The very literal meaning of Asurgarh is “the fort of demons”. The Asurgarh fort is located at about 20 km from Bhawanipatna, the district headquarters of Kalahandi. The nearest railway station is Rupra road on the Sambalpur-Vizag raliway route. The main fort area of Asurgarh is spread over 80 hectares and encircled by a deep moat on three sides, river Sandol in the west and a big tank - Asur Sagar - in the east.
Asurgarh seems to be an important center of the Atavika territory. It was one of the ancient metropolises between 500 BC and 500 AD, contemporary to Sisupalgarh. Asurgarh — Narla served as the political — cultural and commercial hub of the Titilaka Janapada & Atavikas.
Asurgarh was the capital of Kalahandi in ancient times. Kalahandi was known in ancient times as Mahakantra and Karunda Mandal, which means ‘great forest and ‘treasure of precious stones’ respectively. The history of modern Kalahandi goes back to the primitive period where a well-civilized, urbanized and cultured people inhabited on this land mass around 2000 years ago.
In 4th century A.D., the fort of Asurgarh appeared to have belonged to king Vyaghraraja of Mahakantara, to whom Samudragupta claimed to have defeated in course of his Southern campaign. The next important king known to have held sway over Asurgarh was Maharaja Tustikara, the donor of Terasingha copperplate grant. However the excavation indicates that the fort area was deserted in 5th-6th century A.D. and it is presumed that Tustikara was the last ruler of Asurgarh region.
Asurgarh - an early urban center of ancient Odisha
