Balod
| Author:Laxman Burdak, IFS (R) |
Balod (बालोद) is a town and district in the state of Chhattisgarh, India. On 1 January 2012 it was notified as Civil District though revenue district was declared from 10 January 2012. Balod became the 27th district of Chhattisgarh.
Location
Balod is located at 20.73°N 81.2°E.[2] It has an average elevation of 324 metres (1063 feet). It is located on banks of river Tandula. Balod is 44 km from Dhamtari and 58 km from Durg. There are two Dams nearby Tandula and Aadmabaad built on rivers Sukha and Tandula in 1912.
History
बालोद
विजयेन्द्र कुमार माथुर[1] ने लेख किया है कि.... बालोद (जिला दुर्ग, मध्य प्रदेश): वर्तमान जिला बालोद, छत्तीसगढ़. कहा जाता है कि महाकौशल का प्राचीनतम सती स्मारक इस स्थान पर है. इस पर अंकित अभिलेख प्रिंसेप साहब ने पहली बार पढ़ा था. इसका समय उन्होंने दूसरी सदी ई. निश्चित किया था. दूसरा लेख 1005 विक्रम संवत = 948 ई. का है जिसको सर्वप्रथम डॉक्टर हीरालाल ने पढ़ा था.
Balod Sati Pillar Inscription
Source - Hira Lal: Descriptive lists of inscriptions in the Central provinces and Berar,p.122
Balod is 35 miles from Durg. The pillar which has served three times successively as a Sati monument was found here. There are three inscriptions on it, two of which are worn smooth and are perfectly illegible except the date Samvat 1005 in one of them. The third inscription is in characters which Prinsep ascribed to the second Century A.D. This inscription is therefore very important as beings the earliest Sati inscription yet found.
(Cunningham's Archeological Reports, Volume VII, page 137)
Source - Hira Lal: Descriptive lists of inscriptions in the Central provinces and Berar,p.124
There is an inscription on a red stone pillar of which the characters are not very old. The inscription is illegible. It has been recently removed to the Nagpur Museum.
Temples
There are several religious temples nearby town, particularly Ganga Maiyya temple and Siyadevi temple hold great religious value for the townsfolk.