‘Jhitku- Mitku’ - Art of Chhattisgarh

A large part of the folklore in India is based around heart touching love stories many of which seem to have an eternal appeal. This, though generally true of almost all the parts of the country has some really poignant examples in Punjab, Sikkim, Chhattisgarh and some other parts of the country with simple ways of living and a passion for living. The eternal love ballad of ‘Chhatisgarh’ revolves around ‘Jhitku’ and ‘Mitku’ a simple boy and girl who happened to be love struck in times past.

Tribal-Crafts-of-Chhattisgarh

Its is said that Mitku was the star of the eyes of a family of seven brohers and had so much of the love and affection that she felt free as a bird with sky her play yard and the world as the playmates. As time flies, she was ready to be married and the brothers invited a local youth ‘Jhitku’ as per the tribal tradition ‘Lampena’ of the areas as per which the groom has to stay for a year with the bride’s family and do all the chores related to bread winning so as to prove himself worthy of the bride to be. The ‘Jhitku’ came for a worthiness trial and as the luck would have it, fell in love with ‘Mitku’. The brothers though remained blissfully unaware of the matters of the heart.

Jhitku-Mitku

As it happens in the country with alarming frequency, the rains failed that year and the area was stricken with draught. The brothers went seeking counsel from village seer and he recommended a sacrifice to seek blessings of the God. The brothers did not really have anything else to sacrifice so late one night they whisked off ‘Jhitku’ and sacrificed him to the local deity. 

Bastar-Handicrafts-Chhattisgarh

Having discovered the truth, Mitku, grief stricken, took her own life. Though the timings are lost in the hoary past, the memory of Jhitku Mitku lives in tales and ballads and off course in the tribal metal casting art, in which it remains one of the most important image and can be found in any tribal art museum or an export catalogue.

Chhattisgarh-Art

Tribal art of Chhattisgarh has a very important element of metal casting in clay modeling using lost wax process and though ‘Jhitku- Mitku’ remain ever favourite, there are numerous other beautiful objects that are made by the process and can be found in numerous haats of Jagdalpur, Narainpur, Kondagram and Shipagram of Chhatisgarh.

Different Forms of Tribal Arts

Chhattisgarh Tourism: Local Haats or Bazaar

Imagine the market place from simpler times with most of the transactions happening on Barter, the commodities being produce of the forest like Mahua flowers, Tendu leaves, dried fish, simple value added household items like Baskets, ropes and brooms and simple manufactured items like utensils and garments displayed in baskets arranged on the ground under shady trees  in an open place that serves as the market place.

Chhattisgarh-Bazaar

The villagers walk to these markets from miles around for their needs, marketing their produce, sample some local brew, indulge in a moment of escape, fun and frolic. The Haats offer perfect escape with something for everybody. Everyday household items like ropes, brooms, pots and baskets, food items like grains, dried meats, Mahua flowers, toys, bangles, jewellery and accessories to give the women and the children engaged. Tourists can pick up that perfect little handicraft and a poor girl can pick something up in fake silver ‘Dalda Chandi’.

Move-fast-its-trading-time

People also come to these Haats selling their skills. It is common to see a barber, a tailor, a tattoo maker, a faith healer or a local medicine seller. There are also fun and games such as cock fights and it is elevating to see men and women often with a bit of local brew in their systems, enjoying the fun. Local liquor- toddy, mahua ar salfi are sold in Gourds or containers of all shapes and sizes by the villagers and everybody seems to be both a seller and a buyer.

Buyers-Sellers-Bazaar-Garam-hai

The Haat is also a social forum and makes for a meeting ground for friends, relatives and kinsmen, where they come dressed in their finery, gorge on local delicacies that include (a variety of ant and termite preparations among other more conservative options of Jalebi, pakodas and boiled eggs. These haats are held in different villages on different days of the week. Some of the major ones are ‘Dantewada’ on Wednesday, ‘Jagdalpur’ on Sunday, ‘Bastar’ on Thursday and ‘Lohandiguda’ on Friday. However there are so many Haats that a comprehensive listing is not possible.

Chatai-Trader-Selling-Chatai-Matts

From a tourist’s perspective these Haats are an insight into and an opportunity to experience the local culture first hand and participate in it. Chhatisgarh is a charmed land with multitude of attractions in form of natural forests, major waterfalls, places of religious importance and extremely rich wildlife and has traditionally not seen much of tourist traffic. Definitely a must visit for the seeker of the tourism variety, whose heart lusts for more..

Local-tribe-selling-handmade-Tokri-chaans