Chhattisgarh Tourism

Chhattisgarh , a state in central India, formed when the sixteen Chhattisgarhi speaking southeastern districts of Madhya Pradesh gained statehood on November 1, 2000. Raipur serves as its capital. It is the 10th largest state of India by area. Chhattisgarh takes its name from 36 (Chattis is thirty-six in Hindi and Garh is Fort) princely states in this region from very old times.

It borders Madhya Pradesh on the northwest, Maharashtra on the west, Andhra Pradesh on the south, Orissa on the east, Jharkhand on the northeast and Uttar Pradesh on the north.

The Chhattisgarhi language, part of the East-Central group of Indo-Aryan languages, is the predominant language in the region. It is often regarded by linguists to be a dialect of Hindi, which is the official language of the state. The hill districts of the state serve as a home to the Gond peoples, who speak Dravidian languages.

The northern part of the state lies on the edge of the great Indo-Gangetic plain: The Rihand River, a tributary of the Ganges, drains this area. The eastern end of the Satpura Range and the western edge of the Chota Nagpur Plateau form an east-west belt of hills that divide the Mahanadi River basin from the Indo-Gangetic plain. The central part of the state lies in the fertile plain of the Mahanadi and its tributaries, with extensive rice cultivation. The southern part of the state lies on the Deccan plateau, in the watershed of the Godavari River and its tributary the Indravati River. Forests cover roughly forty-four percent of the state.

Mahanadi River, one of largest rivers in India, originates from Chhattisgarh. Other main rivers are Hasdo (a tributary of Mahanadi), Rihand, Indravati, Jonk and Arpa.

The north and south part of the state is hilly. The middle part is plain. The weather and climate is typical to that of central India.

Eco-tourism

With 12% share of India’s forests, Chhattisgarh’s three National Parks and eleven Wildlife Sanctuaries and National Parks are a major attraction. It has several virgin attractions in protected areas such as Kanger Valley National Park, Barnawapara, Sitanadi, Udanti and Achanakmar Sanctuaries. The endangered Wild Buffalo (Bubalis bubalis) and the even more endangered Hill Myna (Graculis religiosa peninsularis) are the State Animal and State Bird respectively. The State has taken several steps for their preservation. Natural attractions are being promoted with increased local participation and encouragement to herbal gardens and natural health resorts. The mystique of aboriginal tribal ethno-medicine which predates even Ayurveda has been preserved and practised over the millenia. Mainpat (Surguja), Keshkal valley (Kanker), Chaiturgarh (Bilaspur), Bagicha (Jashpur), Kutumbsar caves, Kailash caves, Tirathgarh falls, Chitrakot falls (Bastar) are all exhilarating destinations being promoted for nature and wildlife tourism. Wildlife areas, camping grounds and trekking facilities would be few of the prime attractions.

Culture, Heritage and Ethno-Tourism

Chhattisgarh has identified and is developing ethnic villages and private sector is encouraged for proper maintenance and professional site management of important heritage sites/monuments. Bhoramdeo, Rajim, Sirpur, Tala, Malhar and Sheorinarayan are prime sites for heritage tourism. Festivals like Dusshera at Bastar, Madai at Dantewada and Narainpur, Bhoramdeo, Raut Nacha, Chakradhar Samaroh and Rajim are being marketed for global exposure.

Pilgrim Tourism

The State encourages development of pilgrimage centres. Rajim, Champaranya, Dongargarh, Sheorinarayan, Girodhpuri, Dantewada, Ratanpur, Sirpur and others are prime destinations for pilgrim tourism. Sirpur and Dongargarh would be part of the wider Buddhist tourist circuit.

Adventure Tourism

There is great scope for the promotion of modern adventure sports such as water sports, trekking, rock climbing, parasailing and bungee jumping.