Sisupalgarh
Sisupalgarh, which is also spelt out as Shishupalgarh, is one of the ancient structures of India. This ancient fort is located at a distance of 5 kms from the main city of Bhuwaneshwar, the capital of Orissa and near by Lingaraj Temple. Mainly known for the ruins and demolished layout this fort has been a major site for archaeology in India. The ruin of the fort traces the existence of some popular city in the place. According to Archaeological Survey of India the site can be dated back to 2500 BC which contains the ruin of the fort, some demolished pillars and an almost dilapidated layout of a fort which describes the planning of the city and its location at the heart of the city.
On the basis of the artefacts and architectural pattern that was excavated in this site, it has been claimed that the fort stands amidst an ancient city which flourished during the 3rd and 4th century BC. This ancient city was inhabited by nearly 20,000 to 25000 people that are reflected with the number of dwelling units found in the surroundings of the fort. Archaeologists have employed a number of methods like geophysical survey, systematic surface collection and selected excavations covering an area of 4.8 kms around the fortified area which defines the number of people living, their civic as well as domestic architecture to arrive at a figure, their life style and their dwelling units which raises a lot of curiosity. This place is popularly known for these excavations which were carried out by Archaeological Survey of India. The first excavation was carried out in 1948 by Profesor B.B.Lal.
According to the excavations
People lived at Sisupalgarh from the beginning of the 3rd century B.C. up to the middle of the fourth century A.D.. The settlement was not fortified in the beginning. We don’t know much about the life of the people who lived at Sisupalgarh in the early phase (archaeologists call this Period I). No remains of buildings of this period have been found. All that we know is that people used simple and plain pottery, mostly grey or red in color.
The settlement at Sisupalgarh gradually became bigger and bigger. The most prosperous period was between c. 200 B.C. to c. 100 A.D. (this is the first part of Period II). The huge mud walls around the town were built in around the beginning of the 2nd century B.C.. The walls were a little over 10 meters wide at the base and over 8 meters high. There were huge, grand gateways that led into the town. The walls had guard-rooms, passages and watch towers. Later, the mud walls were strengthened by adding a layer of stone gravel on the top. Still later, two brick walls were built on the top of this, and the space between them was filled with mud and stone. The ramparts of the wall and the gateways were repaired several times, whenever the need arose.
The town was well-planned. It measured about 1 km on each side and was more or less square in shape. Houses were made of blocks of stones or bricks. Each houses had two or three rooms, and a large verandah in front. Streets were layed out in a systematic way, crossing each other at right angles. Archaeologists found marks left by the wheels of carts on the streets. In the middle of the town were the remains of a large pillared hall. This mast have been a public meeting place where people gathered on special occasions. The potters made sophisticated pottery of various kinds, some with a bright red polished look. A black and red pottery was also made and used. Terracotta ear-rings, iron implements and weapons (including nails, spikes, sickles, daggers, etc.) and beads of semi-precious stone have also found.
The pottery belonging to this period is less impressive, and we mostly find a course and dull-looking red pottery with crude decorations. The other finds from this period include glass bangles, two coins (one of silver, one copper) and many earrings made of terracotta. Certain clay medallions (known as bullae) have a design of animals with human heads. This design is very similar to one found on Roman coins. This shows that there was some trade contact with the Romans.
The evidence from the site of Sisupalgarh shows that this used to be an important town. Maybe it was the capital of a kingdom or headquarters of a province. But whose kingdom? Whose headquarters? There are some other important sites not far from Sisupalgarh. They may have had an important connection with it.
Some historians think that Sisupalgarh is the same as a place called Tosali mentioned in inscriptions of the Mauryan emperor Ashoka. We know that Ashoka fought a war against the kingdom of Kalinga (an ancient name for the Orissa area).
In about 100 A.D. (this is the later part of Period II), the town of Sisupalgarh began to decline. Sisupalgarh is expected to have been demolished due to the massive cyclone that struck the state from south. After its demolition the Archaeological Survey of India tried to preserve a major part of the ruins. Though the major part of the fortified area has been under private occupation which has been encroached by the urban population of the area, the remaining part of the fort has been recovered with some valuable items. The items which have been successfully preserved include a number of pillars, the giant gates and the some artefacts that are heavily significant from historical point of view.
Thus with a prominent layout and specific structure this has been one of the finest historical sites in India which attract not only a number of tourists but also the scholars who are interested to reveal the secret of the past.
