Bastar (Chhattisgarh): The Bastar Dussehra festival kickstarted on Monday with the Pat Jatra ritual, which is also known as the Hareli festival. With the commencement of Pat Jatra, the Dussehra festival will continue for 107 days. Dussehra festival is dedicated to Goddess Danteshwari. A chariot procession carrying Goddess will be taken out during the Dussehra festival.
The timber of the Sal tree was brought from a nearby forest for the making of the chariot. The ritual of bringing Sal wood from the forest is called Pat Yatra. The chariot made of Sal wood is called Thurlu Khotla or Tika Pata in local parlance. The wooden log was brought from the Machkot forest on the auspicious occasion of Hareli Amavasya. On Monday, the Pat Jatra ritual was performed in Bastar. With this, the preparations for the Dussehra festival in Bastar have begun.
This time Bastar Dussehra will not be of 75 days but of 107 days. Lakheshwar Baghel, chairman of the Bastar Development Authority, said, "The Bastar Dussehra festival is generally celebrated for 75 days. However, as per the Panchang calendar Purushottam month falls during the festival, therefore Dussehra will be celebrated for 107 days. On Monday, the festival commenced with the Pat Jatra ceremony. The ritual was performed in front of the Danteshwari temple premises in Jagdalpur city."
"The wooden log of the Sal tree was brought from Bilori village, situated at some distance from Jagdalpur city. The tree trunk is called Thurlu Khotla, which will be used for the construction of a chariot. On Monday, the Pat Jatra ceremony was performed. Several citizens and officials from the district and police administration were present on the occasion," he added.
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