Holy Pilgrimage – Chattisgarh State –( Bambleshwari temple, Bhoramdeo Temple, Champakeshwar temple, Danteshwari temple, Ganga Maiya, Bhageshwari temple)

at 9:35 PM













































Holy Pilgrimage – Chattisgarh State   








Bambleshwari Temple (Chattisgarh)

Bambleshwari Temple is at Dongargarh in Rajnandgaon district, Chhattisgarh, India. It is on a hilltop of 1600 feet. This temple is referred as Badi Bambleshwari. Another temple at ground level, the Chhotti Bambleshwari is situated about 1/2 km from the main temple complex. These temples are revered by lakhs of people of Chhattisgarh who flock around the shrine during the Navratris of Kavar (during Dashera) and Chaitra (during Ram Navami). There is tradition of lighting Jyoti Kalash during Navaratris here.

Location

Dongargarh is 107 kilometers from Raipur, via Bhilai, Durg and Rajnandgaon. Dongargarh does not exactly fall on the massive Mumbai highway, a diversion some 25 km before, from the Calcutta-Mumbai National Highway (NH #6) leads the vehicle through lush green vegetation and mild forests on a narrow winding single road.
Dongargarh is located at a distance of 40 km from district headquarter Rajnandgaon and is well connected with buses from Rajnandgaon. Dongargarh is also well connected with trains. It is on the Mumbai - Howrah main line at a distance of 170 km from Nagpur and 100 km from Raipur . The nearest airport is at Raipur Airport.
The rope-way in the hill on which the temple is located, is another attraction to the tourists in the city. It is very popular to the tourists as it is the only rope-way that has been set up in Chhattisgarh state

Legend

Dongar means mountains while Garh means fort. Legend goes that around 2200 years ago, Raja Veersen, a local king, was childless and upon the suggestions of his royal priests performed puja to the gods. Within a year, the queen gave birth to a son whom they named Madansen. Raja Veersen considered this a blessing of Lord Shiva and Parvati and constructed a temple here

Jyoti Kalash

Jyoti Kalash (Sanskrit: ज्योती कलश) is a symbolic representation of Hindu goddess Durga. During Navaratri festival devotees light Jyoti Kalash, in temples of Devi, to appease her. Jyoti Kalash derives its name from combination of two Sanskrit words Jyoti and Kalash.
The Jyoti Kalash, consists of earthen lamps (Diyas) lit with ghee, which are placed on earthen pots (Kalasha), covered with earthen lid. The fire (Jyoti) burns continuously for nine days and nights of Navaratri, symbolizing the divine presence of mother goddess on earth during nine days of Navaratri.[1] Surrounding the main temple are many big halls where Jyoti Kalashas are lit by the devotees are kept for nine days, which are supervised by volunteers, who keep feeding the lamps with ghee for nine days.[1]
Many people install Jyoti Kalash at their home also during Navaratri. The procession of Jyoti Kalash is taken out on ninth and final day of festival to immerse the Jyoti Kalash in river or other water bodies.[2][3]
The Jyoti Kalash procession can be seen in Rajasthan[3] Uttar Pradesh,[2] Madhya Pradesh and especially in Chhattisgarh, where the festival and installation of Jyoti Kalash is very popular and people throng the temples of Bambleshwari, Danteshwari, Mahamaya, Maoli, Kankalin, Adbhar and many others to install the Jyoti Kalash

 

 

Bhoramdeo Temple

 

Bhoramdeo Temple is a very old Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Shiva and is located at a distance of 18 km from Kawardha town in Kabirdham district in the Indian state of Chhattisgarh. This temple, scenically situated amidst mountain ranges, was built in the period of 7th to 11th century AD. The temples were built by King Ramchandra of the Nag Dynasty and have a special attraction for lovers of history and archaeology.
Amidst the picturesque surroundings of Maikal mountains and dense forests, the perfect blend of religious and erotic sculptures, the Bhoramdeo temple, is carved on the rocky stones in the Nagar style. The Shiva Linga in the temple is beautifully carved and the artistic appeal beckons the visitors. The Bhoramdeo temple has a resemblance with the Khajuraho temple, and that is why it is also called the Khajuraho of Chhattisgarh. In the backdrop of natural beauty, this temple is also unique for its architecture. Cunnigham had termed it as one of the most beautifully decorated temple seen by him.

The temple

The main temple here has two parts. One is known as Ishtika made temple and the other is completely stone-carved. The main Bhoramdeo temple is in front of a tranquil and cool lake. This medieval temple has been constructed upon a five feet high sprawling platform including a ‘Mandap’ (shelter) Antral (Passage) and ‘Garbha Grih’ (The main house of God). This east facing temple has three openings except in the west. In the 60 ft. x 40 ft. area of the temple the Mandap which is square shape having four pillars in the centre and the rest are in periphery, associated with high roofs. There is a half shelter also on every entrance. In the 9 x 9 sq. ft sized ‘Garbha Grih’ a Shiva Linga’ is situated. The top of Grabha Grih goes straight to the summit of the temple, known as the ”Kalash”. The east side Kalash is open in a circular form, probably to reduce the weight and maintain the balance of the structure. Near the entrance on the outer walls, the sculptures of Lord Vishnu and his other incarnations can be seen, besides those of Shiva, Ganesha etc. The rows of idols, starting from top to bottom, have sizes of one, one and half, and two feet height respectively. The bottom part of the temple has four structures to keep the main body of the temple intact braving adverse weather condition. There are only four joints, but no ‘kalash’ on the top of the same. The idols of elephants and lions are queued up on the top, giving the temple a decorative look. The main idols in the temple are those of Uma-Maheswar, Natraj, Narsimha, Vaman, Krishna, Surya, Kaal, Bhairava, Nritya Ganesh, Kartikeya, Tandul, Shivgang, Chamunda, Ambika, Sapta-Matrika and Laxmi-Narayan. The traces of ‘Ram-Katha’ are also engraved here in stones. Amidst a variety of idols the carnal sculptures of the temple are known worldwide for their exquisite carving in different erotic poses, obviously to reflect the lifestyle of those historic periods. In the north of the temple, there is a brick structured temple, which has got a superbly crafted series. On the North East and South portions of the ‘Garbha Grih’ the right angled projections add attraction to the site having big one in the middle and smaller ones on the outer side.

A midst the picturesque surroundings of Maikal mountains and dense forests, the perfect blend of religious and erotic sculptures, the Bhoramdeo temple, is carved on the rocky stones in the Nagar style. This temple was built in the period of 7th to 11th century A.D.
       The Shiva Linga in the temple is beautifully carved and the artistic appeal beckons the visitors. The Bhoramdeo temple has a resemblance with the Sun temple of Konark and The Khajuraho temple , and that is why it is also called the Khajuraho of Chhattisgarh. The “Madwa Mahal” near the Bhoramdeo temple is another beautiful  historic monument, worth seeing. Just one  km. away from Bhoramdeo , Madwa Mahal is known as the memorial of the marriage of Nagwanshi king and Haihawanshi Queen. ‘Madwa’ is a word from the local dialect synonymous to marriage pandal.
       Madwa Mahal was originally a Shiv temple but due its shape, like a marriage shamiyana, it is known as “Madwa Mahal”. It is also called Dullhadeo. Nagwanshi emperor Ramchandra Deo has built it in 1349 A.D. The Shiva Linga is inside the ‘Garbha Grih’ and the ‘Mandap rests upon 16 pillars’.
       The erogenous idols of this temple are also extremely beautiful. On the outer walls there are as many as 54 erotic sculptures in different poses. These asanas from the “Kam sutra”, are truly an epitome of eternal love and beauty. They are artistically significant too. The Nagwanshi  Kings were believed to be  the practitioners of ‘Trantra’ as their contemporaries in Khajuraho. The traces of turmeric on the walls, indicate that marriage and other rituals must have been performed here from time to time.
       Coming back to the historic Bhoramdeo temple, in the backdrop of natural beauty, this temple is also unique for its architecture. Cunnigham had termed it as one of the most beautifully decorated temple seen by him.
       The main temple here has two parts. One is known as Ishtika made temple and the other is completely stone-carved. The main Bhoramdeo temple is in front of   atranquil and cool lake. This medieval temple has been constructed upon a five feet high sprawling platform including a ‘Mandap’(shelter) Antral(Passage) and ‘Garbha Grih’(The main house of God). This east facing temple three openings except in the west. In the 60 ft. x 40 ft. area of the temple  the Mandap which is square shape having four pillars in the centre and the rest are in periphery , associated with high roofs. There is a half shelter also on every entrance. In the 9 x 9 sq. ft sized ‘Garbha Grih’ a Shiva Linga’ is situated. The top of  Grabha Grih goes straight to the summit of the temple known as   the
”Kalash”. The east side Kalash is open in a circular form, probably to reduce the weight  and maintain the balance of the structure. Near the entrance on the outer walls, the sculptures of Lord Vishnu and his other incarnations can be seen, besides those of Shiva, Ganesha etc. The row of idols from top to bottom have a size of one , one and half , and two feet height respectively The bottom part of the temple has four structures to keep the main body  of the temple intact braving adverse weather condition. There are only four joints but no ‘kalash’ on the top of the same. The idols of elephants and lions are queued up on the top give the temple a decorative  look. The main idols in the temple are those of Uma-Maheswar, Natraj , Narsimha , Vaman , Krishna, Surya , Kaal , Bhairava, Nritya Ganesh , Kartikeya, Tandul, Shivgang, Chamunda, Ambika, Sapta-Matrika and Laxmi-Naryan. The traces of 'Ram-Katha' are also engraved here in stones. Amidst a variety of idols the carnal sculptures of the temple are known worldwide for their exquisite carving  in different erotic poses, obviously to reflect the lifestyle of those historic periods.In the north of the temple, there is a brick structure temple, which has got a superbly crafted  series. On the North East and South portions of the ‘Garbha Grih’ the right angled projections add attraction to the site having big one  in the middle and smaller ones  on the outer side.
        The brick-Structured temple also has similar Garbha Grih, as in main temple but there is no ‘Mandap’ in the front and only a open projected wall is there called ‘Allinda’. The top of this temple , too , is equal to the Bhoramdeo temple but the peak is broken  mid-way. The entrance of the ‘Garbha Grih’ is completely stone-carved having one centre pillar and three adjoining pillars still intact. Inside the main temple there are shiva Linga and idols of Uma-Maheshwar. The king and queen are standing in the front as the worshippers.

Transport

Bhoramdeo temple is situated near Kawardha at a distance of 18 km by road from Kawardha in Kabirdham district. Raipur is the nearest Railway station on the Mumbai-Howrah main line. Regular Buses ply from Raipur (116 km), Rajnandgaon (133 km) and Jabalpur(220 km) to Kawardha. Taxis are available from Kawardha (18 km) to the temple site.Raipur Airport is the nearest airport
By Air :- Raipur(134 kms) is the nearest airport connected with Delhi, Mumbai , Magpur, Bhuneshwar, Kolkata , Ranchi , Viskhapatnam and Chennai.

Champakeshwara Temple, Champaran

 

Champaran (formerly known as Champajhar) in Raipur district has religious significance, as the birthplace of Saint Vallabhacharya, the reformer and the founder of the Vallabh Sect. It has a temple constructed in his honour. Near this is a temple of Champakeshwara Mahadeva. An annual fair is held here every year, in the month of Magh (January - February). It is also customary for followers of Saint Vallabhacharya to celebrate his birth anniversary here every year on the eleventh bright day of Baisakh (April–May). Two large well furnished dharmasalas* are available to stay in.

Transport
A City bus service is provided by Raipur City Bus Limited (RCBL) for the intra-city travel. Raipur Municipal Corporation launched the Raipur City Bus service on 25 Feb 2008. The company runs 40 buses out of which 32 are low floor Tata Starbus. Paratransit modes in the form of auto-rickshaws and tuk-tuk are available all over the city. 100 new city buses under JNNURM Have been inducted by RNNTL,Which will serve the old raipur,And will also connect new raipur. A Metro Train is proposed for an 86 km metro line from Naya Raipur-Raipur-Bhilai-Durg-Rajnandgaon in the Budget 2012-13. Almost 10,000 people commute per day from Raipur to Rajnandgaon. But the general public thinks that metro should be introduced on Raipur-Bilaspur route because the traffic pressure is higher than the Raipur-Rajnandgaon.

Raipur

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.
In the 4th century AD the king Samudragupta had conquered this region and established his domination till fifth–sixth century when this part had come under the rule of Sarabhpuri kings. For some period in the fifth–sixth century, Nala kings dominated this area. Later on Somavanshi kings had taken the control over this region and ruled with Sirpur ("City of Wealth") as their capital. 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 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 separate commissionery with its headquarters at Raipur in 1854. After independence Raipur district was included in Central Provinces and Bera
Raipur is located near the centre of a large plain, sometimes referred as the "rice bowl of India", where hundreds of varieties of rice are grown.[3] The Mahanadi River flows to the east of the city of Raipur, and the southern side has dense forests. The Maikal Hills rise on the north-west of Raipur; on the north, the land rises and merges with the Chota Nagpur Plateau, which extends north-east across Jharkhand state. On the south of Raipur lies the Deccan Plateau

Some prominet religious places

  • Hatkeshwar Mahadev Temple
  • Dudhadhari Montesary and Temple
  • Mahamaya Temple
  • Banjaari Mata Dham
  • KaliBadi
  • Sadani Darbar
  • Jagannath temple, Gayatri nagar
  • Baba budhasahib Gurudwara, (opp Telibandha lake)

Notable people associated with Raipur

Swami Vivekananda spent 2 years of his teenage in Raipur from 1877 till 1879 when his father was transferred here.

  Osho started his teaching career as a lecturer in Raipur Sanskrit College in 1957

 Anurag Basu, noted Bollywood movie director was born in Raipur and later moved to the neighbouring city of Bhilai
 Nitya Prakash, noted author and film writer teaches at ITM University, Raipur
K. S. Sudarshan, the former chief of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, was born in Raipur in 1931.Coincidentally he also died in Raipur on Sep 15,2012
 Vidya Charan Shukla, former Union Minister and 9 times parliamentarian, was born in Raipur .
 Ravishankar Shukla, the 1st Chief Minister of the state of Madhya Pradesh, spent his childhood and was educated in Raipur.

Transport

Railways

Raipur is situated on the Howrah-Nagpur-Mumbai line of the Indian Railways (via Bhusawal, Nagpur, Bilaspur, Kharagpur) and is well connected with almost all major cities like New Delhi, Mumbai, Bhopal, Jabalpur, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Kota, Ahmedabad, Jaipur e.t.c.A branch line from Raipur to Vizianagaram via Titlagarh originates from here. Also there is a narrow gauge line connecting Raipur to Rajim and Dhamtari via Abhanpur. This narrow gauge line is being converted into broad gauge line and realigned to serve the city of Naya Raipur as well.
The main railway station Raipur Junction is situated near the heart of the city. There are 8 small railway stations for local/passenger trains in other parts of the city. These are
  • W.R.S. Colony Railway Satation
  • Urkura Railway Station
  • Mandhar Railway Station
  • Saraswati Railway Station (National Institute of Technology Raipur Campus),
  • Sarona Railway Station
  • Mandir Hasaud Railway Station
  • Telibandha Terminal (Narrow Gauge)
  • Mana (Narrow Gauge)

Roads

National Highways connecting Raipur to various cities are as under:[5]
National Highways number
Connecting cities
NH 6
Hajira-Dhule-Nagpur-Raipur-Sambalpur-Baharagora-Calcutta
NH 43
Raipur-Vizianagaram Junction with National Highway No. 5 near
Natavalasa
NH 200
Raipur-Bilaspur-Raigarh-Kanaktora-Jharsuguda-Kochinda-Deogarh-Talcher-Chandhikhol
NH 217
Raipur-Gopalpur

NH 12A
Raipur-Jhansi

Airport

Swami Vivekananda Airportor (Mana Airport) is the city's airport located 15 km away from the center. A Four Lane road is proposed on V.I.P. road which will connect airport to city more efficiently. The New Airport Terminal is proposed to avoid crowd hassle in old mana airport. The airport has seen a surge in traffic post after 2006 and presently connects Raipur to most of the major airports of India & operates 38 flights Daily. Raipur Airport is the second most busiest airport in central India after Nagpur.
Airlines
Destinations
Indian Airlines
Delhi, Mumbai
IndiGo
Bangalore, Delhi, Hyderabad, Indore, Kolkata, Mumbai
Jet Airways
Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Bhopal, Chandigarh, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Indore, Jaipur, Kolkata, Mangalore, Mumbai
JetKonnect
Delhi, Mumbai,

Local transport

A City bus service is provided by Raipur City Bus Limited (RCBL) for the intra-city travel. Raipur Municipal Corporation launched the Raipur City Bus service on 25 Feb 2008. The company runs 40 buses out of which 32 are low floor Tata Starbus. Paratransit modes in the form of auto-rickshaws and tuk-tuk are available all over the city. 100 new city buses under JNNURM Have been inducted by RNNTL,Which will serve the old raipur,And will also connect new raipur. A Metro Train is proposed for an 86 km metro line from Naya Raipur-Raipur-Bhilai-Durg-Rajnandgaon in the Budget 2012-13. Almost 10,000 people commute per day from Raipur to Rajnandgaon. But the general public thinks that metro should be introduced on Raipur-Bilaspur route because the traffic pressure is higher than the Raipur-Rajnandgaon.  .


Danteshwari Temple


Danteshwari Temple is temple dedicated to Goddess Danteshwari, and is one of the 52 Shakti Peethas, shrines of Shakti, the divine feminine, spread across India. The temple built in 14th century by the Chalukyas of the South, is situated in Dantewada, a town situated 80 km from Jagdalpur Tehsil, Chhattisgarh. Dantewada is named after the Goddess Danteshwari, the presiding deity of the earlier Kakatiya rulers. Traditionally she is the Kuldevi (family goddess) of Bastar state
The temple is as according legends, the spot where the Daanth or Tooth of Sati fell, during the episode when all the Shakti shrines were created in the Satya Yuga.
Every year during Dusshera thousands of tribals from surrounding villages and jungles gather here to pay homage to the goddess, when her idol was taken out of that ancient Danteshwari temple and then taken around the city in an elaborate procession, now a popular tourist attraction part of the 'Bastar Dussehra' festival.[4][5]There also a is tradition of lighting Jyoti Kalashas during Navaratris here.

 

Overview

Situated in Dantewada, south-west of Jagdalpur, at the confluence of the holy rivers Shankini and Dhankini,both the rivers have different colors,this six hundred year old temple is one of the ancient heritage sites of India and is a representation of the religio-socio-cultural history of the Bastar region. Little is known about this shrine to much of India. The vast temple complex today is truly a standing monument to centuries of history and tradition. With its rich architectural and sculptural wealth and its vibrant festival traditions, Danteshwari Mai temple serves as the most important spiritual center for the people of this region.

Legend

It is believed that a tooth of Sati had fallen here and Danteshwari Shakti Peetha was established. According to the ancient legend, Goddess Sati committed self-immolation in the fire pit of yagna kund, due to an insult committed by her father Daksha towards her consort Lord Shiva during the Yaga. Raged by the death of Sati, Lord Shiva destroyed the Yaga of Daksha and with the body of Sati in his hands started to do 'Taandav'.Lord Vishnu cut the dead body of Goddess Sati with his Sudarshan to free Lord Shiva from the grief caused by her death. Parts of the dead body of Goddess Sati were scattered to fifty-two different places, which were consecrated as Shakti Pithas.

Architecture

The Danteshwari temple was built in the 14th Century by the Chalukya kings in South Indian style of temple architecture. The idol of Danteshwari Mai is chiseled out of black stone. The temple is divided into four parts such as Garbh Griha, Maha Mandap, Mukhya Mandap and Sabha Mandap. Garbha Griha and Maha Mandap were constructed with stone pieces. There is a Garuda Pillar in front of the entrance of the temple. The temple itself is located in a spacious courtyard surrounded by massive walls. The shikhara is adorned with sculptural finery.

Trasnport

Dantewada (also known as Dantewara)s a town and a nagar panchayat in the Dantewada district in the state of Chhattisgarh, India.[1] It is the administrative headquarters of Dantewada District.
The town is named after the goddess Danteshwari, the presiding deity of the Danteshwari Temple located in the town, 80 km from the Jagdalpur tehsil. The goddess is worshipped as an incarnation of Shakti and the temple is held to be one of the fifty-two sacred Shakti Peethas
The Trasnport for Jagaldalpur City

Transport

Road transport

Road network in and around Jagdalpur can be seen from the road network map of the area.
In view of the poor rail and practically non-existent air connectivity, road based transport has emerged as the sole mode of transport for almost all the goods as well as people originating from or destined to Jagdalpur.
Jagdalpur is well connected by road with the Chhattisgarh state capital Raipur, Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram and other nearby National Highways providing onward connectivity to other major towns and cities of India.
The National Highways passing through Jagdalpur are NH 30 (connecting Raipur to Vizianagaram in Andhra Pradesh), NH 221 (connecting Jagdalpur to Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh) and NH 16 (connecting Jagdalpur to Nizamabad in Andhra Pradesh) while passing through Maharashtra.
NH 30 at Raipur connects Jagdalpur to NH 6 leading to Nagpur and Kolkata.
NH 221 near Vijayawada connects Jagdalpur to NH 9 leading to Hyderabad and Pune.
NH 16 at Bhopalpatnam connects with NH 202, which once completed, would connect Jagdalpur to Warangal and Hyderabad.
Missing links in NH 16[2]
Even though the NH 16 purports to connect Jagdalpur to Nizamabad in Andhra Pradesh while passing through Maharashtra, the connectivity has not been established till date due to two missing bridges en route.
One of the missing bridge is on river Indravati near Bhopalpatnam in Bijapur district in Chhattisgarh as is evident from the road network map of the area. One has to cross the river through boat ferry to go to Sironcha taluq of Maharashtra.
As one goes further towards Maharashtra on the NH 16, there is another bridge missing on river Pranahita near Sironcha as is evident from the road network map of the area.
Refer this article for an update as of March 27, 2012.
Missing link in NH 202
Even though the NH 202 purports to connect Bhopalpatnam to Warangal and Hyderabad, the connectivity has not been established till date due to a missing bridge en route on the river Godavari near Jampanna Vaagu, Warangal district in Andhra Pradesh as is evident from the road network map of the area.
Refer this article for an update as of March 27, 2012.

Rail transport

Jagdalpur is not particularly well connected by trains to other cities. Rail network in and around Jagdalpur can be seen from the map of the area. There have been series of efforts in the past three decades to have meaningful rail connectivity between Jagdalpur and Raipur, the capital of Chhattisgarh but none have succeeded so far.
A line from Bailadila to Visakhapatnam via Jagdalpur is in place mainly for the purposes of evacuation of iron ore by NMDC from Kirandul with limited passenger trains. Plans are underway for doubling the railway line from Bailadila to Jagdalpur. The cost of this is projected to be about INR 870 crore which is proposed to be initially borne by NMDC and NMDC will in turn get a rebate in the freight from Indian Railways towards the initial cost incurred by NMDC.[3]
It would be evident from a cursory glance at the railway map of India[4] that, east central India, i.e., Jagdalpur and its surrounding areas have no rail lines and certainly no usable rail connectivity with Raipur.
Existing Rail Connectivity
There are daily trains connecting Jagdalpur to Visakhapatnam (passenger train 58501/58502), Bhubaneswar (Hirakhand Express 18447/18448) and Kirandul (passenger train 58501/58502). According the new railway budget of 2012-13, Jagdalpur has got one new train i.e. Jagdalpur - Durg express (via titlagarh) and the(18005/18006) Howrah - Koraput express has been extended to Jagdalpur. (Durg–Jagdalpur Tri-weekly express 18211/18212) will leave Durg on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday 3.15 p.m. with its arrival at Rayagada at 10.30 p.m., departure at 10.50 p.m., and will reach Jagdalpur on Wednesday, Friday and Monday at 6.45 a.m. In Return Jagdalpur – Durg Tri-weekly express will leave Jagdalpur on Wednesday, Friday and Monday at 12.30 p.m., with its arrival at Rayagada at 08.00 p.m, departure at 08.20 p.m. and will reach Durg on Thursday, Saturday and Tuesday at 05.05 a.m.
Jagdalpur - Raipur Rail Connectivity[5]
One can go to Raipur from Jagdalpur by train for which one has to take the Jagdalpur–Bhubaneswar train and get down at Rayagada and there board the Visakhapatnam-Korba train which will go to Raipur and beyond.
The above however is a roundabout way to reach Raipur from Jagdalpur as it is a much longer route (622 km compared to 300 km by road) and takes much longer time (about 16 Hrs as compared to 5-6 Hrs by road).

Air transport

There is an airport at Jagdalpur but no scheduled services are currently run to or from here. The airport is predominantly used by political leaders and insurgency operation related activities by army and the police. The nearest airport is Raipur Airport in capital city of Raipur and Visakhapatnam Airport, Andhra Pradesh

Sati (goddess)

Satī (Devnagri:  , IAST: satī), also known as Dakshayani: dākṣāyaṇī ), is a Hindu goddess of marital felicity and longevity. An aspect of Devi, Dākshāyani is the first consort of Shiva, the second being Parvati, the reincarnation of Sati herself.
In Hindu legend, both Sati and Parvati successively play the role of bringing Shiva away from ascetic isolation into creative participation in the world.[1] The act of Sati, in which a Hindu widow immolates herself on her husband's funeral pyre as a final and consummate act of loyalty and devotion, is patterned after the deed committed by this goddess to uphold the honour of her husband.

Legend

The Goddess, took human birth at the bidding of the god Brahma. Sati was born as a daughter of Daksha Prajapati and his wife Prasuti. Daksha was a son of Brahma and a great king and magnate in his own right. The girl was named Gauri, "the turmeric-hued one,". As the daughter of Daksha, she is also known as Dakshayani. She is also called Satī (Devanagari: सती, the feminine of sat "true").
By this logic, Sati is grand-daughter of Brahma by Daksha, but is also great grand-daughter of Brahma because Prasuti is daughter of Manu (Manu is son of Brahma).

Marriage with Shiva

In bidding the Goddess to take human birth, Brahma's design was that she should please Shiva with humble devotions and wed him. It was natural that Gauri, even as a child, adored the tales and legends associated with Shiva and grew up an ardent devotee. As Gauri grew to womanhood, the idea of marrying anyone else, as intended by her father, became anathema to her. Every proposal from valiant and rich kings made her crave evermore the ascetic of Kailasa, the God of Gods, who bestowed all on this world and himself foreswore all. To win the regard of the ascetic Shiva, the daughter of king Daksha forsook the luxuries of her father's palace and retired to a forest, there to devote herself to austerities and the worship of Shiva. So rigorous were her penances that she gradually renounced food itself, at one stage subsisting on one bilva leaf a day, and then giving up even that nourishment; this particular abstinence earned her the sobriquet Aparnā. Her prayers finally bore fruit when, after testing her resolve, Shiva finally acceded to her wishes and consented to make her his bride.
An ecstatic Gauri returned to her father's home to await her bridegroom, but found her father less than elated by the turn of events. The wedding was however held in due course, and Gauri made her home with Shiva in Kailasa. Daksha, depicted in legend as an arrogant king, did not get on with his renunciative son-in-law and basically cut his daughter away from her natal family

Daksha's arrogance

Daksha once organized a grand yajna to which all the gods were invited, with the exception of Gauri and Shiva. Wanting to visit her parents, relatives and childhood friends, Gauri sought to rationalize this omission. She reasoned within herself that her parents had neglected to make a formal invitation to them only because, as family, such formality was unnecessary; certainly, she needed no invitation to visit her own mother and would go anyway. Shiva sought to dissuade her, but she was resolved upon going; he then provided her with an escort of his ganas and bid her provoke no incident.

Self-immolation

Gauri was received coldly by her father. They were soon in the midst of a heated argument about the virtues (and alleged lack thereof) of Shiva. Every passing moment made it clearer to Gauri that her father was entirely incapable of appreciating the many excellent qualities of her husband. The realization then came to Gauri that this abuse was being heaped on Shiva only because he had wed her; she was the cause of this dishonour to her husband. She was consumed by rage against her father and loathing for his mentality. Calling up a prayer that she may, in a future birth, be born the daughter of a father whom she could respect, Sati invoked her yogic powers and immolated herself.

Shiva's rage

Shiva sensed this catastrophe, and his rage was incomparable. He loved Sati more than any and would never love after her. So, he created Virabhadra and Bhadrakali, some call as [Manbhadra], two ferocious creatures who wreaked havoc and mayhem on the scene of the horrific incident. Nearly all those present were indiscriminately felled overnight. Daksha himself was decapitated.
According to some traditions, it is believed that an angry Shiva performed the fearsome and awe-inspiring Tandava dance with Sati's charred body on his shoulders. During this dance, Gaurī's body came apart and the pieces fell at different places on earth. According to another version, Shiva placed Gauri's body on his shoulder and ran about the world, crazed with grief. The Gods called upon the god Vishnu to restore Shiva to normalcy and calm. Vishnu used his Sudarshana Chakra to dismember Gauri's lifeless body, following which Shiva regained his equanimity. Both versions state that Gauri's body was thus dismembered into 51 pieces which fell on earth at various places. Several different listings of these 51 holy places, known as Shakti Peethas, are available; some of these places have become major centers of pilgrimage as they are held by the Goddess-oriented Shakta sect to be particularly holy.
After the night of horror, Shiva, the all-forgiving, restored all those who were slain to life and granted them his blessings. Even the abusive and culpable Daksha was restored both his life and his kingship. His decapitated head was substituted for that of a goat. Having learned his lesson, Daksha spent his remaining years as a devotee of Shiva.

Aftermath

Dākshāyani was reborn as Parvati, daughter of Himavat, king of the mountains, and his wife, the Devi Mena. This time, she was born the daughter of a father whom she could respect, a father who appreciated Shiva ardently. Naturally, Pārvatī sought and received Shiva as her husband. This legend appears in detail in Tantra literature, in the Puranas and in Kālidāsa's lyrical Kumārasambhavam, an epic that deals primarily with the birth of Kartikeya

 

 Ganga Maiya

 

Ganga Maiya is a holy place situated in Jhalmala, a place near Balod in Durg District. During the Hindu festival of Navratri, this place is very crowded. Many worshipers of Maa Durga come here to every year to celebrate the Navratri. Navratri is celebrated twice a year i.e. in the Hindu month of Chaitra and Kunwar. During these nine days devotes keep fasting and thousands of people visit this place barefoot and they come by walking from long distance.  

Balod is a town in bank of river tandula and a nagar palika in Balod district in the state of Chhattisgarh.. Balod is 44 km from Dhamtari and 58 km from Durg. Balod.. Recently Balod become 19Th district of Chhattishgarh.
To reach Durg
Durg is a station on the Howrah-Nagpur-Mumbai line.

 

 

 Maa Bhageshwari Devi Temple , Kudargarh

 

Kudargarh is a famous Hindu pilgrim centre situated in Surajpur District of the state of Chhattisgarh in India. It is 40 km from district headquarters of Surajpur connected by an all weather road. The best time to visit is during Chaitra Navaratra (in the month of April).

Temple

The Maa Bagheshwari Devi Temple dedicated to Goddess Kudargarhi is perched on top of a hill and is the major attraction in Kudargarh.
The history of the temple is obscure. According to Dalton, the temple was built by Baland Kings. Balands were the original rulers of Korea state in 17th century.
Also Devotees throng this temple to appease the goddess for the fulfillment of their desires. On fulfillment of their wish, the Goddess is offered with the blood of a goat which is poured in to a small hole (kund) of 6 inch in diameter. It is said that the kund would not get filled up even if thousands of goat's blood is poured into it, in which blood goat in honour of devi is given, a fact is that it never overflows

Places of interest In Surajpur

Durga Mandir

Durga Mandir is situated at Tilsiva 1KM from Center of Surajpur.

Gaytri Mandir

Gaytri Mandir is one of the famous and oldest temple situated on the bank of river Rihand at gayatri nagar west in surajpur. A Temple of lord sarda. surajpur wakes up with the prayer "Gayatri Mantra", which can be heard at 5:00AM throughout surajpur. Temple is surrounded by Nursery and parks.

Shiv Park

Shiv Park is one of the famous and well managed Park/zoo Developed by the local Authority after the formation of Chhattisgarh. It is the best place to hangout. Shiv park is situated on Gayatri Mandir Road at Gayatri Nagar (West).

Mahamaya Mandir

Mahamaya Mandir is situated at Devipur 4KM away from Surajpur. Mahamaya Temple is one of the famous and Oldest temple. People from different Places visit Mahamaya Mandir toworship and now it has become a major Tourist Attraction Place in Chhattisgarh. The people of Surajpur District has a great faith on Mahamaya devi and during Navratri this place becomes a major attraction and navratri mela is being organised by the people. The daily free bus service is being provided by the Bhakt mandaly of Surajpur for the pilgrimage and devoties to reach Devipur from Surajpur. A Huge arrangement is being made by the Local People and public Authorities as well.

Shyam Baba Temple

It is again a famous Temple situated at Surajpur. Large Mela and Nagar Bhraman is bening Organised by the Local People. Numbers of Peoples around Surajpur and other district around gather on the eve to celebrate Lord Shyama Birthday.

Kudargarh

One of the famous Temple in chhattisgarh of Lord Kudargarhi Maa is situated on the Kudargarh hill. with a beautiful location and mesmarising site seen attract the devoties and tourist. Every Navratri this place becomes a sacred destination for devoties and pilgrims. huge mela is organised by the people of surajpur. Baank dam and forest reserve are also a tourist attraction here. many wild life animals and birds (Deer, Bear, Tiger, Leopard, Fox, Elephant, Barasingha, cattle egret, pond heron, black ibis, common peafowl, crested serpent, racket tailed drongo,hawk eagle and red-wattled lapwing, various species of flycatcher, woodpecker, pigeon, dove, parakeet, babbler and mynah, Indian roller, white-breasted kingfisher and grey hornbill. )can be seen apart from a beautiful picnic destination. For More Detail Visit - www.Maakudargarhi.in Designed By Rakesh Sahu

Deogarh

One of the most Sacred Place to worship Lord Shiva. It is situated 35 km form Surajpur towards West. It is a Holy Place of Lord Shiva on the bank of River Rihand.Deogar in Chhattisgarh is a famous Hindu pilgrimage center. It’s a nice place and has the temples of Baba Bholenath- one of the 'jyotirlingas' in India. Deogarh Dham of Surajpur in Chhattisgarh is a key pilgrim centre. However A large mela is organised here on every Shivratri by Surajpur Bhakt Mandali and other group.Shivratri, or Mahashivratri, is the most auspicious day dedicated to Lord Shiva and is popularly known as the night of Siva, People from different region and places like Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, U.P, Jharkhand, Orissa, Maharastra, gather in surajpur on the bank of River Rihand near Gayatri Mandir (Surajpur), From were the yatra begins. pilgrims here take bath in Sacred Rihand, wear neat and Clean Cloth (Gayruaa vastra), fill the sacred jal (Water) and after a small puja they start their journey carrying the jal on kanwar towards Deogarh Shiv mandir (a 35 km Yatra )for jalabhishek of Lord Shiva. after reaching one day prior to Shivratri whole night pilgrim pray for lord Shiva (ratri jagran and bhajan) . on Next morning (Shivratri Day)pilgrim after taking bath in rihand river devotes (Pour) Milk, Sacred Jal carried, Bel Patra, Flowers, etc. to Lord Shiva, and take the blessing of lord sihiva to live happily without condition.

 

Transport

Road

Surajpur is one of the major cities in Chhattisgarh so transportation is not an issue here. It is Linked with Both Road and Railways. National Highway 43 Cross to link KATNI towards North and GUMLA & RACHI towards east. Surajpur is directly linked to Varanasi Via Bhaiyathan → Biharpur → Waidhan → Singrauli and towards Bilaspur → Raipur → Bhilai → Nagpur via Devipur and Rampur.
Surajpur is well connected to Raipur, Bilaspur, Raigarh, Katni, Nagpur, Allahabad, Varanasi, Rachi, Kolkata, Bhuwneshwar, Cuttak. so you can travel easily by roads also. The city is connected with National Highway 78.

Air

Raipur airport is the nearest airport from Surajpur. Surajpur is well connected with Raipur airport. Daily train / Bus are available from/ To Surajpur. The Nearest airport near Surajpur is Raipur (Capital of Chhattisgarh). One can take flights from Delhi for Raipur and use the connecting bus or train service directly from Raipur (Durg - Ambikapur Express is the best train to reach Surajpur). Almost all major cities of the country is connected through Raipur Airport. India Airlines, Deccan, Kingfisher and Air India is Providing their Daily Service to all the Major airports of the Country.

Rail

Surajpur Railway station is 6 km (3.7 mi) away from the City Center situated on the east part. The station provides best connection with Bhopal the state capital of Madhya Pradesh. Raipur the state capital of Chhattisgarh. Bilaspur is the headquarter of Southeast Central Railways and is well connected with mail and super-fast trains from Bhopal, Indore, Mumbai, New Delhi, Gwalior, Ahmedabad, Kolkata, Patna, Lucknow, Chennai, Bangalore, Nagpur, Katni, Kota, Jaipur, Jammu & Hyderabad. Some of the important train connecting Surajpur Road are :
Besides this it halts for a few seconds at Anuppur station for trains like Garib rath, Utkal Express, Heerakund Express, New Delhi Sampark Kranti, Bilaspur - Rewa Etc.

 




 





Om Tat Sat
                                                        
(Continued...)                                                                                                                              



(My humble  salutations to the great devotees ,  wikisources  and Pilgrimage tourist guide for the collection )

Posted by gopalakrishna Thursday, December 13, 2012
Labels: , , , , ,

0 comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)