Durg is the headquarters of the Durg District in the state of Chhattisgarh. Durg is the second largest district in Chhattisgarh. The Durg District is situated in the southwestern part of the Upper Sheonath-Mahanadi valley and the bordering hills in the south and southwest. The Sheonath and the Kharun Rivers flow the district criss crossing the rugged terrain of Chhattisgarh.
In ancient times Durg was part of 'Dakshina' or 'Southern Kosala' empire. In the epic 'Ramayana', King Dasharatha (father of Lord Rama) Uttara Kosala married Kosalaya, the princess of Dakshnia Kosala.
In the 4th Century A.D. the Chinese traveler Huien Tsang visited Southern Kosala. He mentions that he found an Asokan tope in the Capital city making it apparent that the District was included in Ashoka's Empire. In the 5th century AD, we again get an authentic reference to this tract, in the famous Allahabad Pillar Inscription of Samudra Gupta. Samudra Gupta claims that two kingdoms of Kosala and Mahakantara, succumbed to his southern expedition.
However, the first specific reference to the word "Durg" comes around the 8th century A.D. through two stone inscriptions found in Durg and later deposited in the Raipur Museum. The First inscription mentions the name of one king Shiva Deva and the 2nd inscription associates the name of Sivapura (the capital of Shivadeva) with that of Shiva Durga thereby indicating that during Shiva Deva's reign the town and the fort were separate. The present name "Durg" is evidently a contraction of the old shivadurga fort which the king built. The river that flows by the present town is also called "Shiva River". On a tour to Durg Chhattisgarh you can visit the remains of the fort which is one of the major tourist attractions of Durg.
Tourist Attractions in Durg
Durg offers a number of tourist attractions for the visitors to enjoy. Places such as Shri Uwassaggaharam Parshwa Tirth, the Chandi Mandir, Ganga Maiya Temple, Deobaloda and Jain Temples of Nagpura are some of the major pilgrimage centres of Durg. In addition, this district also has other places that should not be missed paying a visit to such as Hindi Bhawan, Patan, Prachin Kila, Balod, Tandula, Maitri Bagh (zoo) and more.
Best Time to Visit Durg
The best time to visit Durg is during the month of Nov to Feb.
How to Reach Durg?
By Air : The closest air terminal is located in Raipur, situated at a distance of 56 Kms from Durg.
By Rail : The town of Durg has its own railway station, which has good connections to other major railway stations of the country.
By Road : The town of Durg is situated on the National Highway Number 6. The town is connected to other places via buses, taxis, tempos and private cars.