets.

The entire complex had stone flooring. From the residence of Balarjuna a noteworthy find is the iron face mask and helmet. The helmet is made of superior quality iron as it has hardly rusted. From one of the rooms, a clay sealing with inscription in 7th cent. A.D. Brahmi reading ‘Sivagupta rajas’ has been recovered. This shows that it was a residence of Maha Sivagupta, who ruled from 595 to 650 A.D. at Sirpur. Copper plates recovered from his house give it the name Baleshwar Bhattarak Mathika and state that from this residence he donated 300 iron pans and lot of the fire wood for the feat of priests and sadhus.

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