By the pristine waters of the Mahanadi, facing the Barnawapara Wildlife Sanctuary in the Northeast, Sirpur is a small town, 84 kms from the capital, Raipur. Spread over an area of about 30 Sq km, the ancient capital of Dakshin Koshal (now known as Chhattisgarh), Sirpur has a very special position in the history of Indian art and archeology as well as religious and spiritual knowledge and science.

22 Shiva temples, 4 Vishnu temples, 10 Buddha vihars, 3 Jain Vihars, remains of ancient market, underground granary market, a 6th century Ayurveda snana-kund (Ayurveda spa), Ayurvedic treatment center, 10 bedded hospital with ancient surgical instruments puts Sirpur in the list of the richest archeological sites of the country. The stone engravings are unparalleled. Dalai Lama and an envoy of South Korea and Sri Lanka visited the site recently and were enamoured especially by the Buddhist Vihars. The medieval traveller and scholar Hiuen Tsang too mentioned Sirpur in his travelogue implying the rich Buddhist tradition of the place.

Sirpur, Chhattisgarh

Places to visit in Sirpur:

The Laxman Temple: The temple is believed to have been built in the 7th century. It is one of the finest brick temples in India .There is a museum called ASI museum in the premises of the temple. Here one can see, passionately crafted idols relating to different religions like Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism.

Buddha Vihara: 9 Viharas, Sculptures, 79 Bronze idols and other antiquities reveal that Buddhist establishment flourished in this area.

Baleshwar Temple: This Shiva temple is a recently excavated place. It is thus named to pay tribute to the king Mahashivgupt Balarjun .The folklore states that the king was the visionary behind the temple complex.

Barnawapara Wildlife sanctuary: Barnawapara Wildlife sanctuary, is named after Bar and Nawapara forest villages, which are in the heart of the sanctuary .It is 15 km away from Sirpur. This sanctuary is famous for the frequent sighting of the Indian bison (Gaur). Cheetal, Sambhar, Neelgai, Wild boar are also commonly seen. Barnawapara boasts of over 150 species of Birds. Jungle safaris, Nature Walks, Bird Watching, Bicycle Trails, Star Gazing, and Bonfires are some of the activities one can look for here.