Raibania Fort

The Raibania forts are a group of old forts at Laxmannath in Baleswar district, 14 kilometres from Jaleswar and about 3 kilometres from the Subarnarekha river. The complex is regarded as the largest medieval fort of eastern India and was built in the reign of the Eastern Ganga ruler Narasingha Deva I. The Ain-i-Akbari mentions three forts, but four have been found: two larger ones near Raibania village and two near Phulta.

The site is linked with 161 fort goddesses, worshipped as Durga devata or Ishta devata, and with Dasasharu, an aniconic form of the goddess Jayachandi. The Balasore Gazetteer records that the forts were wrecked after Kalapahad's invasion of Utkala, and apart from Raibania their remains were later carried off for building by local zamindars and villagers.