Discover the charm of rolling hills and verdant forests
dotted with ancient temples… Korba is a cradle of culture tucked away in the
folds of tradition...
Serene surroundings: The Sarveshwar Temple Complex
Photo by the author
The winding roads are flanked by lush woods at their
pristine best. My nature-tuned eyes soaked in the bounteous scene, but the
city-born-and-bred heart in me rebelled—not against this beauty, this abundant
nature, but against the fact of having to make this place, Korba, my home. The
resilient in me egged me on to “see beyond” and not feel bogged down by the
apparent lack of urban aroma that I had become accustomed to. My instincts
proved right and two years down the line I feel myself in a land that is, using
a very clichéd expression, a treasure chest of natural and cultural beauty. I
realise that Korba, like the rest of the State of
Situated on the banks of the rivers Hasdeo and Ahiran,
enriched by several streams, rivulets, lakes and ponds, Korba, which derives
its name from its original inhabitants, the Korwa hilly tribes, charms you with
its alluring bio-diversity, heritage sites and picnic spots. The town is an
interesting and enigmatic amalgam of the progressive and modern, the
traditional and rustic. Its verdant surrounds present a striking contrast to the
concrete jungle and high-rise glass structures that have come to typify urban
sprawls. A fascinating tribal land with the majority of the tribals still
inhabiting the hilly terrains untouched by the trappings of modernity, Korba is
steadily but surely witnessing the mushrooming of computer centres, Net cafes,
IT tutorials and English medium schools. Travel a couple of kilometres away
from this modern bustle and you are bang in the midst of a weekly haat for
cows, goats, buffalos, fruits and vegetables and other household items!
To step back a little in time, Korba was once known as
Gourigarh and was under the sway of Nago Singh Gour, a zamindar and snake
charmer who belonged to the Mourya caste. His policy of annexing the smaller
territories around him led him to fight the Korwas. When the Korwas were on the
verge of defeat, they deceived Nago Singh’s wife into believing that he had
died in battle. The grief stricken wife, along with her child, drowned herself
in a pond. On hearing of his beloved’s demise, Nago Singh followed suit. Thus
the Korwas became the rulers of Korba. Today, however, the Korwas are only one
of the several tribes dwelling in Korba. Pottery, agriculture, weaving,
especially of the famed Kosa silk, continue to be the mainstay of the population.
One of my first explorative trips in Korba is to Pali
which is about 60 km away. It is a small village famous for its ancient
Serene spot
About 40 km away from Pali is Chaithurgarh, one of the
country’s strongest natural forts at a height of 3,060 feet on a hilltop that
has been developed as a tourist resort in recent times. Adding to the tranquil
environs atop the hill is the centuries’ old
Architectural
attractions
Some of the must-see architectural attractions are the
Shiva Temple at Tuman, the 10th century Kankeshwar Mahadev Temple where the
Shivalinga is Swayambu, the Sarvamangla temple, the caves of which have been
shut off for public viewing, the rock-cut cave temple of Sitamani, believed to
have been inhabited by Lord Rama, his consort Sita and brother Lakshman during
their wanderings in the forest, the more modern Sarveshwar temple with its vast
landscaped gardens and the glass temple of Bhavani Ma.
Of course, the purely scenic sights include the
aesthetically crafted
Add to all this, a splash of colours in the tribal
dances and festivities specific to the region—Hareli, Pola, Cherchera, Karma
and Ravat Nacha, to name a few—and you have the picture perfect equation of a
tourist destination that leaves you befuddled and bewitched at the same time.
http://www.hindu.com/mag/2009/06/28/stories/2009062850340800.htm