The famous Chinese traveler Hiuen Tsang visited the bustling city during the first half of the 7th century A.D. describes it as spreading over 40 li or 10–15 km.
circuit area having excellent religious institutions, magnificent residential apartments, massive fortification and efflorescent palace complex, as the majestic imperial metropolis with acropolis and seat of cultural culmination of Kosal kingdom.
In the Mahabharata and Ramayana it was known as Kantara or Mahakantara which later on finds mention in the historical record of Allahabad pillaring scription of Samudragupta.
The valley was fortunate in having a wonderful landscape of hills and dales quite befitting to nourish a rich civilisation as revealed by recent excavations corroborated by Hiuen Tsang's travel account.
The soil of the country was rich and fertile, the towns and villages were closed together, the people were prosperous, tall of stature and black in colour and the ruling king was a Kshatriya by birth.