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.
Chitrakot Waterfalls is the broadest waterfall in India and also referred as 'Niagara Falls of India'
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.
Chitrakot Waterfalls is the broadest waterfall in India and also referred as 'Niagara Falls of India'
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: [citation needed]
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.[citation needed]
There is also
Guru Ghasidas National Park.[15][16] 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.[17] The climate of Koriya has mild summers and cool winters.
Guru Ghasi Das National Park,[15][16] Korea District (Area: 2898.705 km2)
Sanctuaries
Achanakmar, Bilaspur/Mungeli 1975
Bhairamgarh, Bijapur 1983
Barnawapara, Balodabazaar 1976
Gomarda, Raigarh 1975
Pamed, Bijapur 1983
Semarsot. Balrampur 1978
Sitanadi, Dhamtari 1974
Udanti, Gariyaband 1972
Tamor Pingla, Surguja 1978
Bhoramdeo, Kawardha 2001
Caves and archaeological sites
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: