Ancient Ganesh Temple On Chhattisgarh Blog Cover picture source by Google Image
Chhattisgarh in India is now one of the most trending destinations for all travel lovers. Chhattisgarh is a heavily forested state in central India known for its ancient temples and waterfalls. Dholkal Hill Ganesh Mandir (Temple) is now a trending destination for all travelers. This temple is one of the old ancient temples in India. The 1100-year-old this small, mysterious shrine is located atop a hill in the middle of a dense forest In the Dantewada district, about 350 km from Raipur in Chhattisgarh. The small hill shape resembles a dhol (Indian drum), and hence, it became popularly known as Dholkal. I didn’t know if this temple is man-made or if some mystery had happened. But this temple’s location and its scenic beauty attracted everyone. A great treat for all nature lovers. Chhattisgarh is now one of the most important names in India’s travel books.
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Chhattisgarh The Untouched Melody
Sliced off from Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh is one of the newest states of India, but one of the oldest enclaves, thriving with ancient traditions and customs. Weekly Haats (markets), ancient temples, dense and deep jungles, frothing waterfalls, a well-defined spiritual circuit, and intriguing customs are some of the things that awaken travelers to a new but old era.
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The Myth Of The Ancient Temple
As per the mythology, folks believe, a battle occurred between Lord Ganesha and Sage Parashurama on Dholkal hill a long time back. This was a fierce battle in which Parashurama attacked Ganesha with his farsa (ax) and cut one tooth of Ganesha. That’s why Ganesha is known as “Ekdant“. The village nearest to the hill is named Faraspal (the name derived from Parshuram’s weapon). It is also said that, because Parshuram’s farsa fell here, the Bailadila mountain range became rich in iron ore.
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11th Century’s Open Air GaneshTemple
According to history, In memory of the battle between Parashurama and Ganesha, the kings of Chindak Nagvanshi dynasty set a stone idol of Lord Ganesha on the hilltop in the 11th century. The 2.5 to 3 ft idol has been carved in the shape of a Dholak (musical instrument) hence, the hill has been named Dholkal. The idol depicts Ganesha seated in his typical Lalit asana or playful and easygoing posture. It’s an open-air temple. The local villager worships the idol of Ganesha throughout the year, and a special fair has held at this site in the month of Magha, between January-February.
The Journey
The most interesting part about the ancient temple is its journey. Raipur to Jagdalpur is 300 km and Jagdalpur to Dantewada town is another 80 km. Both private cabs and public buses are easily available from Raipur to Jagdalpur and Dantewada. Dantewada town to Faraspal village is 18 km away and Faraspal to Dholkar hill another 5 km trekking in the dense jungle it would help you immensely to hire the service of a local guide to make your way through the dense conifer forests. So let’s celebrate the Ganesh festival.
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