Tourism has been growing in central India that has been endowed with natural beauty and abundant resources. The state of Chhattisgarh is especially blessed with several different cities, wildlife sanctuaries and hill stations. One such hill station is Mainpat; located at a higher altitude on the northern part of the state, this hill top is a popular spot for tourists to visit, especially in winter. It is quite famous for the Tibetan refugee camps and the Buddhist culture. Due to the hill station being very popular in Chhattisgarh and India, there are several things to do in Mainpat that tourists will enjoy. Let us explore some of the things one can explore on their trip to Mainpat.

Mainpat stretches over 368 sq km and is situated on a plateau. This table top provides great views of the mountains, surrounded by green forests and waterfalls. Due to the place being located on a hill top, adventure sports are quite popular. The sport of paragliding is one of the most popular things to do in Mainpat. The Chhattisgarh Tourism Board offers tourists a wide range of activities to indulge in and explore the landscape of Mainpat. Mehta Point is a great place to enjoy this sport; distanced at 8 km from Mainpat is this point where you can enjoy the thrill of paragliding along with witnessing natural untouched beauty and greenery.

Rappelling is a sport where one descends from a tall mountain with the help of a rope. This technique is used by mountain climbers and is quite popular amongst trekkers climbing hills and mountains. In Mainpat you can exist in the arms of nature and get some of the most beautiful panoramic views of the place. Get a chilling experience of getting up on some of the highest points of Mainpat, enjoying the scenic beauty, breathing the fresh air and being one with nature and then rappel you’re way down back to the base. This sport is enjoyed by hardcore adventure enthusiasts.

A little away from the center of Mainpat are villages like Bisaar Paani that offer tourists a chance to indulge in adventure sports. Zorbing ball is a sport where a person goes inside a plastic like transparent big ball that rolls either downhill or on water. It can also be done on leveled roads, but for that the person would have to manually move the ball. Since Mainpat is located at an elevation, this is the perfect place for Zorbing ball. The village of Bisaar Paani provides spaces where one can enjoy this sport to the fullest. The fields on which you can engage in this port have white and yellow crops and provide for a good place to have fun with this activity.

If you are looking for some water adventure sports, head over to enjoy the sport of river rafting in Mainpat. Head to Tattapani in Ambikapur, where you can have a great rafting experience. A tributary of Mahanadi, the Mand rises to an elevation of 686 m in Surguja District and then eventually drains out to the south of Mainpat and this great place to enjoy water sports. Due to the speed and rush of the water, river rafting becomes even more fun due to the existence of high waves. Many people engage in this sport, especially in the summer when the climate is a bit warm for doing water sports.

Organised by the local Mainpat Carnival Committee, the Mianpat Carnival is held at the very start of the year when winter is still ongoing. In this carnival several popular artists from dance, comedy and music industry are invited to perform for the local as well as tourist crowds. There are other events held for adventure enthusiasts; some of them include bicycle riding, body building shows, four wheeler races, flying kite competitions and so much more. Along with entertaining performances and competitions, there are other things like shops selling exotic souvenirs and locally made items. Also, there are stalls that sell delicious street food to everyone attending the carnival.

From 1962 to 1963, a lot of Tibetans fled from their home ground to follow Dalai Lama who was seeking refuge in India. During this time, the Indian government helped these people to settle down throughout India. One of the main settlements is in Mainpat, which has now become a tourist attraction for many. Back in the day when Chhattisgarh was still Madhya Pradesh, the government had placed 1400 Tibetans in 3000 acres of land in Mainpat where they still live. At first there was a single camp in which everyone stayed, but eventually the Tibetans started making their own homes and communities within the settlement. The people here farm, fish, do agricultural work and herd sheep as well. Visit these settlements in Mainpat to get an idea of the Tibetan culture and how they have adapted and made their own home in a place like Mainpat.

Situated in Surguja district, close to Mainpat is the Ramgarh and Sita Bengra caves. These caves are quite secluded and are surrounded by dense forests and some amount of wildlife as well. It is said that Sri Ram and Sita spent fourteen years of their exile away from home in these caves. Once you get there, you must speak to some of the locals around in the vicinity to hear stories about the cave and mythology related to it, indeed it is quite interesting. Right in front of these caves, people from previous eras have carved out stones to make benches; you can sit by these benches if you aren’t willing to go inside the cave to explore.

If you want to dig deep into the culture and traditions of the place, villages are the best places to soak in some knowledge about the local lifestyle of the people and their livelihood. There are twenty one villages in Mainpat and each one is worth visiting. Villages like Deepadih are popular with tribal villagers who have a complete world of their own. This village is famous for selling handmade good like cloth, handicrafts, idols etc. You can also witness festivals in their classic form in these villages; festivals like Dussehra, Holi and Diwali are celebrated with a lot of enthusiasm in these places. Narbadur village in Mainpat is also a popular place to visit to explore more about the lifestyle of the people living in the region.

While visiting Mianpat there are some things that ought to be done; one of them includes trekking on the beautiful mountains of this hill station. This place is a paradise for nature lovers and trekkers as there is so much to be discovered. If you are looking to go on an adrenaline rush in this hill station, trekking is a sport that you must absolutely indulge in. Mainpat is the home to some of the most beautiful mountain ranges like the Bialadila range; this range of mountain is shaped like the hump of an ox and is known as Bullock’s hump locally. This is a great place to start your trekking journey and explore some of the most scenic sites. The top most points on these mountain ranges is Akash Nagar and Kailash Nagar, which are worth climbing up and witnessing the lovely view.

Chhattisgarh and especially Mainpat are endowed with some of the most natural places on earth. Mainpat being a quaint hill station has a beautiful range of mountains, some of the calmest of rivers and gushing waterfalls. Some waterfalls that must be visited are the Dev-Pahari Waterfall, Gullu Waterfall and Tiger Point water. The latter, Tiger Point is one of the most popular places to enjoy the waterfall. At the bottom, you can even have a swim or simply lay back and relax the sound and feel of the gushing waterfall. This is a great way to spend a day relaxing with your family.