Amit Shah to attend Bastar Dussehra’s Muria Darbar, first Union minister to join centuries-old ritual

RAIPUR: Union home minister Amit Shah will be in Chhattisgarh to participate in one of the crucial ceremonies of 75-day world's longest festival of Bastar Dussehra in Jagdalpur on Saturday. It is for the first time in the history of centuries old Bastar Dussehra that a union minister would attend the festival. Till now, either the kings of Bastar or the state chief minister participated in the significant ritual of 'Muria Darbar' - which literally means the king's court for Murias - the people belonging to the tribal community. Considered as the central feature of Bastar Dussehra, Muria Darbar is where the representatives of tribal communities who are known as 'manjhi, chalki, muria,' traditionally present their grievances and suggestions before the administration. They discuss and resolve disputes and take collective decisions. Historically, the forum traces back to the kings of Bastar, who appointed “Manjhis” as representatives, which is similar to today’s sub-divisional officers, to oversee groups of villages. There are over 84 Manjhis besides several Murias and Chalkis.The festival, which begins weeks before the rest of India celebrates Vijayadashami, is deeply tied to Bastar’s tribal identity. Local communities trace their lineage to Ravana and refuse to burn his effigy, choosing instead to honour their own ancestor. The folk traditions point out that Bastar Dussehra is less about mythology and more about goddess worship. Unlike the rest of the country, where Dussehra symbolizes Lord Ram’s triumph over Ravana, Bastar’s version is devoted entirely to Devi Shakti. There are no bows, arrows, or burning effigies. Instead, Goddess Danteshwari, Goddess Mavli (the presiding deities of the region) and the sacred forests that sustain tribal life are at the centre of rituals that have survived for more than six centuries, revolving around building giant wooden chariots to symbolic ceremonies.Shah would be arriving Raipur late on Friday and proceed to Naya Raipur for night halt. While there's no engagement scheduled for the night, Shah might have a closed door meeting with chief minister Vishnu Deo Sai and home minister Vijay Sharma. Officials said that though there's no meeting with security chiefs in the schedule, yet, a discussion on further strategies on anti-Naxal operations is anticipated. Given the fact that the Centre's deadline for elimination of Maoists by March 2026, is inching close, Shah's visit to Chhattisgarh and Bastar stands crucial in terms of operations. Union minister Shah is scheduled to depart for Jagdalpur Saturday morning via BSF plane and attend Muria Darbar around 1230 pm at Sirhasar Bhavan, after offering prayers at Danteshwari temple situated nearby. He would be accompanied by chief minister Sai, home minister Sharma and others. For an hour from 1.30 pm, Shah's schedule is reserved for visiting 'Swadeshi Mela' convened by RSS and BJP at Lal Bagh Maidan, where he's also expected to address a public meeting. Before departing from Jagdapur, Shah will have an elaborate community lunch with Murias, Manjhis and Chalkis. During the process, Shah will release postcards commemorating Bastar Dussehra.Security has been beefed up in Raipur and Bastar in joint collaboration of state police, CRPF, Delhi police and other security agencies with advanced deployment of personnel at the locations, scheduled to be visited by UHM. Bastar Dussehra is regarded as the world’s longest-running Dussehra festival, lasting 75 days which will culminate on Oct with 'Mai ji ki vidai' ritual. Centred around the worship of Goddess Danteshwari in Dantewada, it showcases tribal traditions, collective participation, and social harmony