Author: Bastariya

Sirpur Sirpur or shripura, as it was known in ancient times, is a small village drained by river Mahanandi, Presently Located in Mahasamund district. The capital of the Kingdom of Dakshin Koshala under the Sarabhapuriyas and Panduvanshis, it has archaeological remains associated with Shaiva, Vaishnava, Buddhist and Jain faiths. The Chinese traveler, Hiuen Tsang, Visited Sirpur in 635AD. Excavations at Sirpur have yielded ruins a numerous Hindu temples and Buddhist monasteries (viharas), the most notable are the Lakshman temple, Gandheshwar Temple, Anand Prabhu Kutir Vihara, and Swastika Vihara. Lakshman Temple One of the finest works of brick architecture, Lakshman Temple can be assigned…

The great wildernesses and Sprawling farmlands of Chhatisgarh, particularly in the Bastar region, Sustain Some of the most vibrant tribal communities in India. experience the ancient rhythms of life in Adivasi villages. SOUTHERN SOJOURNS If you are looking for a culturally immersive experience withChhattisagarh’s tribal community, there is no better place than the Bastar Region (Particularly Bastar, Kondagaon and Naryanpur districts ) to the south of the state. Home to close to 40 tribes – the main ones being the Bison Horn Maria, Muria, Abhuj(or Hill) Maria, Bhatra, Dhruva, Halba, Dorla and Gadba -Bastar is one the most ancient enclaves in India. Even today…

For a dose of faith in a leafy embrace take a leisurely day trip from Raipur to Jatmai and Ghatrani. within 25km of each other. both these picturesque spots host pretty – candy coloured temples alongside splashing cataracts and snuggled up against lush foliage. Ghatarani  At Abhanpur, NH43 gives way to a narrow country road that veers left to Rajim and beyond to the waterfalls. It slices through luxuriant rice fields and minty fresh landscapes (particularly post-monsoon) before wooded tracks close in. As you piece deeper into the bucolic land. Patchy stretches of road and traffic snarls considerably bovine in nature are likely to slow…

Bastar village was the capital oft he Kalchuris for a short period, contains several sculptures, including an image of goddess Durga has Mahishasuramardini, executed in a folk style; and a dancing Chamunda Devi, smeared with vermilion. The temple is maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India. EKtaguda, a shrine near Bastar village is estimated to be about a century old. The temple is dedicated to Kali Telanganin, but unfortunately,the main idol is broken. Interestingly, the ear ornaments of deity are the same as those still worn by local women. Jaitgiri, towards the north of Ektaguda, has a gudi with the most impressive collection of…

One of the regions best known archeological sites, there is no unanimity among scholars as the early history of Barsur. Some claim that it was the capital of the Gangavashi rules as early as 840AD. Others argue that it was built by the Nagavanshis, who ruled much of this land for about three centuries before being displaced by the Kakatiyas, in the 10th-11th century AD. Barsur is believed to have had almost 150 temples in its heyday. One of these is the 11th- century Chandradtiya Temple believed to have been built by and named after a feudatory chief called Chandraditya. Among the many Barsur – style…

In India, local religious life has sometimes served as an antidote to the drabness and monopoly of the great traditions. The Anga Devs’ cult, prevalent mainly in Chhatisgarh’s Southern districts, is One such instance. Every clan stretching across a few villages also has a clan deity, referred to as Anga Dev. An Anga Dev (anga = limb, and dev = God), constructed from wood cut from a special tree, possesses the four rounded ends of two logs as limb and a plank connecting the two logs in the center at its body. Borne on the shoulders of four men, each…

A part from having the distinction of being the largest tribal district of India, Bastar is also one of India’s Richest Biospheres – Bastar The tribal people here are fiercely protective of their cultural heritage and worship nature in all its myriad forms-trees, rivers, waterfalls and natural caves. Their Shrines are simple, unadorned often in the form of a Simple shelter beneath a tree, with a humble votive offering of terracotta lamps and animal figurines of horses, bulls, snakes and elephants. The tribes of Bastar are divided into Gonds and non-Gonds; Gonds include the Bison Horn and Hill Marias. Other tribal…

River Indrawati the main geographical feature of the district, flows across the southern limit of it with a tortuous course. It enters this district from Orissa near the confluence of its tributary, the Bhaskar, 13 miles upstream of Jagdalpur At Chitrakoot, 24 miles by road and 35 miles by river downstream from Jagdalpur the Indravati plunges off the edge of the 2000 feet plateau of north-east Bastar in a beautiful horse-shoe fall. 94 feet high. On reaching the western border of the district, it turns to the south and forms the district boundary until it joins the  Godavery below Siochana. Other important rivers of the…

The Bastar tribals are predominantly animistic. They are also influenced by Hinduism and Hindu practices. Their belief varies from tribe to tribe. they worship a pantheon of deities, to which they make regular offerings of terracotta and brass objects. Their shrines can be seen in various locations, such as river bank, a cave or mud shelter. The chief deity is maa danteswari, a local Avatar of Durga, who is taken for worship, in a big chariot drawn by the tribal folk in Dussehra. The tribals in Bastar believes in ghosts and spirits, the phenomenon of possession, animal worship, tree worship, belief…

In Abhuj Marias, when the settlement shifts to a new place, Ghotuls are the first building to come up and it is also the best. The Abhuj Marias have the system of village dormitory and it is entirely different from those of the Ghotul Maria and Jhoria Marias who inhabit the northern and eastern boarders of Bastar. Where as the Maria Ghotuls are combined one, i.e. both boys and girls admitted to them, the Abhuj Maria Ghotuls, except those in the Northern areas are open only to boys. This is because, Abhuj Maria villages are still uniclan ones and boys and girls of the…

Etymologically, the word Mur is a Sanskrit word. It means mool, which is the root the beginning etc. Therefore, it denotes the first inhabitant, (moolnivashi). Because of this understanding, the word Muria was used to identify, all the inhabitants of Bastar. The Murias are neat, industrious, and good cultivators who constitute the major block of the tribal population in Bastar. They are more advanced, broad minded and live in the open, amidst the vast rolling plains and valleys. The Muria economy is agrarian and they cultivate rice in plenty. Some Muria tribes are also depended upon collecting forest products and edible parts…

The people belonging to this tribe are mainly found in konta and Bhopalpattanam areas of Bastar. Their dialect is Dorli, influenced by the Telugu language. According to the legend of this tibe, in the beginning, a cow too was originated together with the Supreme being. Therefore, Dorla community keep much affinity with cows and they pay much respect to Deity  Bheema Dev. Frog Marriage Dorlas are famous in celebrating marriage feast of frogs to get sufficient rains. It is known as “Kappal pandum” . It is celebrated by women folk. A date for the feast is fixed by the priest…