BASTAR – A TRAVELOGUE IN 4 PARTS : PART 4

KANGER VALLEY NATIONAL PARK

The stately, tall Sal tree dominates Kanger Valley National Park. Locally known as the Sargi, it is the state tree of Chhattisgarh and has deep cultural roots for the tribals. Besides providing good quality timber, the leaves are used to make bowls for serving food and liquor. The resin from the tree, known as dammar, is burned as incense and has myriad other uses. Ants crushed for the Chapra chutney make their nests with the sal tree leaves. In fact, Chapra refers to the nest made by the ants using the Sal tree leaves. The leaves and seeds are also widely used in various rituals and ceremonies. It was fascinating to drive through the dense forest, sunlight occasionally pouring down the tree-trunks.

TIRATGARH FALLS

Tirathgarh falls is located inside the National Park. You need to descend scores of steps to come face to face with the falls. The water in the falls during November is nothing to write home about. It left me cold. There were tourists here, stepping gingerly into the water for selfies. I overheard Telugu and Oriya; the two closest states. Contrary to perception, Bastar is not in Hindi heartland. Most widely spoken language is Halbi, which uses many Marathi words and phrases and has an accent similar to Hyderabadi.

LIMESTONE CAVES

The other major attraction in the National Park are the limestone caves. We could not visit the Kodumsar Caves, the biggest of then, because the “gypsies” used to ferry the tourists to and from the caves were on strike. They were protesting against the rampant issue of permits to other vehicles, which ate into their income. So we settled for the Kailash Caves, after renting a torchlight for Rs 175. The fee included the services of a guide, but there was no room to accommodate him in our vehicle. The caves were interesting only for the act of going down several steps in the dim torchlight. While at the caves we bumped into a party of postgraduate dental students from Chennai. They didn’t understand a word of Hindi and their guide didn’t understand English.

TRIBAL HOME

Curiosity got the better of me when I accepted our guide’s offer of taking us to visit a tribal home.  Inside the house, I was embarrassed at intruding the privacy. The guide tried to make a show out of the family’s material inadequacies. I wanted to run out. Outside, the mustard field glowing in sunlight calmed me down.

MEMORIAL PILLARS

The tribals of Bastar, as probably elsewhere, mark the burial places of their dead with memorial pillars. These are often simple stones, but sometimes the cenotaphs are artistically embellished. These memorial pillars were a constant source of intrigue for my curiosity while crisscrossing through Bastar. Our guide even showed a cenotaph shaped like a car; probably the person died in a car accident.

IN CONCLUSION

I wish to end this 4-part travelogue with some tips

• Bastar is for the serious traveller and not the casual tourist.
• Jagdalpur is the best base for travelling in and around Bastar. Jagdalpur can be reached by an overnight bus from Raipur or an overnight train from Visakapatnam.
• Hotels in Jagdalpur are strictly average. Rainbow is arguably the best. Jagdalpur is a bustling business place, so it is prudent to book hotel rooms in advance to avoid disappointments.
• A guide is a must for going around the tribal haats. English won’t get you anywhere in Bastar. Many don’t understand even Hindi.
• Tribals are friendly, warm and simple. Don’t gawk at them as objects of curiosity