Chhattisgarh the 26th State of India came into existence on 1st November 2000. Chhattisgarh the land of 36 Forts shares borders with six States Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand in the North, Orissa in the East, Andhra Pradesh in the South, Maharashtra in the South West and Madhya Pradesh in the North West and encompasses an area of 1,35,194 sq.km. This beautiful land nestles amidst mountain ranges of Mekal, Sihava and Ramgiri and is watered by numerous rivers like Mahanadi, Shivnath, Indravati, Hasdo and Kharun. Although, the newly formed State came into existence on 1st November 2000, its cultural heritage is as ancient as the Stone Age.
In ancient times, Chhattisgarh was known as Dakshin Kausal. References of Chhattisgarh places are found in the Ramayana and Mahabharata. Lord Rama entered Dandkaranya from North East of Koshal and spent some of his exile period here. In the historical records of Samudragupta Prayag eulogy, description of Kausal has been found. From 6th century to mid-twelve century Sarbhpurnima, Somvanshi, Panduvanshi, Kalchuri and Nagwanshi rulers dominated the region. There are various documents, copper plaques, coins and archeological findings apprising us about the cultural heritage and political development of that time. The region was also under the regime of Marathas from 1732 to 1818 and was later brought under the Nagpur presidency by the British.
In contemporary history, evidence of ancient people has been found in the hills of Raigarh, Singhanpur, Kabra, Basnajhar, Boslada and Ongana Mountains of “Chitwandongri” in Rajnandgaon district. The stone equipment made and used by ancient people have been found from the coasts of Mahanadi, Mand, Kanhar, Manihari and Kelo rivers. The rock paintings of Singhanpur and Kabra Mountains are quite famous among contemporary paintings due to variety and style.
Situated in the Deccan bio-geography Chhattisgarh is endowed with rich cultural heritage and attractive natural diversity unparalleled in its affluence and variety. The diverse ethnicity of the people of Chhattisgarh creates a festive revelry that is unique to this State. All year long, the air of Chhattisgarh resonates with the pomp and gaiety of numerous festivals and fairs like Pola, Nawakhai, Dussehra, Deepawali, Holi, and the Govardhan Pooja, to name a few. The most important of these in Bastar is the Dussehra when all the deities from all villages congregate at the temple of Danteshwari in Jagdalpur. Dussehra is celebrated quite uniquely with great enthusiasm in the region. Dussehra in Bastar is devoted entirely to the goddess, Devi Danteshwari. Bastar Dussehra dates back to 15th century and is believed to have been started by Maharaja Purshottam Deo, the fourth Kakatiya ruler of Bastar. It spans over 75 days, starting with haryali amawasya in shraavan (July) the festival involves participation of all major tribes of Bastar. Bastar Dussehra has several components, each of which has a history of its own. These include Kachan Gadi, Consecration of the couch of Devi Kachan who visits upon a young girl as she swings on a couch of thorns; Jogi Bithai, Installation of the yogi, a youth who sits on vigil for 9 days and nights to ensure festival success; The chariot procession etc. Bastar Dussehra concludes with the Muria Durbar, an assembly of headmen and public representatives. The deities are then accorded a farewell to return to their native seats in the hamlets of the district. The Lokostav coincides with Bastar Dussehra. Bastar’s festivals are also an exuberant showcasing of the ancient cultural ethos of its tribal people. Bastar is one of the oldest tribal habitats in the country. It has its own typical culture of spirits, deities, dialects, dance, music, customs and food habits. Also centuries old traditions hallmark the simplest and the most intricate handicrafts that are synonymous with this region. Inspired by the world of nature, bell metal and wrought iron are the specialties.
Chhattisgarh particularly Bastar, along with Himalayas in the north and the western ghats is one of the three richest biospheres in India. Bastar, the land of tribals and natural resources, is also enriched with natural beauty and pleasant atmosphere. It is surrounded with dense forests, hilly mountains, streams, waterfalls, natural caves, natural parks etc. The vastness of the area, the myriad tribes and their subtly varying cultural practices, the near impenetrability of unending stretches of deep forest, and the multiplicity of ancient ruins and nature spots Bastar presents a kaleidoscope of civilization unwrapped, offering a peek into pristine cultures that date back thousands of years. Bastar, in retrospect, is a veritable montage. There is the image of the ubiquitous palm brew sellers, dotting the roads with their sparkling steel handis. Sulfi, extracted from the fishtail palm, along with Mohua, is the favourite inebriant. Bastar is the home of the Marias and Murias, both extremely colourful and lively tribes, who have preserved their ancient culture. A Shilpgram has been established by the government to preserve and promote the tribal art and handicrafts of the area. Village Bastar was capital of Kakatiya rulers for a short period. The important tourists places in Bastar district are Chitrakote and Tirthgarh, Kotamsar and Kailash caves, Kanger Valley National Park etc. Indravati National Park, known for tigers and buffaloes is situated at a distance of 200 Kms. West of Jagdalpur is another place worth seeing. Another virgin tourist spot is Kurschel Valley, with its gigantic trees, situated at 40 Kms, north west of Narainpur. Jagdalpur, the headquarters of Bastar district is rich in greenery, with big trees and plantations surrounding the town providing a pleasant and healthy atmosphere free from pollution. Because of this the temperature even in peak summer is moderate which is key attraction of Jagdalpur.
Chhattisgarh, is not only rich in natural beauty, it is also the tribal heartland of India and an architectural paradise. The State has a very unique and vibrant culture. There are over 35 big and small colourful tribes spread over the region. Their rhythmic folk music, dances and dramas are a treat to watch and also provide an insight into the culture of the State. The most famous dance-drama of the State is Pandwani, which is a musical narration of the great Hindu epic Mahabharata. Teejan Bai, the famous Pandwani artist and a Padamshree awardee has contributed immensely in popularizing this dance form in India and abroad. Raut Nacha ( folk dance of cowherds), the Panthi and Soowa are some of the other famous dance styles of the region.
Chhattisgarh is also renowned for its unique panorama of flora and fauna. The magnetic appeal of this land comes alive in its waterfalls, caves and hill plateaus and with nearly half of the State being forested, various national parks and sanctuaries are set up to present a rich mix of animal life that thrives in sylvan surroundings. Besides, the forests of Chhattisgarh are also home to many tribal groups, each of whose unique ethnicities define the many cultural attractions to this State. Chhattisgarh is home to abundant natural beauty, rare wildlife, waterfalls, caves and hill plateaus. In fact, the Chitrakote falls, located on the River Indravati are India’s biggest falls.
Ancient caves such as the Kotumsar and Kailash caves still have the stalactite and stalagmite formations of yesteryears. Blind fishes of Kotumsar caves are among the best tourist attractions. State has the famous Ramgarh caves, Kailash caves and Ranidah waterfalls, 44 percent of the State’s area is under a dense forest cover, some of which has been developed by the Government into national parks and wildlife sanctuaries. Some distinct species like Sonkutta, Bison and Pahari Maina are found in the jungles besides panthers, deer and reindeer.
Chhattisgarh has some of the most wonderful plateaus ranging in height between 3000 to 4400 ft. in Jashpur, Surguja and Bastar. These plateaus are vast undulating terrains full of forests, wildlife and fascinating facets of tribal culture. They are full of quiet pools, fast moving hill streams and rivers cascading down from ledge to ledge. The sanctuaries and parks offer natural water sheds with salubrious climate and clean air and water.
The land of Chhattisgarh is replete with innumerable monuments and memorials, finely carved temples, and great palaces and forts. In the heart of this State lie palaces and several other sites of archaeological and religious importance. Sirpur, Bhoramdev, Rajim, Tala, Malhar and Shivrinarayan are prime sites of heritage tourism. Chhattisgarh has a lot of cultural and pilgrim tourist traffic to Buddhist sites like Sirpur in Raipur, Jain sites like Arang in Raipur or Nagpura in Durg, Vaishnava sites like Rajim and Champaran, also in Raipur, Kabirpanthi, Sufi and Bairagi sites at Dhamdha, Damakhera, Ratanpur, Satnami sites like Giroudpuri and Bhandarpuri, Goddess temples like Maoli Mata near Chitrakote in Bastar, Mahamaya temple at Ratanpur, Khuria Rani temple near Jashpur, Bamleswari in Dongargarh, Danteshwari in Dantewara and tribal culture sites hallowed by the shadow of Angadeo, Budhadeo, Bhangaram and others.
The State has thousands of kilometers of virgin biosphere reserves with primitive tribes flourishing. The State communities established traditional knowledge systems of self-healing, nutrition and bio-produce based on bio-wealth. The State has 3 national parks and 11 sanctuaries covering a forest of 6471 sq km. Package tours have been started for areas like Baranwapara, Achankamar valley and Kanger National Park. The national parks of Kanger Valley and Indravati, the sanctuaries of Udanti, Sitanadi, Barnawapara, Achanakmar, Gomardah, Tamorpingla etc. offer the rare opportunity to see wild buffalo, gaur, tiger, leopard, singing maina and variety of antelopes in sylvan surroundings.
That Chhattisgarh is the cultural hub is also evident from the fact that performing arts are on the decline in the country, but not here. Folk theatre forms of 'Rahas' 'Nacha' 'Bhatra Nach' 'Pandwani' are some best examples of the region. Gond Pradhans and Dewars performed the traditional 'Pandwani'. They used to sing the ‘Pandwani’ ‘Gondwani’ or ‘Ramayani’ ballets on Sarangi. The prevalent form of ‘Pandwani’ is a theatrical offshoot of Mahabharata, which is based on the verse Mahabharata of Sabal Singh Chauhan. It is not based on traditional Pandwani of Pardhan Gonds. Nacha is a theatre of humour and still steeped in traditions. There are other performing arts such as the Baans Geet- a form of ballet sung by the Rauts of Chhattisgarh. A long bamboo flute accompanies these ballets. Chhattisgarh is home to many tribal groups whose presence is felt in almost every part of the State. These groups live with their age-old customs, traditions, languages, all of which are handed down from generation to generation but are diverse within themselves, so much so that it is rare to find two tribal groups share the same habits.
There are many tribal dances, which have not been polluted by outside influences. The best among them are the Bison Horn dance of Marias and the Hulki dance of Murias in Bastar. The Sarhul dance of Oraon tribe also exists in its purest form in Raigarh and Sarguja districts. ‘Karma’ dance is found throughout the State and has 14 versions. Many folk forms originated in the late 18th century and the early 19th century. Several artists of ‘Nacha’ and ‘Pandwani’ were honoured at national and State level.
The Gadhwa and Jhara communities of Bastar and Raigarh make bell metal objects of household. The Baigas of Kawardha, the Gonds of Bastar, Nagesias of Raigarh, Oraons and Rajwars of Surguja, Saoras on the borders of Orissa create wonderful paintings decorating house walls, floors and pottery. Chhattisgarh also offers possibility of industrial and conventional tourism to Bhilai or to Bailadila which has some of the highest ranges, connected with Andhra Pradesh, along with one of the most fascinating railway tracks meandering through a numerous range of tunnels. Rivers like Mahanadi and Indravati are dotted with temples and colourful landscapes. Chhattisgarh has an atmosphere full of legends, ballads, songs and stories, dedicated to cultural heroes and deities of yore.
Chhattisgarh has a rich tradition of handlooms in both cotton and Kosa. The tourist in Chhattisgarh cannot ignore the impeccable skills in Kosa in Champa Janjgir, the woolen carpets made by Tibetan refugees settled at Mainpat in Raigarh, the cotton carpets and curtains, made by wavers at Chui Khadan and the amazing range of objects in cast iron or bell metal, made by Ghadwa and Jhara craftsmen in Bastar, Surguja and Raigarh.
Chhattisgarh Tourism Minister Brijmohan Agrawal is confident that the State will carve a niche for itself on India’s tourist map. Government is also promoting the State as a land “ full of surprise”. So government focus is on the State’s lesser known facets. For example very few know that Chitrakote Falls, in Bastar, are the India’s biggest waterfalls; that Bastar’s hill Mynah can imitate the human voice better than any other bird; and the Khairagarh Sangeet Vishwavidyalaya is Asia’s only university for music and arts. Or that the Buddhist site at Sirpur is four times bigger than Nalanda.
To harness the true potential of tourism, government is adopting integrated approach for development of tourism areas. The new government has taken initiative for development of basic infrastructure at all the tourist spots and on the highways. Development of Integrated Tourist Circuit “Kawardha-Raipur-Rajim-Barnawapara-Sirpur-Gangrel-dam-Kondagaon-Bastar-Nagarnar with the help of financial assistance from Ministry of Tourism, Govt. of India. Rural tourism is being promoted in tribal villages of Nagarnar & Chitrakote with the assistance of Govt. of India and UNDP. Efforts are being made to develop Rajmergarh (Amarkantak) and Mainpat as hill station and Sirpur as a major Buddhist centre. The rest houses of all departments are being transferred to Tourism Department to put them to viable commercial use. Tourism centres have been opened in prominent cities of the nation. To boost pilgrimage tourism the State government has decided to connect the three shakti-peeths, at Danteshwari Mai in Dantewada, Ma Bamleswari in Dongargarh and Mahamaya temple in Ratanpur and equip them with the best infrastructure facilities and thereby promote the temple circuit. The unique tribal culture along with intricately carved shrines, caves, majestic forts, palaces and above all the splendid scenic beauty leaves an indelible mark on the memories of a traveller to this ‘land of plenty’.
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