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| Chitrakote Chhattisgarh | ||||
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 Chitrakote
is situated 38 km from Jagdalpur, the district headquarters of Bastar
district in Chhattisgarh, 340 km from the state capital Raipur and 350
km from Visakhapattanam in Andhra PradeshTucked away in the centre of
Bastar district, in the south of the newly created state of Chhattisgarh,
amidst barren rocky terrain dotted with patches of mixed deciduous
forest, the Indravati river takes a plunge of 100 feet and creates what
the local tribes call as Chitrakote Ghoomer or the abode of spotted
deer, waterfall. The serene natural beauty of the waterfall and its
surroundings transports you to a different world where you stand alone,
far from the madding crowd. You will experience time slowing down and
then standing still. The cascading water with a mighty deafening roar is
muddy brown when it rains, and milky white in winter and summer with a
far off muffled roar. The rainbow on sunny days slowly rises from the
depth of the lake as the sun moves on.
Distances: Jagdalpur, the district
headquarter is 250 kms from Bhadrachalam in the South, it is 300 kms
from Vishakhapatnam in the East and 300 Km from Raipur the State Capital
in the North. The excellent roads linking Bastar passes through verdant
forestland. Jagdalpur is linked to Vishakhapatnam by a broad guage
electrified Railway. A passanger train operates, with a sleeper coach.
The train passes through breath taking ghats and tunnels. Araku and
Semiliguda, the highest BG Rly Station of Indian Railways fall on the
route. The nearest Airports are Raipur in the North and Vishakhapatnam
in the East. Raipur has daily connectivity by air from major gateways in
the country.
Best Season to come here: The best season to come Local Culture Cuisine features: The village has got quite a few peculiar cuisine features of rural and tribal Bastar areas. Some of the specialty of the village includes: - Chapra chutney: A chutney of red wild ants - Amat: A liquid item made out with water, rice floor mixed with sour items like tamarind, dried mango powder, etc. - Basta: A delicious vegetable prepared from the new and soft root shoot of green bamboo - Various Cereals: Hirawan, Kulthi, Udad, etc - Pej: A liquid soup type preparation of various items - Mandia, Maize, Rice, Raagi, Jwar, Wheat, etc. - Greens: Vegetable preparation of various green leaves vegetables - Choulai Chench, Jhirra, and some 10-15 other local varieties, etc. - Phuttu (Mashroom) is prepared in rainy season. Art & Craft Different kind of arts like pottery, bamboo work, wood work, stone work, painting, blacksmithy, weaving, bell metal, dance groups, etc. are being practiced in the area. However, not many families from the Chittarkot village depend on this activity as the primary livelihoods source. It’s only around 70-80 families in the whole area, which are engaged in these activities.
How to Reach By Air: to Raipur {C.G.} and Vishakhapatnam {A.P} By Road: From Raipur - By Bus or Taxi - To Jagdalpur 295 Kms From Jagdalpur to Chittarkot 38 Kms { By bus or taxi} From Vishakhapatnam- By Rail, Bus or Taxi to Jagdalpur 300 kms From Jagdalpur to Chitarkot 38 Kms {By bus or taxi}
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here is from Oct to March. Because these are the months when most of the
festivals are celebrated here
. Climate: The climate on the plateau is pleasantly cool. The
hottest month is May and the temperature crosses 40 c. January is the
coldest month of the year and the temperature goes down to 10 c.
Places
to See
Angler's Paradise: A bent rod with a fast whirring wheel and a
mighty Mahaseer {Barbus Tor} at the other end of the line is any
angler’s dream which comes true here both above and below the fall which
are full of other sports fishes like Carnatic carp, Rohu, Mirgal,
Katla,Calbosu etc. With a local Kuruk fisherman as guide cast your line
walking along the bank or sitting in local dugout canoe or sit still and
fish under the cool shade of a Kahua tree. Biodiversity: A colony
of nearly a thousand flying foxes {Fruit bats} shelters in the branches
of two huge Kahua trees, and a varieties of birds can be seen near the
waterfall including rock pigeon, King fishers, Cormorants, Wagtails etc.
In reptiles Cobra, Krait, Checkerd keelback, water snakes, Crocodiles,
Water monitor lizards can be seen if one is lucky enough.
Other Attractions: - Take a boat and go near the fall and feel the
cool draft of water vapour on your face, marvel at the sheer cliffs and
dare to scale it. - Walk a short distance from the fall to see a 11th
century ruined temple with a four and half feet high Shivlinga in a
square Yoni. - Next to it the local Devgudi{temple} displaying an iron
hammer head with which the tribals believe a certain God dug out the
waterfall. - Take a taxi and visit other water falls nearby such as
Kukurghoomer {Dog water fall} and the Tamda Ghoomer. - Stay, watch and
learn the local art in Terracotta, Wrought Iron, Bell metal, Stone, wood
, weaving and Bamboo in Gurukul pattern. - At night in the pollution
free atmosphere gaze at the stars with your Binocular. - Eat the local
tribal cuisine and drink the tribal brew like Mandh, Sulfi,Toddy, Chind,
Landa. - Watch and enjoy the tribal dance and songs.