HAAT MARKET BASTAR

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1. Cockfight. This album has 2 weekly markets, the one near Chitrakoot Waterfalls i.e. on Friday is called Lohandiguda Haat & another at Bastar Haat i.e. on Thursday. In addition Tokapal Haat in Monday, Jagdalpur Haat on Sunday, Kondagaon Haat (70 kms from Jagdalpur) on Sunday, Nangur Haat on Friday.

2. First is Bastar village Haat i.e. 15 kms from Jagdalpur. On sale is Mahua plant i.e. used to make famous mahua drink. 5 kgs of dry mahua flower give about 3 litres of alcohol. Mahua is available at a price of Rs 100-150 for 650ml. Sunda caste is historically associated with making country liquor in Bengal, Bihar & Odisha. Read about Mahua https://www.livemint.com/Leisure/EPWyRaLnJ0pMvP6ZeFrh0H/The-spirit-of-mahua.html

3. Left are local ants called CHAPDA, used to make chutney. When a person has high fever goes under a mango tree and waits for the ants to crawl over body. Within 5 minutes fever goes away. Round black thing is potato / onion mix. It is a local wild variety.

4. In every haat you will find ladies selling LANDA or rice beer ie drunk in green leaves. Rice water is left to ferment for a week and then sold. It has an alcoholic taste but is not alcohol. It is very popular with locals.

5. Sale of pots very popular in haat market. Note different ways of women wearing sari esp. one at end of pic on left side.

6. Bastar is well known for sale of bamboo products. Wish state government and traders makes it a production base for their sale across India. In Jagdalpur saw ladies selling green leaves that can be used in towns to serve pani-puri, eco-friendly stuff.

7. Pic from my 2012 trip. Ladies selling local drink with snacks, yellow looks like a type of corn.

8. Pic from my 2012 trip. As compared to 2012 more women wore saris and blouses. In fact unless one is familiar at times gets difficult to know who is an adivasi.

9. This is how many Adivasi women dress today. Jewellery on both sides of the nose is the easiest way to identify. This women sells pottery. Most of them are ok if you click pictures.

10. This pic is a lady in Arunachal, belongs to the Apatani tribe. Note her nose plugs.

11. From now on it is the Lohandiguda Haat near Chitrakoot waterfalls. Lady selling fish. Reddish coloured fish in centre is called Sukkshi.

12. Selling Haldi. Grind it and becomes haldi powder. Note these adivasi ladies not wearing sari blouse like lady in the previous pic.

13. IMLI is big in Bastar. The region is known for tendu leaves, imli, mahua and bamboo products. Between them they are a big business.

14. Left of pic white sweet is called TIKU (made of rice & sugar very cooling, loved it). On extreme left is daal roti. Right front is Chapa Laddu, and behind is Bo-bo and Dal Bo-bo. Lady was kind to offer me TIKU and refused to accept money.

15. Younger generation of Adivasi wear salwar kameez, some wear jeans too.

16. This man sells different varieties of seeds to farmers. All types of soaps & shampoos are also sold. Men invariably wear lungis.

17. Sale of bamboo products. During day it gets hot and evening cool in mid-October.

18. Most ladies have a plastic sheet to protect them from the sun.

19. Most ladies wear some sort of gold ornaments, did not have the guts to ask if it was gold or artificial.

20. This is how most tribal women in the market sit. When they saw me wanting to click they cover their thighs, smile and are cool. Many of them wear a cloth ka turban on their heads as you see.

21. We now enter the cock fights arena. In 2012 this is where the fights took place in this market.

22. Things have changed now, the cock fights are a bit away from the weekly market like what you see. Men come with their chickens, many of them raring to fight. U see the beginning of a fight. I was given a chair to sit because outsider.

23. We show you some pics of cock fight. Owners ready, sometimes the two chickens look at each other aggressively before the fight and there the crowd goes roaring. Chicken left of pic note the blade at her feet – every cock has it.

24. Cocks now placed on the ground. This reminded me of the starting of a hockey match.

25. Action – the owners are as involved in the fight as the cocks.

26. Some more action – rarely does one see one cock standing on another.

27. In the market loved the way this lady looks. Something special about her.

28. Massive betting goes on when names of cocks are announced. Saw many with wads of 500 rupee notes. Yet many talk of poverty – no signs that afternoon. When I asked an adivasi how come so much money he said this is local tradition plus there is no other form of entertainment. Bollywood is not entertainment for them.

29. Again the cocks close to each other before action starts.

30. Owners as involved. The cock who dies is taken off the field.

31. Cock fight about to begin.

32. So enjoyable seeing this loved it.

33. All-out attack.

34. Cock below is dead, you can see blood on right of pic.

35. U can see man taking dead chicken out of the playing arena.

36. Selling local veggies. Man in lungi.

37. Some more action.

38. And some more. This is a unique position in their fight.

39. Everyone is involved in the cock fight. Most come to enjoy the fun. A Bastar visit is incomplete without you witnessing a cockfight.

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