Chhattisgarh
Photos: Suyash Dwivedi (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Forested central Indian state with Bastar tribal culture, big waterfalls, caves and wildlife.
Chhattisgarh is a forested central Indian state known for tribal culture in Bastar, large waterfalls, caves, old temples and wildlife sanctuaries. Raipur is the capital and main entry point.
Highlights: Chitrakote Falls on the Indravati river · Bastar tribal culture and weekly haats · Kanger Valley National Park caves and Tirathgarh Falls · Brick and Buddhist monuments at Sirpur · Mainpat hill plateau and Tibetan settlement · Barnawapara Wildlife Sanctuary
When to go
Green best · blue good · red avoid · this month outlinedDestinations
Towns, valleys and cities worth the trip, with how they rate this month.
Raipur
Capital and main gateway of Chhattisgarh.
Jagdalpur
Main town of Bastar and base for its waterfalls, caves and tribal markets.
Chitrakote Falls
Horseshoe-shaped waterfall on the Indravati river, often called the widest in India.
Kanger Valley National Park
Forested national park near Jagdalpur with limestone caves and Tirathgarh Falls.
Sirpur
Ancient town on the Mahanadi with the brick Laxman temple and Buddhist viharas.
Barnawapara Wildlife Sanctuary
Forest sanctuary north-east of Raipur known for gaur, deer, leopards and birds.
Mainpat
Cool plateau in Surguja with a Tibetan settlement, viewpoints and waterfalls.
Top sights
Kotumsar Cave
Limestone cave in Kanger Valley National Park with stalactites, stalagmites and blind cave fish; closed in the monsoon.
Chhattisgarh Science Centre
Mahant Ghasidas Memorial Museum
Ain-ul-mulk's tomb
historic site in Bijapur
Doli Gutta
mountain in India
Siddheshwar Mandir, Palari
7th to 8th century Hindu brick temple from Dakshina Kosala period
Chitrakoot Falls
waterfall on the Indravati River in Chhattisgarh, India
Tamda Ghumar
natural waterfalls in Chhattisgarh, India
Nature and outdoors
Gangrel Dam
Large dam on the Mahanadi near Dhamtari; its reservoir shore at Onakona is a popular outing.
Chitrakote Falls
Wide horseshoe-shaped waterfall on the Indravati River west of Jagdalpur, often called the widest waterfall in India.
Gulmohar Vatika Park
VIDHYA VATIKA
Tandula Dam
1921 dam near Balod that supplies water to Durg, Bhilai and the Bhilai Steel Plant.
Kanger Ghati National Park
national Park near Jagdalpur
Indravati National Park
National park in Bijapur district named after the Indravati River, which forms its northern edge.
Sitanadi Wildlife Sanctuary
Sanctuary of 556 sq km in Dhamtari district, set up in 1974.
Things to do
Where to eat
Shopping
Food to try
- Rice-based food: chila (rice pancake), fara (steamed rice dumplings), muthia, bafauri (steamed gram dal snack), aamat (Bastar vegetable stew), dehrori (sweet), and chapda chutney made from red ants in Bastar.
Festivals
- Bastar Dussehra (a long tribal festival lasting about 75 days, around September-October), Rajim Punni Mela (February-March, Rajim), Hareli and Pola (farming festivals in the monsoon), Teeja, and Madai fairs in tribal areas.