Author: Bastariya

It is a popular festival among  Bhil  Tribes. These tribes are mostly found in Jhabua district of Madhya Pradesh. A very less number of Bhil tribes are found in Bastar and its adjoining areas. The meaning of the term Bhagoria is “elopes”. Bhagoradey, God of dance, is worshipped on this occasion. The most respected village elder presides over the ceremony. Sweets are offered to the God and later, these are distributed among the numbers of the tribe. During the festival, the young girls and boys dance with each other and express their love to opposite sex. It officially allows one to…

Narayanpur is a major cultural hub of bastar. One of the most famous festivals of Bastar after Dusserha of Jagdalpur is Narayanpur mela, or Madai Festival of Narayanpur. Although the name Mela, literally means fair, the Narayanpur Mela is not a fair, but a festival. It is celebrated during the last week of February. Tribal people come with their deities, establish them, worship them and enjoy with their famous dances in this mela. It gives local flavour of the region and merriment is an intrinsic of this fair. They worship the tribal deities. After worshipping the deities, with lot of…

This is a ten day long festival, starts 7 to 8 days prior to holi and ends a couple of days after Holi. This is a very colourful and vibrant festival,  in which tribes from all over Bastar assemble to celebrate. These tribes bring with them their local deities and establish them at the Dantewada temple. The Gods and Goddesses from hundreds of tribal villages come for the Fagun madai at Dantewada. The celebration of holi was assimilated with many tribal customs and traditions along worship of Goddess Danteswari and accordingly, the name was given as “Phagun Madai”. Sometimes, the…

For the tribes, this is an important festival. The celebrations of this festival are carefully planned by the village headman of the host village, along with other community members. Special invitations are sent to the deities of other villages in the form of coconut and rice. The neighbouring villages in the form of coconut and rice. The neighbouring villages have to Walk many kilometres, Sometimes 80/100 kms, accompanying,  the Special invitee deity to the host village with great ceremony. This is a moving festival and moves, throughout Kanker, Bastar and Dantewada regions from December to march. On Poornima (full moon…

Hinglajin temple is situated next to Danteswari temple.This temple is dedicated to Hinglajin, the younger sister of Devi Danteswari, as per folk belief. During Navratri, the main deity is beautifully decorated. There are many temples, dedicated to Goddess HINGLAJIN. Her abode is in eastern part of Bastar like Girhola, Bakavand, and Jaithgiri. In  Jagdalpur, the oldest temple is Hatkachora. Girhola temple of eastern Bastar,  ( 30kms from Jagdalpur) has more religious importance. A large number of people from Bastar and Odisha visit the temple, during Navratri festival. The idol of goddess is Very beautiful and divine. The other attractive temples…

Bastar, one of the most panoramic and age-old areas of the country is situated in Chhattisgarh. The history of the region dates back to the Stone Era. Dandakaranya According to Ramayana and Mahabharata, this area was known as Dandakarnya, the legendary forest through which Lord Rama, passed during his 14 years of exile. As per Ramayana, Lord Ram pierced seven Sal trees, using his bow and arrow in dandakaranya, to prove his identity to Sugreev. Sage Valmiki’s asharam has been identified by the researchers of the state. Even the local people of Gobraoen area of Keshkal Panchvati believe that this…

The tribes of Bastar are famous for their arts and crafts. They were amongst, the earliest to work with metal and have expertise in making beautiful figurines of tribal Gods, animals, oil lamps and carts etc. Tribal artisans of Bastar attempt to make the imaginable, survival. Prominent among the tribal arts, is the Bastar Art, in India and outside for their unique artifacts. Wall hangings of Bastar craft grace homes and attracts the attention of art lovers. The Bastar artifacts usually depict the rural life style for the tribal community, with pastoral scenes of farmer as the main force. They…

The tribal recipes of Bastar are famous. The weekly markets in rural Bastar team with a variety of local cuisines. Drinks like Salphi, Mahua, and Landa (rice beer) are sold in these markets. Fish and other items are also part of tribal cuisines. The tribes add various types of fruits that are commonly found in the forest area in their diet. Rakhia Badi and Petha are two distinctive food items that are prepared by tribal people, during major festivals. Many international chocolate brands uses the Bastar Sal butter as a raw material. Preparation of food in festivals is a group…

Jagdalpur becomes the base for the unique 75-day Bastar Dussehra celebrations from July to October, when both the Hindu and tribal populations of the region commemorate Goddess Danteshwari. This grand festival is layered with legends and fascinating rites spread across the months. Plan a trip to Jagdalpur around the last 10 days when thousands of adivasis arrive to take part in the longstanding rituals. The centerpiece of the festival is a large wooden rath (chariot) that is made by locals of Bedaumar and Jharumar villages and pulled by Bison Horn Marias. The chariot moves along with beat of munda bajas,…

The Bastar – A Visitor’s Paradise has a lot to offer to visitors or tourists due to its natural beauty and pleasant atmosphere. Bastar region constitutes seven districts i.e. Bastar, Dantewada, Bijapur, Kondagaon, Narayanpur, Sukma and Kanker. Before being split, it was one of the largest districts in India. With an area of 40000 sq. kms, this is even greater than the state of Kerala and some other countries like Belgium and Israel etc. Bastar – A Visitor’s Paradise, is a mysterious and very attractive land because of its primitive culture. Most of the interior sites of Bastar, are untouched,…

The city is also known as the Craft City of the state. It is famous for bell metal crafts and other form of crafts native to the tribal of Bastar. Various indigenous crafts were developed and produced in this area through generations. It is the hub of various handicrafts renowned over the world as Bastar Handicrafts. A special type of bell metal craft known as Dhokra is the style mark. A couple of hillocks surround the town from the eastern side. Keshkal valley nearby is also an important place of visit. The coconut development board in the southern part sprawling…

As we have started exploring the beauties found in Chhattisgarh, we have discovered the various waterfalls present in the vicinity that would be a pleasure for any traveler to visit. Besides these waterfalls, the rivers are eye catchy. The sublime waterfalls flowing down the hill creates small and large rivers at the base making it a tourist visiting area and a house to many different species of reptiles. The Bhaisan Dhara is located within the Kanger National Park passing through the thick bamboo and Sal tress, making it difficult for any medium to pass through. The forest neither has sunlight…