A History of Assam c7.s2.27

c7.s2.27

There is another story told in the *Bhāgavat*, and also in the *Vishnu Purān*, to which a local site has been assigned. Bali, king of Sonitpur, “the city of blood” now known by the Assamese equivalent, Tezpur, had numerous sons, of whom Bān, the eldest, succeeded him. Bān, who was the contemporary of Narak, had many sons and one daughter, Ushā by name. Ushā was very beautiful and attracted the attention of Aniruddha, Krishna’s grandson, who entered the castle where she was guarded and married her according to the Gandharva ceremony. He was seen and captured, after a valiant resistance, but was rescued by Krishna, who defeated Bān in a great battle, which is said to have been fought on the site of what is now known as the Tezpur *bil*. This story has been given an Assamese garb in a little book called *Kumār Haran*.*