Ancient city of Sisupalgarh

Subject : History

Section: Ancient India

Concept :

Land mafias have damaged a portion of the wall of the fortified ancient city of Sisupalgarh.

About Sisupalgarh:

It is located near the city of Bhubaneswar in Odisha.
It was once the capital of Kalinga, which is the ancient name of Odisha.
It is considered one of the largest and best-preserved ancient fortifications in India.
The fortifications are over 2,000 years old and date back to the 3rd or 4th century BC.
The remains of the fortification were discovered in 1948 by the Indian archaeologist B.B. Lal.

Features:

It was designed and constructed in a complete square shape that was surrounded by defensive walls.
Each side spreads for over half a mile, and the interior is full of stone ruins and sculptures.
The walls of the fortification are a little over nine meters (30 feet) tall.
There were eight gateways into the city, two in each of the four sides of the wall.
The gateways were connected by streets in a grid-like arrangement with the palace in the center.
The gates were elaborate structures made of brick and stone.
There is evidence of stone-lined reservoirs that were likely used for harvesting rainwater.
Intelligent traffic management, pedestrian-friendly pathways, grand gateways with guard houses, wide roads, and a vast open space were some of the key features of this ancient city.
The city is believed to have a population of around 20,000 to 25,000.