While common man celebrate Diwali festival after laxmi pooja in accordance with Ramkatha and bursting firecrackers and with lights on Amavasya in the month of Kartik, the tribal in Bastar, leaving all these traditions celebrate Diyari in the month of Kwarn-Kartik, by conducting laxmi crop, wedding and laxmi Jagaar based on new crop and livestock, in place of laxmi pooja.
Though they celebrate the festival in the month of Kartik, but different from common Diwali. Generally, they celebrate it for three days - on the first day Dhanteras, Govardhan pooja on the second day and laxmi pooja on the third day. Tribal in Bastar also worship laxmi, but for them crop in the field is the image of laxmi and they give importance in Matti pooja.
The chief of the village, with the permission of the village priest, convenes a meeting of prominent persons of the village and decides the day for Diyari celebration. After deciding the date, Diyari is being celebrated, like that of traditional Diwali, for three days. On the first day, marriage ceremony of standing crop with Narayan Raja is celebrated, and calls upon people to fill their houses with money and foodgrain. On the first day of the festival, Dhorai shepherds reach the house of cattle owners and honour them by offering liquor and Sulphi, according to their ability.
Again in the same evening they reach the Goshala of the cattle owners and ties rope made of jute in the neck of cattle and celebrate Jetta ceremony.
The cattle owners give paddy to the shepherds. On the next day, the cattle owners provide ‘Khichdi’ made of Kanki, Harva, Moong etc and after garlanding and applying red tika worship them.
Again in the evening the shepherds offer liquor and sulphi to the cattle owners and celebrate the occasion by beating drums and the cattle owners give them paddy as their wages in place of money.
On the third day of the festival, Gottan pooja is being organised. On the day, the cattle owners decorate the cattle by adorning them with clothes and garlands. They select one clean place and by offering liquor they pray for protection of their cattle.
Basically the Diyari festival of Bastar is meant for protection of crop and cattle and their prosperity.
The Dhorai shepherds belong to Mahar caste. They do not take money for rearing the cattle. The cattle owners give ‘Bhand’ (two-time meal) to the shepherd families, in place of wages.