Bastar Dussehra

Dussehra elsewhere in India marks Rama's victory over Ravana; Bastar's does not. It centres on Danteshwari, the regional goddess, and runs for around seventy-five days from late July, making it among the longest festivals in the world. Its central object is a massive wooden chariot, built fresh each year by hereditary carpenter families from particular villages using timber cut by right, and pulled through Jagdalpur by hundreds of people from designated communities. Rituals include a girl held in a swing of thorns, a period of ceremonial isolation, and the gathering of village deities from across Bastar in their palanquins.

The main sights

• The wooden chariot - built new each year and pulled by hundreds.
• The village deities - gods carried in from across Bastar in palanquins.
• The ritual sequence - seventy-five days of distinct ceremonies.
• The craft - hereditary carpenters building the chariot by right.

When to go

Late July to October, with the main chariot processions in the Dussehra period, usually late September or October. Jagdalpur accommodation is limited and fills during the main days.

Good to know

This is a living religious event, not a show; some rituals are closed to outsiders and photography is restricted at points. Crowds around the chariot are dense and unmanaged. Bastar is remote with limited facilities.

Nearby

Chitrakote falls lie west; Kanger Valley is south.