Banasura

Banasura
Banasura battles with Krishna

Bana (also called Banasura), in Hindu mythology, was a thousand-armed asura King and son of Bali. Banasura is believed to have ruled the present-day central Assam with his capital at Sonitpur (present-day Tezpur, Assam). According to the legend, Banasura was a kirata king.

Banasura, a mighty asura once ruled over a large kingdom. So strong and fierce was his influence that all the kings and even some of the devas shuddered in front of his might. An ardent devotee of Shiva, used his thousand arms to play the Mridanga when Shiva was performing the tandava dance. Shiva gave Banasura a boon and Banasura requested Shiva to be his protector. Banasura became invincible. As time passed, Banasura become cruel montay and arrogant. He locked up his daughter, Usha in a fortress called Agnigarh because many young suitors came to him asking for her hand. One day, Usha saw a young man in her dream and fell in love with him. Chitraleka was a friend of Usha and daughter of Kumbhanda, Minister of Banasura. Chitralekha was a talented artist who helped Usha to identify the young man seen in her dream, by sketching various portraits. She had dreamt of Aniruddha, the grandson of Lord Krishna. Chitralekha, through supernatural powers, abducted Aniruddha from the palace of Krishna and brought him to Usha.

The genealogy of Banasura is as follows:

Banasura's wife's name was Kandala.

Banasura's story has been narrated in Indian epic Mahabharata and Bhagavata Purana. His story as the rejected suitor for goddess Shakti is present in Tamil Sangam literary works Manimekalai and Puranaanooru; Bhattavataar's Banasura Katha.The tale of Banasura is narrated in the 15th century epic-poem Ushabhilasa of Shishu Shankara Dasa in the Odia language.