According to the Puranas, the town of Ratanpur is so old that it has existed across all the four yugas or ages. It is also a major shaktipeeth(a place of worship consecrated by the ashes of the goddess Shakti or Sati).
Legend has it that Ratandeva I, the Kalchuri King went on a hunting expedition to the forests near the village of Manipur. Unable to return to his palace before nightfall, he decided to spend the night on a machan. he was woken up by a supernatural glow at the base of the tree and was astounded to discover the Goddess Mahamaya was holding her court there. The vision inspired him to shift his capital to Manipur from Tumhan, and rename it Ratanpur.
Adjacent to the Ratanpur bus stand are the remains of the medieval Hathi Qua, also called Gaja Qua, built by king Prithvideva. The fort treasures many architectural gems. It has four entrances – the Singha, Ganesh, Bhairav and Semar Dwars. The fort houses two beautiful temples of Jagannath and Lakshmi Narayan.
At some distance behind the Mahamaya Temple, surrounded by a mango grove, Bairagvan Lake. It is believed that a dip in its holy waters can cure skin diseases Narmadeshwar Mahadev Temple is on the banks of the lake, dedicated to Shiva as a Bairagi or the wandering ascetic, who fulfills the wishes of all his devotees.
On the other side of the lake is the Bees Duvaria Temple. This temple derives its name from the fact that it can be entered through 20 gates. Another surprising fact about the temple is that it does not have any idol. The temple was constructed in the memory of the Kalachuri king, Rajsingha. The Kichri Kedarnath Temple is also located near Bairagvan.
Ekbird Hill, on Ratanpur-Kota high capped by the Mahalakshmi Temple built by Gangadhar, the prime minister of Ratandev I. Locals often refer to this temple, Devi Temple. During Navratri, (jowar) seeds are sown and the goddess is honored with holy chants and flowers.
Ratneshwar Mahadev Temple was built by Ratnadeva I. Here, next to the Ved-Ratneshwar lake is a 400-year old Kabir Ashram which was built by Sudarshan, a follower of Sant Kabir.
The ancient Bhuvaneshwar Mahadev Temple is located on the banks of the Krishnarjuni Lake on the Ratanpur-Chapora road. The temple is dedicated to the sun god, Bashkara and has his sculpture, hence it ko known. as the Suryeshwar Temple. It is one of the rare temples that enshrines an image of the sun god. Complete with a Shivalinga, the temple has a rare stone inscription in the garbhagriha.
Perched on top of the bill of Ramtekri, a couple of kilometers to the north of Ratanpur is the ancient Ram Janaki Temple, built in the panchayatna style, with sculpted images of Ram, Sita, Lakshman, and Hanuman in the garbliagriha. This temple was built by the Maratha king, Shvaji Rao Bhonsle and is constructed in the panchayatna style. It is believed that a stream of water flows from the thumb of Ram’s idol inside the temple. The idols of Vishnu and Hanuman are also placed within the mandapa.
At the foot of Ramtekri, is a Shiva temple constructed by king Prithvidev II.. The Buddheshwar Mahadev Temple enshrines a swayambhu shivalinga or the self-manifesting iinga.
There are many other temples in Ratanpur. Girjabandh Hanuman Temple is supposed to have been built by king Prithvideva II. It is a Dakshinainukhi (south-facing) Hanuman temple which puts it under the rare category of temples.
