THEN - The forests of
Dandakaaranya are where Rama spent in the latter half of his exile period.
NOW – Dandakaranya is a
territory roughly equivalent to the Bastar division in Chhattisgarh, located at
a distance of about 264 km from Raipur.
The Bastar palace
located in Jagdalpur is a historical monument which has an impressive art and
architectural work with exquisite carvings and engravings on walls and
ceilings. The temples of Bhoromdeo and Danteshwari are very popular for
tourists.
The Chitrakoot and the
Tirathgarh falls are the most famous of the many waterfalls which are present
in this region. The horse-shoe shaped Chitrakoot falls is the widest waterfalls
in India.
Bastar has natural
caves in galore. The second longest natural cave in the world, Kutumsar caves
is located in the Kanger Forest near Jagdalpur, and is famous for the natural
carvings of Lord Shiva and Shiv Linga in them.
Bastar also has many
other tourist attractions like the huge Bhainsa Darha Lake, which inhabits
crocodiles and tortoises, Dalpat Sagar, the largest artificial lake of
Chhattisgarh, an Anthropological Museum, the flora-fauna rich Kanger Valley
National Park, and the striking Bairamgarh Wildlife Sanctuary.
