Glimpses of Chhattisgarh --- Part 4

 More About Kotumsar Cave

It is the biggest cave found in India and the seventh-largest cave in the world.

How You Can Reach Here

You can reach Raipur Airport and from there hire a taxi to Kotumsar Cave which is 300kms away. Under the banner of UDAN Scheme Chattisgarh Government has Bastar Airport operated and managed quite well. Currently, AIRODISHA operate flights between Jagdalpur to Raipur and Vishakapatnam. Kotumsar Cave is about 30 KM away from Jagdalpur.

You can reach Raipur Junction Railway Station and take a bus from there to Kotumsar Cave. Jagdalpur, the district headquarter of the Bastar district is well connected to the Raipur and Vishakapatnam by trains like Vishakapatnam -Kirandul Passenger, Durg -Jagdalpur Express, Hawrah-Koraput Express, Hirakhand Express, and Vishakapatnam-Jagdalpur Express. By Boarding one these listed trains you can reach Jagdalpur Railway Station which is taken care of by the East Coast Railways. Raipur To Bastar distance is about 268 KM away by Train.

The easiest way to reach Bastar is by Road. The best way is to travel to Kotumsar Cave by hiring a private taxi. Express and Sleeper buses regularly and that too daily go to and fro the city of Jagdalpur (Bastar). Certain other state transporters also operate regularly like TSRTC (Jagdalpur-Hyderabad), APRTC (Jagdalpur -Vishakapatnam, Vijayawada, Rajmundry), OSRTC etc. Raipur To Jagdalpur Distance is about 284 KM by road.

                                                                 Inside Kotumsar Cave

 Teerathgarh Waterfall

It was 4 PM when we came out and within 20 minutes we reached the next spot the Teerathgarh Waterfall. About 39 KM southwest of Jagdalpur the Muna Bahar River’s water falls from a height of about 100 ft. to 300ft. through several steps like serial mounts which are distinguished by sedimentary rocks creating the Teerathgarh Waterfall. Water keeps falling vertically in a stepwise way till the bottom. The Teerathgarh Waterfall was formed about 700 to 1100 million years back. When the fall splits into several falls it looks quite stunning and mesmerizing. On a large hill opposite the fall but within its range is an ancient very small Shiva Parvati Temple with Nandi. At certain places in rocks, there are beehives also. Around the fall ruins of about 1000 years old Hindu civilization can be noticed easily. This falls and the old civilization remains could relate to certain historical persons or events related to Ramayana or Mahabharata as Chhattisgarh was Dakshin Koshal described in both the Ramayana and the Mahabharata.

This waterfall is surrounded by lush green forest and is related to Kanger National Park so it is considered an eco-tourism venture of the Chhattisgarh Tourism Department.

West of the Teerathgarh Waterfall there exists a village called Tirathgarh. On the topmost section of the fall, a Shivalaya can be seen. Annually on Mahashivratri, a 3 days long mela is conducted just like the Kumbh Mela. So, Tirathgarh's name is justified as it is a pilgrimage centre.

Legend

As per folklore, impressed by the scenic beauty of Teerathgarh Waterfall and its surrounding areas within Bastar, two brothers Tirathraj and Chingraj made this part of Bastar their capital. Chingarj established a village and constructed a grand temple, 7 km far from Tirathgarh.

Tirathraj established his garh in the lower region and a village called Tirathgarh in the upper region of the Teerathgarh Waterfall, and this Tirathgarh Village is still live.  On the banks of rivers, wreckages can still be noticed though they seem to have been destroyed.

Resources

The Tokapal region is known for Kimberlite rocks that constitute diamonds. Kimberlite zone ranges till Teerathgarh.

Best Time to Visit

The best time to watch this waterfall is between October to February.

How You Can Reach Here

You can reach Raipur Junction Railway Station and take a bus from there to Teerathgarh Waterfall. Jagdalpur, the district headquarter of the Bastar district is well connected to the Raipur and Vishakapatnam by trains like Vishakapatnam -Kirandul Passenger (58501), Durg -Jagdalpur Express (18211), Hawrah-Koraput Express (18005), Hirakhand Express (18448) and Vishakapatnam-Jagdalpur(Night Express) are operated through Jagdalpur railway station.  Jagdalpur Railway Station is taken care of by the East Coast Railways.

The easiest way to reach Bastar is by Road. The best way is to travel to Teerathgarh Waterfall by hiring a private taxi. Express and Sleeper buses regularly and that too daily go to and fro the city of Jagdalpur (Bastar).

 

Teerathgarh Waterfall at that Moment was a Waterfall Near Me (View 1)

Teerathgarh Waterfall at that Moment was a Waterfall Near Me (View 2)

Certain Other State Transporters also operate regularly like TSRTC (Jagdalpur-Hyderabad), APRTC (Jagdalpur -Vishakapatnam, Vijayawada, Rajmundry), OSRTC etc.

You can reach Raipur Airport and from there hire a taxi to Teerathgarh Waterfall which is about 300kms away from the fall. Under the banner of UDAN Scheme Chattisgarh Government has Bastar Airport operated and managed quite well. Currently, AIRODISHA operates flights between Jagdalpur to Raipur and Vishakapatnam.

My Experience

Water streams kept falling from a wide range of rocks and at one place there was a notice board asking not to come close to the grills or water sources as if someone fell in it there could be a high chance that he or she might get caught in a whirl of water. Some said certain incidents of this sort had happened in the past. So, this notice was an important one to be shared.

Concluding Remark

Jagdalpur Tourist Places were rejuvenating in a true sense.              

I am awe-struck after visiting these places. This is how Chhattisgarh Tourism will always remain in my memories. Each of these was in every way keeping up our interest like the Chhattisgarh Tourist Spot usually does.

Danteshwari Temple Dantewada

At 5 PM we left for the Hotel Sudha Palace. Had tea on the way. Rested for some time in the Hotel room. Had dinner at the hotel. We slept early that night as the next day we had to cover long distances and that too in the early morning.  We took some packed food for us and decided to have food on the way itself.  

On the 3rd day, we woke up at 4 AM. Had tea and got fresh. And then, left for the next part of the journey. At 7 AM we reached Danteshwari Temple in Dantewada. 

Goddess Danteshwari

In the Danteshwari Temple of Dantewada, an idol of Goddess Danteshwari is worshipped. This east-faced temple was first built in around the 11th -12th century then renovated in the 14th century A.D., in the Dantewada District of Chhattisgarh on the confluence of two rivers, Sankhini and Dankini. This temple is surrounded by serene greenery, forests and hills. Local people believe that when a tooth of Sati had fallen at this place, it became one of the 52 Shakti Peethas or the shrines of goddess Shakti, within various parts of India, where one or the other body part of Shakti had fallen.

About Construction of this Temple & its Idol

The main image of Denteshwari Devi is in the form of Mahisharsurmardini who has six arms on both sides and is made out of black stone. Just like any other traditional Hindu temple this temple also comprises the Garbhgriha, Antaral, Mukhamandap, Muktimandap or Darshak Dirgha and Natamandap. The Garbhagriah, Antaral and Mukhmandap of this temple were made of stone but the Muktimandap and the Natamandap built pyramidal shapes were built using 32 wooden pillars and then covered with terracotta tiles. A pillar with a Garuda idol stood at the entrance door of this temple.

About the Rulers

When the Chindak Nagvanshi dynasty rulers of Bastar built this temple in Dantewada, then Goddess Danteshwari was commonly called Manikeswari Devi. The Earlier Kakatiya rulers considered Goddess Danteshwari to be their presiding deity.

As per historical records, Prataparuddev was the succeeding King of the Kakatiya dynasty of Warangal in the 13th century. When the Mughals attacked Warangal and took away Prataparuddev along with them to Delhi, Prataparuddev's cousin brother Annamdev or Anuj Annagdev attacked Bastar, defeated the Nagvanshi King and established the Kakatiya Dynasty. Initially, Mandhota and later Jagdalpur was made the capital.

Here is the legend related to the Danteshwari Temple. While Annamdev was bathing in the River, he found an idol of a devi. Annamdev was the younger brother of the Warangal King. At that very moment, he got a boon -- as far as he would take the idol with him walking all through the way, his kingdom would expand till there, and the Goddess would follow him, and the condition was that he would not look or turn back and the moment he would turn back he should build the devi’s temple there itself. So, Annamdev walked for many days and reached the Dankini River. The goddess was following him, but in the river, the sounds of the anklet were not heard. So, Annamdev turned back to look at the Goddess, so his kingdom reached there and he built the devi’s temple there.

On Festivals

During Navaratri in summers and winters, the town becomes a hub of festivities. In Navaratra days Jyoti Kalasha are lit traditionally and during Dussehra, a vast crowd, in thousands of tribals of Chhattisgarh come to Dantewada to worship goddess Danteshwari, then the devi idol is made to sit in a doli and the rath yatra or procession is taken to the Bastar Palace in the city with the priest and the devotees lifting the doli. Nowadays, several people join in this annual festival. For the people of Bastar Danteshwari is the most revered deity and Dantewada Temple is the most important temple.

Caution About Facilities

As Dantewada is a remote town, it would be better for you to arrange for your transport to and fro Dantewada and also your accommodation in Dantewada in advance, as actually there may not be many options available in Dantewada.

How You Can Reach Here

Dantewada is a town which is about 80 KM away from Jagdalpur Tehsil and about 350 KM away from Raipur – the capital of Chhattisgarh. It is well connected by road and by road it would take about 8 hours to reach by public vehicle and about  6 to 7 hours by private car or taxi from Raipur City.  The conditions of the roads are very good.

Jagdalpur is about 80 KM away from Dantewada and is the nearest mini Airport that is connected with the nearest and bigger Airports – Raipur Airport and Visakhapatnam Airport, being almost 400 KM away.

Two trains run daily between Dantewada and Visakhapatnam Railway Station.

My Experience

We did morning darshan and distributed eatables to girls there and retreated at         8 AM. 

Concluding Remark

In my view Chhattisgarh like Madhya Pradesh is rich in water bodies, my friends searched online for waterfalls near me or waterfalls near by me or various falls near by me but I refused to go any further online searching for waterfalls.

Now that I am in Chhattisgarh I am just watching waterfall waterfalls and these have deeply freshened us up for the rest of our lifetime.

The legends behind the Danteshwari Temple or the Danteshwari Temple Dantewada were quite engaging. Danteshwari Devi seems to be really blessing its public as they live in so much harmony.

Danteshwari Temple in Dantewada