Tourist Circuits and Tourism Policy of Chhattisgarh

Prerequisites

• Waterfalls, Caves and Hill Stations: the natural sites strung into circuits
• Temples and Monuments: the pilgrimage sites in the religious circuits
• Dakshin Kosala in Literature and Epics: the Ramayana traditions behind the Ram Van Gaman Path

The Hook: One Road, Thirteen Stops

Why it matters: Prelims asks scheme names, years and which site falls under which scheme. Mains GS-IV asks about tourism’s social effects, especially on tribal and rural communities.

The Players

Central Schemes in Chhattisgarh

1. Swadesh Darshan: the Tribal Circuit (2016)

Swadesh Darshan (स्वदेश दर्शन) is a Union scheme for developing theme-based tourist circuits. Chhattisgarh’s project under it was a tribal circuit.

Read the 13 sites north to south: Jashpur and Kunkuri (Jashpur district) → Mainpat, Kamleshpur, Maheshpur (Surguja) → Kurdar and Sarodadadar (the Maikal hills) → Gangrel (Dhamtari) → Kondagaon and Nathiya Nawagaon → Jagdalpur, Chitrakote and Tirathgarh (Bastar).

2. Swadesh Darshan 2.0

The scheme was revamped as Swadesh Darshan 2.0, which develops destinations rather than long circuits, with a focus on sustainable and responsible tourism.

3. PRASAD: Dongargarh

PRASAD (Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual, Heritage Augmentation Drive) funds infrastructure at pilgrimage and heritage sites.

State Circuit: Ram Van Gaman Paryatan Paripath (2020)

The Ram Van Gaman Paryatan Paripath (राम वन गमन पर्यटन परिपथ) traces the route that Rama is believed to have taken through Dandakaranya during his exile. The state launched it in 2020 with nine first-phase sites, listed north to south:

Chandkhuri was the first site developed; its works were inaugurated in October 2021.

Thematic Groupings (study aid)

These are not official schemes. They are a way to remember sites by theme, which is how Mains questions on tourism potential are best answered.

The Festival Calendar as a Tourism Product

Details: Fairs (Melas) of Chhattisgarh.

Recent Recognitions and Policy (as of 2026)

Analysis: Tourism and Society in Chhattisgarh (Mains GS-IV)

Strengths and opportunities

1. Variety: archaeology, pilgrimage, waterfalls, forests and living tribal culture within one state.
2. Low crowding: compared with neighbouring states, sites remain uncrowded, a selling point for responsible tourism.
3. Jobs close to home: guiding, homestays, transport, food and crafts (Dhokra of Kondagaon, Kosa silk of Champa) create rural income without large capital.
4. Identity and pride: promoting Chhattisgarhi heritage strengthens a regional identity that formed only in 2000.

Weaknesses and threats

1. Connectivity: limited air links and poor last-mile roads to many sites.
2. Security perception in parts of the south deters visitors, though it has eased at major sites.
3. Commodification of culture: tribal rituals staged for tourists; photography without consent.
4. Ecological pressure: waste at waterfalls, damage to caves, crowding at hilltop shrines during Navratri.
5. Leakage: profits flowing to outside operators instead of local communities.

What a good answer recommends

• Community-based tourism with gram sabha involvement in PESA areas (Dhudmaras as a model).
• Carrying-capacity rules for caves and fragile monuments.
• Skilling local youth as certified guides; homestay standards.
• Heritage first: conserve and interpret sites (Sirpur, Malhar) before marketing them.
• Convergence of central schemes (Swadesh Darshan, PRASAD) with state circuits and festival calendars.

graph LR
    A["Heritage + nature assets"] --> B["Circuit / destination plan
(Swadesh Darshan, PRASAD, Ram Van Gaman)"]
    B --> C["Infrastructure + interpretation"]
    C --> D["Visitors"]
    D --> E["Local income
homestays, guides, crafts"]
    E --> F["Community stake in conservation"]
    F --> A

Memory Tricks

Don’t Confuse

Common Mistakes

Practice

These are original practice questions written in CGPSC style. They are not previous-year questions.

Level 1: Foundation

1. Chhattisgarh’s tribal circuit under Swadesh Darshan was sanctioned in ________ and inaugurated on ________.
2. The temple developed under the PRASAD scheme in Chhattisgarh is ________ at ________.
3. The two Chhattisgarh destinations identified under Swadesh Darshan 2.0 are ________ and ________.

Level 2: Prelims MCQs

Q1. Consider the following statements:

1. The Swadesh Darshan tribal circuit of Chhattisgarh runs from Jashpur in the north to Tirathgarh in the south.
2. Ram Van Gaman Paryatan Paripath is a sub-scheme of the Union government’s PRASAD scheme.
3. Kanger Valley National Park is the first site from Chhattisgarh on UNESCO’s Tentative List.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only (b) 2 and 3 only (c) 1 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3

Q2. Match List-I (Scheme / recognition) with List-II (Site):

(a) A-4, B-2, C-1, D-3 (b) A-1, B-4, C-2, D-3 (c) A-4, B-1, C-3, D-2 (d) A-4, B-1, C-2, D-3

Q3. Which of the following is NOT one of the 13 sites of Chhattisgarh’s Swadesh Darshan tribal circuit?

(a) Mainpat (b) Gangrel (c) Sirpur (d) Kondagaon

Q4. The first site developed under the Ram Van Gaman Paryatan Paripath, inaugurated in October 2021, was:

(a) Shivrinarayan (b) Rajim (c) Chandkhuri (d) Ramaram

Level 3: Mains Answer Writing

Q1. Assess the potential of tourism as a driver of inclusive development in Chhattisgarh. What social concerns must tourism policy address? (250 words)

Quick Revision Table

Key Takeaways

What’s Next

• Quick Revision: Tourism, Archaeological Sites and Heritage: the whole chapter on one page
• Flagship Welfare Schemes: other state schemes for comparison
• PESA in Scheduled Areas: the gram sabha’s role in tribal-area tourism
• Social Aspects of Chhattisgarh: the GS-IV context for tourism’s social effects