Madai are an ineluctable part of the culture of Bastar. They are meeting grounds for the world of gods, spirits and human beings, in which festivities accompany economic activity and the gathering of communities and their deities. The goddess Danteshwari is the presiding deity of the royal family, and of all the gods of Bastar. The Phag Madai is held in her honour in Dantewada every year just before the festival of Holi. The royal family of Bastar inaugurates the festival which lasts for ten days and ends with the celebration of Holi. In many ways this festival represents the confluence of royal, Adivasi and non Adivasi traditions in Bastar.
This content has been created as part of a project commissioned by the Directorate of Culture and Archaeology, Government of Chhattisgarh, to document the cultural and natural heritage of the state of Chhattisgarh.
