Mainpat | |
Nickname: | Shimla of Chhattisgarh |
Settlement Type: | Village |
Pushpin Map: | India Chhattisgarh#India |
Pushpin Label Position: | right |
Pushpin Map Caption: | Location in Chhattisgarh, India |
Coordinates: | 22.837°N 83.315°W |
Subdivision Type: | Country |
Subdivision Name: | India |
Subdivision Type1: | State |
Subdivision Name1: | Chhattisgarh |
Unit Pref: | Metric |
Elevation M: | 1085 |
Population Density Km2: | auto |
Demographics Type1: | Languages |
Demographics1 Title1: | Official |
Demographics1 Info1: | Hindi, Chhattisgarhi |
Timezone1: | IST |
Utc Offset1: | +5:30 |
Registration Plate: | CG |
Mainpat is a hill station and small village in the Surguja district in the northern part of the state of Chhattisgarh, India. It lies about by road from the divisional headquarter of Ambikapur. The hill station is 50 km south of Ambikapur, 160 km northeast of Korba, and 360 km northeast of state capital Raipur.
This hill station is famous for the Ulta Pani or Bisar Paani which seems to defy the gravity and flows upward.
Mainpat is known as the "Shimla/Swiss of Chhattisgarh" and is a popular tourist attraction. It is also home to a number of Tibetan religious exiles who worship at a temple dedicated to Buddha and manufacture designer mats as well as woolen cloth.[1]
Recently, the village has developed infrastructure like roads and rest houses for travelers. Here one can easily find a lot of adventurous sports like Trekking, Zorbing Ball, Rapling, etc. Fields are covered with yellow and white crops.
There is a place in a village called Bisar Paani (5 KM before Mainpat on right side of road going from Ambikapur to Mainpat) where water flows upstream. Villagers have made a canal for watering and water flows upward 30 ft on its own. No device and no scientific explanation could be found. The hill station features the Tiger Point Waterfall, Fish Point Waterfall, Ghaghi waterfall, Zalzali(bouncing land), Parpatiya view point and Buddha temples.
In 1962-63, a lot of Tibetans migrated to India. The government of India allotted them land at Mainpat hill. The Home Ministry gave 3,000 acres of land to about 1,400 Tibetan immigrants.[2] The village has traditionally been home to the Yadavs and tribes including the Manjhi.[3]
Ulta Pani, also called Bisar Paani, is the place on this hill which is a gravity hill where due to the optical illusion the water seems to defy the gravity and seems to flow from bottom to uphill.[4] [5]
Nearest bus stand is Ambikapur Bus Terminal from where tourist vehicles can be booked
Nearest Railway station is Ambikapur Railway station
Nearest Airport is Ambikapur Airport which is currently under development after which Ambikapur Airport is poised to get Air connectivity to Raipur & Varanasi