The ancient town of Sirpur situated on the banks of the river Mahanadi, was once the capital of the Sarbhapuriya and Somvanshi kings of erstwhile Dakshin Kosala. Earlier known as 'Shripur' which means the city of wealth, it is an hour's ride from Raipur. Here, a lot of excavations have been undertaken by the Archaeological Survey of India and chief among them have been the unearthing of Laxman Temple and Buddhist monasteries. It is believed that the Chinese traveler Hieun Tsang has given an account of Sirpur in his travellogues. Sirpur lies 77 kms east of Raipur.

Anand Prabhu Kuti Vihar is one of the famous Buddha vihar situated in Sirpur. It was constructed by Bhikshu Anand Prabhu, a follower of Buddha, during the period of Mahashivgupt Balarjun. The Vihara has 14 rooms and inside the vihara one can find a six feet tall statue of Buddha touching the earth. The main entrance of the vihara is guarded by Dwarpals carved in stone pillars on either side. Swastik Vihar is a Buddhist structure situated near the Anand Prabhu Kuti Vihar which was used for meditation and study purpose.