: Sirpur, also referred in medieval era texts as Shripur (city of wealth), is a town on the banks of Mahanadi in Chhattisgarh. The site became archaeologically significant after a visit and report on a Laxman (Lakshmana) temple in 1872 by Alexander Cunningham, a colonial British India official. Sirpur is mentioned in the memoirs of the Chinese traveler Hieun Tsang as a location of monasteries and temples. The site has been significant for its temple ruins of Rama and Lakshmana of the Ramayana fame.
The site excavations after 1960, particularly after 2003, have yielded 22 Shiva temples, 5 Vishnu temples, 10 Buddha Viharas, 3 Jain Viharas, a 6th/7th century market and snana-kund (bath house). The site shows extensive syncretism, where Buddhist and Jain statues or motifs intermingle with Shiva, Vishnu and Devi temples.
The region was conquered and plundered by the armies of Delhi Sultanate and later Deccan Sultanates. The town and temples were damaged in the wars and were abandoned. Dense vegetation grew over it and floods deposited silt. There is also evidence of possible earthquake damage. 20th and 21st century excavations have unearthed many monuments. The site is large and artwork stick out of farmlands and dirt roads in and near Sirpur.
Eighth Century Natesa Murthy of Gupta Era from Gandheshwar Mahadev Temple
