Surrounded by four districts of
Chhattisgarh, namely
Bastar,
Dhamtari,
Durg and
Rajnandgaon, the district of Kanker is situated in the southern region of the state. Kanker, covering an area of 6,434 sq km, has a population of 650,000. The chief languages are
Hindi, Chhattisgarhi,
Gondi and Halbi.
The major rivers are the Doodh, Mahanadi, Hatkul, Sindur and Turu.
The climate is of monsoon type and the average rainfall is 1,492 mm. Agriculture is the main source of income for majority of the villagers. Most of the culture is tribal dominant. Madai is an important festival. The tribal society is famous for their excellence in making exotic handicrafts with a variety of designs and shapes. These handicrafts include woodcarvings, bell-metal items, terracotta items, and bamboo items. The major tourist destinations are the Gadiya Mountain, Malanjhkudum waterfall, Charre-Marre waterfall, and Shivani Maa Temple.
