Surrounded by the districts of
Raigarh and
Raipur of
Chhattisgarh and
Nuapada and
Baragarh of
Orissa, the district of Mahasamund is situated in the central-east part of Chhattisgarh. It covers an area of around 4,963 sq km and has a population of over 860,000. The commonly used language is Chhattisgari, and
Hindi is sparingly spoken in villages.
The tribes include Bhujia,
Binjhwari,
Dhanwar,
Halbaa,
Kamar,
Kanwar, and
Munda. The important festivals and fairs are
Ramnavami, Akthi,
Hareli, and
Janmashtami. The tradition of gift giving and inviting friends and relatives for a feast is considered with great importance. The major tourist and pilgrim places are
Sirpur, Shwethganga,
Khallarimatha Temple, Ghaudhara, and
Chandi Temple.