Members of Bastar Royal family including present scion Kamal Chandra Bhanj Deo, Rajmata Krishna Kumari Devi and Raj Purohit along with Manjhi, Mukhia, Sevadars reached Danteshwari Temple and after having a darshan of the deity invited her to participate in Dussehra.
The Royal family along with Raj Purohit and others first reached Circuit House where they were welcomed by Temple Committee member. After some time they all reached Temple in traditional style. While the Royal members had a darshan of the deity, Manjhi, Mukhia accompanying them customarily handed over an invitation letter addressed to Goddess Danteshwari to the head priest of the temple who formally accepted the invitation for participation in Dussehra and put the letter in the feet of the deity. This is the most important ritual of this mega event as only after this, village gods and goddesses will start converging at Jagdalpur for participating in Dussehra.
Meanwhile, ‘Phool rath’ a major attraction and also an unalienable ritual of Bastar Dussehra completed its fifth round of ‘parikrama’ on Thursday. It started from Sirhasar Chowk and after passing from Mitali Chowk and Jai Stambh Chowk reached Danteshwari Mandir. Notably, Phool Rath Parikrama is a ritual in which the four-wheel chariot constructed by tribal people of a particular village and caste circumvent the city thoroughfares daily from Second day of Navratri to seventh day.
According to tradition the double floor chariot is heavily decorated with flower and umbrella of Ma Danteshwari is kept above it every day at Jagannath Temple before the start of its journey and the same is taken off when it returns to Danteswari Temple after circumventing the city places. Before placing the deity’s umbrella atop the Rath it is accorded puja at Mavali Mandir as well as Shriram Mandir with priests performing special rituals.
On this occasion, the Umbrella is also given customary salute with policemen firing in the air. Thereafter married women perform ‘Aarti of the umbrella placed above the ‘Rath’ and only then villagers start pulling the ‘Rath’ with great enthusiasm. Throughout the parikrama route the procession is accompanied by artists playing traditional musical instruments like Mander, Karnal, Shehnai etc.
On Friday night, main ritual of Bastar Dussehra ‘Nisha Jatra’ will be performed and on that occasion ‘Bakra’ (he goats) are sacrificed to the deity and then food is cooked in seven pots kept one over another. This is later distributed among devotees as Prasad.