BASTAR DUSSEHRA FESTIVAL
The Bastar Dussehra Mahotsav started in the 13th century in Bade Dongar, the erstwhile capital of the Kakatiya Kings. The King of Bastar, Purushotam Dev was an ardent devotee of Lord Jagannath of Puri. In order to amplify the cultural fabric of his Kingdom, he walked to Puri to pay obeisance to the Lord with gifts and gold. Impressed by the enormity of his atonement, Lord Jagannath appeared in the temple priest’s dream and asked him to give this devotee the title of Rath Pati (head of a chariot) and a chariot from the longstanding tradition of a festival held in Puri.
King Purushotam was given a towering wooden chariot with 16 wheels. Till date, it is the main draw of the Bastar Dussehra. Overlapping with the dates of the Hindu festival of Navratri, the Bastar Dussehra reaches a crescendo in the last 10 days of the 75-day festival. It is mostly a commemoration of Goddess Danteshwari, with the convergence of thousands of tribals with their own village deities in Jagdalpur town. The festival starts in July and ends only in October, with significant festivities and rituals scattered over these months.
