Bastar Dussehra is the unique cultural trait of Chhattisgarh. Celebrated by the local people of the state with sufficient vigor, the festival of Dussehra connotes to the supreme power of goddess Danteswari. During Dussehra, the inhabitants of Bastar organizes special worship ceremonies at the Danteswari temple of Jagadalpur. On this occasion rath is made in which goddess sits Bastar Dusshera Unexplored Bastar

History

It is believed that Maharaja Purushaottam Deo first initiated the festival of

Dussehra Vijayadashami ( sa, विजयदशमी, Vijayadaśamī, translit-std=IAST), also known as Dussehra, Dasara or Dashain, is a major Hindu festival celebrated at the end of Navaratri every year. It is observed on the tenth day in the Hindu ...

in the early hours of 15th century. Bastar to take part in this holy

festival A festival is an event ordinarily celebrated by a community and centering on some characteristic aspect or aspects of that community and its religion or cultures. It is often marked as a local or national holiday, mela, or eid. A festival co ...

. During the entire ten days of the occasion, the respected Raj family of Bastar arrange worship sessions in which the ancient arms of the

Goddess A goddess is a female deity. In many known cultures, goddesses are often linked with literal or metaphorical pregnancy or imagined feminine roles associated with how women and girls are perceived or expected to behave. This includes themes of s ...

Danteswari are treated as divine elements. One of the inherent traits of Bastar Dussehra is that the control of the state is formally transferred to the Diwan keeping the Zamindar and similar important personalities as witnesses. Kunwar amavasya is the first day of dussera. On the night of the first day the customary transfer of control takes place. A mystique characteristics of this ceremony is that before handing over the power to the Diwan, a girl who is believed to have possessed the spiritual powers is asked for permission. This girl is seen with a wooden sword and stands in a war-like posture. The second day of dussehra is called pratipada which is followed by aarti and salami. On the ninth day, the Raja of Bastar welcomes goddess Danteswari who comes to the entrance of the city in a doli or

palanquin The litter is a class of wheelless vehicles, a type of human-powered transport, for the transport of people. Smaller litters may take the form of open chairs or beds carried by two or more carriers, some being enclosed for protection from the e ...

. The tenth day of the festival is called dussehra when the Raja organizes a darbar where people come and present their requests. Also aarti ceremony is held on the last day of dussehra . . The dussehra festival is a famous event of

India India, officially the Republic of India ( Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the ...

, but the dussehra of Bastar is completely different from the commonly known festival of the country. Bastar Dussehra celebrate the divine bliss of Goddess Danteswari who is the revered deity of all the existing tribes of Chhattisgarh.

References

{{reflist Bastar district Festivals in Chhattisgarh