Surang Tila

Surang Tila is a large excavated ancient temple complex located in Sirpur, Mahasamund district, Chhattisgarh, on the banks of the Mahanadi River. Believed to be a 7th-century Shiva temple built during the Somavanshi period, it features a massive stepped pyramidal brick structure with five shrines in Panchayatana layout. Excavated by the Archaeological Survey of India, it is the largest temple mound discovered in Sirpur and a key attraction of the Sirpur heritage zone.

Visitors can expect a massive stepped, pyramid-like brick mound with five shrines arranged in Panchayatana style, wide terraces and stairways leading to the upper sanctum. The site is an open-air excavated complex with exposed brick walls, stone pillars, Shiva linga remains and panoramic views of the surrounding fields and Mahanadi river plain. The area is largely open with minimal shade, information boards explaining the excavation, and pathways to explore the lower and upper levels of the temple platform.

Surang Tila is dated to the 7th century CE and attributed to the Somavanshi dynasty ruler Mahashivagupta Balarjuna of Dakshina Kosala. Built as a Panchayatana Shiva temple using brick and stone, it was buried under a large mound until systematic excavation by the Archaeological Survey of India from 2006-2011 revealed its massive 37-meter high stepped structure, making it the largest temple complex discovered at Sirpur, an important center of Shaivism, Vaishnavism, Buddhism and Jainism.

The complex represents the Shaivite tradition of ancient Sirpur (ancient Shripura) and illustrates Panchayatana temple architecture and brick temple construction techniques of early medieval Chhattisgarh. It is part of the Sirpur heritage zone that reflects the region's historical importance as a religious and cultural center along the Mahanadi River.