The place where Swami Vivekananda spent few days of his life is nowadays the sight of a beautiful pond called Burha Talab, also popularly called Vivekananda Sarovar. The main attraction of the pond is the 37 ft. high bronze statue of Vivekananda at pond’s centre which holds the Limca Record of being the largest model for a statue.
Vivekananda used to take bath in the pond’s waters and hence, the place is no less than a pilgrimage for his followers. The statue attains an enthralling appearance after sunlight when it is illuminated and its reflection embellish the pond water. The pond is surrounded by a small garden thronged by many local residents and tourists.
Boating can also be enjoyed at the pond which has many beautiful fountains. It is a great experience to walk along the pond’s periphery.
Connectivites
Road:
Raipur is the state capital of Chattisgarh and one can expect excellent road connectivity to the city. National Highways 6, 43, 200, 217 and 12A and Asian Highway 46 help public transport and private vehicles to serve Raipur. Local transport buses, taxis, cabs, tuk-tuk, cycle-rickshaws and auto-rickshaws can help you conveniently reach the pond.
Railway:
Raipur Junction Railway Station is less than 4 km. from the pond and all local transport modes are available to travel between two destinations. New Delhi. Kolkata, Mumbai, Jaipur, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad and Bhopal are among the top cities offering rail connectivity to Raipur.
Airway:
Raipur Airport is only 14 km. away from the pond. The airport is accessible by air from all popular cities across India, some of them being Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Indore, Jaipur, Bhubaneswar, Ahmedabad, Chandigarh and Bhopal.