Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh

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Bilaspur Nyaydhani
City
City of Festivals
Chhattisgarh High Court, Bilaspur Junction railway station, SECL Headquarter, Bilasa Devi Kevat Airport, Clock tower Nehru chowk, Khutaghat Dam, Rama magneto mall, Mahamaya Temple"> Left to right > Chhattisgarh High Court, Bilaspur Junction railway station, SECL Headquarter, Bilasa Devi Kevat Airport, Clock tower Nehru chowk, Khutaghat Dam, Rama magneto mall, Mahamaya Temple
Nickname(s):  Judicial capital
Bilaspur Location in Chhattisgarh, India Bilaspur Bilaspur (India) Show map of ChhattisgarhShow map of IndiaShow all
Coordinates: 22°05′N 82°09′E / 22.09°N 82.15°E / 22.09; 82.15Coordinates: 22°05′N 82°09′E / 22.09°N 82.15°E / 22.09; 82.15
Country	India
State	Chhattisgarh
District	Bilaspur District
Named for	Bilasa Bai
Government
• Body	Bilaspur Municipal Corporation (BMC)
• Mayor	Ramsharan Yadav (INC)
• District Collector	Dr. Saransh mittar (IAS)
Area
• Total	205 km2 (79 sq mi)
Area rank	2nd
Elevation	207 m (679 ft)
Population  (2011)	750,000
• Rank	137th
Languages
• Official	Chhattisgarhi, Hindi
Time zone	UTC+5:30 (IST)
PIN	495XXX
Telephone code 31221	07752
Vehicle registration	CG-10
Website	www.bilaspur.nic.in

Bilaspur, also known as "The City of Festivals", is a city located in Bilaspur District in the Indian state of Chhattisgarh. Bilaspur is the Administrative headquarters of the Bilaspur District and Bilaspur Division. The Chhattisgarh High Court, located at Bodri, District Bilaspur has privileged it with the title Nyayadhani (Law Capital) of the State. This city is the commercial center and business hub of North East Chhattisgarh region. It is also an important city for the Indian Railways, as it is the headquarters for South East Central Railway Zone (SECR) and the Bilaspur Railway Division. Bilaspur is also the headquarters of South Eastern Coalfields Limited. Chhattisgarh biggest power plant operated by NTPC is in Sipat. PowerGrid in Sipat pools electricity from other power plants in region and transmits electricity to Delhi via one of longest HVDC line.

Bilaspur is known for its aromatic rice variety named ‘Doobraj’ rice, Handloom woven colourful soft Kosa silk sarees. Basic Tasar Silkworm Seed Organisation (BTSSO) (website) under the Central Silk Board, Government of India collects, executes the production and supply of nucleus and basic Tasar seed from surrounding areas.

Bilaspur is one of the 100 Indian cities to be developed as a Smart city under the Smart Cities Mission.^[1]

History[]

Historically, Bilaspur was controlled by the Kalachuri dynasty of Ratanpur. The city, however, came into prominence around 1741, the year of the Maratha Empire rule, when a Maratha official took up his abode there.

The management of Bilaspur district was taken over by the British East India Company in 1818 after Bhosale lost territory in Third Anglo-Maratha War. Under Bhosale of the Nagpur kingdom there were many subedars or zamindars/landlords like Akbar Khan, Vazeer Khan, Sao and others in Bilaspur.

Bilaspur district was constituted in 1861, followed by Bilaspur municipality in 1867. Famines in the Bilaspur district were recorded by the British administration in 1828–9, 1834–5, 1845–6, 1868–9 and 1899–1900. In 1868-9 and 1899–1900, the rains failed almost completely, resulting in severe distress, migration and desertion of villages. After the 1868-9 famine there was prosperity for the next 25 years; but in 1895 there was a very poor harvest, followed in 1896 by a complete failure of crops, and severe famine continued throughout 1897. In that year the mortality rate was as high as one in six people. The famine of 1897 was followed by two favorable years; but in 1899 the monsoon failed completely and the rice crop was wholly destroyed.

Guru Ghasidas (1756–1836) started a religious movement, Satnamis (meaning the worshippers of Satnam), between 1820 and 1830 primarily around the Sonakhan forests. This religious movement preached against idol-worship, and instead stressed that God is synonymous with truth. His community was a farming community. The university at Bilaspur is named after him as Guru Ghasidas University.

Railways arrived at Bilaspur in the decade 1880–90, with the arrival of the Bengal Nagpur Railway. In 1888 Mistri Jagmal Gangji and other Mistri Railway Contractors laid the first railway tracks from Rajnandgaon to Bilaspur, and in that same year fellow Kutchi contractor Khoda Ramji and others built the line from Bilaspur to Jharsuguda, including the bridge over the Champa river.

In 1890, the present railway station and yard were constructed by the Gujarati railway contractor Jagmal Gangji. His son Mulji Jagmal Sawaria was later given the title of "Rao Sahib" by the British for his contribution to the development of the town, railways and the district. Jagmal Block and Jagmal Chowk in the city are named after Jagmal Gangji Sawaria.

In 1901, the population of Bilaspur was 18,937 and it was the eighth-largest town in the Central Provinces of British India. In 1908, weaving of tasar silk and cotton clothes were recorded as the major industries of Bilaspur.

Etymology[]

Historical records like Imperial Gazetteer of India, Vol 8, 1908 note that the city is said to be named after a fisherwoman by the name of "Bilasa" in the 17th century, and for a long period it consisted only of a few fishermen's huts. Another book like [The highlands of central India, James Forsyth, 1889] states that Bilaspur is named after 'Palash' tree butea frondosa which are found in abundance in the area.

Geography[]

Bilaspur is located at

22°05′N 82°09′E / 22.09°N 82.15°E / 22.09; 82.15.^[2] It has an average elevation of 264 metres (866 ft).

Bilaspur is situated on the banks of the rain-fed Arpa River, which originates from the Maikal Range of Central India. It's a dolomite rich region surrounded by dense forests in the north and the coal mines of the Hasdeo Valley in the east.

Bilaspur District is surrounded by Koria District in the north, Anuppur District of Madhya Pradesh, Mungeli and, Baloda Bazar-Bhata Para District in the south and Korba and Janjgir-Champa District in the east.

Major cities around Bilaspur are:

• Raipur in South-West
• Nagpur in West
• Bhopal in West
• Jabalpur in North-West
• Durg-Bhilai in South-West
• Varanasi and Allahabad in North
• Ranchi and Jharsuguda in North-East

Climate[]

The climate in Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh has been colder than the Raipur region for the winters in December (minimum temperature 6 °C, 42 °F in the last week of December annually, while some areas have even reported temperature going down as low as 3-4 °C, 37 °F), which resembles northern Chhattisgarh. However most of the winter goes mild and pleasant. The city experiences moderate rains in the monsoon. The summers are relatively hot and dry, with maximum temperature 48+ °C, 113 °F.

Demographics[]

As of 2011 India census, Bilaspur Municipal Corp had a population of 365,579.^[3] Bilaspur urban area population was estimated at 452,851.^[4] In August 2019, adjacent 18 towns and sub-urban areas were included in the Bilaspur Municipal Corporation. Males constitute 51% of the population and females 49%. Bilaspur has an average literacy rate of 91.29%, higher than the national average of 59.5%; with male literacy of 92.94% and female literacy of 88.33%. 15% of the population is under 6 years of age.

According to the 2011 census, Bilaspur District, Chhattisgarh has a population of 2,662,077,^[5] roughly equal to the nation of Kuwait^[6] or the US state of Nevada.^[7] Bilaspur District ranks 152nd in India (out of a total of 640).^[5] The district has a population density of 322 inhabitants per square kilometre (830/sq mi) .^[5] Its population growth rate over the decade 2001–2011 was 33.21%.^[5] Bilaspur has a sex ratio of 972 females for every 1000 males,^[5] and a literacy rate of 71.59%.^[5]

The main languages spoken are Chhattisgarhi, Hindi.

Administration[]

Bilaspur Division consists of six districts -

1) Bilaspur

2) Korba

3) Raigarh

4) Janjgir-Champa

5) Mungeli

6) Gaurella-Pendra-Marwahi

The district consists of 5 tehsils - Bilaspur, Kota, Takhatpur, Bilha and .

Total number of blocks is 4 - Kota, takhatpur, bilha, masturi

The total number of Nagar Nigam (1)bilaspur, total number of Nagar palika (2) takhatpur, ratanpur, Nagar panchayat (4) bilha, kota, boadri, malhar

Bilaspur City runs under the administration of the Bilaspur Municipal Corporation (BMC). Ram Sharan Yadav is the current Mayor of Bilaspur, a member of Indian National Congress Party.

Culture[]

Bilaspur is rich in its cultural heritage. Bilaspur has its own dance styles, cuisine, music and traditional folk songs. In rural areas, women wear garlands made of one rupee coins. This has gone out of fashion in recent times. The city celebrates all the major festivals of India. There are some local festivals such as the colorful Rout Dance (November), harley, and pola. The Rawat Nach Mahotsav is the folk dance festival of Bilaspur celebrated by Rawat tribes.

The town has been the home of several literary personalities including Bimal Mitra.

Utility services[]

Over the years, Bilaspur has developed many 4 – lane and 6 – lane roads, street lighting and squares.^{[citation needed]} However, the last decade^[when?] has seen large-scale unregulated urbanization and residential and commercial expansion, over-straining the water resources and generally defunct civic amenities due to indifferent officials and politicians.^{[original research?]} There is a master plan for the city and surrounding areas.

Electricity is government-regulated and, as of now, no power cuts are effected, thanks to the massive expansion in energy generating capacity both by public and private companies in the energy sector.

Hospitals and Health Care Facilities[]

Bilaspur is home to many hospitals & nursing homes, some run by the state government and others by the private sector. City has a government medical college named Chhattisgarh Institute of Medical Science which has 500 beds for patients. There is Apollo Hospitals in the private sector, which is 300 bedded specialty hospital. A new mental hospital is established in village Sendri (Ratanpur Road) which provides quality treatment. More than 25 Sanjivni express and Mahatari express are running in city. It also has private dental colleges in the city area.

Economy[]

Bilaspur is the center of electric power generation in India. Bilaspur and the surrounding area generate 10,000 MW of electricity, and an additional 50,000 MW are planned in the next few years. As many as 22 companies are interested to tap an estimated power generation potential of 50,000 megawatts in the region. The railways have gotten a major boost with big energy sector players set to invest Rs.5,000 crore in three proposed railways corridors around Bilaspur.^[8] Chhattisgarh is also known as "The Rice Bowl" – Dhan ka katora. Bilaspur is the centre of agri products. There are approx. 500 rice and dall mills in the surrounding area. Bilaspur (South East Central Railway) is the highest revenue generating railway zone in India among 17 zones.^{[citation needed]} The Bilaspur railways zone comprises the divisions of Bilaspur, Nagpur and Raipur. South Eastern Coalfields Limited (SECL), a subsidiary of Public Sector Unit Coal India Limited (CIL) – A Maharatna Company, is situated with headquarters at Bilaspur. SECL is a Miniratna PSU under the Ministry of Coal, with several awards in its credentials including best PSU award in 1997–98. An integrated action plan for development of civic infrastructure, including hi-tech water purifier system, proper drainage facilities and cleanliness, is being planned by the state government for cities and towns, while the proposed 'Arpa Project' would give a new life to the city of Bilaspur, minister for urban administration and health Amar Agrawal said in an interview to the Times of India, a leading newspaper of India. The State Government has drawn up an ambitious plan of Rs2,000 crore to develop the Arpa river bank in Bilaspur district during the next seven years. For this, the Government has constituted a ‘Special Area Development Authority’ (SADA) for the development of the Arpa river bank near Bilaspur city.

The Government has invited proposals from interested national and international institutions for the development of the river bank on a PPP model. The Authority has prepared a project for the development of the river and is now in search of organisations that would be interested in developing the river on a Public Private Partnership (PPP).

According to SADA, about 653 hectares of area on the banks of the river would be developed. This area is 13.4 km in length. Commercial, residential, entertainment and other institutional facilities would be developed in this area. On both the sides of the river, 13.4-km-long retaining wall, houses and commercial complexes would be constructed, besides bridge, roads and walkways. Water supply, sewerage, drainage, electricity supply would be provided in the area.

The estimated cost of all the works is Rs2,000 crore. The development works would be taken up in phases during the next seven years.

Of the total 653-hectare area, some of the land is owned privately. In lieu of acquisition of private land, the affected people would be given land at other areas. After development about 267 hectares of land will be made available for sale. By selling this land, the developer could recover the invested amount. The downtown is called Gol Bazaar (Circular Market). Gol Bazaar, Sadar Bazaar and company Garden Chowk are buzzing and vibrant but overcrowded with slow-moving traffic. In contrast there are some newly developed areas as well. The Vyapar Vihar is a newly developed commercial and goods transport area. Bilaspur has Chhattisgarh's first hi-tech bus stand at Bodri.

It has the High Court of Chhattisgarh which is Asia's largest court (in area).

• Industries: Around Bilaspur, there are many industrial areas, including Tifra, Sirgitti and Silpahri Industrial Growth Centres. Sirgitti, Silpahri and Tifra around Bilapur are major industrial areas near Bilaspur. Located on the outskirts of Bilaspur city Sirgitti Industrial Centre is spread over an area of approx. 338 hectares. With about 324 industries it provides direct employment to 4431 persons. Silpahari Industrial Centre is another industrial area near Bilaspur and is home to many sponge iron industries. Tifra Industrial Area situated on the outskirts of Bilaspur city is spread over an area of approx. 65 hectares. Many chemical, PVC footwear, HDPE woven sacks, polythene bags and sheets, soft drinks and other units are located here. CSIDC or Chhattisgarh State Industrial Development Corporation Limited is responsible for the development of maintenance of all these industrial areas in and around Bilaspur. Chhattisgarh Laghu Evam Sahayak Udyog Sangh or CLSUS is an association of industries which represents all major industries of Bilaspur and Chhattisgarh. BEC Fertilizers – a unit of Bhilai Engineering Corporation is situated in the Sirgitti Industrial Area.
• Power plants – Bilaspur has India's second largest power plant of NTPC at Sipat which generates power of 2980 MW with 3 units of 660 MW each and 1 unit of 1000 MW. Many thermal power plants are coming up in the surrounding area of Bilaspur. Also notable are Nova, KSK, Gitanjali, Mahanadi etc.
• Legal: The day the state of Chhattisgarh was constituted (1 November 2000) with its capital at Raipur, the High Court of Chhattisgarh was established at Bilaspur. It is the 19th high court of India.
• Banks: All major Indian banks have branches and ATMs in the city. SBI have approx. 80 ATMs in the city as of 2013.
• Website: A website dedicated to provide information on Bilaspur is maintained by NIC.
• A new Indoor stadium is under construction at Behtarai Road.

Transport[]

Rail[]

Bilaspur railway station is a regional hub for the railway system.

It is the busiest junction of Chhattisgarh and second busiest of central India after Itarsi. It is 3rd cleanest Railway Station in India after Surat and Rajkot. It is the Zonal Head Office of the South East Central Railway. It is well connected to the rest of the country through the Indian Railways. Bilaspur railway station has the 4th longest railway platform in India after Gorakhpur, Kollam and Kharagpur. The Rajdhani Express (Bilaspur-New Delhi) via Bhopal bi-weekly connects Bilaspur to New Delhi. The station is on the Tatanagar–Bilaspur section of the Howrah-Nagpur-Mumbai line and junction for another rail is towards Delhi via Katni.

Daily connections are available for Kolkata, Mumbai, New Delhi, Pune, Nagpur, Ahmedabad, Indore, Bhopal, Amritsar, Agra, Roorkee, Haridwar, Visakhapatnam, Bhubaneswar, Puri, Tatanagar, Patna, Jabalpur, Raipur, Varanasi, Jaipur, Bikaner, Udaipur, Ajmer etc. It is also connected by. direct trains to Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Chennai, Ernakulam, Tirupati, Tirunelveli, Bangalore, Bhuj, Gandhidham, Okha, Porbandar, Dhanbad, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Gorakhpur, Shirdi, Udaipur, Bikaner, Jammu, Jodhpur, Guwahati, Kanpur, Lucknow, Ranchi, Guwahati and many other cities and towns in India. Many local trains are running here daily for small station passengers

Other railway stations present near Bilaspur city are:

• Uslapur
• Chakarbhata
• Dadhapara
• Gatora
• Godam

Uslapur is the other Major city station which is 8 km from the main junction station and here is loco training centre for loco drivers in which trainees from various part of the central comes and express trains in Bilaspur-Katni rail line stop at Uslapur, while the other three are for local-passenger trains only and Godam is for goods trains.

The Government of India is planning to lay some new lines from Bilaspur. Surveys of the following routes are ongoing:

• Katghora−Ratanpur−Mungeli−Kawardha−Dongargarh
• Gevra-Katghora-Pendra Road
• Bilaspur-Gatora-Dipka-Katghora

Recently Government Of India has approved Fourth railway line between Bilaspur and Jharsuguda which is presently a triple line section between Durg Jn to Champa. Third railway line between Bilaspur and Katni is under construction. The survey of fourth railway line between Bilaspur and Nagpur is underway. Most upgrades are to handle coal evacuation from coal mining areas in East India to power plants in west of Bilaspur.

Air[]

Air travel is also accessible from Bilaspur. The Bilaspur Airport was inaugurated in March 2021. The airport has a 5,000 ft runway and a small terminal building. Currently, .^[9] There are direct flights from Bilaspur to Jabalpur, Bhopal, Delhi and Prayagraj.^[10]

Road[]

The city is connected with Mumbai and Kolkata through National Highway network. Bilaspur is on NH-130 connecting Raipur and Ambikapur. NH-49 starts from Bilaspur and ends at Kharagpur. Another National Highway NH 130 A is newly announced which starts from Bilaspur and end at Podi via Mungeli Kawardha. NH-45 connects Bilaspur with Jabalpur and Bhopal. Other state highways are SH 7 and SH 5.

NH No	Route
NH 45	Bhopal » Jabalpur » Amarkantak >> Bilaspur
NH 49	Bilaspur » Raigarh » Jharsuguda >> Kharagpur
NH 130	Raipur >> Simga >> Bilaspur » Katghora » Ambikapur
NH 130A	Pondi >> Mungeli >> Bilaspur » Sipat » Dharamjayagarh >> Pathalgaon

EC-7: Raipur-Dhanbad Economic Corridors of India or Industrial Corridors of India is identified under Bharatmala road network and passes through Bilaspur - Baloda - Urga.

There are regular buses and taxis available to all nearby major cities and towns. Bilaspur bus stand is known as Hi-tech bus stand. For local transportation three-wheeled, black and yellow auto rickshaws, referred to as autos, are popular. No diesel auto are allowed in railway limits due to large pollution created by it. Large no. of private bus operators runs their buses on various routes. It is well connected with other cities by road. Bus services available for Allahabad, Jashpur, Ambikapur, Raipur, Jagdalpur, Korba, Nagpur, Durg-Bhilai, Mungeli, Kawardha, Jabalpur, Raigarh, Narayanpur, Kondagaon, etc. In short, it is connected with all 27 districts of state and some major cities of other states like Jabalpur, Varanasi, Allahabad, Nagpur, Gondia, Mandla, Anuppur, Shehdol, Jharsugda, Sambalpur, Bhawanipatna, Hyedrabad etc. More than 2500 Buses are running through Bilaspur.

Ola cabs are also running in metropolis area. Local transportation also includes man-powered cycle rickshaw. Bilaspur city has many city buses, more than 85 city buses are running in city. 60 big luxurious sml bus, 10 Tata starbus mini bus, 10 red coloured world class AC Tata Marcopolo city bus, and 5 pink city bus which are only for females are running successfully. More than 35 city bus stops are developed in city and surrounding area. All 85 city buses are world class international level bus which have gps, CCTV camera and digital naming board. City buses are allowed to run 20 kmph faster than other buses. All city buses starts from Bilaspur junction railway station and at night they stays at Koni city bus terminal. The city buses runs from the Railway station to connect with various parts of city facilitating easy and cheap conveyance to the people. These bus services are available from 06.30 AM to 8.00 PM. City bus services facilitates the people even to reach near by cities like Ratanpur, Takhatpur, Kota, Malhar (a holy place known for Mata Didneshwari Devi Temple), Seepat (NTPC colony Sipat), Bilha & Chakarbhata etc.

Tourist attractions[]

Various archeological sites and temples in Bilaspur attract tourists from all over the world. Achanakmar Wildlife sanctuary is one of the renowned ecotourism spots in Chhattisgarh. Hasdev Bango Dam is 105 km from Bilaspur. Malhar and Ratanpur are the centre of archeology. Ruins of forts to ancient temples are found here. Talagram is the location for the "Deorani-Jethani" temple. Bubble Island and Radhika water park are the parks which amuse the local people as well as tourists. Belpan has a huge pond as well as samadhi. Khutaghat is a scenic spot and is wanted by nature lovers. Forests, dam and hills comprise the surrounding of Khutaghat. Kabir Chobutara at a distance of 41 km from Bilaspur is a hub for mahatmas (saints). Bilaspur is situated on the banks of the Arpa, the main river. Leelagar and Maniyari are other small rivers of the district. Sonmuda is another tourist attraction which gives a panoramic view of valleys, hills and forest. The River Sone originates from Sonmuda. Places of interest in and around Bilaspur include:

• Malhar, which is of historical significance, as it was visited by Xuanzang, the Chinese historian. It is situated at 40 km. by road from Bilaspur. In Malhar, so many ancient temples have been found by extraction such as Pataleshwar temple, Devri temple and Dindeshwari temple. The four-handed idol of Lord Vishnu is also very famous.^{[citation needed]} Malhar has a museum also.
• Amarkantak – The Narmada River and Son River originate from Amarkantak.
• Kanan Pendari Zoo. (Within city limits)
• Tala, 20 km away, is famous for Rudra Shiva.^{[citation needed]}
• Ratanpur for its Mahamaya temple and Ram Tekri Mandir. According to holidayiq.com Ratanpur ranked no. 1 of 19 places in Bilaspur to visit.
• Shri Aiyyappa Mandir (Sani dosha haarak) near Tifra over bridge (Bhartiya Nagar).
• Mungeli Maa Mahamaya Temple.
• Malhar, Chhattisgarh – 10th Century Ancient Hindu and Jain temples. The four handed idol of Vishnu is significant. The remains found here are of the period from approximately 1000 BCE to the Ratnapura Kalachuri regime.
• Pali – Mahadev Temple
• Smriti Vatika
• Dams Khudiya dam, Lormi, and Khutaghat dam, Ratanpur.
• Rani Sati Temple, a religious temple built in the city of Bilaspur by the Marwaris where the deity of Jhunjhunu's temple is worshipped.
• Two amusement parks are also here. (Bubble Island and Radhika water park)
• Smritivan and Urja Park are also situated in Rajkishore Nagar area of the city.
• Maa Didneshwari Devi Temple, Malhar.
• Maa Marimai Temple is also a temple of Bilaspur.

Achanakmar Wildlife Sanctuary and Tiger Reserve (ATR)[]

Achanakmar Wildlife Sanctuary and Tiger Reserve is top ranked places to visit near Bilaspur. Besides having places associated with its ancient and cultural heritage, the city is also famous for its wildlife variety. This is because of its situation within the state. It is reputed to have some of the densest forests in the country and an even spread of hills and rivers. One of the places worth visiting is the Achanakmar Wildlife Sanctuary.^[11] Home to a variety of wildlife, the sanctuary is spread over an area of 551 km² (213 mi²) and was set up in 1975 under the Wildlife Protection Act. The sanctuary is 55 km (34 mi) away from Bilaspur and is closed during the monsoon season.

Just before entry into Achanakmar Wildlife Sanctuary, is the Ghongapani Jalashya (dam). Although there is no place to stay, it can be visited in the daytime on the way to Achanakmar.^{[citation needed]}

Beyond the sanctuary, on the way to Amarkantak, there are government guest houses in Achanakmar, Keonchi and Lamni. These guest houses can be booked with governmental officials in the district headquarters. These guest houses are well built and the arrangements are also good.

The forest guest house at Lamni was built by the then British Officials. It is 1850 feet above sea level. It was built in June 1913 at the cost of Rs.3055.8 paise and 5 anas.

Within the sanctuary the presence of guar (Indian bison) and tigers are very much in evidence, as reported by the multiple sightings by the visitors. Other animals include the leopard, chital, panthera, striped hyena, canis, sloth bear, dhole, sambar deer, nilgai, Indian four-horned antelope and chinkara, which populate the sanctuary in equal numbers.

Trips to the sanctuary can be organized via private taxi operators.

• Khutaghat: Located 55 km (34 mi) away is Khutaghat, where there is a dam and reservoir and it is possible to stay in the prebooked Irrigation Department.
• The Khudia Dam, is 75 km (47 mi) away from the city.

Food[]

Bilaspur is famous for Doobraj rice, fara, chila, rice roll, gulgula bhajiya, angakar roti, thetri-khurmi, airsa, tamatar fatka (tomato chutney), different types of bhajis (leafy vegetables) etc. The wheat grown in the region is called 'sharbati' (juicy) or like a sweet refreshing drink. The rotis made from the flour of this wheat are soft and tasty.^{[citation needed][12][13]}

Education[]

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Bilaspur has developed as a centre of education for Chhattisgarh with students from all over the state coming to Bilaspur to study engineering, medical and administrative officers' competitive exams. As of 2012 Bilaspur has 5 universities. Bilaspur has following educational institutions:

Universities[]

• Guru Ghasidas Vishwavidyalaya – Central University
• Atal Bihari Vajpayee Vishwavidyalaya
• Pandit Sundarlal Sharma (Open) University
• Dr. C. V. Raman University
• Maharishi University of Management and Technology

Colleges[]

• Institute of Technology, Guru Ghasidas University
• Govt. Bilasa Girls P.G. College, Bilaspur
• Govt. E. Raghvendra Rao P.G. Science College ('A' grade)
• Chhattisgarh Institute of Medical Sciences
• Government Engineering College, Bilaspur
• S.L.T. Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guru Ghasidas University
• Thakur Chedilal Barrister College of Agriculture & Research Station, Bilaspur
• New Horizon Dental College and Research Institute
• C.M. Dubey Postgraduate College, Bilaspur
• Govt. Bilasa Girls P.G. College, Bilaspur
• Govt. Ayurveda College, Bilaspur
• LCIT Group of Institutions, Bilaspur
• Triveni Institute of Dental Sciences, Hospital & Research Centre

Media[]

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Print and news media[]

The city publishes print media newspapers in Hindi languages.

The following electronic media channels deliver local news 24*7:

• Chhattisgarh Cable Networks (CCN)
• Grand Gumber Channel
• Siti News Channel
• Abhi Tak (CCN owned News Channel)
• Z 24 Ghante – Chhattisgarh Bilaspur Buero
• E TV M.P. CG. Bilaspur Buereu
• Sahara TV M.P. CG. Bilaspur Buereu
• P7 /Pearls News M.P. C.G. Bilaspur
• Aaj Tak, Bilaspur Buereu
• India TV, Bilaspur Buereu

Radio[]

Bilaspur city has 5 FM Radio Stations which are-

Frequency Modulation	Channel	Slogan
90.4 FM	Radio Raman (Community Radio Station of Dr. C.V. Raman University – Kota, Bilaspur)	Hamar Radio Hamar Sangi
91.1 FM	FM Tadka	Apni Suno..!
91.9 FM	Radio Orange	Kuch Khatta Kuch Meetha
92.7 FM	Radio Rangila	Jam Ke Suno
94.3 FM	My FM	Jiyo Dil Se
103.2 FM	All India Radio Bilaspur & Vividh Bharti	Desh Ki Surili Dhadkan

TV/Doordarshan[]

• Bilaspur has High Power TV Transmitter of Doordarshan at Bahatarai

Web portals[]

Website name	URL	Notes
Bilaspur- Government Website	http://bilaspur.gov.in/	Official government website for the city. Land records and other e-governance projects are available from here.
Bilaspur- CIMS Medical College	http://cimsbilaspur.ac.in/	Official government website for the CIMS-Chandu lal Agrawal Memorial (कोयला वाले) medical College, Bilaspur

Notable people[]

• Leslie Claudius, former Olympic field hockey player
• Balakrishna Shivram Moonje (B. S. Moonje) was a leader of the Hindu Mahasabha
• Satyadev Dubey, Padmabhushan, theater director, actor, playwright, screenwriter. He directed Amrish Puri in Andha Yug and known for Junoon (1979), Bhumika (1977) and Aakrosh (1980)
• Makhanlal Chaturvedi wrote Pushp ki Abhilaashaa (Hindi: पुष्प की अभिलाषा) in Bilaspur Central Jail when he was prison by British for sedition charges.
• Satyajeet Dubey, voice and film actor
• Ajit Jogi, first chief minister of the state of Chhattisgarh
• Ingrid Mcleod, a nominated Lok Sabha member representing India's Anglo-Indian community
• Shrikant Verma, a noted poet and Member of Parliament
• Lakhan Lal Sahu, a politician and member of parliament to
• Arun Sao, elected (2019) MP (Member of Parliament) from Bilaspur Lok Sabha seat.

References[]

The census has been taken from Hari Bhoomi Bilaspur Bhaskar Edition dated 23/12/2013.

External links[]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh.

• Bilaspur (Chhattisgarh) travel guide from Wikivoyage
• Official website
• Map of Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh