The thing about most places in India is, no matter how much progress they make in terms of modernity, there’s always this one side of them rooted in history and culture. After all, the land that makes up India as we know it now, has a history that’s almost as old as time itself. And if you focus on central India, where Chhattisgarh rests, this concept could not be any clearer.
Raipur, the capital of Chhattisgarh and also its largest city, is a living and breathing example of the meeting point of the old and the new. While on one hand it has grown exponentially ever since the formation of the Chhattisgarh state in the year 2000, on the other hand its history can traced back to a time when even Madhya Pradesh did not exist on paper.
A City Etched in Religion and Conquest
The area that now makes up Chhattisgarh and parts of western Odisha was once called Dakshin Kosala, and it is also mentioned in the Mahabharata. Between 321 BCE and 187 BCE, this entire area and also what we now call Raipur, was under the rule of the Mauryan Empire. Even back then, this was one of the places where Hindus and Jains had both built places of worship. From the 4th century to sometime in the 5-6th century CE, the Guptas ruled over this land.
Arang, which is now a nagar palika and a block in the eastern limits of Raipur, was known as ‘the town of temples’. Back then, the Haihaya Rajputs ruled this region. All the remnants of forts you can see in and around Raipur today were controlled and maintained by the Haihayas. Not just forts, they also built many Jain and Hindu temples in the area. The Bhand Deval Jain temple is the most ancient of these temples dated to the 11th century where three huge images of Digambara tirthankaras are deified in the sanctum sanctorum. These are carved in black stone and polished.
A Tribal Food Heaven
Chhattisgarh is part of what we call the rice bowl of India, and Raipur being the capital is no different. The range of rice-based food options it offers, is unparalleled. Fara or muthiya, cheela (dosa like dish made with rice batter), chousera roti (puri made with rice flour) and angakar roti are popular breakfast dishes. Bore Baasi, literally meaning dipped rice from the last cooked meal, is the most common meal consumed by the people during the scorching summer. ‘Iddhar’ is one of the well-known traditional dishes of Chhattisgarh. It is made from a mixture of ground urad dal and kochai patta. And all of this is just the tip of the iceberg. To truly experience the food paradise that is Raipur, you have to be here.
Raipurians for Health and Fitness
A campaign launched under the Rising Raipur initiative, Sehatmandi is one of the most popular ones undertaken by the Raipur Municipal Corporation (RMC). Under this, every Sunday, this citizen engagement event kicks off at 6 in the morning at Marine Drive or any other noted landmark of Raipur, where people get together and collectively participate in various fitness regimes like Yoga, Zumba, Aerobics, cycling and martial arts training etc.
The best part is, it does not matter if you are old or young, rich or poor, a Raipurian or an outsider, the Sehatmandi welcomes everyone. That says a lot about how Raipur is building an inclusive culture which is a tell-tale sign of a world-class city. And since it encourages healthy living, it has found unanimous support among the people of Raipur.
Other Outdoor Attractions
The whole concept of spending time outdoors is slowly gaining popularity among the citizens here, thanks to spots like Raipur’s very own Marine Drive, built around the beautified Telibandha Lake, bang in the middle of the city. If you’re one of those always-like-to-stay-connected types, it might excite you to know that the entire Marine Drive hang-out spot is Wi-Fi enabled.
Another major attraction is Vivekanand Sarovar also known as Burha Talab, an old lake in the city. It is said that Swami Vivekanand stayed near the lake and bathed in the pond when he was in Raipur, which is why the lake was named such. The major attraction of this lake is the 37ft high bronze statue of Swami Vivekanand in the sitting position, that is installed here. Being the largest model of this famous Indian, this has been added to the Limca Book of Records.
Largest Oxy Reading Zone in India
Raipur is already famous as one of the most prestigious educational hubs in central India, thanks to the IIM and NIT, but it’s not a city that likes to rest on its laurels. The Nalanda Parisar houses India’s largest Oxy Reading Zone, which is a high-tech public library that welcomes all students to use its resources. The library in Nalanda Parisar is a repository of one crore books, most of which were collected through a book donation drive called ‘Pusthak Daan’. The learning zone can seat over 1,700 students at a time. It is worth mentioning because unlike other countries, Indians usually do not really have the culture of going to public libraries and doing most of their studying and research there, apart from a few top layer universities. This one in Raipur is trying to change that and from the looks for it, it is succeeding in doing so.
So, there you have it - Raipur, the perfect mix of the old and the new. A city that has the ambition to look towards the future and embrace it, using the qualities learned from its past.