A hummock located in the city of Tezpur in Assam, Agnigarh is the site of well-known romance of princess Usha, who was the only daughter of king Bana and Aniruddha, grandson of Lord Krishna. It is one of the most popular sightseeing spots in the town and also a much loved picnic spot for tourists. Tezpur, which literally means the city of blood, has its boundaries warped on the north banks of the mighty river Brahmaputra. An important commercial hub for trade and commerce in Assam, this city was once used as a river port by the British. It is also a city imbued with the cultural and mythological sumptuousness of customs and traditions, and offers to its spectators a panoramic view of the unsoiled beauty amidst the cool breeze of the Brahmaputra along with an experience of history.
The city bears in its swathe a collection of laudable tales, to which every monument bear an evidence. One such spot of influenced by mythology is Agnigarh, a place situated in the hummock of this city. Agnigarh or the fortress of fire stands as an eyewitness to the classic love story of Usha and Anirudha. According to the tales, the fortress of Agnigarh was constructed by KingBanasura, the Asura king of ancient Tezpur to keep his daughter Usha sheltered from the eyes of others. However, Usha, the beautiful daughter of the king once saw a good-looking prince in her dreams with whom she fell in love. Usha described her dream to her friend Chitralekha, an artist gifted with magical powers and she painted the portrait of Usha’s knight in shining armor and recognized him as Aniruddha, the grandson of Lord Krishna and ruler of Dwarka. In order to sooth the lovelorn princess, Chitralekha forcefully brought Aniruddha and helped the couple flees away. Later on the couple got married without King Banasura’s knowledge. However, the King soon found about the secret love affair of his daughter with Aniruddha , he ordered instant imprisonment of the prince. When lord Krishna learned of the troubles of his grandson, he came to help him and rescue from the prison and as a result the ferocious battle between Lord Krishna and lord Shiva whom the King had called for help took place and the battle took a hideous turn which made the entire city bathe in blood and hence the city got its name Tezpur.
Today, the fire of love that was lit by Usha and Anirudha seems to have cooled down; however, by visiting this historical and mythological monument, one can very well witness and experience the love shared by the couple. As it is rightly said the true love never ends, this can actually be found in Agnigarh, where the immortal love of Aniruddha and Usha still exist. The hillock has circular stairs and a platform that offers a mesmerizing view of the entire city of Tezpur.
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