BILASPUR

The serpent king, however, felt slighted and to avenge himself, he summoned all the serpents on the earth and deputed them to kill Guga. Guga, nevertheless, imprisoned all the snakes within a charmed circle, for a week.It is a popular belief, current even today, that during the period of one week in the rainy season when the festival of Guga is on, the snakes either do not bite any man or even if they do the poison has no adverse effect.

Subsequently a fight ensued between Guga on one side and Arjun and Surjan on the other to capture the ancestral throne. Gnga was ultimately triumphant and is, therefore, venerated and is praised in folk songs by the people to perpetuate the memory of his valorous deeds.

Lakhdata saint is also held in great reverence. There are a number of fairs held in the district in his honor and wrestling bouts form the chief feature in these fairs. Several villages claim to have the saint Lakhdata's grave. This shows the hold of the saint on the people. The women worship another saint Deo Sur particularly.

It is said that Nar Singh Bir was a servant of Deo Sur and attained sainthood by his service to Deo Sur. Deo Sur isworshipped on the first Sunday of the month. Another sage Markandey has been deified and is worshipped in a temple at village Makri (tahsil Sadr). Sage Markandey is said to be a contemporary of the sage Vyas who has given the name Biaspur and then Bilaspur to the district.

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