Mirror Now Summit: Chhattisgarh Tourism Board Chairman Sheds Light On State’s Rich Flora And Fauna

Raipur: Atal Srivastava, Chairman of the Chhattisgarh Tourism Board, at the Mirror Now Summit on Wednesday, emphasized the state's rich traditions and cultures, as well as its many scenic spots, in an effort to dispel the stereotype that Chhattisgarh is solely a Maoist infested area. Srivastava's speech was part of a panel discussion titled "Chhattisgarh's Tourism endeavours charting a path to prominence." Highlighting the state's unique cultural heritage, including its tribal traditions, folk arts, and festivals, he mentioned some of Chhattisgarh's most popular tourist attractions, such as its waterfalls, caves, and temples.

“The tagline for Chhattisgarh tourism is ‘Full of Surprises’. Chhattisgarh is an embodiment of nature, with its huge forest cover, waterfalls, caves and temples. Nature has given enormous gifts to Chhattisgarh. It has 44% forest. Chhattisgarh consists of 32% of tribal population. Tribals have varied customs and traditions. In our 44% forest, we have 11 wildlife sanctuaries, three national parks. 3 tiger reserves, three elephant reserves, one crocodile reserve,” Srivastava said.

He further took a dig at the erstwhile government saying they didn’t pay much attention to Chhattisgarh Tourism. He said under the guidelines of Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, the government has been making efforts to uplift Chhattisgarh tourism.

He said that the preconceived thought of Chhattisgarh being a Naxalite state needs to be abolished. “Naxalites are found in South Chhattisgarh’s Bastar district where adivasi culture is are bloomed.” He further highlighted the scenic spots in Chhattisgarh. “Waterfall of Chitrakoot is bigger than Niagra waterfall which spans around 1 km. It is treat to eyes in rainy seasons. Kotumsar cave which is also know as a limestone cave, is located near Jagdalpur. It is believed fishes are blind in the cave as there is no light. And we have, the Danteshwari temple, which was was built in the 14th Century. The idol of Danteshwari Mai is chiseled out of black stone,” he said.

He further elaborated on the Ghotul tradition which is popular in Madia tribes of Bastar. “In Ghotul young boys and girls come to celebrate any festival moments and they are free to choose their own life partner. Ghotul also got social acceptance,” he said.

“In North Chhattisgarh, we have dense forests. 15 years ago, it used to take 6 hours to reach Bastar to Raipour. Now, we can reach Bastar in almost 3 hours by road. In Bastar, Naxalites doesn’t cause trouble to any tourists,” Srivastava added.

Further, he highlighted 3 best places in Chhattisgarh:

1. Ram Van Gaman Path
2. Chitrakoot
3. Achanakmar Tiger Reserve

He added that they are trying to include tribal culture in Chhattisgarh tourism.