Sirpur

Sirpur was the capital of the Sharabhapuriya and Panduvamshi rulers between roughly the fifth and eighth centuries, and the Chinese pilgrim Xuanzang recorded it in the seventh as a substantial place with monasteries and a large Buddhist community. Excavations since the 1950s and intensively after 2000 have uncovered a Hindu and Buddhist complex: the Lakshmana temple, a brick shikhara temple of around 625 AD with elaborate moulded brickwork on its entrance, Buddhist viharas with monastic cells and bronze images, a market street, and bathing tanks. Much of the site remains under excavation.

What you actually see

• The Lakshmana temple - a seventh-century brick temple with moulded doorway.
• The Buddhist viharas - monastery courtyards with cells and image plinths.
• The market street - an excavated commercial row of the ancient town.
• The site museum - sculpture and bronzes recovered from the excavations.

When to go

October to March; Chhattisgarh summers are severe. The site is flat and exposed. A dance festival is held here in winter.

Honest expectations

Much of the site is low foundations under continuing excavation and needs interpretation. Signage is limited. There are few facilities and it sees very few visitors.

Nearby

Raipur lies west; Bastar is south.