Ratanpur was historical capital of
Chhattisgarh
Chhattisgarh (, ) is a landlocked state in Central India. It is the ninth largest state by area, and with a population of roughly 30 million, the seventeenth most populous. It borders seven states – Uttar Pradesh to the north, Madhya Prade ...
until British takeover of Central Province from
Maratha. Ratanpur is a town and a
nagar palika in
Bilaspur district in the
Indian
state of
Chhattisgarh
Chhattisgarh (, ) is a landlocked state in Central India. It is the ninth largest state by area, and with a population of roughly 30 million, the seventeenth most populous. It borders seven states – Uttar Pradesh to the north, Madhya Prade ...
. It is located about from
Bilaspur on
National Highway 130 towards
Ambikapur.
History
Ratanpura, originally known as Ratnapura, was the capital of
Kalachuris of Ratnapura, who were a branch of the
Kalachuris of Tripuri. According to the 1114 CE Ratanpur inscription of the local king Jajjaladeva I, his ancestor Kalingaraja conquered
Dakshina Kosala
Dakshina Kosala (IAST: Dakṣiṇa Kosala, "southern Kosala") is a historical region of central India. It was located in what is now Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh along with some parts of Western Odisha. At its greatest extent, it may have al ...
region, and made Tummana (modern Tuman) his capital. Kalingaraja's grandson Ratnaraja established Ratnapura (modern Ratanpur).
In 1407, the Kingdom of Ratanpur was divided into two parts, with its junior branch ruling from
Raipur.
It continued as the capital of
Haihaiyavansi Kingdom until the 18th century, when it ruled large areas of
Chhattisgarh
Chhattisgarh (, ) is a landlocked state in Central India. It is the ninth largest state by area, and with a population of roughly 30 million, the seventeenth most populous. It borders seven states – Uttar Pradesh to the north, Madhya Prade ...
, until the area passed to the control of the
Bhosle and later the
British.
British India controlled Ratanpur from Bilaspur which was part of The Central Provinces. The Central Provinces covered part of Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra states and its capital was
Nagpur. It became the Central Provinces and Berar in 1903.
After independence of India, Ratanpur became part of
Madhya Pradesh with
Bhopal as its capital. On formation of
Chhattisgarh
Chhattisgarh (, ) is a landlocked state in Central India. It is the ninth largest state by area, and with a population of roughly 30 million, the seventeenth most populous. It borders seven states – Uttar Pradesh to the north, Madhya Prade ...
state the capital city of Chhattisgarh shifted to
Raipur.
Demographics
India
census, Ratanpur had a population of 19,838. Males constituted 51% of the population and females 49%. Ratanpur has an average literacy rate of 59%, lower than the national average of 59.5% while male literacy is 70% and female literacy is 47%. In Ratanpur, 17% of the population is under 6 years of age.
Culture and religion
The town is popular as a religious center and many Hindu devotees come here to offer their prayers and seek the blessings at the
Mahamaya Temple, goddess Mahamaya also known as Kosaleswari, as she was presiding deity of
Dakshin Kosal (modern Chhattisgarh).
Many other temples such as Bhudha Mahadev and Ramtekri are also situated there.
Transport
At around from Bilaspur, the second largest city in Chhattisgarh state after Raipur, the journey to Bilaspur from the town can be made by plane, train or bus.
Air
Air travel is also accessible from Bilaspur. The
Bilaspur Airport was inaugurated in March 2021 .
There are direct flights from Bilaspur to
Jabalpur,
Delhi and
Prayagraj.
References
Cities and towns in Bilaspur district, Chhattisgarh
Former capital cities in India
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