Bastar Biography

It was the day when the only news was Phailin cyclone, trains cancelled, alarms being announced in the Eastern coastal areas of Bengal, Odisha and Andhra. We were scheduled to leave for Vizag on Oct. 12, the eve of Ashtami and the city being in the path of Phailin our train was obviously cancelled. A quick thinking on my and my husband's part got us the tickets to a nearby state - Chattisgarh, so started our Bastar affairs.

Danteshwari temple @ Dantevada

We were nothing but lucky to have got confirmed ticket on Sambaleshwari Express on the same day of the  journey. The 24-hour journey was mostly dull till we reached the Eastern Ghaats. Along with the rain started the undulating greens of the Ghaats. It was nightfall when we reached Jagdalpur station. The next morning was Dussera. The 10th day of the Durga festival is big day for the natives of Bastar. The region is blessed with the presence of Maa Danteshwari, the deity of the Danteshwari temple which is an auspicious site. In the Durga mythology it is said Devi Durga's teeth fell in the place Dantevada which is about 85 km from Jagdalpur town which was our 3rd day destination. The Danteshwari temple was built there in the ancient times. Ruins of the ancient temple have been well preserved in the shell of a new temple by the help of the current BJP state government. However,during the Dussera festival the idol of Danteshwari Devi is brought to the temple at jagdalpur which is located within the premise of the royal palace of Bastar. Various local rituals and Adivaasi dance forms are performed throughout the day. 

Borra Cave

On our 4th day we set out for Araku Valley. I heard this name first when I was in 7th grade from my classmate. It did capture my imagination especially the tunnels and the dolomite-limestone cave. After all these years I was heart broken to have visited the place. The highly commercialized Borra cave seems like an artificially constructed cave in some amusement park. Despite its vast size, the natural beauty of the place have been hunted down severely over the years to attract the tourists and make the site easily accessible to them. My experiences with the visits to Patal Bhubaneshwar cave at Kumaon and Mahakal cave at North Bengal-Bhutan were far more satisfying. Another disappointment was Araku Valley. Neither the Haritha Valley Resort nor the town could capture my thoughts for their being worse than average. The only good note was the stay at Ananthagiri hill. With the coffee

@ Ananthagiri Haritha Resort

garden and waterfalls around the place, the place offers sheer beauty in its calm landscape and localites close to nature. The small cottages in the resort was a good stay along with tribal Andhra dance around the bonfire in the evening. If one is eager to capture a glimpse of this place be ready with your own conveyance or contact:      The other relief was the cave tunnels. However, after being in narrow gauge route from Kalka to Simla this was not a surprise.

Tirotgarh 

Chitrakot

We returned to Jagdalpur after 2 days. On the 7th day we planned our trip 
for the famous waterfalls of Bastar - Chitrakot and Tirotgarh. If one would like to see natural art made by rushing water, Tirotgarh is the place. Located in the middle of Bastar jungle the place is ornamented with various tall rock formations and greenery. The visitors are greeted by animated monkeys all over the place. This small waterfall can keep a visitor captivated for several hours. But we had to move to our next destination and that was Chitrakot. Known for its width it is also called the Niagra of India. During the 

monsoons, it is a difficult task to click the entire waterfall in one frame. Even in autumn it was singing its glory and welcomed us with a light rainbow crowning its glory. The stay at the Chattisgarh Tourism cottage was simply elegant. The view of the waterfall from the huge glass window of the room kept us glued to it every moment we went inside the cottage. Bidding farewell to Chitrakot was somber as the place offered us the paradisiacal peace and beauty. On a melancholy note we left for Jagdalpur. 

Back in the town, we had a delightful visit to the local handicraft market of bell metal and wrought iron. The artforms now decorate our living rooms leaving us with gleaming memories of Bastar.

For sure there will be more visit to that alluring region, may be it is infested with Maoists, not very developed as tourist attraction, but that is the beauty of Bastar, its raw non-fancied habitat calling out to the lovers of nature to its cradle.