Tourism in Chhattisgarh

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Tourism is an important part of the economy of the Indian state of Chhattisgarh, India's tenth largest state. The state has many ancient monuments, rare wildlife, carved temples, Buddhist sites, palaces, water falls, caves, rock paintings and hill plateaus.

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Chitrakot Waterfalls is the broadest waterfall in India and also referred as 'Niagara Falls of India' Chitrakot waterfalls.JPG
Chitrakot Waterfalls is the broadest waterfall in India and also referred as 'Niagara Falls of India'

Chhattisgarh has 41.37% of its area under forests and is one of the most bio-diverse areas in the country.

Located in central India, Chhattisgarh attracts tourists with its untouched forests, impressive waterfalls, and varied wildlife. From the dense greenery of Bastar to the peaceful surroundings of Chitrakote Falls, every aspect showcases the beauty of nature, appealing to nature lovers and adventurers alike.

Waterfalls

Chitrakot Waterfalls is the broadest waterfall in India and also referred as 'Niagara Falls of India' Chitrakot waterfalls.JPG
Chitrakot Waterfalls is the broadest waterfall in India and also referred as 'Niagara Falls of India'

Waterfalls are a tourist attraction in the state. Due to the three main physio-graphic division i.e. 1. Northern Hills, 2. Central Plains and 3. Southern Plateaus, Chhattisgarh has numerous perennial and seasonal waterfalls, some of which are listed below: [ citation needed ]

Dantewada District

Kondagaon District

Bastar District

Tirathgarh Falls, Bastar Tirathgarh, Jagdalpur, Bastar.jpg
Tirathgarh Falls, Bastar
Chitra-Dhara waterfall, Bastar Chitra-Dhara WF, Bastar.jpg
Chitra-Dhara waterfall, Bastar
Mandawa waterfall, Bastar, CG Mandawa WF, Bastar, CG.jpg
Mandawa waterfall, Bastar, CG

Jashpur District

Korba District

Dhamtari District

Narhara waterfall, Dhamtari Narhara WF, Dhamtari.jpg
Narhara waterfall, Dhamtari

Kanker District

Korea District

Bijapur District

Surguja District

Gariyaband

Ghata-rani waterfall Gariyaband Ghata-rani WF Gariyaband.jpg
Ghata-rani waterfall Gariyaband

Khairagarh-Chhuikhadan-Gandai District

Sukma District

Temples

Giraudhpuri Jaitkham Baloda-bazar.jpg
Giraudhpuri Jaitkham

Notable and ancient temples in Chhattisgarh include: Shri Ram Janki Temple at Setganga in Mungeli District, Bhoramdeo temple near Kawardha in Kabirdham district, Rajivlochan temple at Rajim and Champaran in Raipur district, Chandrahasini Devi temple at Chandrapur, Vishnu temple at Janjgir, Damudhara (Rishab Tirth) and Sivarinarayana Laxminarayana temple in Janjgir-Champa district, Bambleshwari Temple at Dongargarh in Rajnandgaon district, Danteshwari Temple in Dantewada district, Deorani-Jethani temple at Tala gram and Mahamaya temple at Ratanpur in Bilaspur district, Laxman temple at Sirpur in Mahasamund district, Uwasaggaharam Parshwa Teerth at Nagpura in Durg district, Pali with Lord Shiva temple and Kharod with Lakshmaneswar temple, Patal Bhairavi temple in outer area of Rajnandgaon.

Giraudhpuri is a religious place for the Satnamis. They are the followers of Satnampanth.

Sirpur, a proposed World Heritage Site. and Malhar are of historical significance, as they were visited by Xuanzang, the Chinese historian. Mama-bachha temple is at Barsoor.

The hot spring known as Taat Pani, (taat - hot, pani - water) flows in Balrampur district. This hot spring flows throughout the year and is reputed to have medicinal properties due to its high sodium content. National Thermal Power Corporation Limited is developing a geothermal power plant at Taat Pani, which is described as the first geothermal power plant in India.[ citation needed ]

Ancient temples

Dantewada District

Bastar District

Gumadpal Shiv temple, near Tirathgarh(towards Katekalyan road) Mahadeo temple of Gumadpal near Tirathgarh.jpg
Gumadpal Shiv temple, near Tirathgarh(towards Katekalyan road)
Singhaigudi Shiv temple Singhaigudi Shiv temple.jpg
Singhaigudi Shiv temple
Devarli temple, Dodrepal, Bastar DEVARLI TEMPLE BASTAR.jpg
Devarli temple, Dodrepal, Bastar

Raipur District

Chandkhuri Shiv temple Chandkhuri Shiv temple.jpg
Chandkhuri Shiv temple
Bhand Dewal, Arang Arang Bhand dewal temple.jpg
Bhand Dewal, Arang
Nawagaon ancient temple, Raipur Nawagaon acient temple Raipur.jpg
Nawagaon ancient temple, Raipur

Durg District

Bilaspur District

Janjgir-Champa

Gariyaband

Ancient Lord Ram temple, Rajim Ancient Lord Ram temple, Rajim.jpg
Ancient Lord Ram temple, Rajim
Rajim Temple Group1 Rajim Temple Group1.jpg
Rajim Temple Group1
Rajim Temple Group2 Rajim Temple Group2.jpg
Rajim Temple Group2

Mahasamund

Laxman temple, Sirpur, Mahasamund Laxman temple, Sirpur.jpg
Laxman temple, Sirpur, Mahasamund
Surang Tila, Sirpur, Mahasamund Surang Tila, Sirpur.jpg
Surang Tila, Sirpur, Mahasamund
Tiwar Dev Bauddh Vihar also known as Anand Prabhu Kuti Vihar, Sirpur, Mahasamund Tiwardev Vihar, Sirpur.jpg
Tiwar Dev Bauddh Vihar also known as Anand Prabhu Kuti Vihar, Sirpur, Mahasamund

Balod

Surguja

Balodabazar

National parks and wildlife sanctuaries

Asiatic cheetah cubs with a dog in British India, 1897. AsiaticCheetahCubs.jpg
Asiatic cheetah cubs with a dog in British India, 1897.

Achanakmar Wildlife Sanctuary in the Mungeli district, Gamarda Reserve forest at Sarangarh in the Raigarh district, Indravati National Park and Kanger Ghati National Park in the Bastar district, Barnawapara Wildlife Sanctuary in the Mahasamund district, [12] Udanti Wildlife Sanctuary in the Raipur district, [13] and Sitanadi Wildlife Sanctuary in the Dhamtari district [14] are places for eco-tourism.

There is also Guru Ghasidas National Park. [15] [16] It is designated as Guru Ghasidas - Tamor Pingla Tiger Reserve. The natural environment of Koriya includes many dense forests, mountains, rivers and waterfalls, and is known for the rich mineral deposits. Coal is found in abundance in this part of the country. The dense forests present here have a rich wildlife, and the district was where the last known Asiatic cheetah was spotted in the wilderness of India. [17] The climate of Koriya has mild summers and cool winters.

National Parks

Sanctuaries

Caves and archaeological sites

Gadiya mountain in Kanker district, Kotumsar cave in Bastar district, Kailash gufa in Jashpur district, Ramgarh and Sita Bengra in Surguja district and Singhanpur cave in Raigarh district with pre-historic paintings are well known. There are cave paintings at Ongana and Kabra Pahad near Raigarh, though most of the paintings lie in open the and have been overwritten with graffiti. Archaeological sites include Barsoor in Dantewada district, Malhar and Ratanpur in Bilaspur district, Sirpur in Mahasamund district, Koriya in Koriya district and Surguja in Surguja district. There is a small picnic spot with waterfall on the extremity of Satpura range along with a stone inscription of c. 1st century CE is found at Damau dhara in Janjgir-Champa district.

Caves in Chhattisgarh

Bastar District

Second chamber of Dandak cave, KVNP Dandak Cave1.jpg
Second chamber of Dandak cave, KVNP
Chamber Showing Stalactite Formation on Dolomite, Gumalwada Cave Gumalwada cave, Bastar, CG.jpg
Chamber Showing Stalactite Formation on Dolomite, Gumalwada Cave

Kanker District

  • Jogi Cave, Gadiya Mountain Kanker
  • Sondayee Cave, Kanker

Jashpur district

  • Kailash Cave
  • Khudiya Rani Cave

Khairagarh-Chhuikhadan-Gandai district

Bijapur

  • Shakal-Narayan Cave, Bijapur
  • Shankanpalli Cave, Bijapur
  • Usur Cave, Bijapur

Surguja

Sita Bengra Cave, Ramgarh Hills, Surguja Ramgarh Caves, Surguja.jpg
Sita Bengra Cave, Ramgarh Hills, Surguja
  • Jogi-mara
  • Sita-bengra
  • Laxman Bengra
  • Haathi-pol

Raigarh District

Kurra Cave, Lailunga, Raigarh Kurra Cave, Lailunga, Raigarh.jpg
Kurra Cave, Lailunga, Raigarh
  • Kurra Cave
  • Singhanpur cave
  • Botalda cave

Dams

Dams, not only used for Irrigation and Hydro-electricity generation, but also serve the purpose of artificial eco-tourism. Some of the main projects of Chhattisgarh are as follows:

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chhattisgarh</span> State in central India

Chhattisgarh is a landlocked state in Central India. It is the ninth largest state by area, and with a population of roughly 30 million, the seventeenth most populous. It borders seven states – Uttar Pradesh to the north, Madhya Pradesh to the northwest, Maharashtra to the southwest, Jharkhand to the northeast, Odisha to the east, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana to the south. Formerly a part of Madhya Pradesh, it was granted statehood on 1 November 2000 with Raipur as the designated state capital.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh</span> Metropolis in Chhattisgarh, India

Bilaspur is a city located in Bilaspur District in the Indian state of Chhattisgarh. Bilaspur is the Administrative headquarters of the Bilaspur District and Bilaspur Division. The Chhattisgarh High Court, located at Bodri, District Bilaspur has privileged it with the title Nyayadhani of the State. This city is the commercial center and business hub of North East Chhattisgarh region. It is also an important city for the Indian Railways, as it is the headquarters for South East Central Railway Zone (SECR) and the Bilaspur Railway Division. Bilaspur is also the headquarters of South Eastern Coalfields Limited. Chhattisgarh's biggest power plant operated by NTPC is in Sipat. PowerGrid in Sipat pools electricity from other power plants in region and transmits electricity to Delhi via one of longest HVDC line.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dantewada district</span> District of Chhattisgarh in India

Dantewada District, also known as Dantewara District or Dakshin Bastar District, is a district in the Indian state of Chhattisgarh. Dantewada is the district headquarters. The district is part of Bastar Division. Until 1998, Dantewada District was a tehsil of the larger Bastar District.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kanger Valley National Park</span> National Park near Jagdalpur

Kanger Valley National Park is a national park in the Bastar region of Chhattisgarh state in India. It came into existence in July 1982 and covers an area of approximately 200 square kilometres (77 sq mi). The park extends from the Teerathagarh waterfalls in the west to the Kolab river in the east, spanning an average length of 33.5 km (20.8 mi) and an average width of 6 km (3.7 mi) from north to south. It derives its name from the Kanger river, which flows centrally through it. Situated at a distance of 30 km (19 mi) southeast of Jagdalpur city, it is one of India's densest national parks and is known for its biodiversity, landscape, waterfalls, and subterranean geomorphologic limestone caves. It is also the home to the Bastar hill myna, the state bird of Chhattisgarh.

Indravati National Park is a national park located in Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh state in India. The park derives its name from the Indravati River, which flows from east to west and forms the northern boundary of the reserve with the Indian state of Maharashtra.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jagdalpur</span> City in Chhattisgarh, India

Jagdalpur is a city located in the southern part of Chhattisgarh state in India. It is the administrative headquarters of the Bastar district and Bastar division. Before the independence of India, it also served as the capital of the erstwhile princely state of Bastar. It is the fourth largest city of Chhattisgarh. A city known For its Distinct art and culture, the Tourism capital of Chhattisgarh and one of the Fastest Growing City of State.It is also known as ' Mumbai Of Chhattisgarh ' for its diverse demographics and second biggest financial hub in the state after Raipur.

Malkangiri, historically known as Malikamardhangiri, is a town and municipality in Malkangiri district in the Indian state of Odisha. It is the headquarter of the Malkangiri district. Malkangiri has been the new home of the East Bengali refugees from erstwhile East Pakistan, who have been rehabilitated since 1965 under the Dandakaranya Project. Some Sri Lankan Tamil refugees were also rehabilitated in the town, following the armed struggle of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in the early 1990s, although most of them have now returned to their country. Currently, it is one of the most naxalite-affected areas of the state, and is a part of the Red Corridor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kanker district</span> District of Chhattisgarh in India

Uttar Bastar Kanker District is located in the southern region of the state of Chhattisgarh, India within the latitudes 20.6-20.24 and longitudes 80.48-81.48. The total area of the district is 6432 square kilometers. The population is 748,941.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chitrakote Falls</span> Waterfall on the Indravati River in Chhattisgarh, India

The Chitrakote Falls is a natural waterfall on the Indravati River, located approximately 38 kilometres (24 mi) to the west of Jagdalpur, in Bastar district in the Indian state of Chhattisgarh.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cave research in India</span>

Cave research, encompassing the study of speleology and biospeleology, is still in its infancy in India. Although there are thousands of caves in India, research expeditions occur in few states. The Siju Cave in Meghalaya is the first limelighted natural cave from India. Several studies were carried out in this cave in the early 20th century. The Kotumsar Cave in Central India is one of the most explored caves of India, and biologists have classified many types of cavernicoles, i.e. trogloxenes, troglophiles and troglobites, from this cave.

Darbha is a town in Bastar district, Chhattisgarh, India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Danteshwari Temple</span> Hindu temple in Dantewada, Chattisgarh

Danteshwari Temple is Hindu temple, dedicated to Goddess Danteshwari, and is one of the 52 Shakti Peethas, shrines of Shakti, the divine feminine, spread across India. The temple built in the 14th century, is situated in Dantewada, a town situated 80 km from Jagdalpur Tehsil, Chhattisgarh. Dantewada is named after the Goddess Danteshwari, the presiding deity of the earlier Kakatiya rulers. Traditionally she is the Kuldevi of Bastar state,

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Teerathgarh Falls</span> Waterfall in Chhattisgarh, India

The Thirathgarh Falls is all season tourism's site and a good photography place waterfall near Jagdalpur at Kanger Ghati in Bastar district in the Indian state of Chhattisgarh.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shaheed Mahendra Karma Vishwavidyalaya</span> University in Chhattisgarh

Shaheed Mahendra Karma Vishwavidyalaya - (SMKV) or Bastar University , is a State university located in Jagdalpur, Chhattisgarh, India. It is a teaching-cum-affiliating university which affiliates 30 college and has 10 University Teaching Departments (UTD). It was established and incorporated by Chhattisgarh Vishwavidyalaya Adhiniyam No. 18 of 2008 on September 2, 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Outline of Chhattisgarh</span> Overview of and topical guide to Chhattisgarh

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Chhattisgarh, an Indian state formed on 1 November 2000 by partitioning 27 Chhattisgarhi-speaking southeastern districts of Madhya Pradesh.

Place names in India are usually in Indian languages. Other languages include Portuguese, Dutch, English and Arabic.

The Tamda Ghumar Waterfalls is a seasonal and natural waterfall located at around 45 kilometres (28 mi) to the west of Jagdalpur, in Bastar district in the Indian state of Chhattisgarh. It is very close to Chitrakote and Mendri Ghumar Waterfalls.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mandwa Waterfalls</span> Waterfall in Jagdalpur, India

The Mandwa Waterfalls is a natural waterfall located in a place called Mandwa off the NH 16, around 31 kilometres (19 mi) away from Jagdalpur, in Bastar district in the Indian state of Chhattisgarh. It is very close to Teerathgarh Falls and Kanger Dhara Falls.

The District Reserve Guard (DRG), also known as the District Reserve Group, is a specialized police unit formed in 2008 in the Indian state of Chhattisgarh to address left-wing extremism, particularly the Maoist insurgency. The unit was established as a response to the growing influence and violence of Maoist groups, which have historically taken advantage of the socio-economic conditions of local tribal populations. The DRG is often referred to as the "son of the soil" due to its composition of local recruits. As of 2021, the DRG consists of approximately 3,500 personnel.

References

  1. "Places of Interest | District Dantewada, Government of Chhattisgarh | भारत".
  2. "Fulpad Waterfalls | District Dantewada, Government of Chhattisgarh | भारत".
  3. 1 2 "Tourist Places | District Kondagaon - Government of Chhattisgarh | India".
  4. "Limdarha Waterfall Keshkal | District Kondagaon - Government of Chhattisgarh | India".
  5. "Mirde Waterfall – Keshkal | District Kondagaon - Government of Chhattisgarh | India".
  6. "Chitradhara Waterfall | District Bastar, Government of Chhattisgarh | India".
  7. "Tamda Ghumar | District Bastar, Government of Chhattisgarh | India".
  8. "Mendri Gumar Waterfall | District Bastar, Government of Chhattisgarh | India".
  9. "Barsur – an Archaeological Treasure | District Dantewada, Government of Chhattisgarh | भारत".
  10. "Dantewada | District Dantewada, Government of Chhattisgarh | भारत".
  11. "Samlur Shiva Temple | District Dantewada, Government of Chhattisgarh | भारत".
  12. "Barnawapara Wildlife Sanctuary, Barnawapara Sanctuary, Sita Nadi Sanctuary, Chhattisgarh Wildlife Tour, Chhattisgarh Wildlife Tours". tourismofchhattisgarh.com.
  13. "Udanti Wildlife Sanctuary, Udanti Sanctuary, Chhattisgarh Wildlife Tour, Chhattisgarh Wildlife Tours, Wildlife Tour Chhattisgarh". tourismofchhattisgarh.com.
  14. "Sitanadi Wildlife Sanctuary, Sitanadi Sanctuary, Sita Nadi Sanctuary, Chhattisgarh Wildlife Tour, Chhattisgarh Wildlife Tours". tourismofchhattisgarh.com.
  15. 1 2 "No-tiger-in-Sanjay-Tiger-Reserve-also-says-official", The Times of India , archived from the original on 2012-10-24, retrieved 2011-01-19
  16. 1 2 "Chhattisgarh asked to propose tiger reserve status for Guru Ghasidas park". The Hindu. 30 June 2011. Retrieved 4 June 2016.
  17. Divyabhanusinh (1999). The End of a Trail: the Cheetah in India. Banyan Books, New Delhi.