The traditional Mati festival celebrated in Bastar, Chhattisgarh, and the ritualistic processes of the Charu festival have been depicted in a terracotta mural by Sahdev Rana, a traditional artist of Kondagaon, Bastar in the Mythological trail open air exhibition at Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalaya Bhopal. Both the above exhibitions were inaugurated by lighting the lamp by Dr. Praveen Kumar Mishra, Director of the Museum for the viewing of the general audience, a large number of visitors and official staff were present on the occasion.
P Anuradha, the coordinator of the mythological open air exhibition, told about the two exhibitions that were inaugurated. The soil festival is celebrated in a precise manner. It is celebrated for three days in the month of chaitra (March- April). Each village has a place called maati kot, where deity of soil is worshipped.
On the first day of Maati Puja villagers make ceremonial worship of weapons,seek blessings from village deities and go hunting expeditions. The prey is carried over the shoulder in a procession and brought to maati kot. They sing, play and dance the entire night and rest there. On the second day any kind of soil related work is prohibited in the village as well as collection of leaf, wood and other work in the forest and. Entry of outsiders in the village is barred.
In the Bastar region, tribes celebrate the churu festival in the field after harvesting the crop. It is celebrated to express gratitude to mother earth for a good harvest. After discussion with the prominent people, under the leadership of Gayeta (priest) an auspicious day is decided specifically Tuesday to celebrate the churu festival. On the appointed day Gayaeta reaches the place with items used for worship.
Villagers bring goat, chicken, fruits, flowers, rice, pulses, vegetables etc. according to their sufficiency to offer in their respective field.
The priest applies cow dung to a particular place in the field and draws the ritual chawk with rice paste called badha lep.
Also, put soaked rice in the middle of the chawk, apply turmeric to it. At a little distance he put a lamp over the rice and offerings and invoked Rav dev and other deities.