Dussehra Festival Bastar: Another important ritual was performed on Thursday (10 October) in the world famous Dussehra festival of Bastar. This ritual is called Bel Jatra or Bel Puja. In this ritual, the Bael tree and the two Bael fruits that grow together are worshipped. The people of Bastar celebrate the only such Bel ritual in a unique and rare way.
In Sargipal village, at a distance of about six kilometers from Jagdalpur city of Bastar, there is a year-old vine tree, which bears two fruits simultaneously, and according to the tradition, this vine tree and the pair of vine fruits are worshiped by the Bastar royal family during the Bastar Dussehra festival. It is performed by the prince of , which is called Bel Puja.
The atmosphere is like a wedding ceremony.
Actually, Prince Kamalchand Bhanjdev of Bastar royal family told that this ritual is related to marriage celebration. He told that King Sargipal of Chalukya dynasty of Bastar had gone hunting in the forests near the village. The king had expressed his desire for marriage after seeing two beautiful girls standing under a vine tree. On which the girls asked him to bring the wedding procession.
The next day when the king reached there with the wedding procession, the two girls told him that they were his favorite goddesses Manikeshwari and Danteshwari. He jokingly asked the king to bring a wedding procession. Embarrassed by this, the king prostrated himself and apologized for his ignorant behavior and invited him to attend the Dussehra festival. Since then this legislation is being implemented.
The symbol of the goddess is two pairs of bells.
This hundreds of years old tradition is still being followed in Bastar. Prince Kamalchand Bhanjdev told that two pairs of vine fruits are considered symbols of both the goddesses. Every year, during the Bel Nyota, the king himself comes to this village and respectfully accepts the Jodi Bel fruit from the priest and it is kept with worship in the temple of Maa Danteshwari located in Jagdalpur.
There is a festive atmosphere in Sargipal village during Bel Puja Vidhan. An unprecedented scene of both the king’s welcome and his daughter’s farewell can be seen here.
Let us tell you that more than 12 amazing and unique rituals are performed in Bastar Dussehra which lasts for 75 days. One of which includes the ritual of Bel Puja on Saptami day. Nisha Jatra ritual will be performed on Friday night on the day of Maha Ashtami.
In Sehore, former Sarpanch-Secretary took more money and gave less receipt to shopkeepers, FIR not registered yet