[DriveTrain]

This is the tale of an odyssey through the magical lands that lie within the stunning Eastern Ghats and the Deccan plateau - of travel through two beautiful states - of verdant meadows and stunning valleys - of gently rolling hills - of a land resplendent with natural resources - of happy and smiling people - of our rich culture , heritage and traditions - of majestic rivers , dams and barrages - of countless magnificent waterfalls - of dense primordial forests with prehistoric caves - of ancient monuments and temples - of lurking fear of the unknown presence - of incredulous asphalt that pull at the heartstrings of a petrol head - and of fighter jets that are a sight to behold ; through some sparingly visited as well as touristy destinations - all within 10 days and 3000 odd Kilometers that makes a Wayfarer glee!

This yarn is slightly dated as it was executed during Durga Puja-22 , October 2022 to be exact ! The grand annual festivities not only provide us with precious holidays but it also makes us flee the hordes of revelers that descend right next to our home. This time we were fleeing from “Vatican City”, no doubt fellow residents of the City of Joy will understand what I mean!

As usual, I was late to plan and did not have a clue where to go – the only maxim was that it needs to be somewhere isolated where there will be no rush of tourists. Randomly looking at Google maps sometime in late July / early August, an idea began to form as places and names crept up on me and the research began. Thankfully, mostly offbeat places meant that bookings were still possible and the itinerary was chalked out. We chose to visit offbeat South Odisha – Gajapati , Rayagada and Koraput districts ; and the adjoining Bastar , Dantewada and Kondagaon districts of Chhattisgarh . One of the significant catalyst was a newspaper advertisement by Chhattisgarh tourism and the lure of Bastar Dusshera and Dholkal Ganesha. I had absolutely no idea about the cultural tradition around Bastar Dusshera , and the more I read – it became a must visit. Visiting Bastar , there is no way Chitrakote falls can be given a miss , and the catch was – the Dandami Luxury Resort (probably the best place to stay in Chitrakote) was already fully booked. That is when I chanced upon Unexplored Bastar and it turned to be a blessing in disguise, more of that later. South Odisha with Koraput as a base was not a problem as Ecotour Odisha has a fantastic property which was readily available. Ecotour Odisha has close to thirty value for money properties available throughout that beautiful state which are probably doing wonders to local tourism ! The other discovery was Taptapani Spring Resort , which turned out to be a surprisingly delightful choice of a night halt enroute.

The itinerary :

Day 1 : Kolkata to Taptapani , via Kharagpur , Balasore , Cuttack , Bhubaneshwar & Brahmapur. Night Stay - Taptapani Spring Resort . 673 Kms 12 hrs

Day 2 : Taptapani – Harabhangi Reservoir - Rayagada sightseeing - Kutunipadar Mahadev Temple - Damanjodi sightseeing – Koraput. Night Stay - Koraput Nature Camp - Pine Resorts. 312 Kms 11 hrs

Day 3 : Koraput - Sabar Srikhetra - Tribal Museum - Dumuriput Hanuman - Sunabeda (HAL Museum) – RaniDuduma Fall - Deomali Hills – Koraput. Night Stay - Koraput Nature Camp - Pine Resorts . 190 Kms

Day 4 : Koraput – Gupteswar Cave Temple - Duduma Falls - Machhkund Diversion Dam - Jalaput Dam and Reservoir - Kolab Dam and reservoir - Koraput . Night Stay - Koraput Nature Camp - Pine Resorts. 257 Kms 9 hrs.

Day 5 : Koraput - Koraput Coffee Plantation - Jagdalpur . Evening spent in watching Mavli Parghav festivities of Bastar Dusshera. Night Stay - Hotel provided in Jagdalpur by Unexplored Bastar (Sudha Palace). 100kms 2 hrs.

Day 6 : Jagdalpur - Madarkonta caves - Tirathgarh falls - Mandwa Falls – Dholkal Jungle camp (Faraspal Village) Dantewada. Night Stay - Dholkal Jungle camp of Unexplored Bastar (basic tent). 153 Kms 8 hrs

Day 7 : Dholkal Jungle Camp - Dholkal Ganesh Trek - Danteshwari Temple - Barsur temples - Tamda and Mendri Ghumar Falls - Chirakote (Tiratha). Night Stay - Chitrakote Adventure Camp of Unexplored Bastar (basic tent). 115 Kms 5 hrs.

Day 8 : Chitrakote (Tiratha) - Bijakasha waterfall trek - visit main Chitrakote town - Naranpal Vishnu Temple – Chirakote (Tiratha). Night Stay - Chitrakote Adventure Camp of Unexplored Bastar (basic tent). 30 kms

Day 9 : Chitrakote (Tiratha) – Keshkal Ghati - Tatamari , Kondagaon – Gangrel Dam , Dhamtari - Raipur - Sambalpur – Keonjhar. Night stay - Hotel Kasvi International , Keonjhar. 776 Kms 14 hrs 30 mins

Day 10 : Keonjhar - Kolkata Via NH49 / AH46 and NH 16. 361 Kms 6 hrs.

A total of 2973 kms door to door. Detailed Itinerary.xlsx

The entire route map :

Let the journey begin....

[DriveTrain]

Day 1 & 2 : Kolkata to Taptapani ; Taptapani to Koraput (via Rayagada, Damanjodi)

Day 1

This was a pretty straightforward run on mostly beautifully laid NH16 , save for the patches where road widening works were on. Per our usual routine during the Puja season , we left home at the dead of the night - 01:20 hrs to be exact ; this was timed to beat the maddening crowd milling around our home ! The horses under the hood of our trusty old Dusty roared with a vengeance and we swiftly left the City of Joy behind. Since this is a somewhat dated T-Log , route updates will not mean much. Mostly road widening and re-laying work is going on between Belda (WB) to Balasore (Odisha) and from there till Bhadrak (Odisha) on several patches. I have traveled later on the route and have noticed that these locations / diversions have moved around , but within the same stretches between Belda to Bhadrak , otherwise it was smooth sailing till Brahmapur.

Our breakfast was packed from home and we pulled into a pump around 7 AM just before Cuttack and polished it off with aplomb. The road has been beautifully widened around Chilka as the ghat section starts. The views are and will remain awesome. The new addition was a watch tower put up by Odisha tourism , that provides a grand view of the lake. This was Kash Phul (Saccharum spontaneum) season and the flowering grass provided numerous photo opportunities along the way.

We reached Brahmapur around noon and had to negotiate the unruly city traffic and congested roads ; till we joined NH 326 on the way to Taptapani. The vistas opened up immediately after that.

A very early morning start meant that we reached Taptapani Spring Resort by 13:30 and ordered lunch. This was meant to be our night halt as I wanted to explore the hot springs and also wanted a whole day in hand - to explore the sights , when we left for Koraput the next day. Taptapani is a perennial hot spring with medicinal sulfuric water situated in a thickly forested and beautiful locale and the place is of religious importance. It is covered as a day trip by people visiting Gopalpur on Sea. Taptapani Spring Resort was a revelation and beyond our expectations. We had secured a deal through MMT and were in for a pleasant surprise ! We were one of the only two families around as this was off season. Apparently, it is completely booked during the winters. It was a beautiful and nicely kept property .

We had covered 673 kms in 12 hours and made it to our night halt by early afternoon and enjoyed our post lunch jaunt to the hot springs .

Day 2

After some well earned rest , we left right after breakfast at 8 AM on Day 2 . We had roughly 300 kms to cover , but a lot of pit stops on the way. It is a breathtaking drive through excellent roads as you follow NH 326 and start climbing the ghats right after Taptapani , towards Rayagada.

First stop en-route was the bewitching Harabhangi irrigation reservoir which is about 38 Kms from Taptapani. It is on a place called Adava and comes right after crossing Mohana . It is a designated picnic spot during winters for people from around Gajapati district

Our next stop , Rayagada was about 115 kms away. This was the domain of the Jeypore Maharajahs and it is the district head quarters of Rayagada district. The city has a long history and was established around 1527 CE by king Vishwanath Dev Gajapati. Being Durga Puja time we decided to give the main attraction - Majhighariani Temple a miss. We had heard of the Rayagada view point that provides a panoramic view of the town but could not locate the same . We were already delayed with numerous photo stops on the way and had another 150 kms to go with two major pit stops coming up ! However , we did manage and visit the other famous attraction - the hanging bridge or Jhula Pul in local parlance. It was officially closed and bricked up as there were numerous fatal accidents of selfie seekers below it, on the rocky terrain of the swiftly flowing Nagavali river. It is supposed to be the second hanging bridge in Odisha and connects Rayagada with the tribal hamlets of Mariguda and Chakaguda. Though the access to the bridge was walled up , the locals were using it for their daily chores. It was a beautiful sight..

70 kms on, off Kusumguda on NH 326 was our next stop - the famous Koti Lingeswar / Koti Linga Parvat or the Kutunipadar Cave Temple of Lord Mahadev aka Mukteswar Cave Temple . Folklore has it that the Kutunipadar hillock has more that one crore or Koti Shiva Lingas hidden throughout a t cave system. Off course we could not see that many , however there were protrusions from the ground resembling Shiva Lingas all around and the entrance had beautiful stone carvings depicting various divine figures and mythological scenes. Apparently this place is a pretty recent find and the approach is through a flight of steps leading up to the hillock from the village below.The resident Yogi / Pujari ji took us through and pointed to the various small and extremely narrow passages low on the cave floor that apparently led to rows of Shiva Lingas in other hidden chambers !

It was 50 odd kms from here to Koraput via NH 326 , however we were informed that the main highway was closed as a culvert had broken and was under repair. We decided to go straight at Kankiriguma and approach Koraput via Damanjodi . This was apparently the only route open , this also meant that we could cover the attractions of the NALCO township at Damanjodi on the same day itself and did not have to come later from Koraput. The NALCO township was about 33 Kms away. Damajodi is famous for the Bauxite rich Panchpatmali Range and NALCO has its Alumina Refinery there. We passed some Bauxite quarries en route and were soon in the well planned township .

The township is famous for the 2nd tallest Lord Hanuman statue at 108 feet !

The township also houses a Jagannath Temple , Shirdi Sai Baba Temple and a beautiful park.

Our night halt at Koraput was about 29 Kms away from Damanjodi , we crossed the NALCO reservoir and turned right to meet NH 26 on the way to Koraput. Koraput Nature camp aka Pine Resorts run by Ecotour Odisha was on an elevated land and next to a large artificial pine forest about 2 kms away from the Koraput town on the main NH 26 route to Jeypore. We reached just before 7 PM in the evening and some 312 kms after leaving Taptapani. It had already started drizzling when we were approaching Koraput and as we stopped by the sign board of the property right next to the highway, the skies opened up and it literally turned into a torrential downpour! The resort was still some 100 to 150 meters away from the gate , and we saw a completely dug up and slushy driveway that was in the process of being laid with reinforced concrete. The slope and the slush was something that the AWD could handle , but what flummoxed us was a large concrete mixer entirely blocking the driveway. At that moment the power went out, we were in complete darkness in pouring rain. A call to the manager confirmed our fear, the car will need to be parked at the gate (which was not a problem) , but they can only come and collect us from there after the rain eases. Thus we sat for 45 mins , two souls in the dark , dog tired after a long hard day , willing the rain to stop and cursing our luck. It seemed like an eternity till the rain eased a bit and we saw two figures approaching us with large umbrellas. We stepped out into large muddy rivulets running all past us and I promptly dropped the car key some where in the slush ! It was "fun" for the next 15 minutes till the key was retrieved. By the time we were at the door of our suite , half drenched and shivering , the rain had stopped. One look at the property proper and the interior of the "suite" had us whooping with joy , but that episode follows

[DriveTrain]

Day 3 : Koraput - Sabara Srikhetra - Tribal Museum - Dumuriput Hanuman - Sunabeda (HAL Museum) – Rani Duduma Fall - Deomali Hills – Koraput

We intended to make Koraput our base as we explored around south Odisha and had booked a room at the Koraput Nature Camp for 3 nights. Now the 2nd of these 3 nights dawned and we were raring to go!

First some words about Koraput and our place of stay. At 2900 feet , Koraput town is the headquarters of the same district and is famous for its mountains , forests and waterfalls and is also a business hub centered around mining. It has many attractions nearby that can be done as day trips. Koraput Nature Camp with it's 6 Suite rooms is a picture perfect idyllic getaway just outside the city. It is situated next to NH 26 and is on a slightly elevated position commanding excellent views of the hills and valleys around it. The Forest Department has a vast tract of dense Pine Forest and the property is built right next to it - hence the moniker "Pine Resorts". The trails inside the forest can be directly accessed from the property and meandering through the trails is an unforgettable experience. There are jeep-able trails running deep into the forest as well. The property is large and spacious and the rooms were simply gorgeous and value for money ! All 6 are suites , each with 3 rooms inside . One at the entrance welcomes the visitors with a large swing , then there is a living room with a large sofa , television and an attached bathroom and lastly there is a decently large master bedroom with its own very large attached bathroom and a grand balcony that provides unrestricted views all round ! The staff were courteous and very helpful and the manager took great pains to help me with the detailed route planning for the next two days. Two of the suites are joined together and have a common entrance to host large families. Oh! since the driveway was under construction and our vehicle could not be taken inside , the manager drove it on his way home and parked it inside the forest range office premises nearby. For the remaining 2 nights , we just left it parked right in front of the main gate to the property.

Dining hall of the property

First attraction of the day was Sabara Srikhetra , which is a Jagannath Temple situated in Koraput Town. It is a beautiful edifice with its roots in the local tribal heritage and culture and is said to have been built by the "Sabara" tribe. The main attraction of the place is that - it has replica of deities from each of the scared Peethas / Tirthas around India - all 30 of them ! Plus it has replica of deities from all the sacred Tirtha khetra's in Utkal or Odisha. During our early morning visit , it was practically empty and we had a wonderful time visiting and bowing to all the resident Gods and Goddesses around the country !

We next visited the Tribal Museum nearby the temple. This has a fascinating display of local tribal life and culture with many exhibits and artifacts.

One museum visit over , we left Koraput and back tracked our way through NH 26 to keep our tryst with Lord Hanuman once again - this time at Dumuriput , where the highest statue of a kneeling Hanuman is worshiped.

Next stop on the itinerary was something I was eagerly waiting for - the Biju Patnaik Aviation Museum, next to HAL Sunabeda. HAL has it's Engine Division at Sunabeda that specializes in the engines of the MiG family of jets operated by the IAF. It was 2nd Oct and a Sunday , I feared the worst ; but thank God - the doors of the museum were open! The museum is about 23 Kms from Pine Resorts , near Semiliguda. The main display outside is a MIG 21 FL with tail number C703 (with nose cone in extended position) that has seen action during the liberation of Bangladesh. The other display was that of the R25 engine of the MiG. The museum proper is rather small with photographs and exhibits depicting the past and present birds flown by the IAF and provides detailed information on each type. There were various items and castings related to jet engines. We had a fascinating tour!

Next port of call was to be the grand Rani Duduma falls. We took the right from Semiliguda junction and proceeded to Nandapur and Rani Duduma , this place is about 28 Kms away from the HAL Museum . This is a picturesque fall with majestic views and greenery all around. There is a paved path that leads to the falls from the parking lot and the surroundings were clean and maintained properly. Interestingly , if one continues past Nandapur, the route eventually connects Aaraku valley and Vishakapatnam.

Last port of call for the day was to be the famed Deomali hills of Odisha. It is about 65 Kms from Rani Duduma , we came back to Semiliguda junction to merge onto NH 26 and continued till Kundili and then branched to the left to start the climb to Deomali hill top. Deomali, is a mountain peak in the Chandragiri-Pottangi subrange of the Eastern Ghats and at nearly 5500 feet is the highest point of Odisha . It is a tribal region , very rich in minerals and abounding in natural beauty. You can drive up the hill top and a series of strategically placed observation towers /decks strewn around the hillside provide eye popping views all around. You can either drive down or walk the interconnected paths. Apparently, there are campsites available to stay and I read recently that Odisha tourism department has sanctioned a Eco Tour site to be set up at Deomali. On this evening , the weather Gods decided to play spoilsport for us. It was drizzling and foggy and the puny mobile cameras could not capture the ethereal views. We imagined what this place would be like on a cold winter dawn or sunset. I will definitely plan a return visit once the Eco Tour site is up and running.

We drove back about 65 kms and reached Koraput Pine Resorts by late evening , altogether clocking 187 kms for the day.

[DriveTrain]

Day 4 : Koraput – Gupteswar Cave Temple - Duduma Falls - Machhkund Diversion Dam - Jalaput Dam and Reservoir - Kolab Dam and reservoir - Koraput.


This day was to be a very scenic drive through the interiors of Odisha with visits to very large water bodies , it also provided us an opportunity to briefly slip in and out of Andhra Pradesh . The places we planned to visit on the Machhkund / Sileru river demarcates the boundary between Odisha and AP. It is home to local tribes and has had it's fair share of political unrest / disturbances.

We left early from Koraput via Jeypore (to ensure that we travel via Jeypore Ghati) and Boipariguda , taking the right turn from Ramagiri on our way to Gupteswar cave temple , roughly 75 kms away , at the banks of the Sabari / Kolab river. Gupteswar Cave is a cave shrine dedicated to Lord Shiva and has great religious significance in the region . It is a limestone cave, and its main attraction is the gigantic Shiva Linga which is said to be regularly increasing in size. One has to climb about 200 steps to reach the narrow entrance to the main cave atop a hillock. There are several other smaller caves nearby. The place is swamped by pilgrims / Kanwariyas during the holy month of Shravan . When we visited- the last 10 kms of the road was being re-laid on the mountains and it was completely in shambles. The road was being re-laid and widened for the yatris , however during this period it was just a dirt & muck track strewn with deep slush and small boulders on a sloping terrain. Till the construction is complete , it is not meant for low GC vehicles. It was no problem for the Duster AWD , however we had numerous cars and Wingers being struck at various places on the road. We were early and just faced some minor irritants while going up. However while coming down , we were struck in some nasty jams due to vehicles being randomly struck on the terrain. The cave is situated on the banks of the Sabari / Kolab river , which forms the state border between Chhattisgarh and Odisha. The river bank is a few meters from the cave and the swift flowing river with it's sandy banks makes for an awesome sight.

https://youtu.be/FM7kJWlQ0eQ

From Gupteswar to Duduma is about 90 kms , we backtracked till Boipariguda and proceeded to Kota , Lamtaput and Macchkund town on the way to Duduma falls.

We were very impressed by the quality of the roads in the interiors of Odisha, not only in these parts but throughout our entire trip. Mostly single carriageways , these had proper lane demarcation and markings where the roads were wide enough , and the surface quality was amazing . Some long stretches even had roads fully made of concrete. The beautiful and well maintained tarmac adds a whole new dimension to the pristine surroundings and is pure bliss to drive on. Goes on to prove that when the government or local bodies get their acts together , the infrastructure speaks for itself !

The greenery and fields on the way were spellbinding

Duduma is about 3000 feet high and the waters majestically fall about 600 feet down into a deep gorge ! The river Machhkund / Sileru forms the natural boundary between AP and Odisha.

The original plan was to follow the same route back to Lamtaput and turn towards Upper Kolab Dam. This route was about 51 kms long. While returning , a short way off , we stopped at the picturesque Machhkund Diversion Dam that diverts the river water and connects to Jalaput for the Machhkund Hydroelectric project . While speaking with the locals we figured that we can actually make a detour to Lamtaput by crossing over the road atop the diversion dam , thereby entering AP and then again cross back into Odisha after crossing the road over the Jalaput Dam which constitutes the state border . This route would be about 78kms from Duduma to Kolab , where we can enter and exit AP and cross over two dams - back to back. It needs no mention which route we took on our way to Kolab

Machhkund Diversion Dam and surroundings

The Jalaput dam serves as the main storage for Machkund Hydroelectric Project . It is one of the oldest power projects of India. The dam, a non-overflow gravity structure was built with random rubble masonry in cement mortar and was constructed without reinforced concrete.

Next stop was the mesmerizing views of the Kolab reservoir and Upper Kolab Dam .This dam is part of mammoth hydroelectric project.

From Upper Kolab , Pine Resorts was just 15 kms away and we were back after a 257 km long round trip , soaking in the sights for over 9 hours at a trot !

[DriveTrain]

Day 5 : Koraput to Jagdalpur on Dashami eve - Mavli Parghav celebration of Bastar Dusshera

Today we move on to mystical Chhattisgarh, it was only 100 odd kms from Koraput to Jagadalpur via Jeypore and Borigumma and thus we could enjoy the luxury of a laid back start to our drive for the day.

Before we say our farewell to mesmerizing south Odisha , enjoy a refreshing walk on a misty morning through a magical pine forest !

https://youtu.be/tgmuSjAj8ew

We also paid a visit to the local coffee plantation , which was a stone's throw away from Koraput Nature Camp. We had enjoyed the local brew at a fancy cafe in Koraput town on an earlier evening...

This now preps us for Chhattisgarh. When I was planning for the trip , the trigger was a yearning to visit Chitrakote falls , that is how it all started ! I was looking for staying options and quickly found that Dandami Luxury resort was already fully booked. It was a blessing in disguise. During my research , I stumbled upon Unexplored Bastar and also got to know about Bastar Dusshera. I had no idea that we had a festival in India , that goes on for 75 days (yes you heard me right!) and it is supposed to be one of the longest festival of the world ! The cultural diversity and amazing customs of our country continues to amaze us at every opportunity ! For us , the stars were lining up and we simply could not miss this.

To quote from their website - Unexplored Bastar is a travel startup based on social entrepreneurship model from Bastar, Chhattisgarh. It is focused on sustainable tourism through community-based approach.In 2011, Unexplored Bastar started as a Facebook page but its actual journey as a Tourism Promotion Agency and Travel organization started in 2016 when one of the co-founders of its Facebook page, Jeet Singh Arya, decided to leave the corporate job and work on ground level.

They believe in sustainable tourism involving the local community , where the community members host the adventurous travelers in their campsites . They do have hotel accommodation available as well , but that depends on the location , itinerary and the appetite of the tourist. They had tours planned with large groups during the Dusshera period. I ruled out a group tour because a) we want to keep our own company / itinerary and follow our own rules when we travel and b) it was a pretty hefty pocket pinch ! A lot of chats and calls with Harsh and Jeet followed and we trashed out our own itinerary. We would be traveling in our own vehicle so no transport charges were involved. They would provide us with a guide during the period of the tour and host us in their camps ! It still burnt a sizeable hole in our pocket , but we were ready for the adventure. The highlights were to be an evening out at Jagdalpur during Bastar Dussehra , the Dholkal Ganesh trek and a stay in an offbeat location at Chitrakote. But it turned out to be a lot more than that. Kudos to Unexplored Bastar and their team .

Remember my opening remarks about fleeing Vatican City ? South Odisha was added to the tour because i) we wanted to explore different routes from Kolkata for our inward and outward journeys and ii) we had holidays and a gap period to fill before the Chhattisgarh leg and escape from Vatican City was a must. Thus the entire tour plan was laid out and the places finalized.

Bastar Palace on Dashami eve

The 100 Kms took us 2 hrs and we reached our designated hotel at Jagdalpur before lunch , and in time for my better half to indulge in some quick shopping

For our only night stay at Jagdalpur , Unexplored Bastar hosted us in a local hotel that left a lot to be desired. I really cannot blame them as we planned late and better accommodations were simply not available. Anirudra Sarkar was to be our guide for the evening. He was the perfect host and took us around Jagdalpur that evening and pumped us with information on the festivities. We also tasted dinner at the famous Garh /Gadh Kaleva eatery run by local women at Jagdalpur.

Bastar Dusshera has nothing to do with the lore of a victorious Lord Rama returning in triumph to Ayodha. Instead it is a local celebration of ancient tribal customs and rituals revolving around the local reigning deity Danteshwari Mai and her re-union with her sister Mavli / Mawli Mata and other sisters. For all the local Gonds, Marias, Murias, Abhujmarias and Bhattras from the interior villages of the surrounding region , it is their festival !

There are several key events during the 75 days, with Mavli/Mawali Parghav being celebrated on the eve of Vijaya Dashami ; which we were about to witness. Mawali Mata travels from Dantewada and is accorded a grand welcome and Puja at Jagadalpur by the King of Bastar . The current ceremonial ruler is Maharaja Kamal Chandra Bhanj Deo, of the Kakatiya and Bhanj dynasty. Mavli Devi is considered to be the elder sister of Danteshwari Mata and the chief guest of the festival. She travels in a doli from Dantewada - Danteshwari temple and is brought to meet her sister Danteshwari Mata at the Danteshwari temple in the Bastar palace compound

The lights and sounds around Bastar Palace and the fervor and festivities are a sight to behold. All the innumerable deities from the far flung villages of the entire region are brought in Dolis / Chattris to Bastar palace during the Dusshera events to pay homage to Danteshwari mata. The bearers of the dolis seem to be "possessed" by the divine and fervently dance with their dolis during the processions! The deities are made of wood , feather , metal etc and bear no resemblance to idols of any kind !

We started out late in the afternoon - took a walk around the city to soak in the sights , visited Bastar Palace and the Danteshwari temple inside it. Then we took a ringside seat out side the palace and waited for several hours along with the multitude of fellow revelers for the functions to begin . We were in for a long night and were not disappointed.

https://youtu.be/20oF_ukS3XI

The local deities that are worshiped


House of the eternal flame


The grand Chariot that was pulled the previous day


Inside Bastar Palace


Abode of Maa Danteshwari inside the palace


Key events of the long festival calendar


The lit up palace and the crowds

[DriveTrain]

Day 6 : Jagdalpur - Madarkonta Caves- Tirathgarh Falls - Mandwa Falls - Dantewada - Dholkal Jungle Camp (Faraspal / Pharaspal village)

This was the day when the real adventure began - we go caving and camping today As far as road distances are concerned , we will only travel about 150 odd kilometers, but the sights we would savour will be leaving a lasting impression.

We were not able to visit the famed Dalpat Sagar lake in Jagdalpur the earlier day for paucity of time and made up for it this morning , before we left the city.

We then picked up Gajendra from the lakeside and left for Madarkonta. Gajendra was our "loco parentis " appointed from Unexplored Bastar . He was the designated guide who would be with us 24 hrs till the portion of the trip booked via the agency comes to an end. He proved to be an invaluable companion with his deep local knowledge and connections.

A visit to Kanger Ghati National park proper to see Kanger Dhara , Kailash and Kotumsar Caves and the safari rides were not possible as the park was yet to open post monsoon , it normally opens on 1st of Nov ! However Madarkonta and Tirathgarh are outside the precincts of the main park and are accessible even when the national park is closed.

We were soon cruising along NH 30 till Metawara and then onto the more interior roads to cover the 32 kms to the caves.

There are many massive limestone cave systems in and around Jagdalpur but only a few of them are part of the main tourist circuit. Though these are great , the experience at Madarkonta is a class apart. This cave is inaccessible without a local guide and has not been prepared for touristy visits. You end up having an unique experience where you need to duck down and walk the narrow passages , navigating your way through the hollow limestone chambers under the torch light of your guide. The arrangements by Gajendra and in turn by Unexplored Bastar was top notch , we had local guides waiting to take us through an enthralling experience.

A formation resembling Ganesha


Verdant fields on the way to the cave

https://youtu.be/f4ykOY43nLY

With the caves dusted , we left for the famed Tirathgarh falls some 22 kms away. The falls are a majestic 300 feet drop and a delight to the tourists thronging it. Anirudra had informed us the night before that there are natural steps hewn under the falls where one can bathe and we should be bathing there. However we were not prepared and let the opportunity pass , little did we know that we would be having an unique experience later. The multiple falls under an azure blue sky was awe inspiring !

The road leading to the falls

https://youtu.be/1zbpog4ddOU

Next stop was 20 kms away - to visit Mandwa Falls . The falls were at a trickle and devoid of major torrents of water but Oh Boy! - the scenery and the road winding to it , is something that will remain etched on our minds forever !

We left Mandwa and soon merged with NH 63 enroute Geedam , where we turned left to join 163A towards Dantewada and soon entered the city proper. The city already had completed the Dusshera immersions by late afternoon and wore a forlorn and deserted look. This area has a ghastly past and we were all too aware of it , wondering whether we were in our right minds visiting this part of our country. Para military presence , sometime discrete and sometime blatant were found all along the route . The armoured personnel carriers and the fortified camps reminded us of the horror stories ! We were offered an accommodation at some nondescript hotel within Dantewada city when we were planning the trip , but we had opted for the true camping experience instead! 74kms on from Mandwa , as dusk was setting in, we arrived at Faraspal - at the foothills of the famed Bailadila range and stopped at the Dholkal Jungle camp run by Unexplored Bastar. Finding out that we two were the only inmates for tonight added to our trepidation. However this was soon put to rest by the local community members who were the custodians of the camp , there were four of them along with Gajendra and they were to keep us company . The two / three man tents provided an authentic camping experience. As for other pressing matters , there was a row of toilets on wheels - some distance from the camp, next to a bore well. These were clean with ample supply of water. We had simple local - vegetarian food served to us on plates fashioned out of leaves. With yummy dinner over , we sat by the camp fire , savoring the sound of the forest and the pitter patter of gently falling rain , till we called it a night.

Truth be told , though we were a bit uneasy initially - we found nothing out of the ordinary during our journey , people were very warm , welcoming and open and it seemed that normalcy had returned. I am mentioning this as some unwanted incidents again reared it's head this year around the same region.

Route map of the day

[DriveTrain]

Day 7 : Dholkal Ganesh Trek - Danteshwari Temple - Barsur group of temples - Tamda and Mendri Ghumar Falls - Chitrakote (Tiratha)

We were up early as the morning would be spent doing the 3 kms trek to Dholkal Ganesh and back. This is a unique Ekadanta Ganesh idol carved out of solid granite and dates back to 11th century – situated 3000 feet high in the Dholkal peak of the Bailadila range. This is a tourist attraction of Dantewada but falls just outside in the bordering Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh.

The majestic idol can be reached after a 3 km long , moderately steep and difficult trek from Dholkal Jungle Camp. The last 100 meters is almost a vertical rock ascent and not for the faint hearted ! Attempt this if you are able to scale up and down a vertical rock face like the proverbial monkey My better half could not climb this last obstacle and decided to wait out at the base of the climb, till I came down.

It had rained heavily the earlier night , making the trail all muddy. My pair of sneakers were slipping and losing grip and I soon developed boils on my toes. Imagine my discomfort trudging along in pain - amidst the overbearing hot and humid conditions. But the vistas of the dense forests , lush green vegetation , the chirping of the birds , the gurgling of the streams and the constant encouragements from my wife , Gajendra and our local guide - soon made be forget the discomfort. Unfortunately, I took a very long time to complete the trek and delayed our plans for the day.

According to folklore, there was a battle between sage Parashurama and Lord Ganesha at Dholkal hill. Parashuram attacked Ganesha with his “farsa” or axe and Ganesha lost one tusk , hence the name Ekadanta. To commemorate the battle ,the rulers of the Chhindak Nagvanshi dynasty installed the idol with an axe (farsa) in one hand and a broken tusk in the other hand .

The place was lost with time , until discovered again by the British around 1943 when exploration was on for the Bailadila Iron Ore mines. The idol was again hidden from public memory until its rediscovery in 2012 !

In 2017 , the Maoists threw the idol from the hilltop , with the intent of destroying it. The pieces were recovered in a police operation and the Archaeological Survey of India reconstructed the idol and restored it in all it’s glory at it’s original site.

This is a unique piece of our art and history in an extremely picturesque and majestic location!

Trekking up - resting on a natural swing


The vertical ascent at the end of the trek


The majestic idol


Our lunch at the camp


The group that kept us company

https://youtu.be/LFTdgvYE0fE

Post lunch , we drove back to Dantewada to visit the Danteshwari Mandir. This temple is part of the famed 52 Shakti Peethas around the country and a place of great religious significance. Though Dusshera was just over , there was a sizeable crowd and we had to tail a moderately long queue to pay our obeisance to the Goddess.

An item on my bucket list that remain unfulfilled was a visit to Aakash Nagar. We were not able to locate any decent accommodation around Bacheli and had no contacts at NMDC to either book their guest house or secure the necessary permissions to go upto Aakash Nagar. I fervently hope that there would be a next time when we can make it up there !

The Barsur / Barsoor group of temples is around 50 kms from Dholkal Jungle Camp , we drove back towards Geedam from Dantewada and connected with NH5 to reach Barsur at the banks of the Indravati river. First up was the Battisa temple , which literally means 32 pillars and is dedicated to Lord Shiva

Next on the list was Chandratiya Temple - situated against the backdrop of a large pond / lake and dedicated to Lord Shiva

The Barsur Ganesha idols were next in line ...

The last divine abode on the list was Mama Bhanja Temple , which was again a Shaivite shrine .

From the Barsur intersection , we turned right - into a beautiful country road that would ultimately take us to the Chitrakote Adventure Camp at Tiratha. But we had to tick off two more waterfalls on the way.

Just about 15 to 20 kms out of Chitrakote , we arrive at Tamda Ghumar - a seasonal fall with a cascading 100 feet drop.

Mendri Ghumar comes up next on the way to Chitrakote. This is even more seasonal and has little water except for the peak monsoon season . The hills around the falls open up to a wide valley , also known as the fog valley - where the fog rises up the valley floor at dawn on cold winter mornings! It is a favorite camping site during the winter months.

The fog valley

We soon hit the main road leading to Chitrakote proper , but instead of turning towards the main town , we took a right till Karkaguda and then turned left to cross the Indravati river. Having crossed Indravati and leaving Naranpal behind , we took a left at Kurushpal , to be on the road that would take us to Tiratha and to Chitrakote Adventure Camp run by Unexplored Bastar. This location is on the other bank of the Indravati and in my opinion, provides far better access and views of the truly majestic Chitrakote falls. It was early October and the falls were well past it's peak , but the sight that greeted us in fading light - completely blew us away.

An item we needed to drop from our itinerary of the day was the Michnar trek , mainly because of the delay in completing the Dholkal Ganesh trek in the morning. I was in no condition to do another trek on the same day with boils on my toes and in any case , we did not have the time.

Total driving distance for the day was 115 Kms

[DriveTrain]

Day 8 : Bijakasha waterfall trek , visiting main Chitrakote town , Naranpal Vishnu Temple and a day at our disposal to savour Chitrakote falls.

Chitrakote , also known as the "Niagra of India" is a horse-shoe shaped waterfall created by the mighty Indravati river. The water only drops from a height of 30 meters , but what makes it truly majestic is its width - all of 300 meters , making it an awe inspiring sight. It is a waterfall of all seasons , offering different views and moods to the visitors , depending on the time of the year. During peak monsoon it is at it's roaring best - every inch of the entire 300 meters is covered with a torrential muddy brown spray cascading below! During winters it is calm and serene , with boating permitted and visitors having a gala time rowing to an arms length of the fall. When we visited at the start of Autumn , the flow had ebbed a bit , but still most of the width of the falls were being deluged and the waters had turned foamy and milky white ! The panorama was something that you can sit and gaze for ages!

Chitrakote Adventure camp is at an unique location and offers commanding views and access to the falls. The campsite is permanent and has a central structure with a few rooms (mainly for the staff) and a modern clean washroom. The huge first floor serves as the terrace / viewing gallery and as the dinner hall as well. It has a roof , but has been kept open on all sides to offer a 360 degree panoramic view! The elevation of this observation deck makes it a photographers delight ! Just next to it is a block of common toilets and bathing rooms , all maintained very neat and clean . There is a pretty large , open and paved space in front of the permanent structures where the tents are pitched ! Several tents can be pitched together and very large groups can be accommodated , hence finding a tent to stay the night would not be a problem here. The area also offers ample parking space for vehicles.

A steep flight of stairs from the camp premises lead down to the rocky banks of Indravati below , you can walk down and approach very close to the falls at a ground level. This is also where local fisherman go about their daily chores.

The paved approach road to the camp is a real beauty and follows the bank of the Indravati , just before it drops down as the Chitrakote fall. The green grass and rocky outcrops are ideal for picnics and provide completely unrestricted access to the huge river , as it flow past - just before the falls. If you are careful and can negotiate the rocky terrain , you can get very very close to the falls at different levels of varying heights !

The last mile approach to the camp

The built up and very large tourist / visitors viewing area is actually on the other bank, and that is where Chitrakote town is ! The main viewing point is fenced off and is always crowded. Dandami Resort is a few minutes walk from this area with its own private access and luxury accommodation . You can go down to the banks of the river here as well - and during winters boats can be availed to cruise close to the falls!

It you are adventurous and can adjust to camp life , I will strongly suggest a stay at Chitrakote Adventure camp . If you prefer the luxurious Dandami Resort instead - I would still suggest that you keep a day aside to visit this side of the Indravati , it will be an experience you will not forget.

Throughout the night, the roar had kept us company and we woke up early in the morning - refreshed and raring to go. The sunrise over the bank of the Indravati was a captivating sight !

We learnt about Bijakasha from Gajendra the earlier day and were instantly hooked. It is another waterfall nearby , a fairly new discovery that is secluded and offers great vistas and bathing opportunities ! Bijakasha is a 3.5 kms trek from the campsite else there is also a road head some 7 to 8 kms away , from where a short walk would take you to this beauty. We decided to do the trek that morning - the trek passes over fields , farms , bare rocks and varying rocky terrain , which is mostly flat. It was a a great walk , by now my boils were better and wearing sandals instead of sneakers helped!

To approach the falls , a large swathe of inundated paddy fields need to be crossed . The water level on this path varies according to the season and can be even waist deep at times. You need to cross this , whether you trek or come by a vehicle ! Here is view of the field .... don't be fooled by what you see , it was still more than ankle deep at places.

The falls are in two stages. From the approach point , you climb down the rocks to go under the main cascade dropping from high above you . For the upper stage , you climb up again and walk a bit to reach the relatively much shallower fall; but this one is a true sight to behold! You can literally spend hours here !

Lower stage




Upper stage




The scenery on the way

https://youtu.be/esw6Gk-xJec

By the way , Gajendra and our local guide had thoughtfully carried a changing tent with them ! After we were literally coaxed out from under the water , the tent was strung up at the rocky banks and changing was no problem at all !

Back at the camp , it left us ample time to explore Chitrakote , from this side - as well as the other side . We paid a visit to Dandami resort and were suitably impressed by what was on offer !

From over the bridge on Indravati


A view from the main tourist viewpoint at Chitrakote town

On our way back and forth from both flanks of the river , we paid a visit to the famous Naranpal Vishnu temple. The temple dates back a thousand years and is a contemporary to the famous Kajuraho group of temples .

How to navigate both banks of the Indravati


Different moods at Chitrakote

https://youtu.be/xvmrmVHBgQw

This evening , we also bade farewell to Gajendra as our trip through Unexplored Bastar drew to a close.

[DriveTrain]

Day 9 & 10 : Chitrakote (Tiratha) - Keshkal Ghati - Tatamari (Kondagaon) - Gangrel Dam (Dhamtari) - Sambalpur - Keonjhar / Kendujhar || Keonjhar - Kolkata

Day 9

We were at the fag end of our trip and it was time to return home. The route suggested by Google Maps was connecting to Sambalpur via Bhawanipatna and Balangir and was about 650 kms long. By then , we already had a hefty dose of episodes from Visa2Explore by Harish Bali on Chhattisgarh and were raring to try out the longer route that had a few additional attractions on the way .

We decided to take the left from Kurushpal and join NH30 at Besoli , turning left and staying on it till about Raipur . An early morning start by 7 am ensured that we were now established on course for our first stop of the day - Tatamari at Keshkal Ghati , Kondagaon. Tatamari was recently opened up for tourism and has a great night stay option run by Chhattisgarh tourism . It offers a panoramic view of the valley below. The drive to Keshkal was very beautiful and we thoroughly enjoyed the same !

https://youtu.be/dLZ-HTJEan0

While charting the route , I had chanced upon Gangrel and seen some photos on the Internet - that made it a must visit , and our next stop. Gangrel or Pandit Ravishankar Sagar dam on the Mahanadi , is the longest and largest dam in Chhattisgarh and a key source of water for the Bhilai Steel Plant . It is just a small detour from Dhamtari town on NH30 , enroute Raipur. The reservoir had a large cafe , and water sport facilities for the visitors. The landscape simply looked out of place for the region , it was more like a glimpse from some exotic seaside locale ! There was a great looking (at least from the outside) private resort on the banks of the reservoir- the Bardiha Lake View Resort. We were stopped by the guards at the gate and could not explore the property , but whatever we could see , looked promising. Actually it was blazing hot outside and we wanted to reach the air conditioned comfort of our car , as soon as possible !

The resort


The dam

Visit over, we soon cruised and bypassed Raipur and joined NH53/AH46 on the way to Sambalpur. The new highway designations are so confusing , basically we were now following the main Mumbai - Kolkata highway , towards Kolkata. Like our experience in Odisha , the roads that we traveled within Chhattisgarh , were equally amazing - nicely maintained with a proper smooth tarmac !

Crossing the Mahanadi after Raipur




The clouds were really something today !

We were tired and really did not want to make a night long dash home, hence needed a suitable night halt. Sambalpur looked a fair option , but we reached there just before sunset and thought that we should move farther ahead and thus settled for Keonjhar. The roads had been excellent all through till we were some distance past Sambalpur. We were about to enter Ushakothi Wildlife Sanctuary in Deogarh forest range , that is when the nightmare began. The road through the sanctuary had not been renovated at all , and was completely in shambles with no surface. There were scores of heavily laden trucks on the narrow undivided single lane carriageway with their high beams on , lumbering up the ghat road ! That progress was slow and painful - would be an understatement. Coming at the fag end of the day when all we wanted was a cozy bed , rubbed salt into our wounds. This continued for 20kms or more till we were near Deogarh , after that beautiful four laned AH46 welcomed us. It remained a delight to drive till Keonjhar as the entire Kanjipani ghat section was four laned and driving up at a good pace was not a problem at all. It was dark and we missed the views that Kanjipani offers. There was only one room available at Hotel Kasvi International at Keonjhar and we booked it on the fly. At that time we were not aware of the OTDC Panthanivas at Keonjhar , else we would have tried it out first. Day 9 drew to a close after 776kms and fourteen and a half hours !

Day 10

This was a straight run to Kolkata on mostly excellent roads , the views between Keonjhar to Baharagora were simply awesome. The bypass at Jashipur was still under construction (it is completed now) and we had to negotiate city traffic for a while. Some of the sections pass through Wild Life Sanctuaries where the road had not been four laned and remains as a single lane carriageway . These are short stretches and minor irritants , except for the ghat section just after Jashipur while approaching Keonjhar. The problem here are the heavily loaded goods vehicles climbing up or down the slopes , that makes it a test of patience for the driver tailing behind !

The 360 odd kms between Keonjhar to our home was polished off in less that 6 hrs. We were home by 3 pm on that day , and thankfully Vatican City was already under demolition

Thus our epic 3000 kms long adventure drew to a close - the experience , sights , sounds and flavor of which we will cherish for our lifetime ! If you have reached thus far in our tale , hope we were able to pique your interest and you enjoyed the ride with us. Thanks for reading !

[BlackPearl]

Thread moved from Assembly Line to the Travelogues section.

[raptor_diwan]

Oh, what an incredible journey you've embarked on! Your 3000-kilometer adventure is extraordinary. Your narrative skills are truly impressive.

Thank you for sharing your incredible adventure with us.

[Samba]

Awesome! Rated 5*.

This part of India is still untouched and unexplored. The tourist influx is less, and the places are still pristine. I hope it stays this way for long!

Wherever the senior Duster goes, junior follows!

[haisaikat]

Salute for planning and executing such an itinerary full of remarkable places within our neighbouring states. The beautifully captured photos kept me glued from start to finish and the optimally detailed narration has been the icing on the cake. Koraput and Chitrakote falls were already on my bucket list too, but I made a note of some of the other places like Tirathgarh falls which you have beautifully captured through your lens. Well done, a top star rated travelogue, wish you many more trips in the future on your Duster.

[Dibyendu Bose]

Kudos to you for planning an otherwise unexplored region of our country in such great detail. It will go a long way in inspiring many others to undertake a journey in these places. A big cheer also for your vehicle. Just wanted to know Whether this region is suggested if you have senior citizens with you … in terms of medical assistance in case of any emergency. Best wishes for your future travel.

[mallumowgli]

Awesome. The Orissa part of the circuit is something that I've always wanted to do. Have book marked your log for future reference. Thanks for the detailed one with superb pics