Team News Riveting
Raipur, July 24
The vibrant spirit of Chhattisgarh’s agrarian roots and cultural essence came alive at the Chief Minister’s residence on Thursday as the state celebrated its iconic folk festival, Hareli, with traditional fervour and joyous energy.
Organised by the Department of Culture, the event showcased the diversity of Chhattisgarh’s folk traditions and a deep respect for farmers through a rich tapestry of rituals and performances. The CM residence premises have been decked out in Chhattisgarhi folk decor – from green floral arches and traditional torans to rural handicraft installations – capturing the true spirit of Hareli. A beautiful glimpse of Bastar and plain Chhattisgarh in the decoration centered on Sargujiha art.
Folk artists from across the state enthralled audiences with captivating performances such as the Gedi dance and Raut Nacha. Adding to the festive charm was the monsoon Sawan swings (sawan ka jhula) and devotional recitations of the ‘Savanahi Ramayan’, drawing visitors into a nostalgic and immersive cultural experience.
In the tradition of Chhattisgarh, “Hareli” is a festival to pay homage to the connection between man and nature. When Hareli arrives, the fields and barns, villages and cities of Chhattisgarh, plows and oxen, children-youth-women all get filled with the joy of this festival. The festival is celebrated on Shravan Amavasya.
There were three major parts of the decoration of the Chief Minister’s residence on Hareli. Entrance gate, middle arch gate and main pavilion. The entrance gate had a glimpse of metal art of Bastar. To welcome the people at the gate, there was a replica of Lord Ganesha in the middle of Chhattisgarh’s traditional instrument trumpet and a horse made of metal art had also been carved.
After the entrance gate, there was a Toran gate in the middle that was decorated with traditional Tokni. Along with this, colorful small flags are adding beauty in the form of Toran. In this part, a fringe of neem and mango leaves has been put as a symbol of Hareli tradition. The main attraction of the entire decoration was those small colorful Gadiyas, whose beautiful form was visible everywhere.
The main pavilion gate had been made attractive with the colors of Sarguja art. The roof of this gate had been covered with para and beautiful paintings of Sargujiha wall art have been made. The wheel of a bullock cart decorated with many colors was also adding to the beauty of the gate.
A traditional house of Chhattisgarh’s rural environment was built in the left part of the main event pavilion. The courtyard of the house is decorated with paintings of the plains of Chhattisgarh. There was a Tulsi Chaura and Gaushala in the courtyard of the house, where cow dung cakes were kept along with traditional agricultural equipment like plough, hoe, Rapa, Gaiti, Tangia, Sabbal. The walls of the rural house were decorated with beautiful paintings of Rajwar painting of Surguja.
The exhibition of agricultural equipment was the main attraction in the program pavilion. The special thing was that traditional and modern agricultural equipment had been displayed together in the exhibition. Equipment like Paddy Seeder, Juda, Biasi Plough, Tendua Plough and Tractor were on the display.
Besides the delicious traditional Chhattisgarhi dishes in the pavilion, the Rahchuli swing of the state was also the center of attraction.
On the occasion of Hareli, the charm of traditional folk dances like Gidi dance and Raut Nacha is also spreading with captivating tunes in the Chief Minister’s residence. A team has been invited from Bilaspur for Gidi dance. The Gidi dance team is wearing Parsan clothes with a crown of peacock feathers on the head, a garland made of cowrie shells and porcelain clay and a jacket studded with cowrie shells. This team is presenting its performance in the melodious tune of Mandar, cymbals, jhumkas, khanjari, harmonium and flute. It is worth mentioning that Gidi dance starts from the day of Hareli.
On the occasion of Hareli, a team of 50 people has reached the Chief Minister’s residence from Gadbeda (Pithora) for Raut Nacha. While the men in this group have worn dhoti-kurta with a plumed turban on the head, cowrie shell studded armlets and belts with ghungroos on the feet, the women have also arrived in traditional attire. Members of both these groups said that they eagerly wait to reach the Chief Minister’s residence on this occasion.
