Chhattisgarh is one of the states of India located in the central part of the country.

The state is surrounded by Jharkhand state on northwest, Orissa on the east, Andhra Pradesh on the south, and Maharastra on the southwest. It has been formed from the state of Madhya Pradesh. The origin of the name of Chhattisgarh has an interesting and long story. During the ancient period Chhattisgarh was called Dakshin Kosala. We can get an evidence of it in the inscriptions and literary works of the early writers. During the Mughal reign the region was called Ratanpur territory and not Chhattisgarh. The word Chhattisgarh gained popularity during the rule of the Marathas. It was used for the first time in 1795, in an official document. J.B. Beglar, the British historian put forward an interesting concept on the origin of the name Chhattisgarh. He has linked it with the contemporary caste division of the region. Beglar is of the view that Chhattisgarh is the original name and not Chhattisgarh. As per the traditional saying, long years back thirty six families of dalits moved towards south from Jarasandhas kingdom and settled in this region, which was named after the as Chhattisgarh. Another accepted fact regarding the source of the name of the state was that it refers to the 36 forts that were supposed to be in the region. Historians do not accept this because the 36 forts could not be located. Another theory proposed by the historians in this regard is that Chhattisgarh is derived from Chedisgarh or the political base of the Chedis. Thus the origin of the name of Chhattisgarh is a blend of thesis and antithesis. Creation For obvious reasons, a discussion on the History of Chattisgarh will bring forward the subject about its creation. The first administrative initiation of the Creation of Chattisgarh was taken the then government of Madhya Pradesh. A resolution was passed at the Madhya Pradesh Assembly on March 18th, 1994 with the demand of a separate state of Chattisgarh. The two major political parties of the state, Congress and B.J.P supported the demand. The Union Government in 1998 drafted a bill with the same proposal and sent it to the M.P. Bidhan Sabha for approval. It was approved without any opposition. However with the downfall of the Union Government, fresh Lok Sabha elections were held. Again the newly appointed Central Government drafted the bill and sent it to the state assembly. Once again it was unanimously supported, paving the way for its approval. In the year 2000, the Indian President gave his consent to the Madhya Pradesh Reorganization Act on the historic date of 25th August. Finally the state of Madhya Pradesh was bifurcated to create the Chattisgarh state on 1st November 2000. The need for a separate Chattisgarh State was actually a demand of a long time. The separation of Jharkhand and Uttarkhand acted as inspirations. Many social, economic, political and regional factors were behind the Creation of Chattisgarh. Sixteen districts from Madhya Pradesh were taken to form the new State of Chattisgarh. Today, Chattisgarh is one of the important states of the country.

The history of Chhattisgarh, which was called as South Kosala goes back to the 4th century AD. The mythological history of the state can be traced back to the days of Mahabarata and the Ramayana. The Haihaya dynasty ruled Chhattisgarh for six centuries during the 14th century. During the middle ages, Chalukya dynasty established its rule in Bastar. Annmdev was the first Chalukya ruler, who founded the dynasty in Bastar in 1320. In 1741, the kingdom was seized by the Marathas from the Haihaya dynasty. After conquering bthe kingdom during 1745 AD, Raghunathsinghji, the last descendant of the Ratanpur house was forced to leave the area. So finally in the year 1758, Chhattisgarh was conquered by Marathas and Bimbaji Bhonsle was appointed as the ruler. After the demise of Bimbaji Bhonsle, suba system was followed by the Marathas. It was an era of unrest and misrule. Maratha army was involved in large-scale loot and ransack. The Maratha officials compromised the interests of the region to the British. The atrocities of the Maratha rule were opposed by the Gonds. The kingdom was attacked by the Pindaris during the early Nineteenth Century. In the year 1818, Chhattisgarh came under the British rule. After Nagpur was included under the rule of the British government in 1854, Chhattisgarh was created into a deputy commissionership. Its headquarters were located at Raipur. The British government brought about certain reforms in the administrative and revenue systems. The tribals of Bastar strongly stood firmly against the British, which resulted in the Halba rebellion, which continued for about five years from 1774-1779. Vir Narain Singhs name is written in golden words in the history of Chhattisgarh, as he was the first martyr from this region in the struggle of independence. If you want to know more about history of Chhattisgarh, click on the following links:

Chhattisgarh, the 'Gateway toCentral India', has an age-old cultural legacy that dates back to the antiquity. The state has a traditional culture and is inhabited by a variety of people. The people of Chhattisgarh are friendly exuberant people who like to live life to the hilt. The multi-ethnic culture of Chhattisgarh is attributed to its diverse tribes, cultures and faiths. The people have preserved their traditional culture. There is hardly any trace of urban cosmopolitan culture save a few industrial cities like Raipur and Bhiali. The local inhabitants are mainly tribal people and the principal tribes to dominate the populace are:

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 Dhurvaa The locals are hardworking, diligent and enterprising. They love toThey love to fill their lives with color, humor and a good amount of enjoyment. The people mainly converse in Hindi and Chhattisgarhi and a variety of local dialects. The numerous folklores, folksongs and musical instruments, dramas, ballads and songs, food and drink manifest the states cultural diversities and are enjoyed by the young and old alike. Mirth and merriment add color to their lives. The women are hard working and assist the men on the farms. They also love dressing up in vibrantly colored costumes and adorn themselves with ethnic jewelry. The tribal people are very talented and creative and their expertise is manifested in the exquisite traditional handicrafts For more on the people of Haryana and its demographics, navigate to: Religion in Chhattisgarh is of prime importance in the life of the people. The state of Chhattisgarh is largely populated by the tribals who follow various religions. The region was mainly influenced by traditional Hindu culture but with the increasing oppression of caste system and social hierarchy, many of them have accepted other forms of religion. A large proportion of them do follow Hindu religion in Chhattisgarh like the Gond tribe and in turn they influence other tribes. A sizeable populations of Muslims, Christians and Buddhists also exists in Chhattisgarh. The various missionaries working in Chhattisgarh have resulted in the conversion of many people to Christianity. The influence of Jain religion is evident in the several Jain memorials in Aarang, Malhar, Maheshpur and Sirpur. For the Hindus Lord Rama is the most popular figure even toady. Chhattisgarh has undergone many tribal rebellions due to which various alternative religions have gained preference at times. Followers of Satnam Panth, Rae Das Panth, Ramnami Panth and Kabir Panth gained importance and followers, especially among the poors and outcastes because they abhorred caste system and deity worshiping. Religion in Chhattisgah is often also mixed with superstition and sorcery. The tribes believe in various totems, and, nature worship in varying forms are common. Mother Nature sustains human beings and so it is considered as God by various communities. Such folk Gods and Goddesses unique to the communities have gained importance. In fact, religion in Chhattisgarh is so strong that it even influences and defines the political loyalty of the people of the state. For further information click the following link:

Chhattisgarhi and Hindi are the main spoken languages of Chhattisgarh. However, there are about 93 types of languages that are used, out of which 70 are variants belonging to Chhattisgarhi alone. For instance, the dialect of Sadri is understood by and familiar with various tribal groups. In the same way, Halbi is understood by many tribal groups hailing from the southern part of Chhattisgarh. Chhattisgarhi can be termed as a sub variety of Hindi. All the 70 dialects in Chhattisgarhi, basically, span over the three linguistic groups of Austro-Asiatic languages, Dravidian and Indo - European languages, which are mainly in use in India. The most widely used dialects are Surgujia, Kalanga, Sadri Korwa, Binjhwari, Kavardi, Bhulia, Baigani, Khairagarhi and Chhattisgarhi Proper. Language variants from all these groups are used in the northern part of Chhattisgarh but only the Indo - European dialects are in use in the central part of Chhattisgarh. The southern part of the state falls on the Deccan plateau and this has influenced the Dravidian dialects to be infused with the Indo - European dialects used in this zone. Approximately 12 million people speak Chhattisgarhi. Many dialects are also dying away like Parji, Kurukh and Gondi that are facing near extinction among the

Whatever language or dialect one uses, the written script is always in the Devanagari script. Hindi is the medium of working in official purposes, recruitment and government works. All people of Chhattisgarh do understand and can speak Hindi well, which incidentally is also the national language of India.

Chhattisgarh, essentially, is a young state having ancient roots. To be found in Central India, Chhattisgarh was formerly a part of Madhya Pradesh and became the 26th state of the Indian Union in the year 2000. This 10th largest state of the country is endowed with the nature's best, together with huge mineral deposits, forest resources, immense waterfalls, chirpy rivers, massive caves, etc. Raipur, the industrial and commercial city, serves as its administrative capital. Since Chhattisgarh falls under the Torrid Zone, it observes tropical climate where summers are warm and winters are cold. Talking about its ancient roots, the state has been mentioned as Dakshina Kosala in the great epic of Ramayana. Not only is this state rich in minerals, but also in business and industrial prospects. Bhilai Steel Plant, the largest steel plant of India, is located in this picturesque state. Being one of richest bio-diversity habitats of India, Chhattisgarh is dedicated to become a hub for bio-diesel very soon. Amidst great potential of industries and natural resources, it is contributing appreciably to the country's economy and human resources. It has the largest number of Schedule Tribes; it's also home to innumerable migrants from other parts of the country. Above and beyond, its rich culture imparts wholeness to this state where headway is made without negotiating on ethnicity.

Culture of Chhattisgarh Chhattisgarh boasts of a rich cultural heritage amidst crusty cuisine, vivacious dances, great religions, melodious music, lively people, amiable languages, sparkling fairs & festivals, and marvelous arts & crafts. Its unique approach towards dance, cuisine, and music, make it different from others.