Bastar is a
district
A district is a type of administrative division that in some countries is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or county, counties, several municipality, municip ...
in the state of
Chhattisgarh
Chhattisgarh (; ) is a landlocked States and union territories of India, state in Central India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, ninth largest state by area, and with a population of roughly 30 million, the List ...
in
Central India
Central India refers to a geographical region of India that generally includes the states of Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh.
The Central Zonal Council, established by the Government of India, includes these states as well as Uttar Prades ...
.
Jagdalpur is the district headquarters. Bastar is bounded on the northwest by
Narayanpur District, on the north by
Kondagaon district, on the east by
Nabarangpur
Nabarangpur is a town and municipality in Nabarangapur district in the Indian state of Odisha. It is the headquarters of Nabarangpur district. Nabarangpur is the largest producer of maize in Odisha. Papadahandi, Umerkote, Kosagumuda blocks a ...
and
Koraput
Koraput is a town and a Municipality in Koraput district in the Indian state of Odisha. Koraput town is the district headquarter of Koraput district.
History
The district of Koraput derives its name from its headquarters in the present town o ...
Districts of
Odisha
Odisha (), formerly Orissa (List of renamed places in India, the official name until 2011), is a States and union territories of India, state located in East India, Eastern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by ar ...
State, on the south and southwest by
Dantewada and
Sukma. The district possesses a unique blend of tribal and Odia culture.
Bastar and Dantewada districts were formerly part of the princely state of
Bastar. Bastar was founded in the early 14th century, by Annama Deva, the brother of
Kakatiya King
Pratapa Rudra Deva of
Warangal
Warangal () is a city in the Indian state of Telangana and the district headquarters of Warangal district. It is the second largest city in Telangana with a population of 811,844 per 2011 Census of India, and spreading over an .
Warangal serv ...
in
Telangana
Telangana is a States and union territories of India, state in India situated in the Southern India, south-central part of the Indian subcontinent on the high Deccan Plateau. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, ele ...
. After India achieved independence in 1947, the princely states of Bastar and Kanker acceded to the
Government of India
The Government of India (ISO 15919, ISO: Bhārata Sarakāra, legally the Union Government or Union of India or the Central Government) is the national authority of the Republic of India, located in South Asia, consisting of States and union t ...
, and were merged to form Bastar district of
Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh (; ; ) is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal and the largest city is Indore, Indore. Other major cities includes Gwalior, Jabalpur, and Sagar, Madhya Pradesh, Sagar. Madhya Pradesh is the List of states and union te ...
. The district, which had an area of , was one of the largest in India when formed.
In 1999, the district was divided into the present-day districts of Bastar, Dantewada, and Kanker. In 2000, Bastar was one of the 16 Madhya Pradesh districts that formed a part of the new state of Chhattisgarh. In 2012, it was divided again to form Kondgaon district. These four districts are part of
Bastar Division.
Bastar is known for its traditional
Dussehra festival. The Chitrakoot and Teerathgarh waterfalls are situated close to Jagdalpur.
The district is a part of the
Red Corridor.
Gondi and
Halbi are the two main languages, while
Chhattisgarhi and
Hindi
Modern Standard Hindi (, ), commonly referred to as Hindi, is the Standard language, standardised variety of the Hindustani language written in the Devanagari script. It is an official language of India, official language of the Government ...
are also spoken. It has been a tourist attraction for decades for its rich diversity of flora and fauna.
Administration
There are 12 taluks in the Bastar district according to the Census of India, 2011. The district has one municipality, Jagdalpur Nagar Nigam. Jagdalpur, the administrative headquarters, is a city with a population of about
3,50,000. Transport railway stations- 11; RTc deposits – 03; Airports- Jagdalpur.
Demographics
According to the
2011 census, Bastar District had a
population
Population is a set of humans or other organisms in a given region or area. Governments conduct a census to quantify the resident population size within a given jurisdiction. The term is also applied to non-human animals, microorganisms, and pl ...
of 1,413,199 before its split into Kondagaon and Bastar, after the split having a population of 834,375.
This gives it a ranking of 348th in India (out of a total of
640
Year 640 ( DCXL) was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 640 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming y ...
).
[ The district has a population density of .][ Its ]population growth rate
Population growth is the increase in the number of people in a population or dispersed group. The global population has grown from 1 billion in 1800 to 8.2 billion in 2025. Actual global human population growth amounts to around 70 million annu ...
over the decade 2001-2011 was 17.83%.[ Bastar has a ]sex ratio
A sex ratio is the ratio of males to females in a population. As explained by Fisher's principle, for evolutionary reasons this is typically about 1:1 in species which reproduce sexually. However, many species deviate from an even sex ratio, ei ...
of 1024 females for every 1000 males,[ and a ]literacy rate
Literacy is the ability to read and write, while illiteracy refers to an inability to read and write. Some researchers suggest that the study of "literacy" as a concept can be divided into two periods: the period before 1950, when literacy was ...
of 54.94%.[
After the splitting of Kondagaon district, the district's population is 834,375 of which 135,511 (16.24%) live in urban areas. Bastar has a sex ratio of 1017 females per 1000 males and a literacy rate of 53.15%. Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes make up 14,759 (1.77%) and 520,779 (62.42%) of the population respectively.][
In 1981, Bastar had a population of 1,842,854 with 1,249,197 of the residents being members of scheduled tribes. This represented about 68% of the population. However, these figures are for the pre-1999 Bastar District, which had the same boundaries as the modern Bastar Division. In 2011, still approximately two thirds of those in the division were tribals.
]
Languages
At the time of the 2011 Census of India, 38.42% of the population in the district spoke Halbi, 25.88% Bhatri, 14.56% Gondi, 10.75% Hindi
Modern Standard Hindi (, ), commonly referred to as Hindi, is the Standard language, standardised variety of the Hindustani language written in the Devanagari script. It is an official language of India, official language of the Government ...
, 2.99% Duruwa, 2.63% Chhattisgarhi and 1.14% Odia as their first language. There is also a large number of Bengali speakers.
Economy
Agriculture
Rice is grown predominantly during kharif season as the rain fed crop across a 2.38.9 million hectare area. However, the productivity of this crop is low, with only 08.53 qt/ha. The irrigated area (1.67%) and fertilizer use (4.6 kg/ha.) in the Bastar district is less than in other places of Chhattisgarh, and is insufficient to supply nutrients to the crop.
The pattern of livelihood in Bastar continues to be dictated by tradition. Even today, agricultural practices are traditional. Use of wooden ploughs is common while the number of iron ploughs is negligible. The same is true of bullock carts. The number of tractors is negligible while the bullock carts are all pervasive.
The usage of traditional agricultural implements has lowered the production of agriculture. The kharif crops grown here are paddy, urad, arhar, jowar and maize. The rabi crops include til, alsi, moong, mustard and gram. Forest-related work, including collection and sale of forest produce, supplements the meagre agricultural income of the population.
Most people do not find employment all year round. The cycle of floods and droughts makes livelihoods extremely vulnerable. People are often forced to seek help from moneylenders in times of crisis, which usually means a life of continued indebtedness. The absence of alternate employment opportunities leads to rampant poverty in the area. In the Bastar plateau, irrigation coverage is only 1.2 percent.[Report](_blank)
planningonline.gov.in
Exceptionally fortunate in its water resources, the region has good rainfall and rapid runoff due to the undulating terrain. There is potential for rainwater harvesting in the district.
Forest produce
Forests play an important role in the lives of the people, providing food and livelihood by way of minor forest produce and employment as casual labour in the Forest department. They provide for consumer needs such fuel, firewood, medicines, food, beverages, and housing materials, among others.
Industry
Nagarnar Steel Plant
National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC) is setting up a 3 MTPA capacity greenfield Integrated Steel Plant in Nagarnar, located 16 km from Jagdalpur, with an estimated outlay of Rs 210 billion. The land for the plant has already been acquired as of August 2010 and, as of February 2012, five major packages of the steel plant have already been awarded to internationally acclaimed companies at a cost of around Rs. 65 lakh crore.
Tata Steel Plant
Tata Steel
Tata Steel Limited is an Indian multinational steel-making company headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra, with its primary operations based in Jamshedpur, Jharkhand. It is a subsidiary of the Tata Group.
Formerly known as Tata Iron and Steel ...
had inked the deal with the Chhattisgarh
Chhattisgarh (; ) is a landlocked States and union territories of India, state in Central India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, ninth largest state by area, and with a population of roughly 30 million, the List ...
Government in June 2008 to set up a green field integrated steel plant at Lohandiguda, about 20 km from Jagdalpur. The proposed 5.5-million-tonne per annum plant has an estimated outlay of Rs 195 billion.
An environment ministry panel has recommended the diversion of forest land for the steel plant in a decision that was taken in the meeting of a Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) of the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF), Government of India.
Livelihood
Forty percent of livelihoods are forest-based, 30 percent are agriculture based and 15 percent of livelihoods are dependent on animal husbandry. Another 15 percent of the income comes from wage labour.
Agriculturists
People of Bastar with land depend almost entirely on cultivation, either on their own holdings or on the holdings of others. They supplement their income with animal husbandry, and sundry labour at times. Some of them have also diversified into small services or small manufacturing activities.
Labourers
People without their own land or with very little land survive by working as farm and casual labour. They also work in the non-farm sector, in mines, small shops, on construction sites and as part of the urban work force.
Agriculturists and forest gatherers
Those with some land, and living in the vicinity of forests, typically become agriculturists and forest gatherers. A major part of the household consumption and income is based on forest gathering, with agricultural activities providing supplementary income.
Forest gatherers and labourers
People living close to the forests but who have no land or very little land become forest gatherers and/or labourers. They are heavily dependent on forest produce, which they gather and sell or directly consume. At times, this leads to conflicts with the forest administration, due to differences between the customary and official use patterns of the forest. Occasional labour on fields or in the forest supplements their income. Migrant labour is also prevalent among the tribal population of Bastar, especially among the Bison Horn Maria.News Reach
pradan.net
Manufacturers
These are traditional occupation-based producers. These include weavers, blacksmiths, carpenters, chattai (woven mats of bamboo or other grasses) weavers and tailors, bamboo craftsmen, and potters. They operate in the cottage or household sectors, in tiny units, which may be family-owned and rented. They may also employ some workers. Some people have taken to modern manufacturing, operating electrical repair or lathe shops. These are located in the big villages or along main roads. Nowadays in bastar everyone is involved in social media so everyone know about the business ideas. When nagarnar steel plant established in bastar then local peoples are get works and now many peoples of bastar are employed.
Culture
Bastar is well known for its tribal population, which comprises around 63% of the total. The major tribes of the Bastar region are the Gond, bhanj ,Abhuj Maria, Bhatra. The Bhatra tribe is believed to have originated through the King of Bastar. Bhatra are divided into subcastes San Bhatra, Pit Bhatra and Amneet Bhatra. Amneet Bhatra hold Highest Status, Halba, Dhurvaa, Muria, and Bison Horn Maria. The Maria are known for their unique Ghotul system. Gonds are also the largest tribal group of central India in terms of population.
The tribes of Bastar region are known for their unique and distinctive tribal culture and heritage. Each tribal group in Bastar has their own distinct culture and enjoys their own unique traditional living styles. Each tribe has developed its own dialects and differs from other tribes in their costumes, eating habits, customs, and traditions. They may even worship different gods and goddesses.
A large number of Bastar tribals still live in deep forests and avoid mingling with outsiders in order to protect their own unique culture. The tribes of Bastar are also known for their colorful festivals and arts and crafts. The main festival of the area is the Bastar Dusshera. The tribals of Bastar were among the earliest to work with metal and have expertise in making figurines of tribal gods, votive animals, oil lamps, and animal carts .
Arts and crafts
An area where handicraft is most widely practiced in Bastar is Kondagaon. Vessels, jewellery, images of the local deities, and some decorative works of art are made through a process called the lost wax technique, which is notable for its simplicity, is particularly well-suited to tribal settings.
The Bastar district specializes in the preparation of items from Dhokra
Dhokra (also spelt ''Dokra'') is non–ferrous metal casting using the lost-wax casting technique. This sort of metal casting has been used in India for over 4,000 years and is still used. One of the earliest known lost wax artifacts is the ...
and unique woodcraft styles. The artifacts prepared from Dhokra technique of this art use beeswax, cow dung, paddy husk and red soil in the preparation. In addition to being used for contouring, wax wires are also used to touch up artifacts for a more polished finish.
The Dhokra and Bell Metal Handicraft are exported all over the world, and some of the handicraft items are purchased by tourists as souvenirs.
Politics
Bastar is part of Bastar Lok Sabha constituency, whose MP is Mahesh Kashyap from the Bharatiya Janata Party
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP; , ) is a political party in India and one of the two major List of political parties in India, Indian political parties alongside the Indian National Congress. BJP emerged out from Syama Prasad Mukherjee's ...
. Bastar has three assembly constituencies: Bastar, Jagdalpur and Chitrakot. Bastar and Chitrakot are reserved for Scheduled Tribes. The MLAs for these constituencies are Lakheshwar Baghel (Indian National Congress
The Indian National Congress (INC), colloquially the Congress Party, or simply the Congress, is a political parties in India, political party in India with deep roots in most regions of India. Founded on 28 December 1885, it was the first mo ...
) and Kiran Singh Deo and Vinayak Gotay (Bharatiya Janata Party
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP; , ) is a political party in India and one of the two major List of political parties in India, Indian political parties alongside the Indian National Congress. BJP emerged out from Syama Prasad Mukherjee's ...
) respectively.
References
Bastar
The Imperial Gazetteer of India
''The Imperial Gazetteer of India'' was a gazetteer of the British Indian Empire, and is now a historical reference work. It was first published in 1881. Sir William Wilson Hunter made the original plans of the book, starting in 1869.< ...
, 1908. v. 7, ''p. 121-124''.
*Dr.Sanjay Alung-Chhattisgarh ki Riyaste/Princely stastes aur Jamindariyaa (Vaibhav Prakashan, Raipur1, )
*Dr.Sanjay Alung-Chhattisgarh ki Janjaatiyaa/Tribes aur Jatiyaa/Castes (Mansi publication, Delhi6, )
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bastar District
Districts of Chhattisgarh
1947 establishments in India
States and territories established in 1948