Bilaspur tourism

Best tourist place near bilaspur 

1.Ratanpur

                      Ratanpur is a town located about 25 km from Bilaspur City on NH-200 towards Ambikapur. This city was founded by King Ratnadev and was previously named Ratnapur. It was the capital of the Kalchuri Dynasty in 1000 AD and remained an important place for several centuries. The restoration work of the Ratanpur Fort has been completed by the Archaeological Survey of India, whose findings have been put on the National Archaeological Map.

King Ratnadev built the Mahamaya Temple here, which has a dual idol of Goddesses Saraswati and Laxmi. This temple is recognised as a Sidh Peeth and is the most popular religious place in Chhattisgarh. Tourists from different parts of the country visit this temple year-round to offer prayers and seek blessings. Several new temples, dedicated to different Gods and Goddesses have been built in the campus of the Mahamaya Temple.

Navratri is celebrated with great zeal at the temple, during which many tourists visit this temple to offer prayers and light the jyoti. Fairs are organised here during this period, which are quite popular with the tourists.

2. Achanakmar Wildlife Sanctuary

Achanakmar Wildlife Sanctuary was established in 1975 under the Wildlife Protection Act. This dense forest, which spreads over an area of 555 sq. km, is about 40 km from Bilaspur City. This sanctuary houses wild animals including tiger, leopard, chital, sambar, bear and various other animals.

Several watch towers are erected at different places inside this sanctuary, from where tourists can clearly see the wild animals roaming in their natural habitat. From Bilaspur, tour for this jungle is organised by the forest department. Tourists can also use their own vehicles to tour the jungle.
Guides are provided by the forest department to ensure that tourists do not get lost inside the sanctuary. These guides are available at the check post in Achanakmar and Lamni. Keeping in view the needs of tourists, the forest department have set up several rest houses inside the sanctuary. An herbal cultivation centre is also set up by the department near Lamni.

3.khutaghat near Ratanpur 

Khutaghat dam built on the Kharung River is located about 33 km from Bilaspur City on the Bilaspur-Ambikapur Highway. Over the years, it has developed into a wonderful picnic spot. It also comprises a beautiful garden and boating facility recently set up by the administration department.

The irrigation department maintains a rest house, which can be booked by tourists to view the sight when water is released into the canal for irrigation.

4.Talagaon 

Talagaon, a small village on the banks of Maniyari River, is located at a distance of 30 km from Bilaspur City. This village gained popularity after the excavation of the Deorani-Jethani Temple. This mandir is more than 1500 years old and houses a statue of Rudrashiv, which is still in excellent condition. The statue has a unique assembly of various animals, snakes and insects. Many human faces are designed on the different parts of the body.

The temple walls are decorated with carvings and statues, which depict the stories of Lord Shiva. At the entrance of this temple, tourists can find artistic statues of several deities. Recently, a beautiful park has been developed around the temple, which adds to the beauty of the attraction. New carvings have been made on the walls of the temple, along the river bank.

5. Malhar 

Malhar, a small town of archaeological importance, is located in the Bilaspur District, just 30 km away from Bilaspur City. Ruins of temples, dating back to 10th and 11th century, have been excavated here. The Archaeological Survey of India has marked several other sites for excavation within the attraction.

Malhar was once an important centre during the Kalchuri regime. A museum has been setup by the Archaeological Department to display the artefacts that have been excavated. Malhar and Budikhar are the two villages where several old artefacts have been found. Among these, the most prominent ones are the temples of Didneshwari, Pataleshwar and Dewari. At the popular Didneshwari temple, tourists can witness the beautiful black idol of Didneshwari Devi.

6. Kurdar valley resort 

Kurdar Valley Resort situated at Village Kurdar, Just 68 Kms from Bilaspur-Chhattisgarh, 95 Kms from Amarkantak and 41 Kms from Ratanpur and 36 Kms from Kota.

Bilaspur – from the past to present

Bilaspur is the main city of the district of the same name located in the state of Chhattisgarh. The city is said to be almost 400 years old and was under the control of Kalachuri dynasty of Ratanpur. The city was named after a fisherwoman named “Bilasa” during the 17th century. At that time the town was merely a fishing village. infact, even today, a major portion of the fishes in the market comes from Bilaspur.

Bilaspur was once a Maratha territory came under the management of East India Company in 1818. Railways arrived in Bilaspur between 1880 – 90 in the form of Bengal Nagpur Railways.

Bilaspur and the Indian Railways

The Bengal Nagpur Railway was formed in 1887 in order to upgrade the Nagpur Chattisgarh Line by extending it via Bilaspur to Asansol. This was done to provide a shorter route from Howrah to Mumbai than the longer route via Allahabad.

Did you know, before independence, railways in India were own by private players? Each section of the railways was own by a private entity and they were responsible for the operation of the railways.

Bengal Nagpur Railways was not thought of as a major part in railways in order to connect the important cities of the Indian sub-continent. But gradually, it became the more popular route between Howrah and Mumbai (as it was shorter) and later as the major trunk route from Howrah to Chennai.

In 1944, the management of Bengal Nagpur Railways was taken over by the Government of India. In 1955, Bengal Nagpur Railways were separated from the combined East Zone and named as the South Eastern Railways.

Later in 2003, South East Central Railway (SECR) and East Coast Railway (ECR) was carved out of South Eastern Railway. Bilaspur is now the headquarters of SECR and remains one of the most important parts of the Indian railways. Infact, a majority of the profit generated by Indian Railways comes from SECR.

Bilaspur – a smart city

Bilaspur has been selected as one of the Indian cities to be developed as a Smart city under the Smart Cities Mission of the Government. We could see the glimpse of a smart city in their efforts to keep the city clean. Proper roads were being made and some roads were in good condition. It is a work in progress.

Bilaspur 

.Some interesting facts about Bilaspur before you check out the tourist places in Bilaspur

• The Bilaspur High Court is the largest High Court in Asia. Bilaspur is known as Nyaydhani or Law Capital of the state. Interestingly, the High Court of Chhatisgarh is situated in Bilaspur and not in its capital, Raipur.
• The Headquarters of Southeast Central Railways is in Bilaspur. SECR was the highest origination freight earner in Indian Railways in 2018-19 at Rs.23,298 crores. SECR is one of the highest profit-earning regions of the Indian Railways.
• Bilaspur is the 4th longest Railway station in India.
• Bilaspur is the headquarters of Southeastern Coalfields Limited (SECL).
• Bilaspur is known for an aromatic variety of rice named Doobraj. Bilaspur is also known as the rice bowl of India.
• Kosa silk is woven in and around Bilaspur. This is a soft silken handloom and is the favourite of many saree loving women of India. Just like in Chanderi and Benaras, I was quite interested to know more about the Kosa Silk of Bilaspur.