Describe the trib

Bastar is in the southernmost part of the Chhattisgarh and comes on the borders of Andhra Pradesh, Orissa and Maharashtra. Maria and Muria Gonds, Dhurwas, Bhatras and Halbas were the different communities that live in Bastar. Even though they spoke different languages, they followed common customs and beliefs, which were:

• They believed that each village had the land which was gift provided by the Earth. So at each agricultural festival, they made offerings to the earth, also to the spirits of the river, forest and the mountain.

• Each village had their boundaries, so they made use of the natural resources that lied within that boundary.

• If any village wanted to take resources from other villages they had to pay a small fee called Devsari, Dand or man in exchange.

• These villages also had guards to protect their lands and fields; in return, they provided him with the grain as his pay.

• The headman of the villages met to discuss the issues related to their customs or beliefs.