# Bastar Dussehra 2026: Dates, Schedule, Rituals and Visitor Guide > Bastar Dussehra 2026 dates for every ritual, from Kachan Gadi on 10 Oct to Muria Darbar on 23 Oct, plus the history, the rath, and how to visit Jagdalpur. > > Source (cite this URL): https://www.littletownsuperstore.com/journal/bastar-dussehra > About: Little Town Superstore, a neighbourhood supermarket and the Whispering Leaves cafe in Dharampura, Jagdalpur, Bastar, Chhattisgarh 494001. Open daily 6:30 AM to 9:30 PM (Fri to Sun till 10 PM). Phone 78479 16890, cafe 62613 73750. Home delivery (free over Rs 399 or within 2 km, Rs 15 up to 5 km, Rs 25 up to 8 km), cash or UPI. A unit of ZaZer Ventures LLP. ### Bastar Dussehra 2026 at a glance **When:** 12 August to 27 October 2026. The main days are 10 to 24 October. **Key dates:** Kachan Gadi 10 Oct, Kalash Sthapana 11 Oct, Jogi Bithai 12 Oct, Nisha Jatra 19 Oct, Mavli Parghav 20 Oct, **Bhitar Raini 21 Oct**, **Bahar Raini 22 Oct**, **Muria Darbar 23 Oct**, Kutumb Jatra 24 Oct. **Where:** Jagdalpur, Bastar, Chhattisgarh, around the Maa Danteshwari temple. **What makes it unique:** it lasts about 75 days, it honours the goddess Maa Danteshwari rather than Lord Ram, and no Ravana effigy is burnt. We are a neighbourhood supermarket in Dharampura, Jagdalpur, and for us Bastar Dussehra is not an event we read about. It is the season the whole city moves to. The roads around the temple fill up, villages arrive with their deities, and the great wooden rath rolls past shops that have watched it for generations. This guide puts everything in one place: the full 2026 schedule, what each ritual means, and practical tips if you are coming to see it. ## When is Bastar Dussehra 2026? Bastar Dussehra 2026 began on **12 August 2026** with Paat Jatra and ends on **27 October 2026** with the farewell of Maa Mavli's doli. The biggest days are **21 October (Bhitar Raini)**, **22 October (Bahar Raini)** and **23 October (Muria Darbar)**. These dates come from the schedule released by the Bastar Dussehra Committee, as reported by [Patrika](https://www.patrika.com/bastar-news/bastar-dussehra-2026-begins-with-paat-jatra-puja-75-day-20824549) and [Amar Ujala](https://www.amarujala.com/chhattisgarh/balodabazar-bhatapara/world-famous-bastar-dussehra-75-day-historic-festival-begins-today-with-pat-jatra-ritual-2026-08-12). _(Infographic: Bastar Dussehra 2026 key dates. Save it or share it with anyone planning a visit.)_ ### Full Bastar Dussehra 2026 schedule | Date (2026) | Ritual | What happens | |---|---|---| | 12 Aug, Wed | Paat Jatra | The first log for the rath is worshipped at the Danteshwari temple on Hareli Amavasya. The festival begins. | | 24 Sep, Thu | Deri Gadhai | Wooden posts are ritually set up at Sirhasar Bhawan, and work on the rath picks up. | | 10 Oct, Sat | Kachan Gadi | On Ashwin Amavasya, Kachan Devi gives her permission for the festival. | | 11 Oct, Sun | Kalash Sthapana | Navratri begins with the installation of the kalash. | | 12 Oct, Mon | Jogi Bithai | A jogi begins nine days of meditation at Sirhasar for the festival's success. | | 13 to 18 Oct | Phool Rath parikrama | Navratri puja, and the flower-decked rath is pulled around its route each day. | | 18 Oct, Sun | Bel Puja | Bel puja, scheduled for 11 AM. | | 19 Oct, Mon | Maha Ashtami, Nisha Jatra | The midnight ritual, one of the oldest and most atmospheric nights of the festival. | | 20 Oct, Tue | Kunwari Puja, Jogi Uthai, Mavli Parghav | The jogi ends his meditation, and Maa Mavli's doli is welcomed from Dantewada. | | 21 Oct, Wed | Bhitar Raini | The big rath is pulled around the inner route. | | 22 Oct, Thu | Bahar Raini | The rath's outer round, including its famous journey to Kumhrakot. | | 23 Oct, Fri | Kachan Jatra, Muria Darbar | Thanks to Kachan Devi in the morning; the historic tribal assembly in the afternoon. | | 24 Oct, Sat | Kutumb Jatra | The village deities are honoured and given their farewell. | | 27 Oct, Tue | Farewell of Maa Mavli | Maa Mavli's doli departs, and the festival formally closes. | **A note on the dates.** Some national tourism pages list Bhitar Raini on 20 October 2026. The Bastar Dussehra Committee's own schedule puts it on **21 October**, with Bahar Raini on 22 October. Rituals follow the Hindu calendar and local custom, and timings on the day can shift, so check locally before you plan around a specific hour. ## What is Bastar Dussehra? Bastar Dussehra is a festival of about 75 days held in Jagdalpur, the main city of the Bastar region in southern Chhattisgarh. It is dedicated to **Maa Danteshwari**, the presiding goddess of Bastar, along with hundreds of village deities who are carried into the city from across the region. Its best-known sight is a huge wooden rath, built by hand every year and pulled through the old city by villagers. It shares a name and a few dates with Dussehra elsewhere in India, but almost nothing else. It is a living tradition of Bastar's tribal communities and its old royal family, with roles passed down through particular villages and families for centuries. ## Why is Bastar Dussehra 75 days long? Because it begins with the rath, not with the battle. The festival opens on Hareli Amavasya in the month of Shravan with Paat Jatra, when the first wood for the chariot is worshipped. Building the rath, preparing each ritual, and gathering the deities from the villages takes weeks. The season then runs through Navratri and closes only after the deities have been given their farewell. "75 days" is the traditional count. In 2026, the first and last rituals fall on 12 August and 27 October. ## Is Ravana burnt in Bastar Dussehra? No. There is no Ravana dahan in Bastar Dussehra. The festival is about the worship of Maa Danteshwari and the local deities, not the Ramayana story of Lord Ram defeating Ravana. Some local tellings add that Bastar, part of the ancient Dandakaranya forest, was once counted as Ravana's realm, which is why his effigy is not burnt here. Treat that as folklore. The simple answer is that this Dussehra was never about Ravana. ## History: who started Bastar Dussehra? By the most common account, Bastar Dussehra began in the early 15th century under **Maharaja Purushottam Dev** of the Kakatiya dynasty. Tradition says he went on a pilgrimage to Jagannath Puri, where the priests honoured him with the title of "Rathpati", lord of the chariot. He brought the rath tradition home to Bastar. Sources give different years for its start, from around 1408 to 1423, so it is fair to say the festival is about 600 years old. The festival later moved with the capital. When Raja Dalpat Deo shifted the seat of Bastar to Jagdalpur in the 1700s, Dussehra came with it, and it has centred on the Danteshwari temple in Jagdalpur ever since. (We told that story in [the story of Dalpat Sagar, Jagdalpur's royal lake](https://www.littletownsuperstore.com/journal/dalpat-sagar-jagdalpur-history).) The Muria Darbar was added much later: it traces back to an assembly of village headmen first held in 1876, according to [Drishti IAS](https://www.drishtiias.com/state-pcs-current-affairs/muria-darbar), and it became part of the festival in the years after. ## The rituals of Bastar Dussehra, explained ### Paat Jatra: the festival begins On Hareli Amavasya, a log known as the Thurlu Khotla is worshipped at the Danteshwari temple, and the tools that will shape the rath are blessed. In 2026 the log came by bullock cart from Billori village, about 7 km away. It is the quiet first step of a very long celebration. ### Deri Gadhai: the work begins in earnest Wooden posts are ritually set into the ground at Sirhasar Bhawan, the community hall at the centre of the festival. After this, the building of the rath moves into full swing. ### Kachan Gadi: the goddess gives permission Nothing proceeds without Kachan Devi's blessing. On Ashwin Amavasya, a young girl, by most accounts from the Panka community, is believed to carry the goddess. She lies on a swing made of thorns and gives the royal family permission to hold the festival. It is one of Bastar Dussehra's most striking rituals, and it takes place on 10 October in 2026. ### Kalash Sthapana and Jogi Bithai Navratri begins with Kalash Sthapana. The next day, at Jogi Bithai, a man from the Halba community, by tradition, sits in a pit at Sirhasar Bhawan and meditates for nine days, praying for the festival to pass without obstacles. His vow ends at Jogi Uthai, on 20 October in 2026. ### Phool Rath parikrama Through Navratri, the flower-decked rath carrying Maa Danteshwari's chhatra (canopy) is pulled around its route each day, usually in the evening. In 2026 that is from 13 to 18 October. If you cannot make the main days, these rounds are a gentler way to see the rath and the crowds. ### Nisha Jatra: the midnight ritual On Maha Ashtami night, Nisha Jatra is performed at midnight, with traditional offerings including animal sacrifice. It is among the oldest rites of the festival. Visitors should know that it may not suit everyone, and that it is a sacred ritual, not a show. ### Mavli Parghav: welcoming Maa Mavli Maa Mavli's doli arrives from Dantewada and is welcomed with a grand reception. Drums, devotees and deities from the villages come together for one of the most joyful moments of the season. ### Bhitar Raini and Bahar Raini: the big rath These are the days most visitors come for. On **Bhitar Raini (21 October 2026)**, the larger rath is pulled around the inner route. At night, in one of the festival's best-loved traditions, villagers "steal" the rath and take it to Kumhrakot, a forest area on the edge of the city. The story behind it is that the villagers wanted the king to share the new harvest meal, nayakhani, with them. On **Bahar Raini (22 October 2026)**, the royal family goes to Kumhrakot, shares the meal, and the rath is brought back in a grand procession. ### Muria Darbar: the people's assembly On 23 October, after Kachan Jatra in the morning, village headmen and community leaders from across Bastar gather at the Muria Darbar to raise local issues with the administration. For more than a century it has been a rare open forum between the people of Bastar and those who govern them. Chief Ministers have attended for years, and in 2026 President Droupadi Murmu has accepted the invitation to attend, [as reported on 29 September 2026](https://lalluram.com/at-cm-vishnudeo-sai-invitationpresident-has-accepted-invitation-to-attend-muria-darbar-during-bastar-dussehra/). ### Kutumb Jatra and the farewell On 24 October, the village deities are honoured and given their farewell, and they begin their journeys home. The festival formally closes on 27 October 2026, when Maa Mavli's doli departs. ## The rath: how it is built and who pulls it The rath is built by hand every year, by about 150 artisans from Beda Umargaon and Jhar Umargaon villages, using sal and tinsa wood and traditional methods. By most accounts there are two chariots: a four-wheeled rath for the Phool Rath rounds and a larger eight-wheeled rath for Bhitar and Bahar Raini. Reported heights vary from source to source, with 35 to 40 feet often quoted. Pulling the rath is an honour held by specific communities. Villagers from Kachorapati and Agarwara pull the smaller rath, and Maria villagers from Kilepal pull the larger one, according to [Sahapedia](http://www.sahapedia.org/bastaria-dussehra-coming-together-of-deities). The wood itself has become a live question: in 2024, 240 trees were cut for the chariot, [reported The Hitavada](https://www.thehitavada.com/Encyc/2024/8/5/240-trees-cut-for-Bastar-Dussehra-chariot.html), and on 3 October 2026, villagers in the Darbha valley [protested the felling of sal trees](https://www.etvbharat.com/hi/state/darbha-valley-villagers-protest-against-felling-of-tree-for-bastar-dussehra-2026-cts26100306453), asking that a rath be reused for a few years. ## How many deities take part? Hundreds. Deities are carried in from villages and parganas across Bastar, and published estimates range from about 450 to well over a thousand. No single figure is official, but anyone who has stood near the temple on the main days will tell you it feels like all of Bastar has come to town. ## Best days and places to watch Bastar Dussehra - **For the big rath:** Bhitar Raini on 21 October and Bahar Raini on 22 October 2026. - **For a calmer look:** the Phool Rath rounds from 13 to 18 October, usually in the evening. - **For the spectacle of faith:** Mavli Parghav on 20 October, when the deities and devotees fill the streets. - **Where to stand:** the area around the Maa Danteshwari temple and Sirhasar Bhawan, and along the rath's route through the old city near Gol Bazaar. Kumhrakot is the focus on Bahar Raini. **Tips:** arrive early, as the best spots fill fast. Carry water and a little cash as well as UPI. Wear comfortable shoes, keep children close in the crowds, and ask before photographing anyone taking part in a ritual. Above all, remember that every one of these rituals is worship first. ## How to reach Jagdalpur for Bastar Dussehra - **By air:** Jagdalpur has its own airport, Maa Danteshwari Airport (JGB), with flights that have connected it to Raipur and Hyderabad. Check current schedules before you book. Raipur's airport is about 300 km away. - **By road:** Raipur to Jagdalpur is roughly 6 to 7 hours by road on NH-30. Buses also run to Jagdalpur from Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada. - **By train:** Jagdalpur is on the Kirandul line from Visakhapatnam, a famously scenic ride through the Eastern Ghats, and has trains from Durg and other cities. See the [Bastar district's travel page](https://bastar.gov.in/en/tourism/how-to-reach/) for current trains. Hotels fill up quickly around the main days, so book early. While you are here, Bastar has plenty more to see; our guide to the [10 best places to visit in Jagdalpur and Bastar](https://www.littletownsuperstore.com/journal/places-to-visit-in-jagdalpur) covers Chitrakote Falls, Tirathgarh and more. ## Is Bastar Dussehra a UNESCO World Heritage? Not yet. In September 2026, the Bastar Dussehra committee resolved to seek a place for the festival on UNESCO's list of intangible cultural heritage, [reported Amar Ujala](https://www.amarujala.com/chhattisgarh/bastar-dussehra-resolution-to-include-it-in-unesco-list-cultural-heritage-will-resonate-for-75-days-2026-09-09). Any listing would be years away, but the push has begun. ## How is Bastar Dussehra different from Mysore and Kullu Dussehra? Mysore Dasara is a royal celebration of about ten days that honours the goddess Chamundeshwari, famous for its elephant procession. Kullu Dussehra in Himachal Pradesh begins on Vijayadashami itself and gathers the valley's deities around Lord Raghunath for a week. Bastar Dussehra stands apart: it lasts about 75 days, it centres on Maa Danteshwari and Bastar's tribal deities, its heart is a hand-built wooden rath, and there is no Ravana at all. ## बस्तर दशहरा 2026: मुख्य तिथियाँ बस्तर दशहरा 2026 की शुरुआत 12 अगस्त को पाट जात्रा से हुई और 27 अक्टूबर को मावली माता की डोली की विदाई के साथ इसका समापन होगा। यह लगभग 75 दिनों तक चलने वाला पर्व है, जो माँ दंतेश्वरी को समर्पित है। इसमें रावण दहन नहीं होता। - काछनगादी: 10 अक्टूबर - कलश स्थापना: 11 अक्टूबर - जोगी बिठाई: 12 अक्टूबर - फूल रथ परिक्रमा: 13 से 18 अक्टूबर - निशा जात्रा: 19 अक्टूबर - मावली परघाव: 20 अक्टूबर - भीतर रैनी: 21 अक्टूबर - बाहर रैनी: 22 अक्टूबर - काछन जात्रा और मुरिया दरबार: 23 अक्टूबर - कुटुंब जात्रा: 24 अक्टूबर - मावली माता की डोली की विदाई: 27 अक्टूबर स्रोत: बस्तर दशहरा समिति का कार्यक्रम, जैसा पत्रिका और अमर उजाला में प्रकाशित हुआ। ## Coming for Dussehra? Stock up in Dharampura Little Town Superstore is on Dalpat Sagar to Navodaya Vidyalaya Road, near P.G. College in Dharampura, Jagdalpur. Visitors pick up water, fruit and snacks for long days in the crowds, and the Whispering Leaves café inside is a good place to sit with a chai or cold coffee between rituals. If you live here and are planning the festive shopping, our [calm, three-wave Bastar Dussehra shopping plan](https://www.littletownsuperstore.com/journal/bastar-dussehra-festival-shopping-guide) spreads it across the season. ## Fuel up for the festival Open daily from 6:30 AM to 9:30 PM (Fri to Sun till 10 PM), with cash or UPI. Locals can order the festive groceries online and have them delivered home, so the evenings stay free for the rath. ## Sources - 2026 schedule: Bastar Dussehra Committee, as published by [Patrika](https://www.patrika.com/bastar-news/bastar-dussehra-2026-begins-with-paat-jatra-puja-75-day-20824549), [Amar Ujala](https://www.amarujala.com/chhattisgarh/balodabazar-bhatapara/world-famous-bastar-dussehra-75-day-historic-festival-begins-today-with-pat-jatra-ritual-2026-08-12) and [Saahas Samachar](https://www.saahassamachar.in/raipur-world-famous-historical-bastar-dussehra-festival-will-start-from-tomorrow-with-paat-jatra-puja-rituals). - Rituals and the rath: [Sahapedia](http://www.sahapedia.org/bastaria-dussehra-coming-together-of-deities), [Bastar district administration](https://bastar.gov.in/en/tourism/places-of-interest/), [The Hitavada](https://www.thehitavada.com/Encyc/2024/8/5/240-trees-cut-for-Bastar-Dussehra-chariot.html). - History: [Incredible India](https://www.incredibleindia.gov.in/en/festivals-and-events/chhattisgarh/bastar-dussehra), [Drishti IAS](https://www.drishtiias.com/state-pcs-current-affairs/bastar-dussehra-1). - 2026 news: [Lalluram](https://lalluram.com/at-cm-vishnudeo-sai-invitationpresident-has-accepted-invitation-to-attend-muria-darbar-during-bastar-dussehra/) (President's visit), [Amar Ujala](https://www.amarujala.com/chhattisgarh/bastar-dussehra-resolution-to-include-it-in-unesco-list-cultural-heritage-will-resonate-for-75-days-2026-09-09) (UNESCO), [ETV Bharat](https://www.etvbharat.com/hi/state/darbha-valley-villagers-protest-against-felling-of-tree-for-bastar-dussehra-2026-cts26100306453) (tree protest). ## Frequently asked questions **When is Bastar Dussehra 2026?** Bastar Dussehra 2026 runs from 12 August (Paat Jatra) to 27 October 2026 in Jagdalpur, Chhattisgarh. The main days are 10 to 24 October, with Bhitar Raini on 21 October, Bahar Raini on 22 October and the Muria Darbar on 23 October. **What is the date of Bhitar Raini in 2026?** Bhitar Raini is on 21 October 2026, according to the Bastar Dussehra Committee's schedule. Some national tourism pages list 20 October, but the committee's own schedule gives 21 October. **When is Bahar Raini 2026?** Bahar Raini is on 22 October 2026, when the rath that was taken to Kumhrakot is brought back to the city in a grand procession. **When is the Muria Darbar in 2026?** The Muria Darbar is on 23 October 2026, in the afternoon after Kachan Jatra. President Droupadi Murmu has accepted the invitation to attend, as reported on 29 September 2026. **When is Kachan Gadi in 2026?** Kachan Gadi is on 10 October 2026, on Ashwin Amavasya, when Kachan Devi gives her permission for the festival to go ahead. **When is Nisha Jatra in 2026?** Nisha Jatra is on the night of 19 October 2026, Maha Ashtami. It is a midnight ritual and one of the oldest rites of Bastar Dussehra. **Why is Bastar Dussehra celebrated for 75 days?** It begins much earlier than Dussehra elsewhere: Paat Jatra on Hareli Amavasya, when the first wood for the rath is worshipped. Building the rath and gathering the deities from the villages takes weeks, and the season runs through Navratri until the deities' farewell. 75 days is the traditional count; in 2026 it runs from 12 August to 27 October. **Is Ravana burnt in Bastar Dussehra?** No. Bastar Dussehra has no Ravana dahan. It honours Maa Danteshwari and the local deities of Bastar, not the Ramayana story of Lord Ram defeating Ravana. **Which goddess is Bastar Dussehra dedicated to?** Bastar Dussehra is dedicated to Maa Danteshwari, the presiding goddess of Bastar, along with Maa Mavli and hundreds of village deities who are brought to Jagdalpur for the festival. **Who started Bastar Dussehra?** By the most common account, Maharaja Purushottam Dev of the Kakatiya dynasty started it in the early 15th century, after a pilgrimage to Jagannath Puri where he was honoured as Rathpati, lord of the chariot. Sources date its start between about 1408 and 1423. **How old is Bastar Dussehra?** About 600 years. Its origin is usually traced to the early 15th century and Maharaja Purushottam Dev. It moved to Jagdalpur when Raja Dalpat Deo shifted Bastar's capital there in the 1700s. **What is Kachan Gadi?** Kachan Gadi is the ritual in which Kachan Devi gives permission for Bastar Dussehra. A young girl, by most accounts from the Panka community, is believed to carry the goddess; she lies on a swing of thorns and gives the royal family her consent. **What happens at Bhitar Raini and Bahar Raini?** On Bhitar Raini the large rath is pulled around the inner route. That night villagers 'steal' it and take it to Kumhrakot, a tradition linked to their wish to share the new harvest meal with the king. On Bahar Raini the royal family goes to Kumhrakot, shares the meal, and the rath returns in a grand procession. **What is the Muria Darbar?** The Muria Darbar is an assembly of village headmen and community leaders from across Bastar, who raise local issues directly with the administration. It traces back to 1876 and is held near the end of Bastar Dussehra. **Who builds the Bastar Dussehra rath?** About 150 artisans from Beda Umargaon and Jhar Umargaon villages build the rath by hand every year, using sal and tinsa wood and traditional methods. **Who pulls the rath in Bastar Dussehra?** Pulling the rath is a hereditary honour. Villagers from Kachorapati and Agarwara pull the smaller four-wheeled rath, and Maria villagers from Kilepal pull the larger eight-wheeled rath. **Is Bastar Dussehra the longest festival in the world?** It is widely described as the longest Dussehra and one of the longest festivals in the world, at about 75 days. **What is the best day to see Bastar Dussehra?** For the big rath, come for Bhitar Raini on 21 October or Bahar Raini on 22 October 2026. The Phool Rath rounds from 13 to 18 October, usually in the evening, are a calmer way to see it. **How do I reach Jagdalpur for Bastar Dussehra?** Jagdalpur has its own airport, Maa Danteshwari Airport (JGB); check current flights. Raipur airport is about 300 km away, roughly 6 to 7 hours by road on NH-30. Trains run on the scenic Kirandul line from Visakhapatnam and from Durg, and buses connect Jagdalpur with Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada. **Is Bastar Dussehra a UNESCO heritage?** Not yet. In September 2026 the Bastar Dussehra committee resolved to seek a place for the festival on UNESCO's list of intangible cultural heritage. **Where can I buy water, snacks or groceries in Jagdalpur during Bastar Dussehra?** Little Town Superstore, with the Whispering Leaves café, is on Dalpat Sagar to Navodaya Vidyalaya Road near P.G. College, Dharampura, Jagdalpur. It is open daily 6:30 AM to 9:30 PM (Fri to Sun till 10 PM), takes cash or UPI, and takes grocery orders online for home delivery.