Chattisgarh lies on the central-eastern part of India which is famous all over the country for being the only source of electricity and steel for the India. The State was formed on 1 November 2000 by separating itself from Madhya Pradesh. During the formation of Chattisgarh 16 Chattisgarhi- speaking South-Eastern districts of Madhya Pradesh came to be known as Chattisgarh with Raipur city as its capital city. Chattisgarh shares its border with Madhya Pradesh in the northwest, Maharashtra in the southwest, Telangana in the south), Odisha in the southeast, Jharkhand in the northeast and Uttar Pradesh in the north. At present the state comprises 27 districts. Hindi and Chattisgarhi are widely spoken in this State.
| Information About Chattisgarh | |
|---|---|
| Established | 1 November 2000 |
| Area | 135,198.5 km2 |
| Density | 189/Km2 |
| Total Population (2011) | 25,545,198 |
| Males Population | 12,832,895 |
| Females Population | 12,712,303 |
| Districts | 27 |
| Capital | Naya Raipur |
| Largest City | Raipur |
| High Court | Chhattisgarh High Court |
| Rivers | Mahanadi, Godavari. Indravati |
| Forests & National Park | Indravati National Park, Indravati National Park, Indravati National Park |
| Languages | Chhattisgarhi , Hindi |
| State Animal | Wild Asian Buffalo |
| State Bird | Hill Myna |
| State Tree | Sal |
| State Flower | Rhynchostylis gigantea |
| Literacy Rate (2011) | 70.28% |
| Females per 1000 males | 991 |
| Lok Sabha constituencies | 11 |
| Assembly constituency | 90 |
| Official Website | cgstate.gov.in |
| Time zone | UTC+05:30 |
History
During the olden times the entire region of Chattisgarh was once part of the Kosala kingdom of the Ikshvaku clan and was known as Dakshina Kosala. Lord Rama belonged from this clan. Moreover, the area of Chattisgarh was strongly mentioned in Ramayana and Mahabharata. During 6th to 12th centuries Chattisgarh was ruled by various ruling clans like Sharabhpurias, Panduavanshi, Somavanshi, Kalachuri and Nagavanshi. It is also found that the Chola Emperor Rajendra Chola I and Kulothunga Chola I of the famous Chola Dynasty invaded the Bastar region of Chattisgarh. The Marathas (Bhonsles of Nagpur) also ruled this state during 1741 to 1845 AD and after that it was ruled by the British Crown during 1845 till India’s Independence. However Chattisgarh was included in Madhya Pradesh and was known as Madhya Pradesh before its separation. During this period Raipur became the capital of Chattisgarh instead of Ratanpur. Moreover during the British rule in 1905, the region of Sambalpur district which was once part of old Madhya Pradesh went under the State of Odisha and the province of Surguja from Bengal went under the border of Chattisgarh. Later on November 2000 this state got separated from Madhya Pradesh and came to be known as Chattisgarh. It is also believed that the State derived its name from the presence 36 ancient forts in its 36 different old feudal territories however archaeological experts don’t agree with this fact.
Geography
The beautiful State of Chattisgarh is hilly on the Northern and Southern regions while the Central part of the State is a fertile plain land. Chattisgarh is 44 % covered by the deciduous forests of the Eastern Highlands. Moreover, the edge of the great Indo-Gangetic plains lies on the Northern part while the Rihand River – a tributary of the Ganges flows around this area. The fertile central part of Chattisgarh is situated on the upper basin of the Mahanadi River and its tributaries and here abundant rice cultivation is done here. This State is rich in mineral resources, wildlife and water resources.
Demographics
Chattisgarh is primarily is a rural state with only 20 % of its population residing in cities and towns while the 80% population resides in rural areas. This State is the 10th largest State in the country with an area of 135,194 Km2 and a population of 27,928,015 residing in the length and breadth of Chattisgarh. According to the 2011 Census of India, Chattisgarh has one of the lowest standards of living in India in terms of income index which is 0.127 and is below the national average. Inspite of this the capital city of Chattisgarh- Raipur is one of the developing cities of India and its living standard is compared to any other metro cities of India. Chattisgarh constitutes 2% of India’s population and it also has a balanced sex ratio with 991 females per 1000 males. Moreover, Chattisgarh also has the highest fertility rate in the country (3.1).
Economy
The diversified economic sectors of Chattisgarh have developed fast with a growth rate of 11.49% in GDP for 2009-2010 and in current prices it was estimated to be INR 600.79 Billion. Agriculture, Tea and Industry are the main source of Chattisgarh’s economy. The state is ranked 17th as the largest tea producing state in the country. The tea producing area of Chattisgarh is the districts of Jashpur and Surguja. However, Agricultural is regarded to be the chief occupation followed by horticulture and animal husbandry here. Chattisgarh is also known as the rice bowl of Central India. The main crops sown here are rice, maize, oil seeds, millets, pulses, herbal and medicinal plants. Chattisgarh is also developed in industries due to the presence of sectors like power, steel, aluminium, oil, etc. Some of the companies set up here are: The National Thermal Power Corporation Limited (NTPC) at Sipat, Bilaspur, Korba and Tilda. Chattisgarh also has the biggest steel industry and is regarded to be the biggest heavy industries in the state. The Bhilai Steel Plant of Chattisgarh is operated by Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) and Raipur, Bilaspur, Korba and Raigarh have also become the steel hub of this region. Raipur is the biggest market of steel in India. It is also the hub of aluminium industry with the establishment of Bharat Aluminium Company Limited. Other industries contributing towards the economy of Chattisgarh is forest produce, natural minerals and information technology.
Tourism
The beautiful Indian State of Chattisgarh situated in the heart of India is gifted with precious natural beauty and is endowed with rich cultural heritage. Every crores of tourists come to witness the beauty of Chattisgarh’s exquisitely carved temples, ancient monuments, magnificent palaces, wildlife, caves, hills and Buddhist sites. Some of the famous tourist attractions in Chhattisgarh are Bastar, Kailash and Kotamsar Caves, Mahamaya Temple, Udanti Wildlife Sanctuary, Gomarda Reserve Forest, Maitri Bagh, Chitrakote Falls, Chitradhara Waterfalls, Tirathgarh Waterfalls, Barsoor, Laxman Temple, Uwasaggaharam Parshwa Teerth, Mahant Ghasi Das Memorial Museum, Chaiturgarh Fort, Ratanpur Fort, Kanker Palace, Gangrel dam, Champaranya, Bhoramdeo Temple, Dongargarh, Achanakmar Tiger Reserve, Kanger Valley National Park and many more to be named.
Sports
Chattisgarh is also known for its sporting activities and kids and youths of this region are involved in cricket, hockey, khokho, volleyball, basketball and football. The State Government of Chattisgarh is working actively to promote sports in this region. This led to the launch of various sports scheme, sports venues and stadiums. Moreover sporting bodies like Chhattisgarh Olympic Association, Chhattisgarh Hockey Association and Chhattisgarh Pradesh Basket Ball Association also working hard in upbringing the best sports talent in the state. The state is also the home to various bright sports personalities too with special mention of Saba Anjum (Hockey Player), Rajesh Chauhan (Cricketer), Radha Yadav (Swimming) and many more on the list.
Transportation
Chattisgarh is reachable from any part of India via rail, air and road. The Swami Vivekananda Airport in Raipur provides daily flight for New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Nagpur (Maharashtra). The state is also well connected with extensive rail network where trains from Chattisgarh are directly connected with Delhi, Amritsar, Cochin, etc. Major railway stations of Chattisgarh are located at Raipur, Raigarh, Durg, Bilaspur, Korba, Champa, Rajnandgaon, Dongargarh, Gevra Road and Pendra Road. The State is also well connected through highways and buses and other local transports ply all over Chattisgarh. Moreover, buses are also available for travelling to Bhopal, Nagpur, Jhansi, Jabalpur, Kolkata and Bhubhaneshwar. The national highways run through the state are NH 6, NH 16 and NH 43.
Culture
Chattisgarh is one of the most important cultural centres of India and also an important pilgrimage site. The Bastar region of this State was earlier part of the Dandakaranya region or the Dandakaranya forest where it was believed that Lord Rama along with Sita and Lakshmana spent 10 years of their forest exile. If you talk about the cultural heritage then Chattisgarh is bright in this area since it is rich in literature, performing arts and various kinds of crafts. Traditional crafts include painting, woodcarving, bell metal craft, bamboo ware and tribal jewellery. Chattisgarh is also known for the world famous Kosa Silk and lost wax art and this fabric is famous for creating various sarees, suits, lehengas, stoles, shawls jackets, shirts, achkans and sherwanis. The rich folk dances like Panthi, Pandwani, Raut Nacha, Suwa Nacha, Karma, etc keeps it alive the folk culture of Chattisgarh. The main festivals celebrated with great pomp and show here is Bastar Dussehra or Durga Puja, Madai, Rajim Kumbh, etc.
Literacy Rate and Education
The Literacy rate of Chattisgarh is 71% which consists of 81.4% for males and 60.5% for females. Some of the best educational institutes of Chattisgarh are Guru Ghasidas Vishwavidyalaya, Surguja Vishwavidyalaya, Chhattisgarh Swami Vivekanand Technical University, Pandit Ravishankar Shukla University, Indian Institute of Technology (Bhilai), Indian Institute of Management (Raipur), Hidayatullah National Law University, Shri Shankaracharya Engineering College (Bhilai), Government Engineering College (Jagdalpur), etc.
Hospitals and Health Care
Chattisgarh has sound health care facilities with the establishment of good hospitals like Fortis Healthcare, Chattisgarh Hospital, Suyash Hospital, MMI Narayana Multispeciality Hospital, Chattisgarh Hospital Medical Research Centre and Institute and many more on the list.