Pravir Chandra Bhanj Deo

Pravir, King of Bastar (Pravir Chandra Bhanj Deo 25 June 1929 - 25 March 1966) was the first Oriya ruler and 20th Maharaja of Bastar state who was killed in 1966 by then Congress government of Madhya Pradesh for championing the cause of his subjects. He fought for rights of the tribal people.
The Last Kakatiya ruler of Bastar was adored by his subjects. He was born in 25 June 1929 and was educated at Rajkumar College, Raipur. He succeeded to throne on 28 October 1936.

He was immensely popular among his people, as he took up the cause of the local tribals, and provided political leadership against exploitation of natural resources of the region, and corruption in land reforms, thus he was perceived a threat by the then ruling congress people. On March 25, 1966 he was killed in police firing at the steps of his own palace at Jagdalpur along with many of the royal court. Officially the death toll was twelve including the king and wounded were twenty; the police had fired sixty one rounds.

Traditional Dhokra Crafts from Tribals of Bastar Chhattisgarh, India

Survival for the ethnic population is dependent on the unfathomed ways of nature. They seem to instinctively sense the very core of nature, converse with its magestic silence and learn from its ancient wisdom. Nature’s exuberance gaiety and colour with all its subtleties have left an indelible mark on their imagination and creativity. They do not attempt to dominate or outwit the natural forces, but have learn to live in harmony with them. All available natural resources are utilized to their optimum potential. Honed and perfected over the generation almost all object of daily use surpass their original function and are transforming into objects of great aesthetic value. As a result, what has evolved is an indigenous technology that is simple in concept but sophisticated in practice. Nowhere is this more clearly reflected than in the construction of their houses. The fences erected around the houses are constructed with bamboo sticks. Pigsties and hencoops are similarly constructed. The houses themselves are made of mud, branches, bamboos, and thatches, all materials sourced from their immediate environment, and skillfully utilized.

Bell Metal (Dhokra):

The BELL METAL or DHOKRA is one of the earliest known method of metal casting. This craft dates back to pre-historic time of Harrappa and Mohenjodaro period of Indus Civilization.

Dhokra metal casting is perhaps the only living tradition of metal image making in Eastern India. The technique has managed to survive many centuries and change of dynasties owing to its modesty of application in everyday lives if traditional tribal people of BASTAR, Chhattisgarh, INDIA by more than 10,000 traditional tribals.

Artwork is done with hand, without any advancement of technology.

The unique 13 stage process of DHOKRA/BELL METAL making is the original creative instinct of the craft persons, which is a beautiful amalgation of art and science.

The ancient art of cire-perdue or lost wax thread method of metal casting is still used by the tribal people of BASTAR, from Chhattisgarh over a last 200 years. They do not attempt to dominate or outwit the natural forces. But have learnt to live in harmony with them. All available natural resources are utilized to their optimum potential.

The DHOKRA/BELL METAL castings of figurines and different animals with their antique look, fits in with interior decor. DHOKRA/BELL METAL is an alloy of brass, nickel and zinc that gives an antique effects of the castings.

Earlier craftsmen used to create only traditional ritualistic items and decorative pieces but now with new designs inputs, there has been a lot of product diversification, resulting in numerous innovative utility items like door handles, lamp shades, hangers, boxes and caskets of different shapes and sizes. More than 10,000 unique old tradition and new design products are available right now and continuously increasing.

MINOR FOREST PRODUCES IN BASTAR

Bastar-The Paradise of  Tourists' Bastar , The Land of Tribals and Natural Resources , is also enriched with natural beauty and pleasant atmosphere. It is surrounded  with dense  forests ,hilly mountains , streams, waterfalls , natural caves , natural parks etc. It is firmly a tribal area, where the natural beauty can easily attract the tourists at first sight itself. Here the art & culture is the valuable ancient property of the Bastariyas.  From the view point of tourists and tourism , Bastar is called the 'Kashmir of Chhattisgarh'. If we place Bastar in the map of tourism , no doubt it definitely attracts the foreign tourists.                The deep forest area ,between bushes and bamboos  where one always felt the absence of sunlight , wide and thick forests , costly  woods such as Sal , Teak , Sheesam ,Bija etc., between high mountains  cool flowing stream , mountain valleys , caves , high waterfalls , sky-touching valleys and in the valleys the spread of greenary and in between this , the huts made by bamboo sticks, the fearless life style of the tribals and their culture, our heart and mind can be fill with new  wonders and pleasure.               There are so many places which are worth seeing ,not  only in Bastar district, but also in the neighbouring districts Dantewada and Kanker, which are in Bastar division..   It is being heard that there are many places of worth seeing which are still unexplored .Bastar will  imprint an  unerasable memory   in the mind of a tourist   if once he visit here .               The important tourist places in Bastar district are Chitrakot and Tiratgarh (both are water falls), Kotamsar and Kailash caves, Kanger Valley National Park etc.Indravati National Park, known for tigers and wild buffaloes is situated at a distance of 200 Kms, west of Jagdalpur, is another place of worth seeing. There is another tourist spot virgin Kurschel Valley, with its gigantics trees, situated at 40 Kms. north west of Narainpur. There are two wild life sanctuaries Bhairamgarh and Pamed which are in Dantewada district. The famous historical  temple of  Goddess Danteshwari is situated in Dantewada.Another place of historical interest in Dantewada district is Barsur.               If you want to feel the complete joy of the Tourism , so let come , enter into the beautiful scenes of Bastar . Here you will get the same joy and peace where one gets at the places of tourism.
	About JAGDALPUR Town                        Jagdalpur, the  headquarters of Bastar district and entire Bastar division , is a small and developing town with all facilities. The area of the town is 8.50 sq.km. and the area of the Jagdalpur urban including the jagdalpur town is 23.75 sq.km. The Jagdalpur urban area not only includes Jagdalpur town but also includes the areas Frijarpur,Hotakachor,Sargipal and Dharampura which are  the outgrowth areas of  Jagdalpur town.All the higher education institutions such as Arts & Science Colleges, P.G College, Engineering & Polytechnic Colleges, Hostels etc and Anthropological Museum are located in Dharampura.                             Jagdalpur is one of the small and beautiful towns of not only in Chhatisgarh State , but also in Madhya Pradesh State where it was earlier , before the new state formation.Jagdalpur is rich in greenary, with big trees everywhere, and plantations surrounding the town providing a pleasant and healthy atmosphere and free from pollution.Because of this the temperature even in peak summer is moderate which is a key attraction of Jagdalpur.                           It   has a mixed culture of people pertaining to different states such as  Orissa, Andhra Pradesh, Bengal, Punjab and etc. Most of them are settled as business men and as government servants.Jagdalpur is one of the few towns in India where people of different religion, caste and culture are living  in peace and harmony.                        The total Jagdalpur (urban) population is 84578 in which the male population is 43660 and that of female is 40918. As compared to other parts of Bastar district ,the tribal population is very less at Jagdalpur who are concentrated outside the district capital.The total ST population at Jagdalpur is 11662 (Male-6135, Female-5527) and the total SC population is 8695 (Male-4370, Female-4325). The total literate population is 51528 in which the male literate is 29967 and that of female is 21561.                                        In Jagdalpur town, the main shopping complexes are there   in the main  market areas namely, Gole Bazar and Sanjay Market,where   almost all types of items are available. The main vegetable market is also situated at Sanjay Market area where tribals from near by villages come and sell fresh vegetables. Especially the Gole Bazar is worth seeing during night hours and during Dusshera and Diwali festival seasons.Another place of interest for tourists in Jagdalpur is Kumhara Para area where all types of handicraft items made by the skilled hands of Bastar tribes are available.                    Apart from Government rest houses a number of good Hotels and Lodges are available in Jagdalpur . Three good cinema theatres are also available for the purpose of entertainment.There is a beautiful park which is a good means of amusement .A small but good Stadium , Akashavani(All India Radio ) and  Doordarsan stations  , Anthropological Museum, Forest Training College etc enriches the decency of the town. There are also a number of good schools(both Hindi & English medium)   for primary-middle-high school education.For details refer the District Profile Page.                      A modest MPSRTC bus stand is there in Jagdalpur which provides bus services  to various places connected to Jagdalpur .In addition to this a railway station is also there and a passenger train with sleeper coach is running daily to Vishakhapatnam and vice-versa. The railway station is located in a naturally beautiful area ,where sometimes film shootings are carried out.More over an  Air Strip is also situated in Jagdalpur; but presently no passenger services are rendering from here .

	Main Attractions The key attractions in Jagdalpur town are Danteshwari Temple, Bastar Palace, Handicraft shopping complexes, ,Anthropological Museum and a couple of beautiful lakes.		1				1
						Danteshwari Temple It is an ancient temple built by the kings of Bastar for inhabiting there family Goddess ,Devi Danteshwari. Devi Danteshwari  is the Goddess of entire Bastar division, equally worshipped by Hindus as well as tribals.This temple is located beside Bastar palace and near to  Gole Bazar.It is   worth seeing and pleasant  to watch the temple during the famous Bustar Dusshera festival season, decorated in color lights and lambs, where the main traditional functions of the festivals are being  carried out.	1
	Bastar Palace     It is another historical remain that is seen in Jagdalpur.It was  the head quarters of  Bastar Kigdom. It was built by the rulers of Bastar State when the capital of Bastar kingdom had been shifted from Barsur to Jagdalpur.At present   this is keeping as a monument by the government.	1

	Anthropological Museum    This Museum is located in the office of the Anthropological Survey of India situated at Dharampura.It provides a perfect window-view of the life-styles of various adivasi tribes in Bastar to a tourist hard-pressed for time.	1		Lakes     The prominent river of Bastar district- Indravati, passes through Jagdalpur.There are two lakes namely Ganga Munda and Dalpat Sagar with in the boundary of Jagdalpur town.These lakes will be a great attraction for tourists coming to Bastar in the future.		1
	Handicrafts   Various kinds of exotic handicrafts made by the skilled hands of Bastar tribals are available in shops which are concentrated at Kumharapara, Jagdalpur. These include  wooden crafts, bamboo crafts, terracota, bell metal items,wrought iron items and cotton fabrics(Kosa sari etc).	1					1

	MAIN TOURIST SPOTS  Chitrakot Waterfalls                 Chitrakot, the gorgeous waterfall is on the river Indravati, situated at a distance of 38 Km. in the west of Jagdalpur. Height of  this waterfall  is approximately 100ft.The Chitrakot waterfalls can be called as the smaller form of the world famous Nayagra waterfalls.The rainbow colors of the falls attracts the tourists at the first sight itself. This is the prime atttaction for all tourists and worth seeing in rainly season, between July and October. These waterfalls are in a horse-shoe shape and often compared to the great Niagara. A government rest house is available.
			Tiratgarh Waterfalls     These waterfalls are  situated at a distance of 35 Km. from Jagdalpur in south west direction and can be approached these waterfalls through the state highway of Jagdalpur to Sukma. The waterfall is actually situated in Kanger Valley National Park and the height is approximately 300 ft. This place is a favorite picnic resort, especially for large groups looking for a day-long picnic in a forest. The good season for visiting these waterfalls is from October to February. A Government rest house is also available.
	Kutumsar Caves and Kailash Gufa               This is a biggest tourist attraction, and are close to Tiratgarh waterfalls. Both Kutumsar Caves and Kailash Gufa are located in Kanger Valley National Park and situated at a distances of 38 Km. and 40 Km. from Jagdalpur respectively. The kutumsar caves are pitch-dark caves, which has Stalactites and Stalagmites in fantastic formations. A forest guard equipped with a torchlight  will be provided for necessary guidance. Kailash gufa is also similar to the Kutumsar caves.		Click on the Photo for full Picture
			Click on the Photo for full Picture
	KANGER VALLEY NATIONAL PARK             The park is Paradise for the nature lovers. The Moist Peninsular valley Sal forests and the South Indian Tropical Moist Deciduous forests are seen in their finest form here.The park is situated in a transitionzone where southern limit of sal forests and northern limit of teak forests overlap.Hence both sal and teak are seen together in this valley.            The valley is infact one of the last pockets of almost virgin forests still left in the Peninsular region.To protect this unique eco-system ,it has been proposed as a Biosphere Reserve under the MAB Programme.The valley is nearly 34 kms. long with average width of about 6 kms.The terrain is hilly mostly. The Park fauna consists of  tiger ,panther wildcat, cheetal,samber,barking deer,wild pig,jackal,langur,rhesus macaque,sloth bear,flying squirrel, python,hyena,rabbit,crocodile,otter,and civet.The avian fauna includes birds of prey ,scavenging birds, waterbirds, pheasants etc.The reptiles include snakes, lizards and the insects include butterflies,moths.dragonflies,grasshoppers etc.Lower forms of plants such as fungi,algae,bryophytes and pteridophytes are also quite common.All these put together with the virgin forests make the park a unique ecosystem. The Park derives its name from the Kanger river which flows throughout its length .There are many scenic spots along this perennial stream.Rather bigger tourist attraction are the Kotamsar Caves, Kailash Caves, limestone Caves etc.The gorgeous waterfall Tirthgarh is also here. Kanger Dhara and Bhaimsa Dharha are two good picnic resorts  and especially Bhaimsa Dharha is a crocodile park.

			Other Places Of Attraction There are a chain of waterfalls and many other tourist places in Bastar.The MANDAWA waterfalls is located 12 kms away from Tokapal of Jagdalpur Tehsil. It is also a natural place of tourism. Another waterfall in Bastar district is CHITRADHARA ,which is just 19 kms away from Jagdalpur and is in Potanar village of Lohandiguda block of Jagdalpur Tehsil. THAMADA GHUMAR water fall is another recently discovered waterfall which is also in Lohandiguda block.Its height is more than 100 feet and is generally formed from the water in rainy season.There are green fields on both sides of this waterfall . Indravati National Park situated in Narainpur Tehsil is famous for tigers and wild buffaloes.It is situated 200 kms. west of Jagdalpur.Also about 40 kms. north west of Narainpur is the virgin Kurschel Valley, with its gigantic trees.
	Tourist Spots in Dantewada      Dantewada , the neighbour district of Bastar is about 82 kms away from the district headquarters Jagdalpur whcih is also a hot cake for tourists. The ancient and historical temple of Goddess Danteshwari is situated at   Dantewada .Barsur is another historical place in Dantewada distict where many archaeological remains of the past can be seen.This place is famous for its natural beauty also.There are two wildlife sanctuaries Bhairamgarh and Pamed in Dantewada district.

HISTORY OF  BASTAR:-

 

                                               A young Pravir chandra bhanjdeo in London 
The early history of the Bastar State is obscure and it appears that the central part of the Bastar State formed in the 11 th century by the kingdom of the Nagavanshi family who had their capital at Barsur .Their Kingdom was known as 'Chakrakot'.This Kingdom subsequently formed part of the Warangal Kingdom of the Kakatiya dynasty. 
The Bastar Raj family claims its descent from the Pandu king ,Birbhadra of Delhi who was granted by the family goddess Dillishwari  an arrow as his weapon of war .This Birbhadra subsequently moved to Mathura where he received a trident from the goddess Bhuwaneshwari .Then he moved on to Jeypur (Orissa) with the family goddess.Later on they settled at Warangal with Manikya Devi (or Danteshwari as she is called in the Bastar inscriptions),their family goddess, who granted them a sword when they moved into Bastar.All these weapons are still in existance and are even now worshipped.

 

                                                                 Pravir chandra bhanjdeo 
                          The Kakatiyas were great patrons of learning and the great commentator Mallinath flourished under their patronage.The great Kakatiya King Pratap Rudra's brother , Annam Deo , left Warangal and established his kingdom at Bastar,after 1424 A.D.After Annam Deo ,Hamir Deo had been succeeded and then Pratap Raj Deo .The Pratap Raj Deo is said to have conquered 18 forts around Dongar and assigned them to his younger brother as a maintenance grant.It seems that within three generations of this event the Bastar branch of the family became extinct ,and then after both Donger and Bastar came under Rajpal Deo. 

                                                                Pravir chandra bhanjdeo 
Rajpal Deo had two Ranis (wives) ,Baghelin and Chandelin.By the first he had a son named Dakhin Singh and by the second two sons namely Dalpat Deo and Pratap Singh.The Baghelin Rani was very jealous of her Co-Rani and her sons.When Rajpal Deo died ,she managed to place her brother on the throne and there by ousting the legitimate claiment Dalpat Deo ,who had to leave Bastar for the time being and take shelter in the Jeypore Kingdom.Subsequently he managed to win over the Bastar Court people to his side and with their help he occupied the Bastar throne.
                          Dalpat Deo had seven Ranis .By the senior rani , a Kanker princess , he had a son named Ajmer Singh .Later on Dalpat Deo shifted his capital to Jagdalpur which has since then become the head quarters town of Bastar State.After the death of Dalpat Deo ,Daryao Deo , his son of second Rani , occupied the throne of Bastar by ousting the Ajmer Singh.But later Ajmer Singh secured the throne .But he had ruled only for two years , when Daryao Deo with the help of Raja of Jeypore , ousted him.He also received assistance from the ruler of Raipur ,then a part of Nagpur Territory, for which he had to pay a yearly tribute.

Palace of  Bastar  Rajas' at  Jagdalpur 

       After the death of Daryao Deo, his eldest son Mahipal Deo succeeded the throne of Bastar, and then after his death ,Bhopal Deo succeeded.Bhairam Deo was the next successor .He seems to have been unfortunate in his Dewan and a disturbance occured in which some Murias tribals were shot.This lead to the Raja being besieged by his subjects in 1876 A.D.In 1883 A.D ,Colonel Ward held an enquiry into the administration and it was arranged that Lal Kalindar Singh should be Dewan , assisted by a Tehsildar in government service.This arrangement however broke down.The Raja was alleged to have permitted a human sacrifice to take place and was removed from the state while enquiries were made.The charge was not proved and he was allowed to return in 1886 , but an Extra Assistant Commissioner was appointed Diwan and made responsible for the administration of state affairs.The Raja being unable to over rule him without the approval of the higher authorities .
                            Bhairam Deo died in 1891 , leaving a minor son Rudrapratap Deo .During his minority the state was managed by government until January 1908 when the young Raja was installed as Feudatory Chief of Bastar.In 1910 a  tribal revolt was occured against the Diwan and British government who ruled over the state.Raja Rudrapratap Deo died in 1921 and his daughter Praphul Kumari Devi ascended the throne in 1922.Later in 1927, she was married to Praphul KumarBhanj Deo,who belonged to the royal family Mayurbhanj of Orissa.Praphul Kumari Devi died in 1936 in London and her elder son Maharaja Pravir Chandra Bhanj Deo 'Kakatiya'ascended the throne in 1936 at a minor age.The famous Maharani hospital at Jagdalur was built in memory of Maharani Praphul Kumari Devi in 1937.Later in 1941, the Air strip had been made at Jagdalpur.One bridge was also constructed during this time over river indravati.In 1948, Bastar state has been merged in Indian Union.

The History of Danteshwari Temple

 In ancient days when Bastar area was famous by the name of Chakrakot, present Dantewada region was known as Tarlapal. The kings of Chalukya Dynasty made Barsur their capital and ruled this region; in course of time they transferred their thrown to Dantewada. Along with Chalukya Kings their ancestral deity of Warangal also came and got established in a temple as Danteshwari near the confluence of Dankini and Shankini rivers and thus this place is called Dantewada.

It is believed that Danteshwari of Chalukya kings is the changed name of Manikeshwari of the kings of Naga Dynasty, who ruled this region earlier to Chalukyas. Chalukya Kings had the temple constructed during fourteenth century.  

According to a prevalent myth in connection with Danteshwari, due to an insult committed by her father Prajapati Daksha towards her consort Lord Shiva during a Yaggya, Goddess Sati got frustrated and committed self-immolation in the fire pit of yaggya. Lord Vishnu cut the dead body of Goddess Sati into pieces with his Sudarshan to make Lord Shiva free from the grief caused by the death of Sati. Parts of the dead body of Goddess Sati were scattered to fifty-two different places, which were consecrated as Shakti Pithas by different names. It is believed that a tooth of Sati had fallen here and Danteshwari Shaktipith was established.

Resurrection of the present construction of temple was done before Independence of India. The temple is divided into four parts such as Garbh Griha, Maha Mandap, Mukhya Mandap and Sabha Mandap. Garbha Griha and Maha Mandap were constructed with stone pieces. It is said that several statues were brought from Barsur and were established here. A Garud Pillar has been erected in front of entrance of the temple, which was brought from the temple of Barsur.

Chalukya rulers were the dedicated devotees of Danteshwari. Whenever they came from Bastar to obtain a glimpse of goddess, a village was offered to the name of goddess. The number of these villages, thus became as much as one hundred and forty four by 1909, it has become a Mukasha or Maphi Jagir (estate, received from a ruler as a gift or reward). Temple’s management was done by the Zia family and followers of this family have been performing the worship  hereditarily till today.

Affectionately known as Maiji among her millions of devotees  both tribal and non-tribal, Danteshwari has become a living Shakti Pith in the form of deity, faith and belief.

बस्तर विलाप

बस्तर विलाप

अबोधें की मां, प्रकृति की मां 

माँ  दंतेश्वरी

एक ही पुकार, आती हजारों बार

मां तेरें सीने से बहती इंद्रावती,शबरी

देती हमें आनंद, संतोष और शक्ति

मां हम तेरे बच्चे, नतमस्तक हमेशा

मां सरपर धारे है सोने की खान

चरणें पर खनिजों का अंबार

हाथों से करती है हमें प्यार

गोद पर बैठे हम

सुरक्षित सुखी है हमारा संसार

अबूझमाड हमेशा अबूझ रहा

क्योंकि बूझ सकने वाले अबूझ रहे

और सदीयों पुरानी मनोरंजन प्रथा महफूज रही

मानवों जानवरों की लडाई के चरम का

आनंद आदत बन गया

प्रोजेक्ट टाइगर की तरह

प्रोजेक्ट ट्राईब यानि आदिवासी अभ्यारण बना दिया

साजिश ही उन माटीपुत्रों के प्रति

जो अपने और उनके बीच समय का अंतराल पैदा किया

अबूझमाड अबूझ ही है

‘राह बताओ’ पहेली की तरह

असंख्य राहें हैं

पर कौन सी है उन तक नही पता

हम हैं आदिपुत्र हम हें वनपुत्र

हम हैं माटीपुत्र हम हैं वादीपुत्र

पर अभी भी नही है ये सब हमारा

हम उनसे हैं

हमारे हाथों की काष्ठ कला निष्प्राण हो चली हे

क्योंकि उसकी प्राणवायु नही है हमारी

जिस संस्कृति के नाम पर हमारा संरक्षण किया

उस पर भी नजर लग गई

वस्त्रहीनता अशिक्षा मद्यपान

हमारी संस्कृति के द्योतक बने

जैसे ही शहर के आसमान मे हेलीकाप्टर की आवाज गूंजती है

दिल रोता है और रूह अंदर तक कंाप उठती है

दूर कंही नव विधवा के रोने की आवाज आती है

टूटती चूड़ियाँ दिमाग की नसों को हिलाती है

चारों ओर अनिश्चित भविष्य की परछाइयां लहराती हैं

सरकारी रजिस्टर मे शहीदों की संख्या और बढ जाती है

अनिश्चित भविष्य मे निश्चिंतता का सपना बुनना

और अपने लिये अकाल मौत चुनना

अंधें को राह दिखाना बहरो कां समझाना

बहुत मुश्किल है भटको को घर पहुंचाना

जनता की मजबूरी है सलवा जुडूम

क्रोध मे बने हैं अग्नि से ज्वाला..........

Places of Interest

Barsoor : -   75 KMs from Jagdalpur on the way to Dantewada a small town Geedam is situated, 24 KMs towards North of Geedam village Barsur is located. The small sleepy village Barsur happened to be the thrown of power during the tenure of the Gangawanshi rulers in as early as 840 A.D. Barsur, situated on the bank of river Indrawati is famously known as the city of temples and ponds. It is believed that there used to be 147 temples and equal number of ponds here in the towering days of Barsur. Even though Barsur had lost its glory gradually century after century, the ruins of numerous temples that are found here will still manage to attract the attention of the people. Some of the temples worth mentioning are Mama-Bhanjaa temple, Chandraditya temple, Battisa temple and a mammoth statue of Lord Ganesha. Apart from these temples one vast pond of pre-historical days is worth visiting.

Bodhghat Sath Dhar : -  6 KMs from Barsur, river Indravati divides into 7 parts to form one small waterfall.  This spot, fully covered with dense green forests stands to explain the beauty of the combination of the river, water and the mountains. With all its beauty and peaceful locality Sath Dhar is an idle picnic spot.

DANTEWADA PARK