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Bastar District - Wikipedia
Bastar District - Wikipedia
Bastar District - Wikipedia
District of Chhattisgarh
India
State
Chhattisgarh
Administrative division
Bastar
Headquarters
Jagdalpur
Tehsils
Government
Lok Sabha constituencies 1
Assembly seats
Area
Total
10,470km2 (4,040sqmi)
Population (2011)
Total
1,411,647
Density
130/km2 (350/sqmi)
Urban
1,93,328
Demographics
Literacy
Sex ratio
Website
Official website
Bastar District is a district of the state of Chhattisgarh in central India. Jagdalpur is the district
headquarters. The district has an area of 10755.79km. Bastar District is bounded on the northwest
by Rajnandgaon District, on the north by Kondagaon District, on the east by Nabarangpur and
Koraput districts of Odisha state, on the south and southwest by Dantewada District, and on the
west by Gadchiroli District of Maharashtra state. It possesses a unique blend of tribal and odia
culture.
History
Bastar and Dantewada districts were formerly part of the princely state of Bastar. Bastar state was
a princely state in India during the British Rule. It was founded in the early 14th century, by Annama
Deva, the brother of Kakatiya king Pratapa Rudra Deva of Warangal (Telangana).After Indian
independence in 1947, the princely states of Bastar and Kanker acceded to the Government of India,
and were merged to form Bastar District of Madhya Pradesh state. The district, which had an area
of 39,114km, was one of the largest in India.
In 1999, the district was divided into the present-day districts of Bastar, Dantewada, and Kanker,
and in 2012 it was divided in one more district named as Kondagaon which constitute Bastar
Division. In 2000, Bastar was one of the 16 Madhya Pradesh districts that formed a part of the new
state of Chhattisgarh.
The Chitrakoot and Teerathgarh waterfalls are situated close to Jagdalpur. Bastar is famous for its
traditional Dasara (Dussera) festival.
The district is currently a part of the Red Corridor.[1]
Divisions
Administratively, the district is divided into two tehsils, Jagdalpur, and Bastar The district has one
municipalities, Jagdalpur. Jagdalpur, the administrative headquarters, is a beautiful city having a
population of about 150,000. Transport railway stations- 11; RTc depoits - 03; Airports- jagdalpur.
Demographics
According to the 2011 census Bastar district has a population of 1,411,644,[2] roughly equal to the
nation of Swaziland[3] or the US state of Hawaii.[4] This gives it a ranking of 348th in India (out of a
total of 640).[2] The district has a population density of 140 inhabitants per square kilometre
(360/sqmi) .[2] Its population growth rate over the decade 2001-2011 was 17.83%.[2] Bastar has a
sex ratio of 1024 females for every 1000 males,[2] and a literacy rate of 54.94%.[2]
In 1981 Bastar had a population of 1,842,854 with 1,249,197 of the residents being members of
scheduled tribes. This also represented about 70% of the population.[5] However these figures are
for the pre-1999 Bastar District which had the same boundaries as the modern Bastar Division.
Languages
Dialects spoken include Halbi, Bhatri, which falls within the Odia language group but only shares
about 60% lexical similarity with Oriya, spoken by about 600 000.[6] It possesses tribal Odia culture
in Chhattisgarh.
Economy
Agriculture
Rice is grown predominantly during kharif season as rain fed crop having 2.38.9million hectare
area but the productivity of this crop is low 08.53 qt/ha in Bastar region of Chhattisgarh. The
irrigated area (1.67%) and fertilizer use (4.6kg/ha.) in the Bastar district are very less, which is
insufficient to supply adequate nutrient to the crop.[7]
The pattern of livelihood in Bastar continues to be dictated by tradition. Even today, agricultural
practices are traditional. Use of wooden ploughs is overwhelming while the number of iron ploughs
is negligible. The same is true of bullock carts. The number of tractors is negligible while the
bullock carts are all pervasive.
The usage of traditional agricultural implements has lowered the production of agriculture. The
kharif crops grown here are paddy, urad, arhar, jowar and maize. The rabi crops include til, alsi,
moong, mustard and gram. Collection and sale of forest produce and other forest-related work
supplements meager agricultural incomes.
Most people do not find employment all year round. The cycle of floods and droughts makes
livelihoods extremely vulnerable. The people are often forced to resort to moneylenders in times of
crisis, which usually means a life of continued indebtedness. The absence of alternate employment
opportunities is responsible for the high incidence of poverty in the area. In the Bastar plateau,
irrigation coverage is only 1.2 percent.[8]
Exceptionally fortunate in its water resources, the region has good rainfall and rapid run off due to
the undulating terrain. There is potential for rainwater harvesting .[9]
Forest Produce
Forests play an important role in the lives of the people, providing food security and livelihood
through the collection of minor forest produce, and employment (as casual labour) in the Forest
Department. The forests provide for peoples consumption needs fuel and firewood, medicines,
food and drink, implements and housing materials
Mahua
Major Industries
Nagarnar Steel Plant
Livelihood[9]
Forty percent of livelihoods are forest based, 30 percent are agriculture based and 15 percent of
livelihoods are dependent on animal husbandry. Another 15 percent of the income of people comes
from wage labour.[9]
Agriculturists
People with land, who depend almost entirely on cultivation, either on their own holdings or on the
holdings of others. They supplement their income and consumption with animal husbandry, and
sundry labour at times. Some of them have also diversified into small services or small
manufacturing activities.
Labourers
People without their own land or with very little land. They survive by working as farm and casual
labour. They also work in the nonfarm sector, in mines, small shops, on construction sites and as
part of the urban work force.
Manufacturers
These are traditional occupation based producers. These include the weavers, the blacksmiths,
carpenters, chattai (woven mats of bamboo or other grasses) weavers and tailors, bamboo
craftsmen and the potters. They operate in the cottage or household sectors, in tiny units, which
may be family-owned and worked, or may even have some contracted workers. Some people have
taken to modern manufacturing, operating electrical repair or lathe shops. These are located in the
big villages or along main roads.
Service persons
These include traditional as well as modern service providers. This group is bridging traditional
livelihoods and new opportunities, sometimes replacing but often merging with each other. It is a
growing segment, its expansion fuelled by the need for manufacturers and users to establish
common ground. It tends to be based on simple and easily understood transactions.
Entry barriers and requirements are few. Even as the demand for some services is declining for
those offered by cobblers, for example, there are newer trades that are springing up car and
tractor mechanics, for instance, based on apprenticeship and 'on the job training' systems. The
processes of skill acquisition tend to break social and cultural barriers, as people work together at
dhabas, (food stalls) workshops and construction sites.
Organised sector
People with jobs in the public / private organised sector. Typically requiring formal education, this
segment includes public sector service, and employment in offices, industries, and educational
institutions and in development related services.
Culture
Tribals of Bastar[8]
Bastar, the land of tribes and about 70% of the total population of Bastar comprises tribals, which is
26.76% of the total tribal population of Chhattisgarh. The major tribes of the Bastar region are the
Gond, Abhuj Maria, Bhatra Bhatra are divided into Sub Cast San Bhatra, Pit Bhatra, Amnit Bhatra
Amnit Hold Highest Status, Halbaa, Dhurvaa, Muria and Bison Horn Maria. The Gonds of Bastar are
one of the most famous tribes in India, known for their unique Ghotul system of marriages. Gonds
are also the largest tribal group of central India in terms of population.
The tribes of Bastar region are known for their unique and distinctive tribal culture and heritage in
all over the world. Each tribal group in Bastar has their own distinct culture and enjoys their own
unique traditional living styles. Each tribe has developed its own dialects and differs from each
other in their costume, eating habits, customs, traditions and even worships different form of god
and goddess.
A large number of Bastar tribals are still living in deep forests and avoid mixing with outsiders in
order to protect their own unique culture. The tribes of Bastar are also known for their colorful
festivals and arts and crafts. The Bastar Dussehra is the most famous festival of the region. The
tribals of Bastar were also amongst the earliest to work with metal and have expertise in making
beautiful figurines of tribal gods, votive animals, oil lamps, carts and animals.
References
1. ^ "83 districts under the Security Related Expenditure Scheme" . IntelliBriefs. 11 December 2009.
Retrieved 17 September 2011.
2. ^ a b c d e f "District Census 2011" . Census2011.co.in. 2011. Retrieved 30 September 2011.
3. ^ US Directorate of Intelligence. "Country Comparison:Population" . Retrieved 1 October 2011.
Swaziland 1,370,424
4. ^ "2010 Resident Population Data" . U. S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original
on 19
8. ^ a b http://planningonline.gov.in/data/report/DP2009-2010_374Merge.pdf
9. ^ a b c http://chhattisgarh.nic.in/book/hdr.pdf
10. ^ http://www.moneycontrol.com/livefeed_pdf/Feb2012/NMDC_Ltd_040212.pdf
11. ^ http://www.tata.com/media/reports/inside.aspx?artid=scQib0BmW8A=
12. ^ "MoEF panel recommends land diversion for Tata Steel's plant" . The Times of India. 11
March 2012.
Bastar
External links
places in Bastar
[2]
Official website