Raipur City Information

The capital city of Chhattisgarh, Raipur is located in the fertile plains of Chhattisgarh state. Sometimes it is called as ‘the rice bowl of India’, known for its hundreds of varieties of rice. More than 70% of the country’s production of rice are grown in the Chhattisgarh state. Raipur is the largest and fastest developing city of the state. And with more than hundreds of rice mills and 6 steel plants, Raipur is also one of the largest industrial centers in India. The city serves as the administrative headquarters of the district.

History of Raipur

It is believed that the city was founded in the 14th century AD by the King Ram Chandra of Kalchuri, located centrally in Chhattisgarh. Well, the city of Raipur has been in existence since the 9th century. Raipur has a rich history until it 2000 when it was a part of Madhya Pradesh state. Once the town was a part of Southern Kosal under the Mourya Kingdom and it was the capital of the Haihaya Kings, controlled the traditional forts of the state for a long time. The ruins of the fort can be seen in the southern part of the town.

Satawahana King ruled this region till 2nd-3rd century AD. Then in the 4th century AD the king Samudragupta ruled and established his domination till 5th-6th century AD. After Nala Kings, Somavanshi King taken the control over this region and ruled with Sirpur as the capital city of the place. And after many century the King Ramachandra of Kalchuri empire established the town of Raipur and made the capital of his kingdom.

There’s another story of Raipur establishment that Brahmdeo Rai the son of King Ramachandra had established Raipur. He made Khalwatika as capital, which is now known as Khallari. And the city was named as Raipur after the name of Brahmdeo Rai.

Raipur was become the part of Madhya Pradesh state on 1st November 1956 and then, on 1st November 2000 it become the part and capital of Chhattisgarh state.

Geography of Raipur

Raipur city is situated between 22o 33' N to 21o14'N Latitude and 82o 6' to 81o38'E Longitude. The Mahanadi River flows on the East of the Raipur city and the Southern part of the city has dense forest. Mahanadi is the main river of this district. Maikal hills rise on the north side of the city, which later upstretched and merged with Chota Nagpur Plateau of the Jharkhand state. And Deccan Plateau lies on the South Part of the Raipur city. Raipur is surrounded by the districts of Durg and Bemetara.

Raipur Weather and Raipur Temperature

Except from March to June, Raipur temperature remains moderate throughout the year. The climate of Raipur has a tropical wet and dry climate, but the months from March to June can be extremely hot. Sometimes the temperature in the month of April rises up to 48 °C (118 °F) or even more. The dry and hot winds rise the temperature up to 50 °C. Monsoon season starts from late June and lasts to October. Winter season lasts from the month of November to January and has mild temperature, although the temperature in winters goes down to 5 °C.

Industrial Areas

Raipur city is industrially developed and has a good scope of development for both new and existing industries. Few of the main industries of the district are Steel Casting, Rolling Mill Industries, Cement, Non-Ferrous Casting, etc. Here are the 3 prominent industrial areas operational near Raipur city which has set the Chhattisgarh state as Industrial Development Corporation: -

• Bhanpuri-Rawabhata Industrial Area
• Siltara Industrial Area
• Urla Industrial Area

Education in Raipur

Due to the presence of several institutes and colleges of national importance in engineering, management, medical and law, Raipur has become the leading educational hub of Chhattisgarh. The city is home to IIT, AIIMS, IIIT, NIT, National Law University and Journalism University. Along with this, various medical colleges and higher education institutes are now being established in the city. 

Premier institutes

• Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Raipur
• Hidayatullah National Law University
• National Institute of Technology (NIT) Raipur
• All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Raipur
• International Institute of Information Technology, Naya Raipur
• National Institute of Malaria Research

Government universities

• Pandit Ravishankar Shukla University
• Indira Gandhi Agricultural University
• Kushabhau Thakre Patrakarita Avam Jansanchar University
• Ayush & Health Sciences University Chhattisgarh
• Chhattisgarh Kamdhenu Vishwavidyalaya
• Chhattisgarh Swami Vivekanand Technical University, Bhilai

Transport in Raipur

The city is well connected by air and rail and is a good base to visit the tourist attractions of the region. Raipur is under Mumbai-Nagpur-Howrah rail line service. It is well connected to all the major cities of the country like Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bangalore, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Kota, Jaipur, etc. Through rail or air, you can reach to any of the major cities of India from Raipur. Here are the modes of transportation from Raipur to other major and minor cities of the country.

By Railways

The city has a good railway connectivity from all the major cities of India. Raipur Junction is the main railway station, situated in the centre or the heart of the city. Well, there are 8 small railway stations too for local trains.

By Roadways

Several National Highways run over the Raipur City, which connect it with the maximum major cities in India. NH 6 connects Raipur to Nagpur, Bahargora, Kolkata, Dhule, Sambalpur and Hajira. NH 43 connects Raipur to Natavalasa and Vizianagaram. NH 200 connects Raipur to Raigarh, Bilaspur, Jharsuguda, Kochinda, Deogarh, Chandhikhol and Talcher. NH 12A connects Raipur to Jhandi and NH 217 connects the city to Gopalpur.

By Airways

Swami Vivekanand or Mana Ariport is located just 15km South of Raipur city near Naya Raipur. After Nagpur, this is the second busiest Airport in central India. It operates lots of flights for the major parts of the country like Raipur Delhi flights, Raipur Kolkata flights, etc. Numerous daily flights are offered by various Airlines like Indi-Go, GoAir, AirAsia, Jet-Konnect, VIstara, etc.

Where to Stay in Raipur?

Being the capital of the Chhattisgarh state and a prominent tourist attraction as well, there’s no dearth of accommodation options in the town. Ranging from budget to luxury catering needs of different kinds of travelers, Raipur has a plenty of accommodation options. 

• Hotel Grand International is a luxury hotel with all the modern facilities and amenities provided. Its tariff starts from approx. Rs. 3500. The hotel is located at walking distance of 7 mins from the Railway Station.
• Le Roi Raipur Hotel is a mid-range hotel with tariff Rs. 2200. People looking for a decent hotel with maximum facilities and minimum charges, stay here.
• Hotel Royale Ambience is another a great hotel in Raipur, which is closely located from the Raipur Railway Station and the Swami Vivekananda Airport. The tariff is approx. Rs 3000.
• Hotel Babylon Inn is a luxury hotel with a tariff Rs. 4400. The hotel is located in the heart of the city. Situating very close to the Railway Station and the amenities the hotel provides, make it one of the best hotels to stay in Raipur.
• Hotel Celebration Raipur with tariff 3700 approx. is a good option for the tourists to stay in Raipur. The hotel is just like many upscale hotels with every facilities that a tourist can look for.

Where to Eat in Raipur

The top restaurants and food joints in Raipur that are a must visit are as follows:-

• Cinnamon Restaurant is one of the best restaurants in Raipur and the highlights of this restaurant is its live kitchen.
• Girnar Restaurant is the best restaurant in Raipur to relish Indian as well as Chinese cuisines.
• Veggiies is a fast food joint in Raipur which is perfect to grab a quick bite of fast food. All Jains and pure vegetarians are welcomed here.
• Carvan Sarai is another a great option to eat in Raipur that serves food of exceptional quality for both vegetarians and non-vegetarians.
• Indian Coffee House is one of the best family restaurant in Raipur. Though its name contain coffee in it but, this is popular for its Biryani. But, it serves all kinds of veg and non-veg dishes.

Sightseeing Attractions in Raipur

Being the capital of the Chhattisgarh state, Raipur is a prominent and beautiful city located in the central India. It is famous for its steel market and it has hundreds of steel mills and also, six steel plants. Apart from this the city boasts off power, aluminum and coal industries. It is the home to largest steel markets in India and is one of the major industrial centers of India. In the year 2000 it become the part and capital of the new state ‘Chhattisgarh’ and since then, it has made itself the most visited place in the state. There are several tourist attractions to explore in Raipur.

Mahant Ghasidas Memorial Museum

This is a prime tourist attraction in Raipur city, which was built by Raja Mahant Ghasidas of Rajnandgaon in the year 1875. The king had built it for a noble cause that was to ensure that the archeological heritage should be preserved well for the future generation to see and experience it. Visiting this museum to see the marvelous archeological wonders is a must in Raipur. Another good part of visiting this museum is that Mahant Ghasidas Museum is one of the 10 oldest museums in the country.

Vivekananda Sarovar

Located in the heart of the city Vivekananda Sarovar is a beautiful lake and one of the main attractions of the city. The lake is as old as the city. There’s a 37 ft. high statue of Swami Vivekananda built in between the lake. And this statue has been added in the Limca Book of records for the largest model of a statue.

Nandan Van and Zoo
Nandan Van and Zoo is one of the prominent tourist attractions in the city. Well, it is a mini zoo covers the area of 10 hectares but, the zoo has many species of animals and fauna. It is the most visited tourist attractions in Raipur city. This zoo is also work as Biological Park and have some common forestry plants.

Doodhadhari Monastery and Temple
One of the main tourist attractions of Raipur City is Doodhadhari Monastery and Temple. This is located in the South of the city on the banks of Maharajbandh River. This is famous among the tourists and visitors because of its beautiful murals. This place is visited by not only the tourists but, devotees too to pay their respect and offerings. Another reason of visiting this place is the brilliant architecture of the temple filled with beautifully done carvings.

Hatkeshwar Mahadev Temple and Mahadev Ghat
Located approx. 5.1 km away from Raipur City on the banks of River Kharun, this temple is one of the prominent tourist attractions. The temple was built by Hajiraj Naik, in 1402, when it was ruled by Brahmdeo Rai.

Apart from all these prominent tourist attractions - Mahamaya Temple, Urja Park, Mahavir Park, 5D shows, Shaheed Smarak Bhavan, Nagar Ghadi, Gaurav path, Guru Tegh Bahadur Museum, Sushilpikangan Art Gallery, Shabari handicrafts emporium and Chhattisgarh Haat, Mahakoshal Kala Parishad, Purkhauti Muktangan Museum, etc. are the other popular tourist places in Raipur.

Things Raipur is Famous for

• Chhattisgarh Haat is a place where you can explore the tribal and other interesting handicrafts of Chhattisgarh.
• Ambuja Mall is famous for its architecture.
• Marine Drive, situated in the heart of the city is the vast Telibandha Lake, which is developed and beautified by the tourism department of Chhattisgarh as Marine Drive. The highlight of this place is that the complete area of this place is Wi-Fi enabled and people call it Wifi-tab.
• Naya Raipur is a planned and well developed city famous for Jungle Safaris, lakeside restaurants, etc.

Chhattisgarh is home to one of the oldest tribal societies in India, where the natural raw materials are used to make stones, metal artifacts and beautiful woods. And while shopping in Raipur, one simply has to include the local Dhruva Sari in their list of must-buys. And to experience the local culture, the tourists must visit the various handloom stores in the city. Due to the large tribal population, tourists or visitors will find handicrafts items produced by the tribes easily in Raipur city.