Banasur ka kila: Myths, history and a mountain fort

Did Krishna kill mighty king Banasur? Why? And did he do it in Uttarakhand, in a fort surrounded by hills that still stands today? Sometimes it is impossible to separate myth from history. Banasur ka Kila is an example of that.  

Where is Banasur ka Kila?  
Banasur ka Kila is about 20 km from Champawat, and 7 km from Lohaghat. To reach the fort, tourists take a jeep or a hired car, and often walk the last scenic stretch. Inhabitants pop up along the last 1 km to act as guides and narrate colourful versions of the Banasur myth. The River Lohawati or Lohaghati also originates from below the hill where the fort is located, so it’s a beautiful picnic spot. The fort itself is more of a ruin, and with no inscriptions or markers left, people are free to guess its origin.  

Who was Banasur? 
Banasura was the eldest son of mythical king Bali, a mighty ruler like his father. An ardent devotee of Lord Shiva, he managed to please the god with his devotion and win 1000 magical arms. Once he got the boon, Banasura misused his divine powers thoroughly, looting, killing, and generally terrorising everyone. He asked Lord Shiva to tell him the name of the person who would defeat him. Shiva gave him a flag on a pole, and said he would be killed if the pole is broken.  
 
Who broke the pole to kill Banasur?  
Meanwhile, Banasura's beautiful daughter Usha saw a handsome man in her dreams and wanted to marry him. She had a magician friend, Chitralekkha, who found that this man was Aniruddha, Lord Krishna's grandson and the prince of Dwarka. Chitralekha abducted the prince when he was sleeping and when he met Usha, he fell in love. They started living together in Banasur’s Kila in secret. One day, Banasura saw that the pole is broken. He ordered an investigation, which led him to Aniruddha, and they had a big fight. Aniruddha lost and was imprisoned. Krishna heard of this, came to the rescue and killed Banasura in the ill-fated fort. Today, it’s just a ruin with tourists and a romantic myth around it.