Khudiya Rani Cave, Jashpur

Khudiya Rani Cave, Bagicha, Jashpur

(A blog by Jitendra Nakka)

Introduction

Somewhere I had heard that, the most beautiful places in the world are located somewhere in the most challenging locations. I, too, came across the same experience, when I visit the marvel”Goddess Khudiya rani cave”of Jashpur. There are very places in world where a cave is worshipped as an abode of Goddess Shakti(Goddess Durga) instead of Lord Shiva.  Khudiya rani is one such cave.

Final Chamber of Goddess Khudiya Rani cave

  Jashpur, one of the most promising districts in respect of tourism, has the potential to attract any tourist in terms of religion, mythology, history, archeology and tourism.

Where and How to reach?

Khudiya rani comes under Bagicha block of Jashpur District. Jashpur, one of the most promising districts in respect of tourism, has the potential to attract any tourist in terms of religion, mythology, history, archeology, custom, tradition, culture and tourism.

Khudiya rani is situated at Chhichhali(R) village of Bagicha block of Jashpur. From Bagicha, one has to travel nearly 18-20kms to reach Chhichhali(R) village. From where, again a fierce traverse tests the patience of a rider/driver to descend down to a slope of nearly 30⁰-45⁰ upto 5km to reach this marvel, which is popularly known as Goddess Khudiya Rani Cave.

As the site is quite sloppy, it is advisable to visit this site in months of winters and summers, irrespective of the fact, that it is opened in rainy season too. Bagicha, the block HQ, is the best lodging and boarding site available nearby, some of the good hotels provide you exciting packages of tour and travels of nearest tourist places. Raigarh and Ambikapur are the nearest railway stations available nearby whereas Ranchi(Jharkhand) and Raipur are the nearest airport available.

Salient Features:

Features outside the cave:

It feels awesome being at Khudiya rani. The respective place is famous, not only for cave, but also for waterfall and the geological features existing here.

 Khudiya cave lovation (Panoramic View)

Just getting down the high slope to reach this exotic place, one has to descend down a no. of 300-400 stairs which are very long, with a slope of nearly 30-40 degree again. In the last stairs series, one can observe thin waterfalls emerging out from rocks. They can be understood as springs too.

Just around Khudiya rani cave, all the rocks are undulated and folded, making it more challenging for tourist to stand quite in a single place. One has to keep moving to make upto this sacred cave. Just 200 ft infront of this cave, we can observe a small waterfall formed from the brook emerging out from the interior of the cave, along with a channel arriving from the back of this sacred cave. Both the channels mix with each-other and form a small brook to descend down from a height of nearly 15-20 feet to form a small but beautiful waterfall.

 

 Waterfall outside cave

 Waterfall (Lateral View)

Just above the left entrance of cave, a group of priests reside and offer prayers and rituals in the name of devotees who visit this divine place for bestowing. Here the cave is worshipped as an abode of Goddess Shakti(Goddess Durga) instead of Lord Shiva.  

Features inside the cave:

Khudiya rani cave has two entrances, out of which the left entrance is the main one. The cave is nearly 100 ft long, divided into two chambers connected by a comparatively thin horizontal shaft, where the first chamber is nearly 50 feet long and 30 feet wide, shaft is nearly 7ft wide and 30ft long, followed by last chamber which is 20 ft long and 10-15 ft wide. Though the cave is granitic in nature, but still due to infilteration of yearly flooding, it exhibits some of the structures like speleothems e.g. cave draperies and flowstones etc.

 

First Chamber 

Horizontal Shaft

 Horizontal Shaft

 

Horizontal Shaft

 Horizontal Shaft

Cave Draperies

 Flow-stones

 Cave Exit

 Cave Entrance (Internal View)

 To the very last of final chamber, there lies a small hollow cavity like chamber(spring) from where water comes out and forms a small brook. In the right side of last chamber, two hollow chambers are located supported by thin rock columns, which are revered as incarnation of Goddess Shakti(Goddess Durga). The reason may be the ‘brook’ coming out of the cave, as water is considered as the source of life.  

Cave spring

Author(Right) with his staff Mr. Surya Prakash Sao and Mr. Jagdeep Bhagat(Left)

Conclusion:

Khudiya rani is a must visit site and an ideal picnic destination. Numerous devotees visit this sacred site every day.  I went this site with my office colleagues and staff and gained some ever-lasting memorable experience. I extend my invitation to you also. Do visit this divine marvel. Do visit KHUDIYA RANI CAVE  

            Last but not the least my special thanks to Mr. Surya Prakash Sao and Mr. Jagdeep Bhagat of Jashpur for their perseverance, coordination and help, they provided me and my colleagues during this visit.

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Ranidah Waterfall, District Jashpur

Ranidah Waterfall, Jashpur

(A blog by Jitendra Nakka)

Introduction

If I say Jashpur as the Wonder of Chhattisgarh Tourism, let me justify, I am not over-admiring or boasting about some place. Jashpur is one of the most promising districts regarding tourism of Chhattisgarh. This time, I am talking about Ranidah Waterfall, which is one of the most beautiful tourist sites near District Head Quarter, Jashpurnagar.

 

 Author @ Ranidah Waterfall

 Author @ Ranidah Waterfall

                 Author with his staff, Mr. Surya Prakash Sao and Mr. Jagdeep Bhagat

 Author @ Ranidah Waterfall

Where and How to reach?

Ranidah is nearly 15 kms from District Head Quarter, Jashpur nagar and nearly 465 kms from State Head Quarter, Raipur. Raigarh and Ambikapur (Surguja) are the nearest railway stations here. Ranchi (Jharkhand) and Raipur are the nearest airports available for this place. This place is approachable throughout all the season of the year.

From Jashpur, one has to go towards Kunkuri Road up to Balachhapar village. From Balachhapar, we have to take a unmetalled road(kachacha road) and take a 12kms traverse up to Ranidah.

For lodging and boarding, few good hotels and lodges are available near around District Head Quarter, which offer exciting tourist packages inside District. As the above site is quite near to Jashpur, it is advisable to stay at Jashpur itself.  

                                            Author @ Ranidah Waterfall

Salient Features

Coming under Jashpur block of the District, Ranidah is actually a small valley, where the water from the adjacent brooks(nallahs) decends down upto 80-90 feet in a cascade manner to form a splendid waterfall popularly called as Ranidah Waterfall.

Mythological Importance:

Ranidah Waterfall is famous not only in tourism point of view, but also famous for mythology and other legendry story attached to this site.

        Once a Queen is believed to have lived here, who committed suicide by Jumping in the valley from a considerable height of 80-90 feet. It is also believed that the reservoir on the valley where she jumped and drowned herself is so deep that one cannot measure its depth.

        It is also believed that she had 5 brothers, who tried to stop her from committing suicide, but failed, later turned into oval shaped rock blocks, now popularly renowned as Panch-bhaiya Shiv temple.

Conclusion

         The most exciting feature of this site is the long stream channel of the valley which is fully covered by massive boulders of rocks. Some are small, some are medium while few of them are massive and they together create an ideal trekking site. An adventurous tourist may tend to take traverse of the valley channel and also enjoy the steep banks on the either sides, which on some places, allows the tourist to climb-up through the banks. In some spots, while climbing up, you can visit some cave-shelters or grottos, which may give inference of the existence of any wild animal nearby. We, fortunately,  spotted hairs of Wild-Beer around such grottos. 

 Trekking sites of stream banks of Valley

 

 Trekking sites of stream banks of Valley

       Last but not least, My special Thanks to Mr. Surya Prakash Sao, Mr. Jagdeep Bhagat for arranging such a memorable tour for me and my colleagues.    

Author with his staff, Mr. Surya Prakash Sao and Mr. Jagdeep Bhagat

 

 Author with his staff, Mr. Jagdeep Bhagat

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Desdekha, Jashpur

Desdekha, Jashpur

(A blog by Jitendra Nakka)

Introduction

Mountain series, Waterfalls, Lush Green Forest, Mysterious Caves, Serpentine like Valleys….What else do you want for a promising tourist site…..Jashpur has the guts to be admired as one the most tourism potential district of Chhattisgarh. There are many amazing tourist place, about which I will discuss in my further blogs, one such site is Desdekha.

Where and How to reach?

Desdekha is nearly 32 kms from District Head Quarter, Jashpur nagar and nearly 482 kms from State Head Quarter, Raipur. Raigarh and Ambikapur (Surguja) are the nearest railway stations here. Ranchi (Jharkhand) and Raipur are the nearest airports available for this place. This place is approachable throughout all the season of the year.

For lodging and boarding, few good hotels and lodges are available near around District Head Quarter. As the above site is quite near to Jashpur, it is advisable to stay at Jashpur itself.  

Salient Features

Coming under Jashpur block of the District, Desdekha is actually the topmost point of a plateau which is nearly 2900ft above sea level. Just be here and enjoy the soft breezes of wind blowing. The place is so high, that almost 3-5 kms of the nearby area can be seen from a single view point, covering all the landscapes of the adjacent villages. Just behind me, you can observe one water reservoir between Deobora and Khadsa villages of Kunkuri block.

 Author at Desdekha Hilltop

 Author's Staff at Desdekha Hilltop

Conclusion

The most iconic feature of this site is the Sal forest on the either sides of the serpentine roads, welcoming you to the laps of nature. Being here, you can just imagine yourself, in the midst of exotic locations of “Raaj” movie.

 

Sal Tree Forest near Desdekha 

Last but not least, My special Thanks to Mr. Surya Prakash Sao, Mr. Jagdeep Bhagat for arranging such a memorable tour for me and my colleagues.  

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