History
According to popular legend, the town's name is derived from the samarsing, or horn of a Samar, an animal. Historically, it was used as a gateway to the local kingdom, Haihay. When there was any invasion this samarsing horn to alert the security of the kingdom. The King's palace was situated on the bank of the Bheden river. A Siva temple had been constructed at Mahadevpali by the king on the river bank. The king of Ratnapur (Surguja) attacked this kingdom over the marriage of the only daughter of the Haihay king. During this aggression the Haihay King was killed and his kingdom was destroyed. People say the 7 rani, the king's wives, committed suicide when the king was killed; a spot near the ancient palace on the Beden river is a tourist destination known as Rani Darah.
In the 16th century, Balram Dev, the first Chouhan king of Sambalpur, occupied this fort and there was a war between the Sambalpur king and the Ratnapur king, as a result of which the importance of the Bhogaragarh fort declined.
For a long time the Bhogaragarh fort and the surrounding temples remained abandoned. As a result the temples near the fort decayed. A few years back, the villagers of Mahadevpali constructed a new temple at the original site. Local history is clearly linked with this temple, so it is considered to be one of the Astaswayambhus of Jharsuguda district. Every year, a fair takes place here on the day of Sivaratri.
Read more about this topic: Samasingha
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