Bastar

State of: Chhattisgarh

Main Languages: Hindi and Bihari

 

History:

 

The district of Bastar is located in the newly made state of Chhattisgarh. The headquarters of this district is Jagdalpur. The area of the district is about 8755.79 square km. Districts of Bastar and Dantewada had been a part of the former princely state of Bastar. There have been earlier studies of the region by Verrier Elwin, an anthropologist who later settled down in these areas. This area is also mentioned in Nandini Sundar, Subalterns and Sovereigns. After the independence of India the princely states had been merged with the Bastar District of Madhya Pradesh. At that time the district had an area of 39,114 square km, which was also the largest in India. The current districts of Bastar, Dantewada, and Kanker constitute the Bastar Division. In the year 2000, Bastar was one of the 16 Madhya Pradesh districts which had been merged to form the new state of Chhattisgarh.

 

Geography and climate:

 

The district of Bastar is located in Central India. The District has Rajnandgaon on the northwest, Kanker District on the north and Dhamtari District on the north east. The eastern side is bounded by Navarangpur and Koraput districts of Orissa state and the south and southeast have the Dantewada District. The east also has the Gadchiroli District of Maharashtra state. The famous waterfalls of Chitrakoot and Teerathgarh are in this district. The district experiences a pleasant climate as it is located about 2000 feet above the plateau. 

 

Demography:

 

The population of the district, as per the 2001 census, was 1,302,253. Almost 70% of the total population is 'adivasis' or Tribal. In 1981, the population of the district was 1,842,854 with 1,249,197 tribal.

 

Economy and Administration:

 

The district is divided into four tehsils. These are Jagdalpur, Kondagaon, Keshkal, and Narainpur. Bastar has two municipalities, Jagdalpur and Kondgaon. The former is also the district headquarters. The main source of income here is agriculture. Smaller handicraft and tribal products are also traded with different parts of the country. The tourism industry has also developed here due to the beautiful waterfalls.

 

Tourism:

 

The waterfalls of Chitrakoot and Teerathgarh are situated close to Jagdalpur. Both these waterfalls are majestic and remind you of a smaller version of the famous Niagara Falls in Canada. The traditional Dasara or Dussera festival is celebrated with grandeur here. The Kanger Valley National Park and Indravati National Park are also located nearby.

 

Culture:

 

With 70% of the population being tribal, the district of Bastar mainly survives on small community holdings. Each tribe has its own culture and uniqueness which adds to the unity amongst diversity in this region. The tribal have their different dialects and languages and it amazes most people to see these different tribes, their culture forms and art, eating habits, etc. are so distinct from each other. Some of these tribes are Dhurvaas, Bhatra, Halba, Muria, Abhuj Maria, Bison Horn Marias and Gonds.

 

Transportation:

 

To reach Bastar the nearest airport is the Raipur airport which is well connected to the main cities of India. Bastar is well connected to this city from where major road routes and rail routes are also connected.