Places to See

Champaran (Champajhar) The village Champajhar now known as Champaran situated 60 Km from Raipur is famous as the birth place of Saint Vallabhacharya, the reformer and founder of the Vallabh Sect. There is a temple constructed in honour of Swamy Vallabhacharya and a temple of Champakeshwara Mahadeva. Two well furnished Dharmasalas are available for stay at Champaran. The birth anniversary of the saint is celebrated during April - May when large number of his followers assemble to pay homage. An annual fair is also held during January- February.

Mahant Ghasidas Memorial Museum
Located near D.K.Hospital, the Museum was established in 1875 by Raja Mahant Ghasidas of Rajnandgaon. The museum records the major events in the town's history. It has two floors with five galleries. The first floor has objects related to nature and its history containing various mammals, Snakes, and birds. There is also a huge library here.

Mahakoshal Art Gallery
This octagon shaped gallery is also located near D.K.Hospital. This gallery displays art works of the locals.

Budhapara Lake
There are many lakes in Raipur. The biggest of them is the spectacular lake Budhapara, built around 1402, by Kalchuri emperor King Bramhdeo. Another lake of prominence is the Kho-kho lake. There are many beautiful parks also in Raipur city.

Sirpur or Shripur
Sirpur or Shripur the city of wealth has been mentioned in ancient epigraphic records and dates back to a periods ranging from between the Fifth and the Eighth century A.D. It was then the capital of the Sarbhapuriya and Somvanshi Kings of Dakshin Kosala or Chhattigarh. It was an important centre of Buddhist from the 6th the 10th century A.D. and was visited by Hieun Tsang, the 7th Century Chinese Pilgrims and Scholar. Excavations in and around the village have yielded scores of temple sites constructed of bricks, stone pillars and sculptures such as the Shiva Temple of Panchayatan style and the beautiful sculpture of Mahishasuramardini. Two Buddhist monasteries have also been found.

The Lakshmana Temple found here is a brick temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu. The temple is the only brick temple of its size still standing in this State. The door frame is of stone and a figure of the reclining Vishnu on the Sheshnag may be found on the Lintel. This temple was built by Vasata, the widow queen of Harsh Gupta of the Somvansh. Another temple is the GANDHESHESHWARA TEMPLE (formerly Gandharveshvara) and is interesting because of the Epigraphic records and Genealogy of the Kings of the Somvansh. Some extremely good Vaishnav sculptures are to be found in the Mandapa and several Jain, Buddhist and Hindu Sculptures have been collected in the precincts of the temple. The most interesting feature of the Sirpur site is that archeological pieces connected with the Shaiv, Vaishnav, Jain and Buddhist religions (of approximately the same age) have been found side by side. The ruins are seen on the banks of numerous tanks existing within a radius of about 6 kilometers around Sirpur.

Turturiya
The Forest village Turturiya Situated on the bank of a spring called Turturiya or Sursuri Ganga contains numerous buddhist remains of 8th Century A.D. and the Brahmanical remains of later period. The site yielded numerous exquisitely sculptured pillars, remains of STUPA made of fine bricks, traces of bathing Ghats, Lingams figures of four armed Vishnu, Ganesha, a man hunting a lion with sword and a man wrestling with an animal. There are numerous heaps of ruins all of bricks, picked with stone. The place is of a great archaeological and anthropological interest.

Rajim
Situated on the right bank of the river Mahanadi was one of the important urban centres in the Mahakoshal region. It is famous for its fine group of temples. The main temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu known as Rajivalochana Temple. The twelve pillars of the temple have tall single figures sculptured on the face like Durga with eight arms, the Ganga and Yamuna and exquisitely carved incarnation of Vishnu, Rama, Varaha (boar) and Narasimha (Man-cum-Lion) etc. There is also a black stone statue of the Budha meditating under the Bodhi tree. There are other temples around the main temple of Rajivalochana dedicated to different incarnations of lord Vishnu such as Vamana (dwart) Narasimha (Man-cum-Lion) Badrinath and Jagannath. Of the ruins of numerous temples found nearby the most remarkable is that of Kuleshvara Mahadeva Temple. The tongue of the land on which the temple stands became severed from the main land by the river and is now actually on an island. Three inscriptions belonging to Somavanashis, Nalas and Kalchuris are found here.


Barnawapara Sanctuary
Barnawapara sanctuary occupies the Northern part of Mahasamund District and covers an area of 244.66 sq. Kms.

Sita Nadi Sanctuary:
The Sitanadi Sanctuary occupies the Southern most parts of Dhamtari Tehsil in Raipur District land joins Orrisa State boundary. It covers lover 552.55 Sq. Kms. of area.

Udanti Sanctuary:
The Udanti Sanctuary occupies the South-Eastern portion of Gariaband Tehsil of Raipur District and adjoins Orissa State in Eastern side. It covers an area of 247.59 Sq. Kms. The Sanctuary is principally created to protect the wild buffaloes. The other species are also abundant in the area.