Indian Century - CHATTISGARH

CHATTISGARH: PLACES TO VISIT

Chattisgarh is a state in the East-Central part of India, bordered in the West by Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, Telengana on the South and Odisha and Jharkhand in the East and Uttar Pradesh in the North.

CHATTISGARH STATE STATS:

Total Area: 135,194.5 Sq. Km	Rank: 10th
POPULATION (2011): 25,545,198	Rank: 16th
CAPITAL CITY: Raipur
LITERACY RATE: 71.04%	Rank: 23rd
HDI: 0.516	Rank: 23rd
OFFICIAL LANGUAGE: Chhattisgarhi (a dialect of Hindi)
Official Website: www.cgstate.gov.in

Chhattisgarh Tourism – Top Places to See & Things to Do

1. Raipur City

Raipur

Ghadi Chowk, Raipur, Capital of Chattisgarh

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2. Bhoramdeo Temple

Bhoramdeo Temple

Bhoramdeo Temple, Photo: https://bit.ly/2RYb0lj

Location: 18 km North-West of the Tehsil town of Kawardha, Kabirdham district.

What is the speciality of this temple? Well, it is a complex of temples in the interior of the mountain range. It comprises of four temples – Bhoramdeo temple, Madwa Mahal, Istaliq temple and Cherki Mahal.

Bhoramdeo temple:

The main temple Bhoramdeo is dedicated to Lord Shiva. This temple called the Khajuraho of Chhattisgarh was constructed somewhere between the 7th and 11th centuries, and it stands strong ever since. Its outstanding structure and detailed carved images really are an impressive work of art. The temple contains finely sculpted images of the ten avatars of the Lord Vishnu, apart from images of Lord Shiva and Lord Ganesha.

Also Read

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3. Sirpur

Buddha vihara

The Buddha Vihar

The town of Sirpur has a rich background of traditional cultural heritage and architecture. Its pristine waters of the Mahanadi and the Barnawapara Wildlife Sanctuary on the Northeast, Sirpur is a small town about 84km from the capital, Raipur.

The archaeological reminders are still a pride for this region and some historical sightseeing places to dig in are:

The Buddha Vihar:

The Buddha Vihar in Sirpur is older than Nalanda and it is an enriching experience to see its historic remains and sculptures. The Buddha Vihar has a tone of the Gupta dynasty temple, and the place is also known for – as the meeting point of Awlokiteshwar and Makarwahini Gange. What resides inside the temple is a six feet tall statue of Buddha that is placed meditating in its solitary ruins.

Also Read

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4. Rajim

Rajiv-Lochan Temple

Rajiv-Lochan Temple, Rajim

Maa Bamleswari Temple

Jaitkhamb

CHITRAKOT FALLS, JAGDALPUR

AMRITDHARA FALLS, CHIMRI

SWAMY VIVEKANANDA AIRPORT, RAIPUR

DAMTARI DAM

CHATTISGARH SCHOOL CHILDREN

HERBAL FARMING, GULBAKAWALI

AN ADIVASI WOMAN AND CHILD

FESTIVALS

Bastar Dussera:

(October)

Bastar Dussehra, also known as Jagdalpur Dussehra, is one of the most vibrant celebrations in the country. Centred in the state of Chhattisgarh, this 75-day-long festival (often called the longest festival in the world) is believed to have started in the 13th century, during the reign of king Purushottam Dev (fourth king of Bastar), who was a devotee of Lord Jagannatha of Puri.

Chhattisgarh is dedicated to goddess Danteshwari, the supreme power and revered deity of all existing tribes in Chhattisgarh. The divine goddess is worshipped at Danteshwari temple in Jagdalpur. This is unlike any other Dussera festival in India, which is celebrated for Rama’s victory over Ravana. Many rituals have been performed by the tribals of Bastar which attracts the tourist from various locations of India & abroad.

Phagun Madai

(February-March)

Is a significant adivasi festival of Chhattisgarh, Madai is celebrated across the state with gaiety and fervour. Tribal communities venerate Goddess Danteshwari and unite her with local deities from various surrounding villages – about 500 approximately – in the month of March. Devotees bring the idols of the gods to the Danteshwari Temple in Dantewada and honour them for 10 days. They perform the Relo, Cheetal and masked dances and conclude the festivities with a grand feast of fruits and local specialties, along with brews made from the flowers of mahua trees. The festival of Madai begins in Bastar in the month of December, when the Gond tribes worship their local deity, Cheri-Chher-Kin.

The 10-day festival begins in Dantewada on the day of Shivaratri. It is called Phagun Madai as it falls in the Hindu calendar month of Phagun (February–March). Over the next nine days, the tribals worship goddess Danteshwari in nine different forms. On the ninth day, the ritual of holika dahan is observed. The bonfire is held to honour a legendary local princess. After this, devotees smear abeer (coloured powder) on each other and end the festivities with an elaborate feast.