Beautiful Bastar

There’s a bit of everything — mystical, mythical, historical and the natural — in this unpolluted
part of Chhattisgarh, writes Inder Raj Ahluwalia

A view of Chitrakote Waterfalls A tribal girl from Bastar  Photos: Jaspreet Singh Bhatia

THE sand beneath, the river besides, the stars above. The tribal district of Bastar provides one of the best vistas that nature can offer. India’s largest waterfall thunders down in a broad crescent sweep within a touching distance. The Indravati River flows by serenely. The tents are spaced out along the river’s edge. The waterfall forms a steady backdrop soundtrack.

This is ‘Camp Bastar’ in the heart of India. The camp is at a seven-hour drive from Raipur.

There’s a bit of everything — mystical, mythical, historical and the natural — in the unpolluted district of Bastar.

Bordered by Orissa, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh, 60 per cent of its land is under forest cover. To the northwest rise the ancient Abhujmar tribal hills, and in the south lies the mineral-rich Bailadila range.

Midway from Raipur to Jagdalpur, Kanker Palace is a pleasant stop. Jagdalpur is district’s capital and nerve-centre.

Straddling low hills next is the Kanger Valley National Park. It is a vast expanse of virgin forest, diverse flora and fauna, ancient caves, rivers and waterfalls. There are wild buffalo, leopard, deer, boar, and myriad birds, including the endangered Bastar Hill Mynha. It is primordial jungle so thick and dense the sky is often hidden from view.

After an hour’s drive through this mass of greenery is the stalagmite and stalactite formations of Kutumsar Caves. Lighting has been done in the caves.

Another beautiful stop after the caves is the translucent cascades of the Tirathgarh Waterfalls, which fall from a height of 100 feet. Nearby is an ancient Shiv temple.

Animal sightings come easy in Udanti Sanctuary, whose 231 sq km forested area harbours tiger, wild dog, gour, and wild buffalo. The sanctuary authorities offer accommodation, while there are private vehicles to drive around in the sanctuary.

Nature apart, Bastar offers rich local heritage, best seen in its tribal people who comprise almost 75 per cent of its population. Each tribe has its own indigenous culture of spirits, deities, dialects, customs and food habits.

There are Gonds, such as Marias, Murias, Abhujmarias, Dhurwa(Parja) and Dorla, as well as non-Dong groups like the Bhatra and Halba. The Abhujmarias are the shyest of the tribal people, while the gregarious Bison Horn Marias are famous for their bison-horn headdress, worn during dancing rituals.

Bastar’s tribal culture can be seen at the Anthropological Museum, dedicated totally to the region’s tribals. One gets a fascinating insight into the reclusive and mystical lives of these hunters/gatherers. Their living and hunting habits; their ornaments and craft-ware; their musical instruments; their gods and deities.

Next on the itinerary is a tribal village with friendly, abjectly simple people, who’ve inhabited this land for centuries, living off the offerings of the forest. While some have moved into farming, others still classify as hunters/gatherers.

Bastar’s festivals showcase its tribal peoples’ cultural ethos. Nature is evoked at the turn of varoius seasons, accompanied by singing and dancing in rituals as ancient as time. Danteshwari is the former ruler’s reigning deity: the tribal people worship their own gods, goddesses and spirits.

Dussehra is Bastar’s most important festival. But it is not about Ram’s return to Ayodhaya, rather it focuses on Sri Danteshwari Mai. An amalgam of local religious beliefs and tribal customs, the festival’s ceremonies begin with worship at the temple of Kacchhingudi, where a young girl from the weaver community is blessed by Dandteshwari. A special rath transports the deity.

The Phagun Madai of Dantewada; Ramaram Mela of Sukma; and Narayanpur Madai are other colourful cultural extravaganza on offering.

Inspired by the world of nature, centuries-old traditions hallmark simple and intricate crafts created by Bastar’s craftsmen. The fusion of the antique and the contemporary comes through as you watch craftsmen at work, creating elaborate wrought-iron and bell-metal items; wood and bamboo items; terracotta animals and figurines; kosa silk weaving; and hand-woven textiles. Memorial stones are one of the region’s oldest crafts. Kondagaon, Narayanpur and Jagdalpur are prominent centres for these crafts.

In this view-rich region, nothing quite comes close to the stunning vistas that await you at Keshkal Valley and Panchwati Lookout Points, both of which have charming, comfortable rest-houses. These places offer a world of green that stretches on and on beyond view, with totally intact forests, clothing low hills. The only element that has any movement is the breeze. All else is still. It is nature at her pristine best, within touching distance, right at the doorstep.

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