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Chattisgarh
Tribal Tour (10 Days / 09 Nights)
Raipur - Kanker - Jagdalpur - Baster - Kotpad -Kakariguma
Market-Rayagada - Dukum - Niyamgiri - Rayagada - Jeypore -
Onukadalli - Gupteswara - Jeypore
Day 01 Raipur :
Morning after breakfast drive to Raipur and also visit
Sirpur group of temples, both Hindu and Buddhist.In the
afternoon we will drive south on the excellent National
Highway 43 (about 2 hours) to Kanker Palace, Gateway to
Tribal Bastar, arriving in time for tea.
Kanker (pronounced Kaan-kair) is a small former State (now
District) immediately to the north of sprawling wild Bastar
and a safe haven and gateway to that sometimes-turbulent
area. Kanker's family atmosphere is at all times informal,
offering a rare chance for visitors to enter into the spirit
and tradition of an Indian household, albeit one with
exceptional history and tradition to sustain it.
Day 02 Kanker to Jagdalpur
After an Indian or English breakfast at the Palace, you
climb the beautiful, forested Keshkal Ghat thirty kms south
of Kanker which marks the border of Bastar 500m above the
plain. Bastar was once a substantial State and for long
India's largest administrative district at well over 39,000
sq.kms. (25,000 sq miles). The majority of its peoples are
still tribal with unique though rapidly disappearing
lifestyles.
North Bastar is home to the Muria Gond tribe, famous for
their Gotul - the mixed dormitory system which for long
served as their principal means of education - a unique
experiment in social development wherein the unmarried young
make their own rules and learn the harmonies of successful
society away from the strictures of adults, whose presence
in the Gotul is taboo You will visit a tribal village near
Bahigaon on NH43, have a picnic lunch in the forest, and a
little farher down the road visit the Saathi NGO handicrafts
project set up at Kumharpara (Potters' Enclave) near the
market town of Kondagaon to maintain and develop the
considerable variety of traditional arts and crafts of the
region.
You will reach Bastar's capital Jagdalpur In the afternoon
to check in to the recently established Naman Bastar Resort
about 5 kms outside the crowded city. There may still be
time for a visit to a nearby tribal weekly market before a
short evening tour of the historic city and handicraft
outlets before dinner at Naman Bastar. Note that Naman
Bastar's excellent restaurant only serves vegetarian food.
Arrangements can easily be made for non-vegetarian meals in
Jagdalpur City.
Days 03 - 04 Jagdalpur and South Bastar
Over these two days you will travel out of Jagdalpur
into the country of the Bison-Horn Maria and Dhurwa tribes.
You will see a performance of the spectacular local dances
and get a good look at village life, costumes, ornaments and
customs. You will visit Tribal Weekly Markets (exact
locations depending on the day of the week) and see the
Chitrakote Waterfall on the Indravati River which is
illuminated after sunset. In the evenings there will be a
further opportunity to explore Jagdalpur's absorbing city
markets.
You may also have time to visit Kanger Valley National Park
an hour or so south of Jagdalpur where there are also famous
stalactite and stalagmite formations in the Kutumsar and
Kailash Caves. However the real glory of Kanger is that it
retains something of the original intensity of the forests
that once covered this whole region - the natural habitat of
leopard, tiger, sambhar, bison and the musical Hill Myna,
Bastar's most famous bird.
Day 05 : Jagdalpur-North Bastar-Jagdalpur.
Leaving Jagdalpur after breakfast for Narayanpur -
principal town of North Bastar - you will visit en route a
Muria village to see an example of traditional dance by
young Gotul members. Narayanpur market on Sunday. Mardoom
market of Marias on Saturday, close to Chitrakoot waterfall.
Day 06 : Jagdalpur - Kotpad -Kakariguma Market-Rayagada.(
Monday):
Morning drive to Kotpad small tribal textile village in
Orissa, 30 kms from Jagdalpur. Later visit the Kakariguma
tribal market. Further drive to Rayagada enroute visiting
Paraja villages near Laximipur areas. Sunset at Hathi pathar,
where the river Nagaballi cat the mountains with big
boulders with religious significance. Overnight at Hotel Sai
International.
Day 07 - 08 : Rayagada - Dukum - Niyamgiri - Rayagada:
Morning after breakfast at hotel starts for Dukum market
of plain Kondhs. After visiting drive to the village of
Agaria, metal smith who craft Jewell Aries for Hill Dongaria
Kondh people. Later drive to niyamgiri mountain to visit few
villages of primitive dongaria Kondhs, with ancient huses,
dormitory house and high platform where they used to give
human sacrifice. If everything okay then watch their dance
by dormitory girls and boys. Later back to Rayagada.
Day 09 : (Wed); Rayagada - Chatikana - Jeypore:
After breakfast proceeds to Chatikana to visit the
weekly market of Dongaria Kondhs, coming from the mountain
to sell their forest produce and animals. After spending a
good time, drive back to hotel for lunch and later proceeds
to Jeypore ( three hours) enroute visiting two villages of
ornamental Baro Paraja tribe. Overnight Hello Jeypore.
Day 10 : (Thurs): Jeypore - Onukadalli - Gupteswara -
Jeypore:
Bondos are the most primitive tribes of Orissa living in
the mountains called Bondo hills. Their language is called
Remo, which comes under Austro-Asiatic language belonging to
mundari group. The Bondos use scanty clothes to cover their
body. The dress of a Bondo woman is remarkable. It is called
Ringa of about 2feet length and feet in wide. It is striped
and coloured cloth tied to the waist thread. The Bondo women
usuing their indigenous looms to make ringa for them out of
a plant fiber called kerang. They also use beautiful brass
and aluminum necklaces and hundreds of bead necklaces to
cover their beauty. After photo session proceeds to
Gupteswara area to see the Dhuruba tribes. Evening back to
the hotel. Total 6 hrs drive + visiting time. |
