Once upon a time the capital city of powerful kingdom, Raipur lost its raison
dêtre when its reigning dynasty lost their domain to stronger forces.
Like the phoenix, Raipur has risen from the ashes of obscurity and taken front
place as the capital city of the new born state of Chattisgarh.
Few people travel to Raipur for leisure or pleasure - most visitors are business
travellers in search of government contracts and lucrative deals. Those who
do stray from their set itineraries discover ruins that tell tales of the
city's once glorious past, fortifications that stood guard over the city,
its residents and the temples and lakes that were integral to the life of
the people.
History
Raipur district is important in historical and archeological point of view.
This district was once part of Southern Kosal and considered to be under Mourya
Kingdom. Raipur city had been the capital of the Haihaya Kings, controlling
the traditional forts of the Chhattisgarh for a long time. The town of Raipur
has been in existence since the 9th century, the old site and ruins of the
fort can be seen in the southern part of the city. Satawahana Kings ruled
this part till the 2nd-3rd century AD.
In the 4th Century AD the king Samudragupta had conquered this region and
established his domination till Fifth-Sixth Century AD when this part had
come under the rule of Sarabhpuri Kings. For some period in Fifth-Sixth Century
A.D., Nala kings dominated this area. Later on Somavanshi kings had taken
the control over this region and ruled with Sirpur (Sripur-The city of Wealth)
as their capital city. Mahashivgupt Balarjun was the mightiest emperor of
this Dynasty. His mother, the widow Queen of Harshgupta of the Somavansh,
Rani Vasata built the famous brick temple of Lakshman. The Kalchuri Kings
of Tumman ruled this part for a long time making Ratanpur as capital. The
old inscriptions of Ratanpur, Rajim and Khallari refer to the reign of kalchuri
kings. It is believed that the King Ramachandra of this dynasty established
the city of Raipur and subsequently made it the capital of his kingdom.
Another story about Raipur is that King Ramachandra's son Brahmdeo Rai had
established Raipur. His capital was Khalwatika (Now Khallari) . The newly
constructed city was named after Brahmdeo Rai as 'Raipur'. It was during his
time in 1402 A.D. that Hajiraj Naik the temple of Hatkeshwar Mahadev was constructed
in the banks of river Kharun.The decline of this dynasty's rule came with
the death of king Amarsingh Deo. This region had become the domain of Bhosle
kings after the Amarsingh deo's death. With the death of Raghuji the III,
the territory was assumed by the British Government from Bhonsla'a of Nagpur
and Chhatisgarh was declared a seperate Commissionery with its Headquarters
at Raipur in 1854. After independence Raipur district was included in Central
Provinces And Berar.
Places to See
Lakes and Temples
Raipur is a city of lakes - the many lakes that dot the area all have a historical
connection and are credited to one local luminary or the other. The Kankali
Talab near the Kankali Temple goes all the way back to the 1660s and was constructed
under the supervision of Mahant Kripalgiri; Maharaja Roadani built the MaharajabandhLake
in 1770 and also gets credit for the Raja Talab. Dinanath built the TelibandhaLake
in 1835.
The ruins of a medieval fort lie to the north of the Maharajabandh Lake -
the fortifications were built during the reign of King Ramachandra, the founder
of Raipur. Budheshwar Temple, Virenchi Temple, Bramha Temple, Mahamaya Temple
and SamlaiTemple are all situated in the fort area known as Bramhapuri.
Excursion
Sirpur
The time has reduced the erstwhile capital of Chattisgarh to a city of ruins
- tumbled down temples, royal residences and monasteries all tell the story
of a grand and glorious past. The Lakshmana Temple is only monument of this
period that still stands. The bumpy road ride is made worthwhile by the museum
at Sirpur - the museum houses a fine collection of statues and artefacts from
the ruins.
Wild Life Sanctuaries
Barnawapara (110km), Sita Nadi (170km) and Udanti (170km) Sanctuaries - are
the three main wildlife sanctuaries in close proximity to Raipur. Open all
year round, they are best visited in the dry season from November to June.
Thick deciduous forests of sal, teak and other hardwoods provide shelter and
sustenance to a host of birds and a variety of animals like the chinkara,
Indian gazelle, nilgai, wild dogs, hyena, Indian bison, jackal, sloth bear
and tigers.
Dining Out
Restaurants and cafes in Raipur offer a medley of dining choices -
neither authentic or cordon bleu cuisine but good enough to eat. The fare
ranges from the ubiquitous Tandoori, Mughlai- Punjabi to South Indian with
India’s version of Chinese food thrown in for good measure. Raipur’s
elevation to state capital has resulted in the opening of a number of eating
establishments, as more people travel to the capital on business. Recent additions
feature Tex-Mex, American style fast food, pizzas and shakes on their menus.
Shopping
Shopping options abound in Chattisgarh with its myriad handicrafts and textiles.
Local craftsmen produce a mind-boggling variety of handcrafted items using
natural materials like wood, bamboo, bone, horn, stone, feathers as well as
bell metal, gold, silver and paper. Hand woven fabric, Pithora paintings,
Dokra metal animals and figurines, carved woodwork, coloured beads and chunky
jewellery are some special things available for visitors to buy.
Visiting
The best time for a visit Raipur is during the winter season between the months
of October to February/March. Summers are pretty warm and the rains can make
travel fairly difficult
How to get there
By Air : Raipur, the capital of Chattisgarh, is the only
place in the state that is linked by air to New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Jabalpur,
Bhubhaneshwar, Bhopal and Nagpur (Maharashtra) by regular Indian Airlines
flights.
By Train : Raipur is one of the two main junctions in the
state that are on the routes of express and passenger trains that either directly
or indirectly connect the state to other parts of India. The superfast Rajdhani
Express connects Raipur to New Delhi, the Bilaspur-Nizamuddin Gondwana Express
runs thrice a week and travels from New Delhi to Raipur via Bilaspur. Passenger
and mail trains connect most big and small towns within the state to Raipur.
By Road : Raipur has excellent connections to places in the
neighbouring states of Andhra, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Maharashtra, Jharkhand
and Uttar Pradesh. Inter-state and national highways connect Raipur to Bhopal,
Nagpur, Jhansi, Jabalpur and to cities further afield like Kolkata and Bhubhaneshwar.
The important towns of the region, Bhilai (25 km), Durg (41 km), Jagadalpur
(297 Km), Rajnandgaon(70 km) and Bilaspur (115 km) are connected with Raipur
by road. Interstate State Roadways buses ply between the different cities
while chartered bus operators run services on major routes. Rented chauffeur
driven cabs and MUVs can be hired from travel agents but car rental companies
as such may be hard to find.
