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Photographs by the author Until it became a separate state a couple of years ago, Chhattisgarh was the uncelebrated dorsal end of Madhya Pradesh’s geography. Two years of focussed publicity have brought it into the limelight as a region brimming with a distinct and diverse fare. Besides the dozen or so national parks and wildlife sanctuaries and the famous tribal culture of Bastar, the legacy of ancient temples and sculpture is a prime attraction. And though the north has its share, it is the central and southern regions that are more accessible for now. Incidentally, the traveler familiar with the pitfalls of Indian road travel is due for a pleasant surprise in Chhattisgarh. The condition of highways is excellent. All journeys in the state begin at the capital, Raipur. A town dating back to the 15th century, Raipur was bestowed a colonial facelift by Agnew in the first half of the 19th century to serve as headquarters of the eastern circle of the British Central Provinces. East of Raipur, the temple trail begins modestly with the small but sophisticated Bhand Dewal temple. Hemmed in but not encroached upon by the village of Arang, the many-cornered structure houses an interesting combination of black-stoned Jain tirthankaras and Hindu heavenlies. Further, on the banks of the Mahanadi, lies Sirpur, one of the main centers of religious architecture. Here are the ruins of an ancient Buddhist monastery and chaitya hall, at the end of which meditates another massive rendition of the Enlightened One. The Gandeshwar temple is Sirpur’s largest. Madho Das, the keeper of an adjacent shrine, tells me there are close to 35 temples in this cluster and each has its own priestly retinue. The Goswamis of Gandeshwar, with three dozen family members, constitute a particularly large one. They’ve always had their task cut out, catering, in earlier times, to the whims and fancies of four deities: Vishnu, Shiva, Durga and the Buddha. And every monsoon, the marauding Mahanadi climbs up the temple walls, threatening to deluge. “Twenty-two years ago, she came right in. This year she is just barely two feet out,” worries the head of the clan. She is beautiful, though, following the nourishing rains. And the fishermen seem happy, industriously reaping its bounty from the banks. South of Sirpur, the Mahanadi confluences with the Sonu and the Pyari, providing the setting for another eruption of faith. The bustling town of Rajim enfolds the towering spires of the brilliantly whitewashed Rajivlochana Temple, entered through a grand gate. Carved with children frolicking amongst vines, the doorway to the sanctum leads to images of the Baraha and Narasimha, avatars of the Preserver and, finally, Jagannath, Subhadra and Balaram. Outside, located on an island on the river, the much smaller Mahadeo Kuleshwar shrine is approachable in early winter by foot across the dry, sandy river bed though the monsoon inroads of the pious stream are all too visible in the hallowed, hollowed shivaling. It is in the erstwhile princely state of Kawardha, northwest of Raipur, that Chhattisgarh’s temple trail really peaks. Of 11th century vintage, Bhoramdeo Temple looms within a mango grove. Its curves and angles gloriously highlight the unique architectural style of the region, a cross between the receding ‘mountain-range’ shikharas of the Khajuraho genre and the short-blocked curvilinear Orissa form. The stone façade drips with magnificent sculpture. Due south from Raipur, in the heart of Bastar, the random village of Barsur emerges suddenly at the edge of a forest. Its divine quadrilateral — four temples, each unique — dates from the 11th and 12th centuries, when the Chhindaka Nagas held sway over the area. The first, Battisi Mahal, survives mainly as its signature feature of 32 columns. If the rock-solid bellies of the well-fed twin Ganeshas are any indication, the second is doing much better. The third, called Chacha Bhatija (Uncle and Nephew) too looks in fine fettle, its finely-carved structure rising sturdily by a bending palm. But it is the last one, devoted to the Destroyer, which is most striking. Nestling by a village pond inhabited by geese, the walls bear sculpture both electric and eclectic. The last stop on the temple trail is not for aesthetics but for reasons of respect. The town of Dantewara, near Barsur, is home of Danteshwari Mata, an aspect of Maheshasura Mardini and Chhattisgarh’s most revered divinity. The rectangular-planned temple to the 13th-century Kakatiya tutelary is relatively new, with a long mandapa preceding the tunnel-like womb from where the deity glares darkly. Dhotis, available in the precincts, are mandatory uniform for her darshan. The rewards are nibbles of coconut (the standard prasad in Chhattisgarh’s temples), and spoonfuls of holy water garnished with flower petals.
NOTEBOOK: Raipur, Chhattisgarh’s capital, is connected by scheduled flights from Delhi and Mumbai. While Sirpur, Kawardha and Rajim are two to three hours driving distance there, Bastar is four to five hours. Accommodation, car-hire bookings and information is facilitated by the Chhattisgarh Tourism Board (CTB) Paryatan Bhawan, Indira Gandhi Marg, Raipur-492006. Tel: 91-771-5066415, 5066425. Email: tourism@cg.nic.in |
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