Agnigarh

Agnigarh is one of the most important tourist destinations of Tezpur. A circular stairway leads to the peak of the hill and offers a good trekking option. In fact, people often come here for picnic or simply to enjoy the scenes and sights. There is a very famous legendary story behind this place. This renowned mythological place is connected with the romance of Prince Aniruddha and Princess Usha. Aniruddha was the grandson of Lord Krishna, whereas Usha was the daughter of Banasura, the famous Asura king and prime devotee of Lord Shiva. It is believed that Agnigarh is the very place where a fortress was built by the Asura king, to keep his daughter in isolation.

As the name suggests, Agnigarh (Agni meaning fire and Garh meaning fortress or wall) was surrounded by fire at all times, in order to prevent anyone from entering or exiting the fortress without permission. All these protection measures were done to prevent the union of the Usha and Aniruddha. The story goes that princess Usha was renowned for her beauty and charm and had a very talented painter, Chitralekha, for a friend. Once, while sleeping, the princess saw a very handsome man in her dreams and fell in love with him. Using her rare artistic skills, Chitralekha not only painted the picture of the prince, but also recognized him as Prince Aniruddha, grandson of Lord Krishna.