Write an essay on Baster and its communities.

(i) Location of Bastar: Bastar is located in the southernmost part of Chhattisgarh
and borders Andhra Pradesh, Orissa and Maharashtra. The central part of Bastar is on a plateau’ To the north of this plateau is the Chhattisgarh plain and to its south is the Godavari plain. The river Indrawati winds across Bastar east to west.
(ii) Bastar’s communities : A number of different communities live in Bastar such as Maria and Maria Gonds, Dhurwas, Bhatras and Halbas. They speak different languages.
(iii) Customs and beliefs in Bastar:
(a) They share common customs and beliefs.
(b) They believe that each village was given its land by the Earth, and in return, they look after the Earth by making some offerings at each agricultural festival.
(c) They show respect to the spirits of the river, the forest and the mountain.
(iv) System of administration of villages in Bastar:
(a) The local people look after all the natural resources of the village.
(b) If people from a village want to take some wood from the forests of another village, they pay a small fee called devsari, dand or man in exchange. Some villages also protect their forests by engaging watchmen and each household contributes some grain to pay them. Every year there is one big hunt where the headmen of villages in a pargana meet and discuss issues of concern, including forests.