Phagun Madai

The ceremonial beginning of the famous Phagun Mandai in Maa Danteshwari Temple Dantewada is done on the day of Basant Panchami by burying a trishul (trident) pillar in the courtyard of the temple and offering mango blossom on the umbrella of Maa Danteshwari. In the last 10 days of the month of Phagun, this tribal festival of culture, folk dance is observed by the tribes of the entire Bastar division and from neighboring villages of Odisha state with devotion and reverence in the temple premises of Dantewada. Initiated in the year …. by the erstwhile king of Bastar kingdom Purushottam Dev, in order to keep the tribal folk culture, traditions and beliefs alive; this Madai is being celebrated uninterrupted ever since for generations. Festivity begins In the last 10 days of the month of Phagun, with the installation of the Kalash of Maa Danteshwari in Mendhka Dobra ground in the premises of Mai Danteshwari temple. In which all the deities of Bastar division and Navrangpur district of Orissa are invited and made participants. Thereafter, daily for 09 days, Mai ji's palanquin is taken from Mai ji temple to Narayan temple where tribal culture, folk dances are presented after worship rituals. Apart from this, various traditional and hunting dances are organized by different communities. In the end, after celebrating the Rambh-Bhang (Gulal-Abir) festival, paduka worship of all the invited deities is done. On the next day, all the gods and goddesses invited are given a farewell by offering them gifts. Altogether it is a very big gathering of the tribes of the entire Bastar division and of district Navarangpur of Odhisa, in which various tribal forms of art, dance, folk music and other performances are given apart from giving a closer insight to the rich tribal customs and rituals. Deities with colorful symbolic flags taken in procession every morning and evening within the town with mystic tribal music and unquestionable devotion of the tribes is a sight one would cherish for years.