Preparations for the 75-day long famous Bastar Dussehra is in progress with timber required for construction of chariot, to be used during the festival, started arriving from the villages they are supplied traditionally.
On the other hand, renovation of Sirhasar Bhawan, where the ritual of ‘Jogi Bithai’ is performed traditionally, is going on, on the war footing. Notably, commencement of the historical Bastar Dussehra festival was declared on August 6, the Hariyali Amawasya Day, with performing ‘Paath Jatra’ and will complete after 75 days, after the completion of Dussehra when member of the royal family will perform last Navakhani festival and Maa Danteshwari’s umbrella atop the chariot will be taken from Kumhrakote to Danteshwari Temple premises. This year umbrella of Goddess Danteshwari will be taken on Nagar Parikrama in a new 4-wheel chariot and during indoor ‘Rainee Puja’ will be taken to Kumhrakote from where it would be brought back to Danteshwari Temple premises during outdoor ‘Rainee Puja’.
The second ritual of the Dussehra ‘Deri Gadai’ was performed on September 17 traditionally at Sirhasar Bhawan while the next ritual ‘Kachhangadi Puja Vidhan’ will be performed on October 4, the ‘Mahalaya’ day. Kalash Sthapana and Jogi Bithai will be performed on October 5. Meanwhile, the arrival of timber required for construction of chariot and its wheels has begun with logs of wood for wheels arriving from villages Sargud and Hatpadampur Friday evening.
Notably, timber for construction of different parts of the chariot and other purposes come from the pre fixed villages only as timber for construction of the main body of the chariot came from village Dhanialur as well as Puspal. After arrival of adequate wood logs, artisans of Jharumargaon village will construct the chariot. Since important rituals of Dussehra are performed at Sirhasar Bhawan, the agency engaged in its renovation has been asked to speed up the work.
Also, there had been a tradition of Tribal folks coming to Jagdalpur in masse for Darshan of Bastar Maharaja on Dussehra but this was somehow discontinued after the death of Pravir Chandra Bhanj Deo. This year as the royal family member Kamal Chand Bhanj Deo has joined the ruling party BJP, large number of rural public of Bastar are expected to converge at Jagdalpur.