Bilaspur (Altitude: 264 M, Population: 16, 94,883) is situated on the banks of the River Arpa which originates from the high hills of the Maikal Range of central India. Although, it is not the State capital, the High Court of Chhattisgarh is located here. It is the headquarters of Bilaspur District and is 111 KM north of the state capital Raipur. Besides, it is also the headquarters of the South East Central Railway which comprises the Bilaspur, Nagpur and Raipur divisions.
This dolomite rich region is surrounded by lush green forests in the north and the coal mines of Hasdeo valley in the east. Bilaspur is known for its Doobraj rice, handloom woven colorful soft Kosa silk Saris, and more for its rich, varied and colorful culture.
History
Historical records like Imperial Gazetteer of India, Vol. 8, 1908 note that the city is said to be named after a fisher-woman by name Bilasa in the 17th century, and for a long period it consisted only of a few fishermen's huts. In 1901, population of Bilaspur was 18,937 and was 8th largest town in Central Provinces of British India. In 1908, weaving of tasar silk and cotton clothes were recorded as major industries of Bilaspur.
Bilaspur district was undertaken by British Government in 1818, before this it was under Maratha rule for about 60 years. Bilaspur district was constituted in 1861 and Bilaspur municipality in 1867. Famines in Bilaspur district before 1908 were recorded by British administration in 1828-29, 1834-35, 1845-46, 1868-69 and 1899–1900. In 1868-69 and 1899–1900, the rains failed almost completely, accompanied with severe distress, migration and desertion of villages.
Guru Ghasidas, (1756–1836) started a religious movement Satnamis (meaning the worshippers of Satnam) between 1820 and 1830 primarily around Sonakhan forests. This religious movement preached that god is not idols or not in idols but god is synonymous to truth. His community was a farmer community though in Hindu caste hierarchy they have been put in Schedule caste. University at Bilaspur is named after him as Guru Ghasidas University.
Historically, Bilaspur was a part of Kalchuri dynasty of Ratanpur. The city, however, came into prominence around 1741, the year of the Maratha Empire invasion, when a Maratha official took up his abode there and began to build a fort which was never completed. The populace of Bilaspur suffered heavily during the famine of 1896–1897, during which the city experienced the highest death rate of the region.
The city was taken over by the British East India Company of Great Britain in the year 1854 when the then ruler of the region of the Mahratta kingdom died heirless.
Railways arrived at Bilaspur in the decade of 1880-90 under Bengal Nagpur Railway.

Places of Interest

Besides having places associated with its ancient and cultural heritage, the city is also famous for its wildlife variety. This is because of its situation within the state. It is reputed for having some of the densest forests in the country and an even spread of hills and rivers. One of the places worth visiting is the Achanakmar Wildlife Sanctuary. Famous for the variety of its wildlife, the sanctuary is spread over an area of 551 km² (213 mi²) and was setup in 1975 under the Wildlife Protection Act. The sanctuary is 55 km (34 mi) away form Bilaspur and is closed during the monsoon season.
Just before the entry into Achanakmar Wild Life Sanctuary, there is situated the Ghongapani Jalashya (Dam) with beautiful panoramic view. There is no place to stay though. It can be visited in the day time on way to Achanakmar.

Beyond the sanctuary on way to Amarkantak there are Government Guest Houses in Achanakmar, Keonchi, and Lamni. These guest houses can be booked with governmental officials in the district head quarters. These guest houses are well built and the arrangements are also good.
The forest guest house at Lamni was built by the then British Officials. It is 1850 feet above sea level.
Within the sanctuary the presence of guar (Indian Bison) and tigers are found, as reported by the multiple sightings by the visitors. Other animals include the leopard, chital, panthera, striped hyena, canis, sloth bear, dhole, sambar deer, nilgai, Indian four-horned antelope and chinkara populate the sanctuary in equal numbers.

Trips to the sanctuary can be organized via private taxi operators. A place to stay is available. Located 55 km (34 mi) away is Khutaghat, where there is a dam and reservoir. The beautifully located "Hill Top Rest House" overlooking the vast expanse of the blue water reservoir is chosen by many for accommodation. The Khudia Dam, which is 75 km (47 mi) away from the city, is equally beautiful but more remote.

Places of interest within the city include Vivekanand Uddyaan (a city Park), Kaanan Pindary zoo (8 km, 5 mi), Ramkrishna Ashram (5 km 3 mi), Arpa River Chat Puja Ghat.
The city celebrates all the major festivals of India. There are some local festivals such as the colorful Rout Dance (November). The city has a multicultural mix of locals and people migrated from Sindh (Pakistan), Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh,  Rajasthan, Bengal,  Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat, etc. The city publishes four mornings and one evening daily newspapers in Hindi. The town has been the home of some famous literary personalities including Sri Srikant Verma (Hindi) and Sri. Bimal Mitra (Bengali).
Local memorabilia include the handicrafts that are available in Khadi Bhawan, near Satyam Cinema. Kosa silk saris and cloth are available in Sadar Bazaar.
The best time to visit is from October to March. However, one can visit it anytime of the year to shop and to enjoy the diversity of the culture which is very different from other parts of the country and for the better for sure.

Transport:
Bilaspur is well connected to the rest of the country by Railways. The Rajdhani Express (Howrah-New Delhi) via. Bhopal bi-weekly connects Bilaspur to New Delhi. The station is on the main Mumbai-Kolkata (Calcutta) rail line with daily connections to Mumbai, Kolkata, Pune and Ahmedabad. It is also the originating station for daily trains to:
The city is connected with Mumbai and Kolkata via Raipur through National Highway network. Bilaspur is on NH-200 connecting Raipur and Raigarh on either side. The city is connected with southern India by Tirunelveli - Bilaspur Super Fast.

Last Updated on Sunday, 06 March 2011 00:22