Ratanpur is one of the most important historic towns of Chhattisgarh. Considered as the old capital of the Chhattisgarh State, Ratanpur is situated at a distance of about 25 km from Bilaspur. According to legends, Ratanpur had been an important place in all Yugas. Ratanpur is famous for its ancient Fort and a number of amazing Temples.
The fort at Ratanpur is in a worn out condition today. Ther is an attractive old sculpture and Idols of River Ganga-Yamuna at Ganesh gate. On the main entrance there is a dancing statue of Lord Shiva and statues of Lord Brahma and Vishnu. The fort also has the Sitchourai and Jagannath Temples.
Apart from the fort, Ratanpur has many more places of attraction like Mahamaya Temple which was constructed by Kalchurian king Ratansen. The temple has a pond in front, having other ancient temples at the bank. The temple has the dual idol of goddesses - Saraswati and Laxmi. Mahamaya temple has gained recognition as a Sidh Peeth and is the most popular religious places in the Chhattisgarh state. Several new temples have been built in the campus of the Mahamaya Mandir where different gods and goddesses are worshipped. During Navratri it is festival time here and many people visit the temple to offer prayers and light the jyoti (flame) during this period. The fairs organized at the temple during this period are very popular.
Ramtek is another famous temple at the peek of a mountain constructed by Maratha king Bimbaji Bhonsle. Beside Ramtek temple, there is an old fort known as Badal Mahal. Apart from these there are places temples like Baba Bairavnath Temple, Bhuddeshwar Shiva Temple, Ekbira Temple and Ratneswar Mahadev Temple
Other major attraction of Ratanpur is the idol of God Dashanan who is shown cutting his own head one after another and offering it to Lord Shiva.
