The people of the hinterland villages of Bastar celebrate Diwali not Diyari

Raipur, November 2, 2021, Tuesday

The festival of lights Diwali is celebrated not only in India but all over the world but even in the remote rural areas of the state of Chhattisgarh, the festival of Diwali is not celebrated. In the urban areas of Bastar, people celebrate Diwali with the sound of firecrackers and sweets, but in the rural areas, there is no sign of Diwali, let alone Dhanteras or Kali Chaudas. In this diyari they worship the crops grown in the fields.

As Diwali approaches, leaders of various villages come together and decide what and how to celebrate Diyari festival. In the festival of Diyari, the herdsmen tie a sacred rope to the cow. It is also a tradition for the villagers to donate fodder to the pastoralists. In some villages, khichdi is cooked to feed the oxen.

Some people living in the hinterland of Bastar know about the festival of Diwali after coming in contact with urban areas. The rest of them have no knowledge of Diwali. The working people living in the urban areas have tried to forget the old tradition and celebrate Diwali with everyone, but they are not interested. The number of people coming to know the customs and traditions of the people of the rural area is increasing.