Madku Island, formed by the splitting of Shivnath River into two parts, is also famous because sage Mandukya composed Mandukopanishad while sitting at this place. This island is located in Mungeli district, about 80 km from the capital Raipur. Every year from 6 February to 12 February, a Christian fair is held here, which is a major tourist attraction. During the fair, Christians from Chhattisgarh and other parts of the country stay in camps here and gather in the main pandal for puja and pray.
Got this name because of sage Mandukya
Madaku Island got its name from the name of sage Mandukya, the author of the religious and sacred text Mandukopanishad. It is mentioned in the scriptures that due to the Shivnath river flowing in the north-east direction from here, the sage composed the Upanishad sitting at this holy place. A very beautiful statue of the sage composing has also been installed here. Information is available from these inscriptions.
According to researchers, this island was formed in prehistoric times. Many temples built in the 10th and 11th centuries have been excavated here, including Dhumeshwar Mahadev Temple, Shri Ram Kevat Temple, Shri Radha Krishna, Lakshmi Narayan Temple, and historical temples dedicated to Shri Ganesh and Shri Hanuman. There are a total of six Shiva temples and eleven Spartan temples here. According to scholars, Kalchuri kings of Ratanpur used to perform sacrifices and other rituals here. Two ancient inscriptions have been found on Madaku Island. An inscription from the third century is a Brahmi inscription. And the second inscription is in Shankha script. Small stone sculptures of prehistoric period are also available.
