Tourism in Chhattisgarh

Tourism is an important part of the economy of the Indian state of Chhattisgarh, India's tenth largest state. The state has many ancient monuments, rare wildlife, carved temples, Buddhist sites, palaces, water falls, caves, rock paintings and hill plateaus.
Chhattisgarh has 41.37% of its area under forests and is one of the most bio-diverse areas in the country.
Located in central India, Chhattisgarh attracts tourists with its untouched forests, impressive waterfalls, and varied wildlife. From the dense greenery of Bastar to the peaceful surroundings of Chitrakote Falls, every aspect showcases the beauty of nature, appealing to nature lovers and adventurers alike.
Waterfalls are a tourist attraction in the state. Due to the three main physio-graphic division i.e. 1. Northern Hills, 2. Central Plains and 3. Southern Plateaus, Chhattisgarh has numerous perennial and seasonal waterfalls, some of which are listed below:
Notable and ancient temples in Chhattisgarh include: Shri Ram Janki Temple at Setganga in Mungeli District, Bhoramdeo temple near Kawardha in Kabirdham district, Rajivlochan temple at Rajim and Champaran in Raipur district, Chandrahasini Devi temple at Chandrapur, Vishnu temple at Janjgir, Damudhara (Rishab Tirth) and Sivarinarayana Laxminarayana temple in Janjgir-Champa district, Bambleshwari Temple at Dongargarh in Rajnandgaon district, Danteshwari Temple in Dantewada district, Deorani-Jethani temple at Tala gram and Mahamaya temple at Ratanpur in Bilaspur district, Laxman temple at Sirpur in Mahasamund district, Uwasaggaharam Parshwa Teerth at Nagpura in Durg district, Pali with Lord Shiva temple and Kharod with Lakshmaneswar temple, Patal Bhairavi temple in outer area of Rajnandgaon.
Giraudhpuri is a religious place for the Satnamis. They are the followers of Satnampanth.
Sirpur, a proposed World Heritage Site. and Malhar are of historical significance, as they were visited by Xuanzang, the Chinese historian. Mama-bachha temple is at Barsoor.
The hot spring known as Taat Pani, (taat - hot, pani - water) flows in Balrampur district. This hot spring flows throughout the year and is reputed to have medicinal properties due to its high sodium content. National Thermal Power Corporation Limited is developing a geothermal power plant at Taat Pani, which is described as the first geothermal power plant in India.
There are several wildlife sanctuaries and national parks in Chhattisgarh including the Achanakmar Wildlife Sanctuary in the Mungeli district, Gamarda Reserve forest at Sarangarh in the Raigarh district, Indravati National Park and Kanger Ghati National Park in the Bastar district, Barnawapara Wildlife sanctuary in the Mahasamund district. There is also Guru Ghasidas National Park. It is designated as Guru Ghasidas - Tamor Pingla Tiger Reserve. The natural environment of Koriya includes many dense forests, mountains, rivers and waterfalls, and is known for the rich mineral deposits. Coal is found in abundance in this part of the country. The dense forests present here have a rich wildlife, and the district was where the last known Asiatic cheetah was spotted in the wilderness of India. The climate of Koriya has mild summers and cool winters.
Gadiya mountain in Kanker district, Kotumsar cave in Bastar district, Kailash gufa in Jashpur district, Ramgarh and Sita Bengra in Surguja district and Singhanpur cave in Raigarh district with pre-historic paintings are well known. There are cave paintings at Ongana and Kabra Pahad near Raigarh, though most of the paintings lie in open the and have been overwritten with graffiti. Archaeological sites include Barsoor in Dantewada district, Malhar and Ratanpur in Bilaspur district, Sirpur in Mahasamund district, Koriya in Koriya district and Surguja in Surguja district. There is a small picnic spot with waterfall on the extremity of Satpura range along with a stone inscription of c. 1st century CE is found at Damau dhara in Janjgir-Champa district.
Dams, not only used for Irrigation and Hydro-electricity generation, but also serve the purpose of artificial eco-tourism. Some of the main projects of Chhattisgarh are as follows: