How to reach Chhattisgarh
Chhattisgarh is well connected by land air and rail. It is well connected by roads with the states of Odisha and Madhya Pradesh, so normally we combine programs of these 3 states
- By Rail: The best way to get to Chhattisgarh is by the enormous Indian Railway Network. Raipur and Bilaspur are the major stations and are well connected to rest of India.
- By Road: Raipur is the heart of Chhattisgarh and it is well connected by the neighboring states of Odisha and Madhya Pradesh. The Interstate and national highways connect Raipur to Bhopal, Nagpur, Jhansi and Jabalpur.
- By Air: Raipur’s new airport is located at Mana and there are flights everyday to important cities like New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Nagpur, Vishakapatnam, Indore, Pune, Ahmedabad and Ranchi.
Best time to visit Chhattisgarh
The best time to visit Chhattisgarh is in the winters i.e during the months of October and March. We recommend most of our clients for October to witness the most beautiful Chhattisgarh Dusshera Festival. The summers are hot and humid, temperatures can go upto 40 Deg Celsius. The peak season of Chhattisgarh is during the period of October to March so we recommend you to plan your trip well in advance to avoid any last minute changes.
Places of interest
As it is said the State is full of surprises. We recommend you shouldn’t miss any of the following places:
- Bhoramdeo Ancient Shiva Temple
- Excavated sites at Sirpur
- Kondagaon ferro metal craft village
- Chitrakut and Tirathgarh waterfalls
- Kanger Valley National Park
- Colorful weekly haats (markets)
- Barnawapara wildlife sanctuary
- And many more.
Festivals of Chhattisgarh
The most important festival in Chhattisgarh is the BASTAR DUSSHERA
This festival mainly centers around the city of Jagdalpur. The festival has been celebrated in Jagdalpur since many years. It is said to have been started by the fourth Kakatiya ruler of Bastar. The Bastar dusshera is held for 75 days and involves the participation of all the tribes of Bastar region, with deities from all the villages being brought to the Danteshwari temple of Jagdalpur.
With a phenomenal 44 % forest cover, including three national parks and eleven wildlife sanctuaries. Chhasttisgarh can undoubtedly be branded as the green state. It is prime tiger country comprising of mainly tropical and moist and dry deciduous forests and significantly rich in endemic species as well as medicinal plants. Among the varied wildlife region, the highlight is definitely is the rare wild buffalo famous for its magnificent horns. The noteworthy wildlife parks of Chhattisgarh are :
- Achanakmar Wildlife Sancutary
- Barnawapara Wildlife Sanctuary
- Bhoramdeo Wildlife Sancutuary
- Kanger Valley National Park
- Udanti Wildlife Sanctuary
Tribes of Chhattishgarh
Chhattisgarh primarily derives its identity from the culture, music and craft of 42 different tribes inhabiting it. Chhattisgarh ranks 8th in India in terms of density of tribal population. The main tribal communities are as follows :
- Gonds : Most populous tribes of Chhattisgarh found in the Bastar District.
- Maria : Found in the Bastar , Dantewada and Kanker District.
- Muria : They are also known as Gothul Muria known for their Gothul System.
- Baiga : They are also known as the village priests or medicine men.
- Halba : Considered to be the best farmers of Chhattisgarh
- Bhatra : The term refers to as helper and most of them work as village watchmen.
- Korba : Once a nomadic tribe , they are classified into hill korba and plains korba
- Kamar : They are Hunters by profession
The haat or weekly market is the lifeline of rural economy of Bastar. No visit to this region can be complete without a visit to one of the haats . It provides a unique oppurtunity to the tourist to mingle with the locals and get a taste of traditional culture.
There are nearly 300 haats near Bastar region . The items available include agricultural and forest produce , as well as local handicrafts . Generally the forest produce collected by the tribals and handicrafts made by them are bartered in exchange of commodities like salt , tobacco , vegetables and cloth. The Haat has managed to retain its traditional flavor despite ever increasing urbanization.
The haat also acts as a platform that brings the various rural communities together. It is not unusual for people to walk 20-30 kms to go to a particular haat. Men and women can be seen dressed in their traditional costumes . For the haat is not a mere market – one does not come to the haat only to buy and sell but also to meet relatives , catch up on local gossip over a cup of local brew and course to watch a cock fight which is very interesting .
The Important Haats of Chhattisgarh are the following :
- Sunday: Narayanpur weekly market , Jagdalpur weekly market , Chingitarai weekly market
- Monday: Tokepal weekly market
- Tuesday: Pakhnar weekly market
- Wednesday: Dantewada weekly market , Darbha weekly market
- Thursday: Chilpi weekly market , Bahigaon weekly market , Bastar weekly market
- Friday: Taregaon weekly market , Kuknar weekly market , Lohandiguda weekly market , Nagarnar weekly market
- Saturday: Mardum weekly market
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