Page 259 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - India

M ADH Y A PR ADESH & CHHA T TISGARH  257

The Folk Art of Bastar

Bastar district, in the newly created state of Chhattisgarh, is a remote, thickly forested
area, predominantly inhabited by tribal people and small communities of craftsmen.
They live close to nature, and their arts and crafts have been inspired by the beauty,
rhythm and vigour of forest creatures and plants. Animal, bird and plant motifs embellish
many of the utilitarian, decorative and ritual objects that they fashion out of clay,
wood, metal and cotton yarn. These can be seen at the weekly tribal markets held in
Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, as well as in handicrafts shops in Delhi.

Wooden walking sticks,
toys and ritual objects are
carved out of the soft wood
of roots and stems. The
ingenious walking sticks
make an eerie whistling
sound, meant to scare
away wild animals and evil
spirits in the forest.

Combs in wood and metal are exchanged
between young tribal boys and girls of Bastar
as tokens of love. The wooden combs are
decorated with simple geometric motifs,
A newly wed tribal couple while the brass ones are more ornately carved.
in Bastar

Iron lamps, embellished with leaf forms and
lively animal and bird figures, are a speciality
of Bastar’s lohars (blacksmiths), who also
make agricultural tools.
A brass comb, carved with the
image of a deity

Tribal potters make
fascinating clay ritual figures of
mythical animals, horses and
elephants. The materials used
are the red and black clay from
river banks, known for their
strength and elasticity.

Bronze images, made by
the Ghadva community
of metalsmiths, using
Textiles for festive occasions are woven from thick, unbleached the lost-wax technique,
cotton by the Panka community of weavers. The motifs, always include this guardian
inspired by nature, are woven in red madder-dyed yarn. deity of a Bastar village.

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