Bastar Dussehra: Patjatra Rituals Mark The Commencement Of The World's Longest Festival

Bastar Dusshera, a festival that has been celebrated for 600 years, began on Hariyali Amavashya with the performance of the Patjatra rituals at the Danteswari temple in Jagadalpur, located in Bastar district of Chhattisgarh.

Bastar Dussehra is also renowned as the longest festival in the world.

It starts with the Patjatra rituals, during which worship is offered to a log of saal tree. This information was shared by Balram Majhi, a member of the Bastar Dussehra Samiti.

The festival is celebrated for a period of approximately 75 days.

In the tribal-dominated district, this celebration involves worshipping goddess Shakti.

Premlal Majhi, a member of the committee stated that although there is no specific tradition related to the killing of Ravana, this festival is observed in the district.

The festival in Jagdalpur, the division headquarters of Bastar, attracts a large number of tribal and non-tribal participants.

According to the committee members, the revered log will be used to construct a grand chariot as per tradition.

The chariot, adorned with a canopy depicting the goddess 'Danteshwari' (the deity of Bastar), will be paraded throughout the city.

This centuries-old tradition was initiated by the local royal family.

Due to the pandemic, the festival was not celebrated in a grand manner.

However, last year saw a massive turnout during the celebration of Bastar Dussehra. Balram mentioned that this year's festival is expected to attract a large number of devotees.