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[[Category:India |D ]]
[[Category:Places |D ]]

=Dongargarh=

Where the pinnacle of spirituality can only be achieved by conquering majestic mountains!
It is said that faith can move mountains, and it stands to be true for the holy land of Dongargarh. Dongargarh is one of the most prominent pilgrim places in the Rajnandgaon District of Chhattisgarh. It is about 35 km from Rajnandgaon and 67 km from Durg. Blessed with majestic mountains and ponds, Dongargarh has been derived from two words: 'Dongar' meaning 'mountains' and 'garh' meaning 'fort'. The first temple rests at a height of 1600ft. and is renowned as the Temple of the Badi Bamleshwari Devi. Seeking the blessings of the Bamleshwari Goddess isn't an easy task. Only the strong willed can reach the summit of spirituality here, because the devotee has to climb 1000 stairs to get a glimpse of the Goddess! Another temple at the base of the Badi Bamleshwari Devi Temple is called the Choti Bamleshwari Devi Temple. 

Every year a 'Virat Mela' is held during the Navratri Festival and devotees come from far off places to witness a rare confluence of culture, faith and tradition. 
Dongargarh enchants tourists with its old-world charm, picturesque mountain ranges, blooming nature and pristine lakes. Nestled amidst lush greenery with the Paniyajob Lake on the West, Dhara Lake on the North and the Madiya Lake on the South is the holy paradise of Dongargarh. 

There is a mystical aura to the origin of this land ruled by majestic mountains. Investigators have estimated that the royal pillars and scriptures of Dongargarh date back to the 12-13th century AD of the Kalchuri Dynasty. But there is an interesting twist to this theory, as the beautiful sculptures reflect similarities to that of Gond Art. 

Gond is one of the major tribes of Chhattisgarh and the elegant jewelry, clothes and hairstyles sported by the statues resemble the Gond Culture. This indicates that Dongargarh was under the rule of the Gond kings during the 16th century AD. Legend of the Bamleshwari Devi Temple: It is believed that some 2200 years ago, Dongargarh was known as Kamakhya Nagri and was ruled by King Veersen who was childless. The king then worshiped Lord Shiva and Bhagvati Durga Maa in Mahishmatipuri. After a year, the king and queen were blessed with a beautiful son. As advised by the royal astrologer, the young boy was named Madansen. The king was so touched by the Lord Shiva's and Devi's grace, that he created a majestic temple in Kamakhya, and this temple was proudly called the Maa Bamleshwari (Jagdamba Maheshwara) Temple. Devi Bamleshwari is considered to be Goddess Jagdamba, and within her resides the power of Lord Shiva or Maheshwara. King Madansen was a very just king who was always kind towards his subjects. King Kamsen was Madansen's son and his land was called Kamakhya Nagri. 

Kamkandala & Madhavnal's Epic Love: Chhattisgarh is also a land of untold love stories. The deep gorges and tall mountains of Dongargarh stand witness to Kamkandala & Madhavnal's eternal love. Kamkandala was a beautiful dancer in Kamsen's Durbar whereas Madhavnal was an established musician. One day it so happened that a royal concert was arranged wherein Kamkandala was to perform. Madhavnal observed that the Mridanga player's thumb was not real and made out of wax, while a gem was missing in Kamkandala's anklet. Amused by his observation skills, dedication and eye-for-detail, the king gifted Madhavnal with a precious pearl necklace. Now, Madhavnal was a very kind and gentle man, and in honour of the lady's skill, he gave the pearl necklace to Kamkandala. This deeply hurt king Kamsen and he, infuriated beyond measure, threw Madhavnal out of his kingdom. 

However, Madhavnal did not leave the kingdom, but instead hid himself in the caves of Dongargarh. Unfortunately, by now love had cast its spell and Madhavnal was deeply in love with Kamkandala. Along with her friend Madhavi, Kamkandala secretly visited Madhavnal every day and their love became unbeatable. 

Now here comes the test of true love. Kamsen's son Madanaditya was extremely spoilt and a hedonist by nature. His hidden love for Kamkandala manifested itself into uncontrolled aggression and she succumbed to his fear. She started pretending to be love struck by Madanaditya in order to escape his violence and anger. Call it coincidence or misfortune, one night Madhavnal came to meet his beloved lady and saw Madanaditya approaching her house at the same time with his soldiers. Alarmed, he escaped back to his cave. Madanaditya became suspicious and asked Kamkandala who she was talking to. Befuddled at his sudden appearance, she replied by saying that she was feeling lonesome and conversing with the walls. Sure that she was lying, Madanaditya ordered his soldiers to search the house and keep a close watch on it.  

One night as the Veena sounds echoed through the mountains, Madanaditya saw Kamkandala approach the hills. As he waited for her on the road, she quickly diverted the path and returned home. Suspicious, Madanaditya locked her inside her own house. Now, the two lovers communicated with each other through letters which were passed on by Madhavi. But  soon Madanaditya caught her too and promised her lots of riches. Scared and swayed by greed, she revealed everything to the evil Madanaditya. Infuriated, he accused Kamkandala of betrayal and locked her away. He sent soldiers in search of Madhavnal. Seeing the soldiers approaching the hills, he fled to Ujjain where king Vikramaditya was the ruler. Known for delivering justice and having a brave heart, the king was moved by Madhavnal's  story and decided to help him.

King Vikramaditya attacked Kamakhya Nagri with a heavy force and was victorious. Madanaditya was killed by Madhavnal and the after-effects of the war converted the Nagri to ashes. All that was left of the beautiful land were mountains. Thus, it became the Dongrakhya Nagar. As a test of their love, Vikramaditya announced that Madhavnal was dead. Hearing this, a saddened Kamkandala jumped into a lake, sacrificing her life to his love. Grief struck, Madhavnal too followed suit. Since then the lake was named as Kamkandala and is famous by the same name even today. 
Guilt haunted king Vikramaditya. Mourning the death of the two lovers', he aggressively prayed to Maa Bamleshwari Devi. It is said, that he lost all hope and was about to finish his own life when the Goddess stopped him. He then, pleaded to the Goddess and asked her to give Madhavnal and Kamkandala the boon of life. He also requested the Goddess to stay on Dongargarh forever and so since then Maa Bagulamukhi – Bamlai Devi lives on in Dongargarh as Mahakali.

In the year 1964, ex-ruler of Khairagarh, Shri Raja Virendra Bahadur Singh gave the responsibility of operating the temple to Maa Bamleshwari Devi Trust Committee. 
Exciting Ropeway Facility: Since then, the Maa Bamleshwari Devi Temple is a famous pilgrimage destination and devotees from far flung places come to visit it. It offers inner peace and strengthens their faith in nature, love and God. What's more exciting is the temple can be reached by an exciting ropeway journey. Imagine the majestic mountains around and the bright blue sky right above you! Apart from this, the temple is accessible by stairs too. 
Accommodation: The Maa Bamleshwari Devi Trust offers comfortable stay at their shelters. Other luxury hotels and medium luxury hotels too are available. 

=How to reach=

==By Air==
Raipur (100kms) is the nearest airport well connected to Mumbai, Delhi, Nagpur, Bhubaneswar, Kolkata, Ranchi, Vishakhapatnam and Chennai.

==By Rail==
Dongargarh railway station is linked to the Bombay- Howrah main line.

==By Road==
Taxis and regular busses are available from Raipur (100kms), Rajnandgaon (36kms).