Ramgarh, Taheseel Udaipur, District Ambikapur,Chatisgarh

Ramgarh, Ambikapur,Chatisgarh:

Ramgarh is about 50 Km. from Kendai waterfall, on Ambikapur State High Way ,CG. This is a beautiful hill surrounded by dense forest and especially known for lovely caves. This place is a holy place, as per Hindu mythology that lord Ram came here and stayed in the caves for some time during his 'Vanwas' and this place is also important as per ancient history that Kalidas the great poet had written "Meghdoot" here only.

 

 Moving about a kilometer from this gate we reached Ramgaaarh. There are number of small villages in the surrounding of this place.

 Just below this Cave , I saw a lovely small plant with beautiful flower of pretty colour. A person of Botany may know it.

 

The other caves are as under. 

 

This is a small cave rather capsule where only two people can sleep:

After moving downwards doing tracking of  about a 100 meters , we reached a very wide and long cave of which the other end out let connects to the passage of other villages, a short cut through the cave.

 At its other end  there is a Kund,  people call it Sita Kund.:

This is a common practice of Archeological survey of India that they put a Notice Board with the general cautions as under but very rarely the put Board giving the details of historical importance of the monuments.

Maheshwpur, Taheseel Udaipur,District Ambikapur, Chattisgarh

Maheshpur Village:

 

The hill in frustem form is Ramgarh. From here 10. is Udaipur Taheseel and moving  from this we have to take right turn and travel 10 km , we reach Maheshpur Village. This place is very important with the point of view of ancient history as well as tourism.I will write in detail latter. ....

 

 

                                                (Ruins of Temples of Maheshpur)

The Murty of Aadinath does not appear of this place as this place had been famous for building Shiva murtys and the Shiva murtys were being sent to different corner of the country from here. The learned local people say that a land lord was carrying the Adinath Ji's Murty from some other place on his elephant but reaching to this point the elephant refused to move onward . so, the Murty was put here and a temple was made which looks not very old. The Historian are supposed to do scrutiny aqnd should do research on this place. The ASI as per their usual style they do not give much attention on this aspec except writing that it is a protected monument...
This city might have been a very prodsperous city in its ancient time.

Tuman- the old capital of Kalturi Daynesty (9th century AD)

Tuman was the capital of Kalturi Period before Ratanpur(CG)

If  we move from Amarkantak towards Pandra Road which ends at the T point, the left singe road goes towards Chotia via Pasan moving through dense forest and the right hand road towards Jatak ( spelling  may be wrong, I will make correction). On reaching to this T point, the road in the right hand side goes to Bilaspur and the left road goes to Kathghora via Tuman. Presently this road is in worse condition, by chance I had taken this  route for Chotia and then Kendai) but every hurdle gives us good learning also. Adopting this route by any chance I reached to the first capital of Kalturi dynasty  "Tuman" ( before Ratanpur) and forgotten the tiring driving on this road. I came to know that the decedents of this dynasty are living here at the bank of the river. In case I visit to this place again , I would certainly meet them.

                                          (This is a campus of temple of Kaltury Dynasty)

                                                                    ( Shiva temple)

There are few platforms in the campus of the temples on which there might be some temples in its time in the past.

Amarkantak- Narmada temple (It needs attention of Archaeological Survey of India)

Archaeological Survey of India should give Kind attention on the Old broken Murties in Narmada temple of Amarkantak and take them in its custody to keep in a museum as according to Hindu mythology the worship of broken Murties is prohibited. Quoting this aspect no Pujari and general public could raise alarm.

The innocent pilgrims come and try to push themselves to move through the narrow passage of the legges of the statue of the broken elephant for this myth that the person would be lucky if he passes through it. 

The State Department of Archeology or ASI should retrieve these Murties and protect  and keep in some state or central museum. These all Murties appears of Kaltuty Dyanesty.

Kendai Forest Village, Taheseel Kathghora,District Korba,Chattisgarh

Kendai Forest Village, Taheseel Kathgora,District Korba,Chattisgarh

*End of August is the time to visit KENDAI Waterfall situated on Bilaspur-Ambikapur State Highway in Korba District, 80 kilometer from the city of Korba. towards Ambikapur.. Its beauty will remain till end of November,. after November the speed of the fall will decrease.{ The best way to enjoy the trip, contact the incharge of Bhajnanand Ashram, just 100 meter away from the water fall, to get comfortable accommodation to stay. Food is available in its scheduled timings. Otherwise the tourist may directly contact the manager, Mritunjay Ashram, Amarakntak,MP for accommodation. There is no other place for shelter. 

Kendai Forest Village, Taheseel Kathmora,District Korba,Chattisgarh

Kendai Forest is an amazing place. It appears that all the treasures of forest have been stored at one place. The Jaleshwar Kund, Kendai waterfall, Golden Island, Coal mines and several other tourist spots. But unfortunately the Chattisgarh State tourism is also following the same footsteps of MP being sister state that no public transport for these tourists spots are available.

The water of Kendai fall comes from Jaleshwar Kund. Few years back a Shiva temple has been built on the Kund and so its name has become Jaleshwar Dham. 

         ( The water flowing from Jaleshwar and at its tip there is a fall)

              ( The beautiful scenery of sun rise near the Kendai fall)

 ( The beautiful scenery of rain at the Kendai watefall view point)

                                          (plantation of Banana plants at Jaleshwar onShivaRatri)

TheShiva temple is on the Kund which have been built few years ago

The beauty of this waterfall could be judged if you either visit this place or have a little bit idea by looking  its photograph. The water falls from a height into a pond surrounded by narrow green hills the full of dense forest. The density of the forest may be due to its dengerous location otherwise in Chatisgarh (CG) also the inside of the forests have become thin. The water of the fall here takes a shape of a river which meets in the river Hasdev after few kilometers. 

Just 100 meter from the fall, there is an Ashram named  "Swami Bhajnanand Vanvasi Vidyalay, Kendai Ashram . which runs a school for the tribal children from class I to VIII and due to mercy of God i was called to teach the children of this school. The Mritunjay Ashram Amarkantak is managing this Ashram and they had arranged for my food and lodging in the campus of the Ashram. The students are also living in the hostel and they get 15 days holidays only in the summer to visit their home town. Here they live like a traditional style of gurukul and learn all the steps of farming along with their study. However, the teachers' apptitude to theach the subjects other than religious training is not up to the mark. In case the teachers of good quality ( I must use this word as teaching has also commercialized rather Education has become an industry....) are recruited then this institution can become a world class organization as they have generated sufficient infrastructure only lacking good management.

                                         
                                                Ashram at Kendai waterfall

Just a km. from this Ashram, there is a Government Secondary school where tribal children from class I to X are studying. I used to come here by my car, in the morning. I was also teaching to the students of class VII to X from 9.00 am to 11.am . Luckily all the students were very happy with my teaching style as most of the students were following the subjects.

                       ( Govt. secondary School, kendai)

The percentage of students of the Pankra and Gond tribals are in majority in schools.

Just near the Fall there is a Community center under the supervision of the Panchayat but the maintenance is very poor. This  place is mostly used by the cows and buffalo for rest. 

The source of this fall the Jaleshwar is 2 km. from the fall on Ambikapur road (just 50 meter before the gate way to Golden island. )  A policeman Mr. Rathor ( as I could recall the name) of Morga village ,6 km from Kendai, has made a Shiva temple on the source of the Jaleshwar Kund and destroyed its natural beauty. In case he is religious minded, he could build a small temple near the Kund but not on the Kund. i am surprised that just at few meters a post guard office of the Forest Department of Chattisgarh (CG) is in existence and inspite of that they have not objected this construction of the temple on the Kund as well as one room and huge kitchen. Actually this is a tribal area and no one can purchase a land other than tribal . so, it is a tactics to grab a land in the name of religion as usual. I asked the tribal people the reason of not raising objection. It is as simple as that the misuse of power.

The another lovely and amazing tourist place in Kendai is Golden Island.

Actually this is not a natural island. Few villages were in existence in this forest area and those were rehabilitated few kilometers away on the upper land as the excess water have to be stored in this place as a reservoir on account of barrage were made on Hasdev and Chaurai rivers.

                         

                              (The Golden island which is known as the Mauritius of the Chattisgarh.)

                       

The villages viz.Naoghata, Telhi  Sarai etc. have been rehabilitated from the Golden island area.

 ( This is the house of Dinesh Jaisawal a businessman belong to non-tribal family, migrated from Rajasthan long back in the rehabilitated  tribal village of Teheli Sarai)

Today the 14^th September, 2015,I visited Karra badi forest village area. This forest has coal reserves. However the mining has not yet started. My purpose was to visit to see coal reserves only.

 

               (This Karra Badi forest is on the underground Coal reserves)

             ( The family of  the tribal teacher of the Ashrasm and my student

 

{Vijay Nath Sondhi ( me ) and my tribal student and the resident of karra Badi Mr. Gokul Pankra.}

After returning from Karra bari, we moved towards Chotia for Buka tourist spot. We have to cross the bridge on Hasdev river 4 km before the Chotia.

Moving about 20 km ,we reached Madai village. This place is famous for Peda sweet. From there I took a left turn and moved about 5 km for Buka Jal Vihar tourist spot. This place has  also the water storage like the Golden Island and schemer service is available for the enjoyment of the tourists.

                                             ( Buka Jal Vihar)

The Forest Management committee is charging rs. 50/- for the entry of car and Rs.20/- for two wheeler.

When I was coming to Kendai from Amarkantak on 1^st September 2015, I was advised to take route for Tuman road from Jatka for Kathghora. However, the left turn road from Jatka T point was quite good in condition and short cut for Chotia but with narrow hilly turns and due to this reason I might have been advised to go through Tuman.

From Jatka moving about 15 km. I reached to another T point. The right hand side road goes towards Bilaspur and I had to take left turn for Kathghora via Tuman. One can not drive more than 10 km /hour with serpentine style as the road is in such a worse condition. After traveling 15 km,we reached ‘Tuman’ the first capital of ‘Kaltury Dynasty’ of the 9^th century AD before Ratanpur. I love historical places and so I forgot the tiring journey on reaching the ruins of the temples of Kaltury Dynasty.

 I came to know that the dcedents of this Dynasty are living here near at the bank of the river in Tuman. After Tuman I reached Kathghora and about 40 km. from here is Chotia and from Chotia I taken left turn to Ambikapur road.

Traveling 15 km. There is Kendai forest. I had to reach here in Swami Bhajnanand’s ashram Vanwasi School to stay and teach the students of this School.

On returning from Kendai on 21^st September,2015, I taken the short cut left turn from Chotia after petrol pump instead of going to Kathghora from the previous route. It is a very pictorial and quite route , however steep turn and narrow road and reached to Pasan. One of my known came along with me from Chotia to show me this route till Pasan. From Pasan there is almost  straight road to Amarkantak via Pandra.

 

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