Festival · CHHATTISGARH
February 1–3 (aligns with Maghi Purnima) · Sirpur
Annual national-level festival held at the backdrop of 7th-century Lakshmana Temple and Mahanadi River banks. Features classical, folk, and tribal dance performances from across India, including Panthi, Danda, and Bastariya dances, alongside music by national and international artists.
Why it mattersCelebrates Sirpur's archaeological and Buddhist-Hindu heritage while promoting classical arts and local tribal culture.
February keeps Sirpur in that perfect archaeological exploration window — warm enough for comfort, cool enough for hours of wandering between Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain ruins without fatigue.
Live in Sirpur
CGTDC's purpose-built heritage-themed tourist resort at Sirpur — 12 AC/non-AC rooms (some convertible 14x20 with changing area) plus two 15-bed dorms, named for the 7th-century Chinese Buddhist pilgrim who recorded Sirpur in his Da Tang Xiyu Ji. Room 7 is the 'HH Dalai Lama Room' from his Sirpur visit. 300-seater on-site restaurant, party hall and a jogging-track green park; the only sit-down lodging at the site and the only way to be on the monuments at sunrise without driving in from Raipur. TripAdvisor listing currently displays as 'Soumya Resorts' — same property, possible rebranding under operator handover; CGTDC and Yatra still list as Hiuen Tsiang.
20-room private cottage cluster (nine of them garden-view), on the Sirpur River at the edge of the Barnawapara forest — a 50.3 km / 70-minute drive from Raipur Airport and ~18 minutes to Lakshmana Temple. Standard, Suite and Wooden Suite categories; on-site restaurant cooks tribal-flavoured veg menu from farm-grown organic plot. The pairing for travellers wanting a single-base for both Sirpur archaeology and a Barnawapara morning safari without driving back to Raipur. TripAdvisor 3.7/5 across 6 reviews — small sample but consistent.
SignatureChausela roti and mahua-laddoo from village SHGs
Festival window only. 2026 dates are 1-3 February at Lakshmana Temple grounds. Outside this window the festival ground is empty; check the District Mahasamund or Chhattisgarh Tourism page for current-year confirmation before timing a trip around it.
SignatureVeg thali with chausela roti
Order Chhattisgarhi thali ahead of the standard Indian-Chinese — chausela roti and aamat are made on request only. The 300-seater hall doubles as a wedding venue on weekends; on those days food times can stretch. Call ahead: +91 77142 24999.
SignatureTribal-flavoured veg thali with farm vegetables
Confirm menu availability before ordering — the kitchen runs on what the garden gives that day. Pre-book overnight if eating dinner; lunch walk-ins from Hiuen Tsiang/Lakshmana day-trippers are accepted when staff are around. Pair with the wooden-suite cottages for the sunset over Sirpur River.
Ruins of the 5th-8th century Buddhist-Hindu-Jain complex. Laxman Temple — one of the oldest brick temples in India.
Exquisitely carved 7th-century brick temple. One of the finest examples of early Indian temple architecture.
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