Bastar
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- Bastar state, a state founded in the 15th century that later became a princely state of British India;
- Bastar District, an administrative district of Chhatisgarh state in central India;
- Bastar Division, an administrative division of Chhattisgarh that includes Bastar, Dantewada, and Kanker districts.
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Traditional Bastar Dussehra
The Dussehra festival dates back to 17th century. It is a religious function of the Madiyas, Manjhis and Mudiya tribes of Bastar, now it has been converted into a tourist festival by the Chhattisgarh government.
The young Maharaja Kamal Chandra Bhanjdeo, who is currently pursuing higher Education in England under guidance of his uncle (Ex-IAF Flight Lieutenant Krishna Kumar Thakur), is literally worshipped by the tribes of Bastar even now. They offer small gifts and touch his feet as they feel he is their God, like Pravir Chandra Bhanjdeo, who had autographed his book "I the tribal God". The Rath(chariot) prepared with the wood brought from jungles of the Bastar kingdom is pulled by the Manjhis and mandiyas to Kumharkot, on the outskirts of Bastar and is allowed to return only when the Maharaja goes there, meets his old subjects and takes meal with the tribals.
The Bastar festivities attract over 100 deities from smaller temples throughout Bastar to Jagdalpur. In Dussehra which is the most important festival for the Bastar tribes, who do not burn the effigies of Ravan, but assemble all the deities from village temples to Danteshwari Devi temple at Jagdalpur, put the main deity on the Rath and wind up the festival by having lunch with the "King" and the presiding deity at Kumharkot.
