Bastar Tourism and Travel Guide
History of The City: Bastar The early history of the Bastar State is obscure and it appears that the central part of the Bastar State formed in the 11 th century by the kingdom of the Nagavanshi family who had their capital at Barsur .Their Kingdom was known as ‘Chakrakot’.This Kingdom subsequently formed part of the Warangal Kingdom of the Kakatiya dynasty.
The Bastar Raj family claims its descent from the Pandu king ,Birbhadra of Delhi who was granted by the family goddess Dillishwari an arrow as his weapon of war .This Birbhadra subsequently moved to Mathura where he received a trident from the goddess Bhuwaneshwari .Then he moved on to Jeypur (Orissa) with the family goddess.Later on they settled at Warangal with Manikya Devi (or Danteshwari as she is called in the Bastar inscriptions),their family goddess, who granted them a sword when they moved into Bastar.All these weapons are still in existance and are even now worshipped.
The Kakatiyas were great patrons of learning and the great commentator Mallinath flourished under their patronage.The great Kakatiya King Pratap Rudra’s brother , Annam Deo , left Warangal and established his kingdom at Bastar,after 1424 A.D.After Annam Deo ,Hamir Deo had been succeeded and then Pratap Raj Deo .The Pratap Raj Deo is said to have conquered 18 forts around Dongar and assigned them to his
younger brother as a maintenance grant.It seems that within three generations of this event the Bastar branch of the family became extinct ,and then after both Donger and Bastar came under Rajpal Deo.
Rajpal Deo had two Ranis (wives) ,Baghelin and Chandelin.By the first he had a son named Dakhin Singh and by the second two sons namely Dalpat Deo and Pratap Singh.The Baghelin Rani was very jealous of her Co-Rani and her sons.When Rajpal Deo died ,she managed to place her brother on the throne and there by ousting the legitimate claiment Dalpat Deo ,who had to leave Bastar for the time being and take shelter in the Jeypore Kingdom.Subsequently he managed to win over the Bastar Court people to his side and with their help he occupied the Bastar throne.
Dalpat Deo had seven Ranis .By the senior rani , a Kanker princess , he had a son named Ajmer Singh .Later on Dalpat Deo shifted his capital to Jagdalpur which has since then become the head quarters town of Bastar State.After the death of Dalpat Deo ,Daryao Deo , his son of second Rani , occupied the throne of Bastar by ousting the Ajmer Singh.But later Ajmer Singh secured the throne .But he had ruled only for two years , when Daryao Deo with the help of Raja of Jeypore , ousted him.He also received assistance from the ruler of Raipur ,then a part of Nagpur Territory, for which he had to pay a yearly tribute.
How to Reach?
Bastar, in the State of Chhattisgarh, is an admired holiday destination. Bastar is, predominantly a forest region which is the abode of extremely colorful tribes known as Marias and Murias. You can view the ancient culture of these tribes who have preserved it with great care. However, stop worrying about How to Reach Bastar as it is an easy job.
Raipur is the most convenient place from where one can explore Bastar. Travelers taking the air route for reaching Bastar have to target the only airport in the state located at Raipur.If you wish to undertake your Tour to Bastar, Chhattisgarh, India by means of rail, go ahead and do it. Once again, Raipur is the preferred option for many which is connected to this place via rail. Alternatively, you can also use Jagdalpur, the district head quarters of Bastar. However, you will get only limited railway facilities at Jagdalpur.
If you are planning to embark on your Bastar Tour via road, there’s nothing to stop you. Jagdalpur, Bastar’s district head quarter, is well connected by roads to all major cities and towns of Chhattisgarh as well as the near by states. It is connected to Raipur in the north, the capital of Chhattisgarh, by means of the National Highway (NH – 49) and the distance is around 300 kms. The same NH – 49 stretches up to Vishakhapatnam in the east as well. Jagdalpur is also linked to Koraput and Jeypore in Orissa via NH – 49, Hyderabad, Vijaywada, Rajamundri and Bhadrachalam in Andhra Pradesh via state highways.
So, without worrying further about How to Reach Bastar, pack your bags and pay a visit to Bastar at your earliest.
Fair and Festivals?
Chhattisgarh is one of the most fascinating and colorful states of India. Known for its exceptional scenic beauty and the unique tribal populations, Chhattisgarh has a number of vivid and colorful festivals, held all round the year. The famous and widely celebrated festivals of Chhattisgarh include the Dusshera, Deepavali, Holi, Govardhan Pooja, Pola, Nawakhai and many others are celebrated with great vividness and festivity.
Dusshera is the most famous festivals of Chhattisgarh and is celebrated with great fanfare in Bastar region. During this occasion, all the deities from all the tribal villages congregate at the Temple of goddess Danteshwari in Jagdalpur,Bastar the district headquarter of Bastar. Dusshera in Bastar is quite
different from the Dusshera of North India and has nothing to do with the triumphant return of lord Rama in Ayodhya. Bastar Dusshera is devoted entirely to goddess Danteshwari and celebrated with great gaiety by all major tribes of Bastar. Madai Festival is another famous festival of Bastar region held in the different villages extending from Mandla to Bastar. It’s quite popular among Gond tribes of Bastar and thousands of devotees gather under the shade of a sacred tree to sacrifice a goat to the mother goddess and the whole night is spent in dancing, eating and making merry. Bhagoriya Festival is a popular festival among Bhil tribes of the region and Bhagoradev or the god of dance is worshipped on this occasion. During this festival young girls and boys dance with each other and express their love to opposite sex. Kajari Festival is another important festival of Chhattisgarh region, which falls on the same day as Raksha Bandhan that is on the Shravan Purnima. In addition there are many festivals in Chhattisgarh, which are related to agriculture. Hariyali, Kora, Navakhani and Cherta Festivals are the most important agricultural festivals of Chhattisgarh.
Chhattisgarh also organizes many colorful fairs in different towns and cities of the state, all round the year. Rajim Lochan Mahotsav held every year from 16th February till 1st March is celebrated with great fanfare. Bhoramdeo Mahotsav (last week of March), Chakradhar Festival (September or October), Goncha Festival (July), Narayanpur Mela (last week of February) and Sheorinarayan Fair (February) are other widely celebrated and most enjoyed fairs and festivals of Chhattisgarh.
