Danteshwari Temple, Dantewada – Festivals

Danteshwari Temple, Dantewada – Festivals

The Bastar Dusshera, like the celebrations in Mysore, is unique, as it is about an amazing blend of religious and royal traditions. Dusshera used to be the only time when the erstwhile kings interacted with the masses and shared with them the first meal of a new harvest that marked the culmination of the two-month long festivities. And, the tradition still continues. Tribal people from across the region converge at the district headquarters, Jagdalpur. They then participate in the 10-day long fun-filled ceremonies and have a glimpse of their "king", who now leads the main function on Vijayadashami.

Strange as it might sound, here, Ravana is held in reverence. For Dandakaranya (the vast forests of the region and beyond) was the domain of Ravana, ruled by his sister, Surpanakha. Dusshera here revolves round the "chariot" brought from Puri, which is taken around the city for a week and then moved out once, before the celebrations draw to a close. There also a is tradition of lighting Jyoti Kalashas during Navaratris here.

History has it that in 1408, the then king of Chakrakote (as the region was earlier known), Purshottam Deo, was a devotee of Jagannath and walked up to Puri from his capital, Bade Dongar (near Narayanpur), to seek his blessings. Jagannath is said to have directed the priest — in a dream — to confer upon the king the title of Rath Pati and present him with a 16-wheeled chariot. The chariot is, since then, a hallmark of the festival.

Earlier, the king was seated on the tastefully decorated chariot on Vijayadashami day but now, it is Goddess Danteshwari idol that emerges from the ancient Danteshwari temple at Dantewada and then taken around the city. But the erstwhile rulers feel that things have changed over the years. Dusshera has been converted into a Government festival ever since the State Government took over the responsibility of organizing the function.

Whether a tribal person is settled in a city or occupies a coveted post, he is attached to his tribal customs and follows them religiously, says Bhanjdeo. Saoras and Dhakada tribes from Bade Umargaon and Jhar Umargaon villages are hired to build the chariot every year. A group of 40 to 50 men can complete a chariot within a week (the high point is that metal is not used. In the past, bison and goats were sacrificed five times during the festival. A piece of wood has replaced the practice of animal sacrifice.

The celebrations begin with the members of the royal family "seeking permission" from Kacchhin Devi — the deity of the Mirgan community — when a girl of this community is said to be "possessed" by the goddess. She is then seated on a swing of thorns, which is the deity's couch. There is an interesting story behind this ritual. In 1725, when Bastar village was made the capital of the region, Jagtu, the headman of a village nearby, sought the king's help in killing a man-eater.

The brave king earned the loyalty of the community, in lieu of which the king honored them. This he did by seeking the blessings of Kacchhin Devi, before the Dusshera festival commenced. The movement of the chariot ceremony begins on the second day of Navratri when an old four-wheeled chariot is drawn once through the town, a ritual that lasts all seven days. It is decorated with flowers and is also known as the phool rath, or the chariot of flowers.

In the past, the king used to sit on this chariot, but now it carries the umbrella of the Danteshwari. After a day's break, Maoli Devi, or the manifestation of Danteshwari, arrives from Dantewada and is received at the main entrance of the palace and then seated on the eight-wheeled chariot. By now all the tribal people converge at Jagdalpur with their deities. On Vijayadashami, the new chariot is taken around the town. This time round it is drawn by the members of the Muria tribe, who are traditionally-dressed.

When night falls, the tribals pull the chariot out from the town, or rather steal it, only to station it two kilometers away at Kumbhdakote, where the king offers freshly cooked rice from the new harvest to the goddess. The next morning, the chariot is pulled back into the city ceremoniously. The tradition of stealing the chariot was the Muria's way of drawing the king's attention towards the problems they faced.

In the past, when the chariot returned to the town, the king used to chair a formal meeting of the heads of the tribes but now, it is the Collector who heads the Muriadurbar. After thanksgiving to Kacchhin Devi on the 12^th day, the Goddess Maoli is accorded a warm send-off, like all the other deities, from Jagdalpur, drawing to an end the extraordinary event.