In Bastar

Somu was travelling to

Chhattisgarh and since I had winter holidays I also travelled with him. I was very keen to go to Bastar which is a tribal village and close to Jagdalpur. I found Chhattisgarh to be an  undiscovered paradise. It is known for its exceptional scenic beauty and unique and rich cultural heritage, Chhattisgarh has always been synonymous with tribes and tribal culture. Over one third of the state population is of tribes, most of them inhabiting in the thickly forested areas of the famous Bastar region. The tribes of Chhattisgarh are known for their unique lifestyles and have beautifully retained their own culture and traditions for many centuries. The tribes of Chhattisgarh region are also known for their passion for dances and music, which are the most important amusements and a part and parcel of their day-today life. One could see a lot of tribal villages enroute  and the tribal people. The only thing which was an irritant was the large amount of dust and the environment seemed to be filled with a red colour dust. Ther fact that the Governemnt was expanding the roads and there was a lot of digging all around added to the woes.  Chattisgarh has a very ancient history. Infact one of  Ashokan stone Inscription of 257 BC is found at  Rupnath north of Jabalpur. According to legends the deep Sal forest regions are Dandakaranya itself, where Lord Rama spent much of his fourteen-year exile from Ayodhya.  Between the 6th and 12th centuries AD the Sarabhpurias, Panduvanshi, Somvanshi, Kalchuri, and Nagvanshi rulers dominated this region.

The region also came under the suzerainty of the Mughal Empire around the 16th century and later to the Marathas in 1745. By the year 1758, the whole region of Chhattisgarh was annexed by the Marathas who plundered its natural resources mercilessly. Also the word 'Chhattisgarh' was popularized during the Maratha period and was first used in an official document in 1795. Chhattisgarh is also known for its rich and unique architectural monuments including temples, caves, palaces, providing insights into the rich cultural heritage of the region.

Chattisgarh is famous for its  unique and varied tribal populations, especially the  Gonds tribes of Bastar region. I could buy some lovely silk sarees with tribal  art designs in the Pallu and some wonderful handicrafts of the tribal's made in brass. It was difficult to carry these back to Hyderabad but the Hotel made a lovely packing and we could bring back three huge pieces and  they were safe and sound when we opened in Hyderabad. The most beautiful day in out lives was when we stayed at the forest Guest house much away from the town and we could hear the various voices from the Jungle.  The fact that there was no electricity made no difference and I had never been so close to nature and this was a memorable experience which i will not forget for a long time.