Agnigarh (Pron:/ægɪˈgɑː/) is a hillock located in Tezpur,

Assam Assam (, , ) is a state in Northeast India, northeastern India, south of the eastern Himalayas along the Brahmaputra Valley, Brahmaputra and Barak River valleys. Assam covers an area of . It is the second largest state in Northeast India, nor ...

, India. In Hindu scriptures, it is the site of the fortress which was built by

Banasura Bana, also referred to as Banasura (), is an asura king in Hindu mythology, ruling from the city of Śoṇitapura. He is described to be the son of Mahabali. His tale of battling Krishna is described in the Bhagavata Purana. Legend A mighty asur ...

to keep his daughter Usha in isolation. The name itself is derived from the words '

Agni Agni ( ) is the Deva (Hinduism), Hindu god of fire. As the Guardians of the directions#Aṣṭa-Dikpāla ("Guardians of Eight Directions"), guardian deity of the southeast direction, he is typically found in southeast corners of Hindu temples. ...

' (meaning

fire Fire is the rapid oxidation of a fuel in the exothermic chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction Product (chemistry), products. Flames, the most visible portion of the fire, are produced in the combustion re ...

) and 'garh' (meaning fortress or wall) in

Sanskrit Sanskrit (; stem form ; nominal singular , ,) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in northwest South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural ...

Legend

Legend A legend is a genre of folklore that consists of a narrative featuring human actions, believed or perceived to have taken place in human history. Narratives in this genre may demonstrate human values, and possess certain qualities that give the ...

has it that this fortress was surrounded by fire at all times so that nobody could go in or out of the perimeter without permission. Usha fell in love with Aniruddha in her dreams, not knowing that he was the grandson of Krishna. Her companion Chitralekha identified him by painting his portrait from Usha's description. Chitralekha Udyan in Tezpur also known as 'Cole Park,' the biggest park in Tezpur, is named after her. Chitralekha was not only an artist but one possessing mystical powers. Anirudddha was Krishna's grandson and Usha, the daughter of an

Asura Asuras () are a class of beings in Indian religions, and later Persian and Turkic mythology. They are described as power-seeking beings related to the more benevolent Devas (also known as Suras) in Hinduism. In its Buddhist context, the wor ...

king, therefore was no way any side would consent to their love. She fled one night and brought Aniruddha to Usha's place while he was still sleeping, using her powers. When Aniruddha opened his eyes and saw Usha, he fell in love immediately. However, Banasura was furious on knowing this, and tied him with snakes and imprisoned him. Krishna, however had agreed for their marriage and had wanted for Banasura to consent for the same. Banasura was a great devotee of Shiva, and as a boon had asked him and his entire family to guard the gates of his city, Tezpur. He was not afraid of Krishna's wrath. A war ensued between the Hari (Krishna and his followers) and the Hars (Shiva and his followers), rivers of blood flowed and the city was named Tezpur (City of Blood). Both sides were nearly wiped out and a final battle followed between Shiva and Krishna; eventually, Brahma requested both of them to stop the war by putting him between them. A discussion followed in which Krishna made Shiva see that Banasura was acting wrongly in imprisoning his grandson, and had even disrespected Shiva himself in asking him and his family to be his gatekeepers. Shiva agreed, and Banasura was brought. Fearing his life he immediately agreed to the marriage. The stone sculptures on the Agnigarh hill portray this story of love and great war.

Current state

Present day Agnigarh is a hill on the banks of the

Brahmaputra The Brahmaputra is a trans-boundary river which flows through Southwestern China, Northeastern India, and Bangladesh. It is known as Brahmaputra or Luit in Assamese, Yarlung Tsangpo in Tibetan, the Siang/Dihang River in Arunachali, and ...

which is one of the big tourist attractions in Tezpur. There is a circular stairway leading up to the crest of the hill where there are now sculptures depicting Usha's abduction of Aniruddha, the grandson of Krishna and the ensuing battle by

Krishna Krishna (; Sanskrit language, Sanskrit: कृष्ण, ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme God (Hinduism), Supreme God in his own right. He is the god of protection, c ...

to free them. There is a tall viewing platform from where the entire Tezpur town can be seen. Veiw of Brahmaputra from Top of Agnigarh

Gallery

References

External links

Lanes of Assam
{{coord, 26, 37, 3, N, 92, 48, 7, E, display=title Tezpur Tourist attractions in Assam Hills of Assam

Legend

Current state

Gallery

See also

References

External links