SSC
The Sirpur group of ancient temples and Buddhist monuments is situated in:
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Answer: Option C — Chhattisgarh
Detailed Solution
Sirpur is an important archaeological site in the Mahasamund district of Chhattisgarh, on the banks of the Mahanadi river, about 80 km from Raipur.
About Sirpur:
- It was known in ancient times as "Shripura" ("city of prosperity").
- It was the capital of the "Dakshina Kosala" kingdom, ruled by the Sharabhapuriya and later the Panduvamshi (Somavamshi) dynasties, in the 5th-8th centuries CE.
- It was an important centre of Hinduism (Shaivism and Vaishnavism), Buddhism and Jainism.
- The Chinese pilgrim Xuanzang (Hiuen Tsang) visited it in the 7th century, and described many Buddhist monasteries and temples there.
Important monuments:
Laxman Temple: a brick temple built in the 7th century (around 595-655 CE) by Queen Vasata, widow of King Harshagupta, in memory of her husband. It is one of the finest brick temples in India, famous for its beautifully carved brick tower and its decorated stone doorframe. It is often compared to a temple built out of love, like the Taj Mahal.
Gandheshwar Temple: a Shiva temple built using older carved stones, still in worship.
Buddhist viharas (monasteries), especially the "Anand Prabhu Kuti Vihara" and the "Swastik Vihara".
Tivardev Vihara and a large ancient market area.
Excavations since the 2000s have uncovered many temples, monasteries, a market place and other structures.
The "Sirpur National Dance and Music Festival" is held every year.
Other heritage sites of Chhattisgarh:
- Bhoramdeo Temple (Kabirdham): the "Khajuraho of Chhattisgarh".
- Rajim: known as the "Prayag of Chhattisgarh", at the confluence of the Mahanadi, Pairi and Sondur rivers.
- Tala (Bilaspur): the Devrani-Jethani temples with the famous "Rudra Shiva" sculpture.
- Malhar: an ancient archaeological site.
- Ramgarh hills (Sitabengra caves): regarded by some as one of the oldest theatres in Asia.
- Chitrakote Falls: the "Niagara of India", on the Indravati river.
Why not the other options?
- ✗Odisha has the temples of Bhubaneswar and Puri.
- ✗Madhya Pradesh has Khajuraho and Sanchi.
- ✗Jharkhand has the Baidyanath Temple at Deoghar.
Quick tip
Remember: Sirpur = Mahasamund district, Chhattisgarh (ancient Shripura, capital of Dakshina Kosala; Laxman Temple = 7th-century brick temple built by Queen Vasata; Buddhist viharas; visited by Xuanzang).
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Monuments & Religious Places — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Monuments & Religious Places, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers India's important monuments, temples, mosques, churches, gurudwaras and pilgrimage sites, who built them and when, their architectural styles, and India's UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Questions ask who built a monument, where it is located, or which dynasty or style it belongs to. For example, the Qutub Minar was begun by Qutbuddin Aibak, and the Sun Temple at Konark was built by the Eastern Ganga king Narasimhadeva I. Revise the UNESCO World Heritage Sites as a list, noting the most recent additions. Practise the monuments and religious places questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.