पर्यटन - रतनपुर
Tourism - Ratanpur
Ratanpur रतनपुर
was originally known as
Ratnapur रत्नापुर
after its founder King Ratnadev.
Ravan offering his heads at a Shivling.
The ruler had founded the city as the capital of the Kalchuri Dynasty in 1000 AD
and it remained an important place in the region for centuries that followed.
The temple town,
Ratanpur, is situated about 25 kilometers from
Bilaspur City on the Bilaspur - Ambikapur Highway.
Today it is recognized as a major religious center of the region that has national
acclaim. Devotees visit the Mahamaya temple all round the year to offer their prayers
and seek blessings of the deity from far and wide.
The glorious past of the place made it a prime candidate for historians and archeologist.
The fort of Ratanpur has been taken up for restoration by the Archeological Survey
of India.
The findings here put it on the national archeological map.
The ruins of the fort, the palace (Badal Mahal) and some of the old temples can
still be seen here.
The founder of Ratanpur, King Ratnadev also built the Mahamaya temple. The temple
has the dual idol of goddesses - Saraswati and Laxmi.
Mahamaya temple has gained recognition as a Sidh Peeth and is the most popular religious
places in the Chhattisgarh state.
Several new temples have been built in the campus of the Mahamaya Mandir where different
gods and goddesses are worshipped.
During Navratri it is festival time here and many people visit the temple to offer
prayers and light the
jyoti (flame) during this period. The fairs organized
at the temple during this period are very popular.
Khuntaghat
Khuntaghat is a dam built on River Kharung.
Located about 33 kms from
Bilaspur city on the Bilaspur
Ambikapur National Highway it has matured into a picnic spot over the years.
It has a beautiful garden. Recently, the administration has set up facilities for
boating.
The irrigation department maintains a rest house which can be booked by the interested
parties at Bilaspur. It is very beautiful site when water is released into the canals
for irrigation.
The picturesque landscape of Khuntaghat all round the year never fails to impresses
all the tourists who visit this place.
