Bastar
Dhokra balances preservation & evolution amidst challenges
Despite the creation of a designated space in the craft city area of Chhattisgarh’s Kondagaon for artisans to work, Dhokra craftsmen still face issues such as not receiving fair prices for their finished products and difficulty in accessing raw materials.
Weekly markets bring healthcare closer to Chhattisgarh tribals
Haat bazaar clinics organised in weekly rural markets prove to be a boon for communities in remote tribal villages that lack healthcare facilities.
3Ms herald prosperity in troubled Bastar
Bastar, once synonymous with Naxalism, is seeing a slow change for the better through moringa and millet cultivation, besides wage work through the rural employment scheme.
Live like a tribal at these Bastar homestays
With Bastar opening up as a tourist destination lately, homestays are providing additional income to tribal villagers and reducing seasonal migration of locals to cities in search of work.
Chhattisgarh’s magical mahua flowers in pics
Versatile and rich in nutrition, mahua is an important forest produce for the tribal communities in Chhattisgarh. Families store dried mahua in bulk to make mahua liquor, a popular beverage in the region.
A café in Dantewada resuscitates life in a conflict zone
In southern Chhattisgarh, which mostly hits headlines for Naxalite violence, a restaurant serving fresh, locally-sourced food, good music and a convivial atmosphere is making a difference in people’s lives.
In pictures: Coffee cultivation at an unlikely place
Most of us have heard of the delicious coffee beans from Araku in Andhra Pradesh, Coorg in Karnataka and Wayanad in Kerala, but do you know about the aromatic coffee being produced in the tribal regions of Bastar in Chhattisgarh?
“Instead of succumbing to miseries, I took charge of my life and SHGs helped me”
Born in a poor farmer household and having had to bear the burden of losing loved ones early in life, Sukari Nag of Neganar village in Chhattisgarh was emotionally and financially drained. Joining a self-help group not only improves her income but helps her guide others as the group’s leader.
How a school parliament grooms Bastar tribal children
In a remote tribal village in Chhattisgarh, a government school takes initiatives to make learning interesting, using a bal sansad to build children's problem-solving and leadership skills.
Tribes welcome revival of traditional cultural centers
Ghotuls, traditionally where youth learnt to take on responsibilities, fell into decline for many reasons. Tribes believe the government’s plan to revive them would uphold the tribal culture