Chhattisgarh

Chhattisgarh (; ) is a landlocked state in central India. It is the ninth largest state by area, and with a population of roughly 30 million, the seventeenth most populous. It borders seven states – Uttar Pradesh to the north, Madhya Pradesh to the northwest, Maharashtra to the southwest, Jharkhand to the northeast, Odisha to the east, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana to the south. Formerly a part of Madhya Pradesh, it was granted statehood on 1 November 2000 with Raipur as the designated state capital.

The Sitabenga Caves in Chhattisgarh, one of the earliest examples of theatre architecture in India, are dated to the Mauryan period of 3rd century BCE.

The region was split between rivaling dynasties from the sixth to twelfth centuries, and parts of it were briefly under the Chola dynasty in the 11th century. Eventually, most of Chhattisgarh was consolidated under the Kingdom of Haihaiyavansi, whose rule lasted for 700 years until they were brought under Maratha suzerainty in 1740. The Bhonsles of Nagpur incorporated Chhattisgarh into the Kingdom of Nagpur in 1758 and ruled until 1845, when the region was annexed by the East India Company, and was later administered under the Raj until 1947 as the Chhattisgarh Division of the Central Provinces. Some areas constituting present-day Chhattisgarh were princely states that were later merged into Madhya Pradesh. The States Reorganisation Act, 1956 placed Chhattisgarh in Madhya Pradesh, and it remained a part of that state for 44 years.

Chhattisgarh is one of the fastest-developing states in India. Its Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) is (2023–24 est.), It also has the third largest forest cover in the country after Madhya Pradesh and Arunachal Pradesh with over 41.21% of the state covered by forests.

Etymology

There are several theories as to the origin of the name Chhattisgarh, which in ancient times was known as Dakshina Kosala (South Kosala), the native place of Rama's mother Kausalya. "Chhattisgarh" was popularised later during the time of the Maratha Empire and was first used in an official document in 1795. The Bastar region was previously referred to as and .

The most popular theory claims that Chhattisgarh takes its name from the 36 ancient forts (from chhattis meaning thirty-six and garh meaning fort) in the area. The old state had 36 demesnes (feudal territories): Ratanpur, Vijaypur, Kharound, Maro, Kautgarh, Nawagarh, Sondhi, Aukhar, Padarbhatta, Semriya, Champa, Lafa, Chhuri, Kenda, Matin, Aparora, Pendra, Kurkuti-kandri, Raipur, Patan, Simaga, Singarpur, Lavan, Omera, Durg, Saradha, Sirasa, Menhadi, Khallari, Sirpur, Figeswar, Rajim, Singhangarh, Suvarmar, Tenganagarh and Akaltara. However, most historians disagree with this theory as 36 forts have not been found and identified.

According to the opinion of Hiralal, it is said that at one time there were 36 strongholds in this area, that is why its name was Chhattisgarh. But even after the increase in the number of strongholds, there was no change in the name, Chhattisgarh is the State of India which has been given the status of 'Mahtari' (Mother). There are two regions in India which are named for special reasons – one was 'Magadha' which became "Bihar" due to the abundance of Buddhism viharas and the other was 'Dakshina Kosala' which became "Chhattisgarh" due to the inclusion of thirty-six strongholds.

Another view, more popular with experts and historians, is that Chhattisgarh is the corrupted form of Chedisgarh meaning Raj or "Empire of the Chedis". In ancient times, Chhattisgarh region had been part of the Chedi dynasty of Kalinga, in modern Odisha. In the medieval period up to 1803, a major portion of present eastern Chhattisgarh was part of the Sambalpur Kingdom of Odisha.

History

Ancient and medieval history

During post Vedic period the Chhattisgarh region south-east to Daśārṇas was referred as Pulinda. Pulinda tribe were dominating tribe in this region.

Surguja District of Chhattisgarh is notable for finding of Mauryan and Nanda period coins. Few gold and silver coins of the Nanda - Mauryan ages, picked up at Akaltara and Thathari of the adjacent district of Bilaspur. Another major discovery was Sirpur of Chhattisgarh. According to the Chinese traveler Xuanzang, Ashoka erected Buddhist stupas in Shripura (modern-day Sirpur), the ancient capital of Dakshina Kosala.

Sitabenga Caves are one of the earliest examples of theatre architecture in India located on Ramgarh hill of Chhattisgarh dated to Mauryan period of 3rd century BCE.

Jogimara Caves contain ancient Brahmi inscription and the oldest painting known in India. The inscription can be translated as either a love proclamation by a girl or a dancer-painter creating a cave theatre together. In ancient times, this region was known as Dakshina Kosala. This area is also mentioned in Ramayana and Mahabharata.One of the earliest statues of Vishnu has been excavated from Shunga period site at Malhar.

thumb|Carved statue in the medieval city of Sirpur

thumb|6th 7th century Bhima Kichak Temple, Malhar Chhattisgarh India

The plains region of Chhattisgarh was formerly under the Mauryas, although they likely did not exercise much direct control in the region. After the collapse of the Mauryas, Kharavela of the Mahameghavahana dynasty, which was based in neighbouring Kalinga, took over most of Dakshina Kosala. Later in the third century, the Sathavahanas took over Dakshina Kosala, but this was contested and it returned to Megha rule. Mahendra of Dakshina Kosala, who is believed to be identified with a Megha monarch, was the ruler when Samudragupta carried out his Dakshinapatha conquests and conquered Dakshina Kosala, as recorded in Gupta inscriptions in the early 4th century CE. Afterwards the Guptas held control over Chhattisgarh through vassal rulers, and shared control with the contemporaneous Vakatakas. In the late 5th century CE, the Vakataka ruler Harisena recorded his conquest of the Dakshina Kosala region.

After the death of Vakataka ruler Harisena, the Rajarsitulyakula dynasty centred at Arang, former Gupta feudatories, took power and briefly ruled all of Dakshina Kosala. They were contemporaneous with the Nala dynasty, which was centered on the Bastar and Koraput regions. Both these dynasties were succeeded by the Sharabhpurias in the early 6th century, who were likely also former Gupta vassals who had their capital at present-day Sirpur. There is some evidence that the Somavanshis, who later gained power in Kalinga, originated from the Panduvanshis of Dakshina Kosala and were driven out by the Kalachuris of Tripuri in the late 8th century. The Kalachuris of Tripuri held on to the region for the next 200 years, splitting off their territories in Kosala in the late 10th century to be given to a vassal branch which also called itself Kalachuris.

The Kalachuris of Ratnapura, who were these vassals, became independent at the start of the 11th century to rule and fight off challenges to their authority by neighbouring kingdoms, most notably the Eastern Gangas. The last known successor is from the late 13th century, after which the records become less available. By the early 14th century, it appears as if the dynasty split into two branches: one ruling from Ratnapur and another moving to Raipur. This is attested to by inscriptions of the king Vahara in the late 15th century, identified with a figure Bahar Sahai in local tradition at the end of the 18th century. Vahara fought against the Afghans and shifted the capital to Kosgain from Ratnapur. These rulers are now identified as the Haihaiyavanshis and acknowledged the nominal overlordship of the Mughals when they arrived. In the late 14th century, Bastar was ruled by a dynasty which claimed descent from the brother of Prataparudra, the last Kakatiya king, Annamaraja.

Most of Chhattisgarh was consolidated under the Haihaiyavanshi Kingdom, who ruled central Chhattisgarh and held smaller kingdoms like Kanker under their authority. The Haihaiyavanshis continued to rule the region for 700 years until they were invaded by the Marathas in 1740 and came under their authority. Chhattisgarh was directly annexed to the Maratha Nagpur Kingdom in 1758 on the death of Mohan Singh, the last independent ruler of Chhattisgarh.

Modern history

Chhattisgarh was under Maratha Rule (Bhonsles of Nagpur) from 1741 to 1845. It came under British rule from 1845 to 1947 as the Chhattisgarh Division of the Central Provinces. Raipur gained prominence over the capital Ratanpur with the advent of the British in 1845. In 1905, the Sambalpur district was transferred to Odisha and the estates of Surguja were transferred from Bengal to Chhattisgarh.

The area constituting the new state merged into Madhya Pradesh on 1 November 1956, under the States Reorganisation Act, 1956, and remained a part of that state for 44 years. Prior to that, the region was part of the Central Provinces and Berar (CP and Berar) under British rule. Some areas constituting the Chhattisgarh state were princely states under British rule, but were later on merged into Madhya Pradesh.

Separation of Chhattisgarh

thumb|Mantralaya in [[Naya Raipur ]]

The demand for Chhattisgarh to be a separate state first rose in the 1920s, with similar demands appearing at regular intervals; however, a well-organised movement was never initiated. Several all-party platforms were created and usually resolved around petitions, public meetings, seminars, rallies and strikes. The demand was raised by the Raipur Congress unit in 1924 and was also discussed in the Indian Congress at Tripuri. A discussion about forming a Regional Congress organisation for Chhattisgarh took place. In 1954, when the State Reorganisation Commission was set up, the demand was put forward but was rejected. In 1955, the demand was raised in the Nagpur assembly of Madhya Bharat. Deciduous forests of the Eastern Highlands Forests cover roughly 44% of the state.

In the north lies the edge of the great Indo-Gangetic plain. The Rihand River, a tributary of the Ganges, drains this area. The eastern end of the Satpura Range and the western edge of the Chota Nagpur Plateau form an east–west belt of hills that divide the Mahanadi River basin from the Indo-Gangetic plain. The outline of Chhattisgarh is like a sea horse.

The central part of the state lies in the fertile upper basin of the Mahanadi and its tributaries, of which Shivnath River is a major one running around 300 km long. This area has extensive rice cultivation. The upper Mahanadi basin is separated from the upper Narmada basin to the west by the Maikal Hills (part of the Satpuras) and from the plains of Odisha to the east by ranges of hills. The southern part of the state lies on the Deccan plateau, in the watershed of the Godavari River and its tributary, the Indravati River. The Mahanadi is the chief river of the state. The other main rivers are Hasdeo (a tributary of Mahanadi), Rihand, Indravati, Jonk, Arpa and Shivnath.

thumb|The Mahanadi River, in Chhattisgarh

Forest

thumb|[[Achanakmar-Amarkantak Biosphere Reserve ]]

The state has the third largest forest by area in India. The state animal is the van bhainsa, or wild Asian buffalo. The state bird is the pahari myna, or hill myna. The state tree is the Sal (Sarai) found in Bastar division.

thumb|[[Shorea robusta, the State Tree of Chhattisgarh]]

Chhattisgarh has the 3rd largest forest cover in the country. The state is surrounded by the forests in Madhya Pradesh (1st), Odisha (4th), Maharashtra (5th), Jharkhand and Telangana making it India's largest covered forests across state boundaries. There are multiple National Parks, Tiger Reserves across the state. Achanakmar-Amarkantak Biosphere Reserve is UNESCO recognised Biosphere with total area of thumb|

Climate

Chhattisgarh has a tropical climate. It is hot and humid in the summer because of its proximity to the Tropic of Cancer and its dependence on the monsoons for rains. Summer temperatures in Chhattisgarh can reach up to . The monsoon season is from late June to October and is a welcome respite from the heat. Chhattisgarh receives an average of of rain. Winter is from November to January. Winters are pleasant with low temperatures and less humidity. Ambikapur, Mainpat, Pendra Road, Samri and Jashpur are some of the coldest places in the state.

Transport

Roads

Chhattisgarh has four-lane or two-lane roads that provide connectivity to major cities. A total of 20 national highways pass through the state, together measuring . Many national highways exist only on paper and are not fully converted into four-lane, let alone six-lane or eight-lane, highways. These include:

NH 130A New
NH 130B New
NH 130C New
NH 130D New
NH 149B New
NH 163A New
NH 343 New
NH 930 New
NH 53
NH 16
NH 43
NH 12A
NH 78
NH 111
NH 200
NH 202
NH 216
NH 217
NH 221
NH 30
NH 930 New.

The state highways and major district roads constitute another network of .

Rail network

thumb|Bilaspur Junction Railway Station

thumb|[[Raipur Junction railway station ]]

Almost the entire railway network spread over the state comes under the geographical jurisdiction of the South East Central Railway Zone of Indian Railways centred around Bilaspur, which is the zonal headquarters of this zone. Almost 85% of tracks are electrified, the non-electrified route is the Maroda–Bhanupratappur line from the Durg–Bhanupratappur branch line, which is 120 km long. The main railway junctions are Bilaspur Junction, , and Raipur, which is also a starting point of many long-distance trains. These three junctions are well-connected to the major cities of India and also these station comes under the top 50 booking stations in India.

The state has the highest freight loading in the country, and one-sixth of the Indian Railway's revenue comes from Chhattisgarh. The length of the rail network in the state is 1,108 km, while a third track has been commissioned between Durg and Raigarh. Construction of some new railway lines include Dalli–Rajhara–Jagdalpur rail line, Pendra Road–Gevra Road rail line, Raigarh–Mand Colliery to Bhupdeopur rail line and Barwadih–Chirmiri rail line. Freight/goods trains provide services mostly to coal and iron ore industries in east–west corridor (Mumbai–Howrah route). There is a lack of passenger services to the north and south of Chhattisgarh.

Major railway stations of Chhattisgarh

Air

thumb|230px|Swami Vivekananda Airport

The air infrastructure in Chhattisgarh is gradually improving. Swami Vivekananda Airport in Raipur is the primary airport (domestic) and is well connected to all major cities of India. Besides this, the smaller Bilaspur Airport, Jagdalpur Airport and Ambikapur Airport are regionally connected with scheduled commercial services. A massive reduction in sales tax on aviation turbine fuel (ATF) from 25 to 4% in Chhattisgarh in 2003 contributed to a sharp rise in passenger flow. The passenger flow increased by 58% between 2011 and November 2012.

Governance

The State Legislative Assembly is composed of 90 members of the Legislative Assembly. There are 11 members of the Lok Sabha from Chhattisgarh. The Rajya Sabha has five members from the state

Administration

Each division is headed by a Divisional Commissioner, a senior IAS officer, appointed by the government. Each division comprises several districts under its administrative jurisdiction. The district administration is headed by a Collector & District Magistrate, an IAS officer. Each district is further divided into subdivisions, tehsils, and villages for revenue administration, while for development administration it is divided into blocks.

Divisions

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: left;"

!Bastar division

!Durg division

!Raipur division

!Bilaspur division

!Surguja division

|- style="vertical-align: top;"

Bastar (Jagdalpur)
Bijapur
Dakshin Bastar Dantewada (Dakshin Bastar)
Kondagaon
Narayanpur
Sukma
Uttar Bastar Kanker (Uttar Bastar)

Balod
Bemetara
Durg
Kabirdham (Kabirdham)
Khairagarh-Chhuikhadan-Gandai
Mohla-Manpur-Ambagarh Chowki
Rajnandgaon

Baloda Bazar
Dhamtari
Gariaband
Mahasamund
Raipur

Bilaspur
Gaurela-Pendra-Marwahi
Janjgir–Champa
Korba
Mungeli
Raigarh
Sarangarh-Bilaigarh
Sakti

Balrampur-Ramanujganj
Jashpur
Koriya (Baikunthpur)
Manendragarh-Chirmiri-Bharatpur
Surajpur
Surguja (Ambikapur)

Districts

thumb|Districts of Chhattisgarh state in 2020

Chhattisgarh comprises 33 districts. The following are the list of the districts of Chhattisgarh State with major cities:

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align: left;"

! District !! Headquarter !! Largest City !! class=unsortable| Other Major Cities

| Raipur || Raipur || Raipur || Arang, Tilda-Neora

| Bilaspur || Bilaspur || Bilaspur || Kota (Kargi Road), Bilha

| Durg || Durg || Bhilai|| Charoda, Kumhari, Patan

| Korba || Korba|| Korba || Katghora, Dipka, Pali

| Raigarh || Raigarh || Raigarh|| Kharsia, Gharghora

| Rajnandgaon || Rajnandgaon || Rajnandgaon || Dongargarh, Dongargaon

| Koriya || Baikunthpur || Baikunthpur || Ramgarh

| Surguja || Ambikapur || Ambikapur|| Sitapur

| Balrampur-Ramanujganj || Balrampur || Balrampur || Ramanujganj

| Jashpur || Jashpur Nagar|| Jashpur Nagar|| Kunkuri, Patthalgaon, Tapkara

| Surajpur || Surajpur|| Surajpur || Telgaon, Bishrampur

| Janjgir–Champa || Janjgir ||Champa || Janjgir, Akaltara, Shivrinarayan

| Mungeli||Mungeli||Mungeli||Lormi, Takhatpur

| Kabirdham || Kawardha || Kawardha || Pandariya, Pandatarai

| Bemetara || Bemetara || Bemetara || Nawagarh, Saja

| Balod|| Balod || Balod || Dalli-Rajhara

| Baloda Bazar-Bhatapara || Baloda Bazar || Bhatapara || Simga, Palari, Lawan, Kasdol

| Gariaband||Gariaband || Gariaband || Rajim, Deobhog

| Mahasamund || Mahasamund || Mahasamund || Saraipali, Bagbahra

| Dhamtari || Dhamtari || Dhamtari || Kurud

| Bijapur||Bijapur || Bijapur || Sangampal, Kasiguda

| Narayanpur || Narayanpur ||Narayanpur || Kodenar, Orchha

| Kanker || Kanker ||Kanker || Bhanupratapur, Pakhanjore

| Bastar || Jagdalpur || Jagdalpur || Bastar

| Dantewada || Dantewada || Dantewada || Kirandul, Geedam

| Kondagaon|| Kondagaon || Kondagaon || Keshkal

|Sukma || Sukma || Sukma || Tadmetla, Murtonda

| Gaurela-Pendra-Marwahi || Gaurella || Pendra || Marwahi, Basti-Bagra, Rajmergarh, Pasan

| Manendragarh-Chirmiri-Bharatpur || Manendragarh || Chirmiri || Bharatpur, Khongapani, Jhagrakhand, New Ledri, Janakpur

| Mohla-Manpur-Ambagarh Chowki || Mohla|| Ambagarh Chowki|| Manpur, Chilamtol

| Sakti || Sakti || Sakti || Baradwar, Malkharoda

| Sarangarh-Bilaigarh || Sarangarh || Sarangarh || Bilaigarh

| Khairagarh-Chhuikhadan-Gandai|| Khairagarh || Khairagarh || Gandai, Chhuikhadan

Major cities

{| class="wikitable" style="margin:0.2em auto"

!colspan="12" style="padding:0.3em 0; line-height:1.2em; font-size:110%;"| Largest cities in Chhattisgarh<br />

! Rank !! City !! District !! Population

| align=center | 1 ||align=left | Raipur || Raipur ||1,010,087

| align=center | 2 ||align=left | Bhilai-Durg || Durg || 1,003,406

| align=center | 3 ||align=left | Bilaspur || Bilaspur || 717,030

| align=center | 4 ||align=left | Korba || Korba || 365,253

| align="center" | 5 || align="left" |Ambikapur|| Sarguja|| 214,575

| align="center" | 6 || align="left" | Rajnandgaon|| Rajnandgaon|| 163,122

| align="center" | 7 || align="left" | Raigarh|| Raigarh|| 150,019

| align="center" | 8 || align="left" | Jagdalpur||Bastar|| 125,463

| align=center | 9 ||align=left | Chirmiri ||Koriya || 103,575

| align=center | 10 ||align=left | Dhamtari ||Dhamtari || 101,677

| align=center | 11 ||align=left | Mahasamund ||Mahasamund || 54,413

Economy

Chhattisgarh has an urban population of 23.4% (around 5.1 million people in 2011) residing in urban areas. According to a report by the government of India, at least 30% are Scheduled Tribes, 12% are Scheduled Castes and over 45.5% belong to the official list of Other Backward Classes. The plains are numerically dominated by castes such as Teli, Satnami and Yadav while forest areas are mainly occupied by tribes such as Gond, Halba, Kamar/Bujia and Oraon. There is also a major general population like Rajputs, Brahmin, Kurmi, Bania, etc. A community of Bengalis has existed in major cities since the times of the British Raj. They are associated with education, industry, and services.

thumb|[[Danteshwari Temple is one of the Shakti peethas|alt=|left]]

Religion

According to the 2011 census, 93.25% of Chhattisgarh's population practised Hinduism, while 2.02% followed Islam, 1.92% followed Christianity and a smaller number followed Buddhism, Sikhism, Jainism or other religions.

Hindus are the majority in the state and are the dominant religion in all districts of the state. One sect particular to Chhattisgarh are the Satnamis aka Satnampanthis, who follow Guru Ghasidas, a saint who promoted bhakti towards God and against the caste system. Chhattisgarh has many famous pilgrimage sites, such as the Bambleshwari Temple in Dongargarh and Danteshwari temple in the Dantewada, one of the Shakti Peethas. Buddhism was once a major religion in Chhattisgarh.

Islam is the second-largest religion, concentrated in urban centres. Most Christians are tribals from the Surguija region.

Language

[[File:Language Map of Chhattisgarh (2011 Census).svg|left|200px|thumb|Prominent languages spoken by district<br />

]]

The official languages of the state are Modern Standard Hindi and Chhattisgarhi, both of which are Central Indo-Aryan languages (also known as Hindi languages, forming a part of the Hindi Belt). Chhattisgarhi is spoken and understood by the majority of people in Chhattisgarh and is the dominant language in the Chhattisgarh plain. Chhattisgarhi is called Khaltahi by tribals and Laria in Odia. Chhattisgarhi is itself divided into many dialects, one of the most distinct being Surgujia from the Surguja region, which is sometimes considered its own language. Near the Uttar Pradesh border this dialect merges into Bhojpuri, while it merges with Bagheli near the Madhya Pradesh border. Surgujia also merges into Sadri in the northeast along the border with Jharkhand. Standard Hindi is spoken by many migrants from outside the state, and is a major language in the cities and industrial centres, while many whose language is actually Chhattisgarhi record their speech as "Hindi" in the census. Odia is widely spoken in eastern Chhattisgarh, especially near the Odisha border. Telugu and Marathi speaking minorities can be found along the Telangana and Maharashtra borders respectively. In the eastern Bastar region, Halbi and Bhatri are major languages.

In addition, Chhattisgarh has several indigenous languages. Kurukh and Korwa are both spoken in the Surguja region. Gondi is a major language in southern Chhattisgarh: Bastar and the adjoining districts. Gondi has many dialects, such as Muria in north Bastar, which transitions to Madia further south and Dorli, transitional between Gondi and Koya, along the borders of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. In the east of Bastar. Most Gonds in the north and east of Bastar, as well as the rest of the state, speak regional languages and have largely forgotten their original tongue.

Gender ratio

Chhattisgarh has a high female-male sex ratio (991) ranking at the fifth position among other states of India. Although this ratio is small compared to other states, it is unique in India because Chhattisgarh is the 10th-largest state in India.

The gender ratio (number of females per 1,000 males) has been steadily declining over 20th century in Chhattisgarh. But it is conspicuous that Chhattisgarh always had a better female-to-male ratio compared with national average.

{| class="wikitable"

! Year !! 1901 !! 1911 !! 1921 !! 1931 !! 1941 !! 1951 !! 1961 !! 1971 !! 1981 !! 1991 !! 2001 !! 2011

| India || 972 || 964 || 955 || 950 || 945 || 946 || 941 || 930 || 934 || 927 || 933 || 940

| Chhattisgarh || 1046 || 1039 ||1041 || 1043 || 1032 || 1024 || 1008 || 998 || 998 || 985 || 989 || 991

Rural women, although poor, are independent, better organised, and socially outspoken. According to another local custom, women can choose to terminate a marriage relationship through a custom called chudi pahanana, if she desires. Most of the old temples and shrines follow Shaktism and are goddess-centric (e.g., Shabari, Mahamaya, Danteshwari) and the existence of these temples gives insight into the historical and current social fabric of this state. However, a mention of these progressive local customs in no way suggests that the ideology of female subservience does not exist in Chhattisgarh. On the contrary, male authority and dominance are seen quite clearly in social and cultural life.

Culture

Dance

Panthi, the folk dance of the Satnami community, has religious overtones. Panthi is performed on Maghi Purnima, the anniversary of the birth of Guru Ghasidas. The dancers dance around a jaitkhamb set up for the occasion, to songs eulogising their spiritual head. The songs reflect a view of nirvana, conveying the spirit of their guru's renunciation and the teachings of saint poets like Kabir, Ramdas and Dadu. Dancers with bent torsos and swinging arms dance, carried away by their devotion. As the rhythm quickens, they perform acrobatics and form human pyramids.

Pandavani

Pandavani is a folk ballad form performed predominantly in Chhattisgarh. It depicts the story of the Pandavas, the leading characters in the epic Mahabharata. The artists in the Pandavani narration consist of a lead artist and some supporting singers and musicians. There are two styles of narration in Pandavani, Vedamati, and Kapalik. In the Vedamati style, the lead artist narrates in a simple manner by sitting on the floor throughout the performance. The Kaplik style is livelier, where the narrator actually enacts the scenes and characters. Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan, and Padma Vibhushan Teejan Bai is most popular artist of Pandavani

Raut Nacha

Raut Nacha, the folk dance of cowherds, is a traditional dance of Yaduvanshis (clan of Yadu) as symbol of worship to Krishna from the 4th day of Diwali (Goverdhan Puja) till the time of Dev Uthani Ekadashi (day of awakening of the gods after a brief rest) which is the 11th day after Diwali according to the Hindu calendar. The dance closely resembles Krishna's dance with the gopis (milkmaids).

In Bilaspur, the Raut Nach Mahotsav folk dance festival has been organised annually since 1978. Tens of hundreds of Rautt dancers from remote areas participate.

Suwa Nacha

Soowa or Suwa tribal dance in Chhattisgarh is also known as Parrot Dance. It is a symbolic form of dancing related to worship. Dancers keep a parrot in a bamboo pot and form a circle around it. Then performers sing and dance, moving around it with clapping. This is one of the main dance forms of tribal women of Chhattisgarh.

Karma

Tribal groups like Gonds, the Baigas and the Oraons in Chhattisgarh have the Karma dance as part of their culture. Both men and women arrange themselves in two rows and follow the rhythmic steps, directed by the singer group. The Karma tribal dance marks the end of the rainy season and the advent of spring season.

Cinema

Chhollywood is Chhattisgarh's film industries. Every year many Chhattisgarhi films are produced by local producers.

Lata Mangeshkar sang a song for Chhattisgarhi film Bhakla of Dhriti pati sarkar.

Mohammed Rafi sang a song for Chhattisgarhi film. He had also sung songs for various Chhattisgarhi films like Ghardwaar, Kahi Debe Sandesh, Punni Ke Chanda, etc.

Cuisine

Chhattisgarh is known as the rice bowl of India and has a rich tradition of food culture.

The typical Chhattisgarhi thali consists of roti, bhat, dal or kadhi, curry, chutney and bhaji. Few Chhattisgarhi dishes are Aamat, Bafauri, Bhajia, Chousela, Dubkikadhi, Farra, Khurmi, Moong Bara, Thethari, and Muthia.

Festivals of Chhattisgarh

Major festivals of Chhattisgarh include Bastar Dussehra/ Durga Puja, Bastar Lokotsav, Madai Festival, Rajim Kumbh Mela, and Pakhanjore Mela (Nara Narayan Mela).

Tourism

Chhattisgarh, situated in the heart of India, is endowed with a rich cultural heritage and attractive natural diversity. The state is full of ancient monuments, rare wildlife, exquisitely carved temples, Buddhist sites, palaces, waterfalls, caves, rock paintings, and hill plateaus.

Maitri Bagh in Bhilai is the largest and oldest zoo of Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.

Mainpat is mini Shimla of Chhattisgarh.

There are many waterfalls, hot springs, caves, temples, dams and national parks, tiger reserves and wildlife sanctuaries in Chhattisgarh.

India's first man-made jungle safari is also situated in Raipur.

Sports

Abujhmad Peace Marathon is the largest sports event of Narainpur.

The Chhattisgarhiya Olympics are an annual Chhattisgarhi celebration of traditional Indian games such as kabaddi and kho-kho. The inaugural 2022 edition drew in around 2.6 million participants (almost 10% of the state's population).

Education

According to the census of 2011, Chhattisgarh's literacy, the most basic indicator of education, was at 71.04 percent. Female literacy was at 60.59 percent.

Absolute literates and literacy rate

Data from Census of India, 2011.