Varsha PandeySitabenga Cave is the earliest cave on Ramgarh hills in Surguja district, Chhattisgarh.
The place comes under Ram van Gaman’s path.
State
Chhattisgarh
District
Raipur
The construction period of Sitabenga Cave
around 2nd-3rd century BC.
Religious Belief of Sitabenga Cave
It is believed that Lord Shri Ram arrived here with Lakshmana and Sita during their exile.
The importance of the special Sitabengra cave is due to its being a theatre. It is considered to be the oldest theater in Asia.
Other information
This cave has been constructed by a cutting gallery in the stones itself. It is 44 feet long and 15 feet wide.
Sitabengra Chhattisgarh Cave is located in Ramgarh, 280 km from Raipur, the capital of Chhattisgarh.
Location of Sitabenga Cave
Located on Ambikapur-Bilaspur Road
Distance of Sitabenga Cave from Ambikapur
34 km
Distance of Sitabenga Cave from Bilaspur
178 km
Distance of Sitabenga Cave from Korba
134 km
Sitabenga Cave
There are two caves, Sitabenga Cave and Jogimara Cave.
They are reached through a natural tunnel.
60 m long but large enough for an elephant to pass through.
Because of this reason, it is named Hatipal or ‘elephant cave’.
Sita Bengra Cave is a 2,300-year-old performance stage.
At the western end of this tunnel, the hillside forms a crescent, overlooking a thickly wooded valley closed on the west by a parallel range of the same hills.
Both caves on this slope are open to the west, the northern called Sitabenga and the southern Jogimara.
Sitabengra Cave is placed in Ramgarh, 280 km from Raipur, the capital of Chhattisgarh.
This cave with 3 rooms withinside the wooded area of Ramgarh located at Ambikapur-Bilaspur Avenue is the oldest theater withinside the country.
Sitabengra cave is made by reducing the gallery withinside the stones.
This cave is placed close to the well-known Jogimara cave.
The significance of Sitabengra cave is because of its being a theatre.
It is thought that that is the oldest theater in Asia.
In this, the level for the artists is at the decrease stage and the target market gallery is at the better stage.
The courtyard is forty-five toes lengthy and 15 toes extensive.
The production of this theater is thought to be from the third century BC, due to the fact an inscription of Emperor Ashoka`s duration is engraved on the wall of Jogimara cave nearby.
Such cave facilities had been used for enjoyment in historical times.
History of Sitabenga Cave
Based on the epigraphical proof written in the Sitabengra Guashraya beneath neath the Ramgarh rock shelter, this theater was constructed around the 2nd-third century BC.
Historians and archaeologists have unanimously generic the problem of being there.
The satisfaction of Sitabengra cave is likewise extra due to the fact Kalidas’ well-known composition ‘Meghdoot’ took form right here.
It is thought that Lord Rama arrived right here during his exile with Lakshmana and Sita.
In the Surguja dialect ‘Bhengra’ manner room.
Near the doorway of the cave, holes had been made for burying the pillars, and on one facet the footprints of Shri Ram are marked.
It is stated that those footprints had been there even for the duration of the time of Mahakavi Kalidas.
The presence of Siddhanganas (Apsaras) on Ramgiri and its being inscribed with Raghupatipadas is likewise referred to in Kalidasa’s composition ‘Meghdoot’.
Operation
It is thought that the operation of the cave becomes withinside the arms of a ‘Sutanuka Devadasi’.
This Devadasi becomes the Rupdaksha of the Rangshala. Sulabh Hridaya Sutanuka, a girl entangled in Devdin’s efforts, needed to end up the ‘anger’ of the officers of the theater and needed to spend her existence in separation.
Rupdaksh Devdin marked this love affair all the time withinside the shape of an inscription on the wall of Sitabengra.
It is likewise stated that bhajan-kirtan and performances etc. might have been performed through the local kings in this cave at that point.
Architecture
Sitabengra Cave has been built by reducing the gallery withinside the stones themselves.
It is forty-four feet lengthy and 15 feet extensive.
The partitions are instantly and the doorway is round.
The top of this gate is 6 feet, which stays best four toes after going inside.
The partitions had been pierced to make the theater echo-free.
Steps had been made through reducing the hills to attain the cave.
There are stairs on each aspect to go into the Sitabengra cave.
Below the doorway, the stone has been reduced in an instant line like drains 3-four inches extensive.
In this, the terraced target market gallery is gallery-like from pinnacle to backside and the rock has been reduced in a semi-round form in the sort of manner that packages may be watched readily through sitting withinside the target market gallery.
There is likewise an extensive feet pit outdoor the cave, which surrounds the whole cave from the front.
It is thought that that is Lakshman Rekha.
There is likewise a footprint outdoors.
There is a tunnel outdoors in this cave.
This is understood as the ‘Hathfod tunnel’.
There is likewise a 12th-thirteenth-century statue of Ram, Lakshman, Sita, and Hanuman withinside the hill right here.
The fair is held right here at the event of Chaitra Navratri.
The Sitabengra cave is included in the ‘Archaeological Survey of India’.
Record
That means the inscription written in the Brahmi script of Sitabengra cave.
Jogimara cave
The Jogimara cave is very near the Sitabenga cave.
The cave is famous for its fresco paintings, suggested to be the oldest in India.
The paintings are much deteriorated and only fragments can be seen now.
