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= State of Folk Artist: Chhattisgarh = Chhattisgarh an Indian state with strong tribal tradition of music and dance. It is in the central India, surrounded by forests and is known for its temples and waterfalls. Chhattisgarh is the corrupted form of Chedigarh which means Raj or ‘Empire of the Chedis’. It was named that way because in ancient time it had been part of the chedi dynasty of Kaling. Durg district is well known for its inspiring folk culture and is presented through various melodious songs and dance forms. Folk art refers to the cultural identity by communicating community values and ethics in different forms like traditional dance, music, etc.

One of the popular art of Chhattisgarh is Bastar Art. It is now getting vanished as the days passes. Bastar Art got it’s name from Bastar, a tribal district of Chhattisgarh with the population of about 70% in the district. The tribes of Bastar region are known for their unique, attractive and distinctive tribal culture and heritage in all over the globe. Each tribal group in Bastar has their own distinct culture and enjoys their own unique traditional living styles. Each tribe has developed its own dialects and differs from each other in their costume, eating habits, customs, traditions, and even worships different form of god and goddess. The tribes of Bastar are also known for their colorful festivals and arts and crafts. The Bastar Dussehra is the most famous festival of the region. And the interesting fact is that in the 21st century where the innovation and inventions had changed the world but this tribal groups living in the deep forest are unaware of the fact and avoid mixing with outsiders in order to protect their own unique culture.

The Bastar district specializes in the preparation of items from the Dhokra Handicraft and Bastar Wooden Craft. This process calls for a great deal of precision and skill. The artifacts prepared from Dhokra technique of this art use cow dung, paddy husk and red soil in the preparation, beeswax being the most important one. Apart form contouring, wax wires are also used for decoration purpose and for giving a finishing touch to artifacts. From the Bell Metal Handicraft of Chhattisgarh in India, the real genius and creative faculty of the artisians come into picture and thus make for some of the most wonderful pieces of art. The tribal society of Bastar is popular for their work that includes magnificent handicrafts in different shapes and sizes. The craft work incorporates wood carvings, Bell metal products, terracotta items, bamboo decorative pieces.

To keep alive the Bastar Art, several NGO’s had came together and done multiple exercise in Chhattisgarh and other parts of India. Several policies are also made in order to support the tribal groups and families involve in this traditional art and craft. It has been promoted internationally also as a result it bought exposure to the tribal communities & increased their confidence in work.

= Niranjan Mahavar = A comb collection of Niranjan Mahavar that provides insight into tribal heritage.

Brush, a piece of lacking interest tucked away in dressers drawers requires a vivid imagination. Thirty-two years ago, ethnologist and tribal art historian Niranjan Mahawar, began unusual collection of combs.

Today, he has collected over 1,600 and, through them, a wealth of information about the cultural and social meanings they contain for the tribal who wear them: three dots tracing a triangle are graphic bees that create life by taking pollen from flower to flower, two triangles over each other forming a star symbolise procreation while horses represent fertility. Around Raipur, where Mahawar has spent a lifetime collecting tribal art in a bid to understand the heritage they embody, elaborate combs can still be found. In the past two years alone, he has added 350 combs to his collection.

Tribals like the Gonds of Madhya Pradesh and the Bhils of Rajasthan continue the tradition of crafting and wearing exquisite combs in their hair, the way other people wear jewellery. Many of those in Mahawar's collection come from Bastar, which has a rich history surrounding its combs.

"Combs are primitive objects but they have acquired a sophistication that is little understood," says Mahawar who has been through Indian symbolism and the language of icons with a fine tooth-comb.

For historians, Mahawar's research should help throw fresh light on combs which have, so far, merely been considered a part of shringar. In their sweeping catalogues of human evolution, those who write history might leave this humble object under the head 'Ornaments'. Although Mahawar's collection of wood and bronze combs does not feature anything older than 75 years, it offers a remarkable insight into tribal life. Today, he is looking for an appropriate display where people can examine, appreciate and study the collection. He is willing to give it to a museum located in the tribal belt of Madhya Pradesh. With good reason. And not without its own touch of symbolism: Mahawar believes that their history may be lost to the world but, it is hoped, not to themselves.