Bastar – A Travelogue in 4 Parts : PART 1

Earlier this week I was in Bastar for 4 days. Here is my travelogue in 4 parts.

ANTHROPOLOGICAL MUSEUM 

There cannot be a better introduction to Bastar than the Anthropological Museum in Jagdalpur. Having arrived at dawn by the overnight bus from Raipur, I spent an instructive hour there, educating myself about the tribes of Central India – Marias, Gonds, Dhurwas etc. Through its collection of photographs, maps, models and intriguing artefacts, the museum provides an excellent narrative of the tribal lifestyle, rituals and rites. The most striking visual is the long-limbed human form with an elongated torso.  These stylised human figures would be a recurring motif in Bastar. The exhibits are housed in ten odd rooms of a typical nondescript government building. On the sprawling lawns of the museum are life-size models of typical tribal homes. Entry fee is Rupees 20 and the museum is closed on Mondays. Photography is forbidden and I flouted the rule to take pictures on my phone camera. Wish the government would adopt a consistent policy of allowing photography in museums across the country. Besides earning some useful revenue, it will spread awareness in a delightful way.

BASTAR PALACE

Danteswari is the patron goddess of Bastar. Hidden away from the main thoroughfare, behind the Danteswari temple, is the Bastar Palace. It is a low profile edifice in pleasing white and blue. Inside the dimly lit large central hall is a huge portrait of the former Maharaja of Bastar, Praveerchandra Bhanj Deo, an enormously popular ruler of his times. His descendants still live in the upper floor of the palace. The caretaker showed us around the central hall and proudly pointed out the royal insignia etched on the many glass windows. The palace comes alive during Dussehra which lasts for as many as 75 days.

ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM

A stone’s throw away from the palace is the Archaeological Museum, a 2-storeyed building housing an eclectic collection of beautiful stone sculptures found during excavation in and around Bastar. It is worth a visit just to behold the gigantic sculpture of Rudra Shiva, easily the centrepiece of the museum. Sorry, no photography. We were the only visitors, but the caretaker hovered around to ensure that the mobile phones stayed safe in our pockets.

SANJAY MARKET

It was Sunday and all roads led to Sanjay Market for the weekly bazaar. The place was awash with vegetables, fruits, grains, fish and fowl. Gourds and pumpkins in every conceivable shape and size dominated the scene. Also unmissable were bundles of datun twigs and broom grass. 

Among other curiosities was frankincense. Later I would learn about the tree that produced this resin. The woman who sold frankincense told us that she hailed from Andhra. So, here I was in Chhattisgarh, conversing in Hindi with a tribal Telugu woman. The colour and vibrancy of Sanjay Market was a mere teaser of what was to come in the following days.