Raipur

Raipur
—  capital  —
Raipur
Location of Raipur
in Chhattisgarh
Coordinates
Country  India
State Chhattisgarh
District(s) Raipur
Mayor Mrs. Kiranmayi Nayak
Population

• Density

 660,667 (2001)

• 2,923 /km2 (7,571 /sq mi)
Time zone IST (UTC+5:30)
Area

• Elevation

 226 km2 (87 sq mi)

• 298.15 metres (978.2 ft)
Website www.raipur.nic.in

Raipur pronunciation is the capital city of the state of Chhattisgarh, India. The population is 1,560,667 (as per census of India, 2001). The city is the administrative headquarters of Raipur District. It was formerly a part of Madhya Pradesh before the state of Chhattisgarh was formed on November 1, 2000. A city, Naya Raipur is being developed near Raipur.

Contents

History

On the basis of ruins of a fort and other structures located on the southern part of the city, some historians believe that the city of Raipur was in existence even during the 9th century. However, most historians agree that King Brahmadeva Rai founded the city in the last quarter of the 14th century.

Raipur district is important from historical and archeological point of view. This district was once part of Southern Kosal and considered to be under Maurya Kingdom. Raipur city had been the capital of the Haihaya Kings, controlling the traditional forts of the Chhattisgarh for a long time. The town of Raipur has been in existence since the 9th century, the old site and ruins of the fort can be seen in the southern part of the city. Satawahana Kings ruled this part till the 2nd-3rd century.

In the 4th Century king Samudragupta had conquered this region and established his domination till 5th-6th Century when this part had come under the rule of Sarabhpuri Kings. For a certain period in 5th-6th Century, Nala kings dominated this area. Later on Somavanshi kings took control over this region and ruled with Sirpur (Sirpur-The city of Wealth) as their capital city. Mahashivgupt Balarjun was the mightiest emperor of this Dynasty. His mother, the widow Queen of Harshgupta of the Somavansh, Rani Vasata built the famous brick temple of Lakshman. The Kalchuri kings of Tumman ruled this part for a long time making Ratanpur as capital. The old inscriptions of Ratanpur, Rajim and Khallari refer to the reign of Kalchuri kings. It is believed that the King Ramachandra of this dynasty established the city of Raipur and subsequently made it the capital of his kingdom.

Another story about Raipur is that King Ramachandra's son Brahmdeo Rai had established Raipur. His capital was Khalwatika (now Khallari). The newly constructed city was named after Brahmdeo Rai as 'Raipur'. It was during his time in 1402 A.D. that Hajiraj Naik the temple of Hatkeshwar Mahadev was constructed in the banks of river Kharun.The decline of this dynasty's rule came with the death of king Amarsingh Deo. This region had become the domain of Bhosle kings after the Amarsingh deo's death. With the death of Raghuji the III, the territory was assumed by the British Government from Nagpur and Chhatisgarh was declared a separate Commissionery with its Headquarters at Raipur in 1854. After independence, Raipur district was included in Central Provinces And Berar.[1][2][3]

Geography and climate

Raipur
Climate chart ()
J F M A M J J A S O N D
 
 
6.7
 
28
13
 
 
12
 
31
17
 
 
25
 
36
21
 
 
16
 
40
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19
 
42
28
 
 
190
 
37
27
 
 
381
 
31
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345
 
30
24
 
 
230
 
31
24
 
 
54
 
32
22
 
 
7.4
 
30
17
 
 
3.7
 
27
13
average max. and min. temperatures in °C
precipitation totals in mm
source: IMD

The new city of Raipur is located near the centre of a large plain, sometimes referred as the "rice bowl of India", where hundreds of varieties of rice are grown. The Mahanadi River flows to the east of the city of Raipur, and the southern side has dense forests. The Maikal Hills rise on the north-west of Raipur; on the north, the land rises and merges with the Chota Nagpur Plateau, which extends north-east across Jharkhand state. On the south of Raipur lies the Baster Plateau.

Climate

 

Raipur has a tropical wet and dry climate, temperatures remain moderate throughout the year, except from March to June, which can be extremely hot. The city receives about 1300 mm (51 inches) of rain, mostly in the monsoon season from late June to early October. Winters last from November to January and are mild, although lows can fall to 5 °C (42 °F)

Transport

Raipur is situated on the Mumbai-Howrah route of Indian Railways and is well connected with such important places as Bhopal Junction, Indore, Gwalior, Mumbai, Howrah, Kolkata (Calcutta), Delhi, Amritsar, Jamshedpur, Pune, Jabalpur, Nagpur, Vishakapatnam, Thiruvananthapuram, Patna, Ahmedabad,Vadodara,Surat, Gandhinagar, Jodhpur, Jaipur, Bhubaneswar,Puri, Varanasi,Tirupati, Secundrabad, Lucknow, Kanpur, Gorakhpur, Jammu, Chennai and Bangalore.

National Highway 6 (Dhule-Kolkata) passes through the city of Raipur. National Highways 43, 200 and 12A link the city with Jagdalpur, Bilaspur and Jabalpur. It is well connected by road to all important places of India. Recently a 4 Lane Expressway has been constructed between Raipur-Bhilai-Durg.

Air links to the city were revived after the city became the state capital. Indian Airlines connects the city with Mumbai, Chennai, Bhubaneswar, and Nagpur. Jet Airways has daily flights to Bombay (Mumbai), Delhi, Bhopal, Indore, Ahmedabad, and Hyderabad. Kingfisher Airlines has flights to Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Indore, Ahmedabad,and Hyderabad.

City Bus services

Raipur City Bus Limited (RCBL) operates city buses within the city limits. Raipur Municipal Corporation launched the Raipur City Bus service on 25 Feb 2008, an extensive service with some routes servicing most areas in city. The company runs 38 buses out of which 14 are low floor buses (Tata STARBUS). There are also plans to equip the buses with GPS devices and electronic sign boards. These buses ply between Railway Station to Airport, Railway Station to Tatibandh, Railway Station to Banjari Dham (the famous Banjari Mata Temple), Railway Station to Nawagaon (Via The 36 City Mall, Dairy College, Agriculture University etc.), Ghadi Chowk to Sejbahar - the New G.E.C. Campus, Ghadi Chowk to Amaleshwar (via Mahadev Ghat pilgrimage). Another 100 buses are expected to be soon on roads.

Politics

Raipur is capital of newly created state of Chhattisgarh. The state of Chhattisgarh is presently governed by the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) one of the two main political parties of India. Dr. Raman Singh is the chief minister of Chhattisgarh at present.

Economy

Raipur when was a part of Madhya Pradesh was used to be the Second Commercial Capital of Madhya Pradesh after the city of Indore Now also it is one of the primary commercial city of Central end Eastern India. Traditionally, the city of Raipur has been described as "an agricultural-processing and saw-milling town". The city is located centrally in the state of Chhattisgarh, and now serves as a regional hub for trade and commerce for a variety of local agricultural and forest products. The traditional face of city has changed, and the city of Raipur and its neighbourhood are now becoming an important regional commercial and industrial destination for the coal, power, steel and aluminium industries. Close to Raipur, several industries have developed :

Raipur is among the richest cities & India’s biggest iron market - there are about 173 steel rolling mills, 170 sponge iron plants, more than 250 steel plants, 800 agro-industries and 70 ferro-alloy plants in and around the city. There are more than 300 rice milling plants, and all major and local cement manufacturing companies have a presence in the city.

Raipur, like many other Tier II Indian cities, is experiencing a boom in construction and development. Firms like Indigo Design & Engineering Associates PLC., Soma Developers, DLF, omaxe, merlin group etc. are among the trailblazers in the city. The new airport along with improved road and rail infrastructure is expected to give a general filip to the city.

Naya Raipur Development Authority, the project promoter, is developing the township that will have an 18-hole golf course over 400 acres (1.6 km2), golf villas, residential and commercial buildings, and a hotel. New Secretariat Building Is Under Construction In New Raipur. Major Roads have been built. New residential complexes and Government quarters for Government officials are also under construction.

Major industries

Indian Railways

Raipur is a division in the South East Central Railway. The city also has "Wagor Repair Shop (WRS)", one of the most efficient wagon maintenance establishment of the Indian Railways situated in WRS Colony in the city's eastern part. Apart from the WRS, Raipur also houses a "Diesel Loco Shed" for the diesel engines which haul primarily in the region

You can enquire about current running status of trains at raipur railway station by visiting www.raipurinfomania.com or calling 0771-4212121. Train status is updated every minute and obtained directly from raipur railway station.

Steel Industry

Raipur generally known for steel industries; the capital of Chhattisgarh provides many types of industrial facilities. One of most growing industries is Information Technology.

Demographics

Being an important regional centre and a city with a history stretching back more than a thousand years, Raipur has been attracting people from different parts of Madhya Pradesh and neighbouring states. The demographic composition is a mixed one: North Indians, South Indians, local ethnic Chattisgarhri and a few from North East. The city is essentially inhabited by the trading communities like Baniyas, Agarwals, Jains, Gujaratis, and Marwaris. Due to close proximity with Orissa there is large numbers of Oriya population found in the city as well as in the state. The city is also home to an immigrant population that includes Sindhis and the Sikhs. It also has a sizable Bengalis, Telugu, Malayalees and Maharashtrians population. Majority of the population in Raipur is Hindu. Muslims and Christians are minorities. Muslims primarily reside in such areas as Moudhapara (occupied by the immigrants from UP and Bihar), Baijnathpara, Chota Para, Momin Para (Shia Islam community) and Byron Bazaar (which is named after a Briton who is supposed to have formed the place; Byron Bazar was once mostly inhabited by the Muslims from the "Madras Paltan" i.e. those serving in the British Army (Madras Regiment), and had occupied Byron Bazaar as a result of their regiment getting disbanded). The Christian population is scattered around the city. This city is also populated by the people of Gond community.

As of 2001 India census,[5] Raipur had a population of 16,05,131. Males constitute 52% of the population and females 48%. Raipur has an average literacy rate of 72%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 78%, and female literacy is 65%. In Raipur, 13% of the population is under 6 years of age.

Education

Universities:

NIT Raipur

Major Engineering Colleges:

Medical Colleges:

Museum

Mahant Ghasidas Museum, in Raipur is one of the most resorceful museums of India. It was Built in 1875 by Raja Mahant Ghasidas, King of Rajnandgaon state.

Major Malls

Media

Television

Raipur covers a vast and major portion of News and Entertainment Tv Channels mainly :

Radio

Raipur has 7 Radio stations:

Sr. No. Radio Station Name Radio Frequency
1 Akashwani Raipur 981 kHz
2 MY FM 94.3 MHz
3 Radio Mirchi 98.3 MHz
4 Radio Rangeela 104.3 MHz
5 Radio Tadka 95 MHz
6 Vividh Bharti 105 MHz
7 Radio Tarang 104.0 MHz

News papers

Dainik Bhaskar, Navabharat , Nai Duniya, Hari Bhoomi, Deshbandhu, Amrit Sandesh, Jansatta, The Hitavada, Central Chronicle, Shrambindu & Many More. Vishal Media, Many More.

Places of interest

Nagar Ghadi: This is a Singing Clock constructed by Raipur Development Authority in 1995. It sings melodius Tunes of Chhattisgarhi folk music every hour before hourly bell chime. It has got two awards "Limca book of Records" & "India Book of Records". This clock is one of the Unique kind of clock due its Folk Music.

Gandhi Udyaan: One of the oldest parks of Raipur. Gandhi Udyaan is situated next to the Chief Minister's residence. This park has recently been renovated.

Budha Lake: Literally meaning aged (budha), Budha Lake is the largest lake in the city. Its beauty is enhanced by an island, laced with green trees and gardens, situated in the middle of the lake.It has got a beautiful statue of Swami Vivekananda which is located at the center of the lake ]]

Dudhadari Temple: Situated near the Burha Talab, stands the 500-year-old Dudhadari Temple, which has elaborate carvings. The temple is dedicated to the Hindu god Ram.

The Banjari Mata Mandir is a famous temple which was established by Shree Harish Joshi. Folklore has it that Mr. Joshi found a place where a stone looked like an idol of Banjari Mata. On discovering the idol, he started worshipping it and hence attracting public attention. Since then the place has been converted into a temple.

Shadani Darbar: Named after the saint Shri Shadaramji Saheb, is a popular pilgrimage spot for Hindus. It is located about ten kilometers from Raipur railway station and only 4 kilometers from the Airport, on the Dhamtari road. Shadani Darbar, spread over 12 acres (49,000 m2) of land, has a big hall where Dhuni Saheb is kept. The beautiful engraved images of gods and avatars (incarnations) can be seen on the either side of the wall. Dukh bhanjan Dhuni is performed every day. Other highlights are musical fountains with religious idols and statues.

Mahant Ghasi Das Memorial Museum: A large collection of ancient inscriptions, images, coins, sculptures of historical importance are displayed in this museum.

Shaheed Smarak Complex: An exceptionally conceptualized architectural marvel of Architect Prasanna Kothari - a memorial to freedom fighters, comprises a huge auditorium, library, museum and an art gallery, located in the heart of the city.

Nandanvan Garden: Developed by the wildlife division of the Raipur Forest Department, is located about 15 km from Raipur, on the banks of the Kharun River, in the western boundary of the city. It is noted for its natural beauty. There is a mini zoo with animals such as lions, tigers, panthers, and deer, among many others.

Champaran is a small town about 60 km (37 mi) from Raipur that has religious significance as the birthplace of the saint Vallabha Acharya.

The Historic place of Sirpur is only 78 km from Raipur.

Rajeev Smriti Van: As the name suggests, this place commemorates late Rajeev Gandhi, former Prime Minister of India. It is a unique ex-situ conservation site sprawling over an area of 14 acres.

Urja Park is a park adjoining Rajeev Smriti Van where the entire power needs are met using solar energy. Various interactive media have been used to spread awareness about solar energy.

BARNAWAPARA is a mainly a forest area situating at 120 km. from Raipur. It has a wildlife sanctuary. The animals generally found in this sanctuary are deers, panther,leopard and others.

References

  1. ↑ "Raipur District of Chhattisgarh - History of Capital District Raipur". Raipur.gov.in. http://raipur.gov.in/hist.htm. Retrieved 2010-07-26. 
  2. ↑ "Welcome to Raipur City, Capital of Chhattisgarh, India". Raipurcity.info. http://www.raipurcity.info. Retrieved 2010-07-26. 
  3. ↑ "Raipur District of Chhattisgarh - History of Capital District Raipur". Raipur.nic.in. http://raipur.nic.in/hist.htm. Retrieved 2010-07-26. 
  4. ↑ "India Basic Metals Industry". Business.mapsofindia.com. http://business.mapsofindia.com/india-industry/basic-metals.html. Retrieved 2010-07-26. 
  5. ↑ "Census of India 2001: Data from the 2001 Census, including cities, villages and towns (Provisional)". Census Commission of India. Archived from the original on 2004-06-16. http://web.archive.org/web/20040616075334/http://www.censusindia.net/results/town.php?stad=A&state5=999. Retrieved 2008-11-01. 

External links