Chhattisgarh

Introducing Chhattisgarh

Chhattisgarh split from Madhya Pradesh in 2000 and is coming out of the bigger state’s shadow. It’s one of the eastern states associated with the Naxalite guerrillas (an ultra-leftist political movement that began in Naxal Village, West Bengal), but they rarely stray from their remote hideouts on Chhattisgarh’s borders. It also suffers from dire roads and scant buses outside the Raipur–Jagdalpur stretch of Hwy 43, but for intrepid travellers, the state is a forested Adivasi kingdom. The tribes’ pointillist paintings and spindly sculptures are as vivid as the colourful haats (markets) that take place across the Bastar region. The forests also hide waterfalls and unspoilt nature reserves.

Last updated: Feb 17, 2009