Chhattisgarh’s farming festival, Hareli, was celebrated with traditional zeal and cultural pride across rural Bastar, including Kondagaon and in the Tilda-Neora region. Known as a festival closely linked to agriculture, Hareli symbolises gratitude towards Mother Nature through the worship of traditional farming tools, herbs, and livestock. In Kondagaon, villagers gathered at common spots to mark the occasion, greeting one another and offering prayers for a prosperous harvest. Farming tools such as ploughs, spades, shovels, and pickaxes were ritually cleaned and worshipped.

 

Herbs freshly collected from the forest were cooked in a communal pot, after which small quantities of these medicinal herbs were distributed among the villagers by the village head. Farmers also visited their fields to plant Belva leaves and Satawari herbs, believed to have antibiotic properties that protect paddy crops from diseases. One of the key attractions of the day was the Gidi dance, where children and youth showcased their balancing skills on bamboo structures ranging from 18 inches to 10 feet. This traditional performance, both entertaining and skillful, drew the admiration of the crowd and added to the festive spirit. In Tilda-Neora, similar celebrations werem witnessed with farmers performing puja of agricultural tools and offering cheela as bhog.

 

Cows were worshipped and fed with bagranda leaves and herbs, believed to ward off illnesses. Farmers also offered prayers to village and family deities, seeking blessings for happiness and abundance. The festival also carried messages of environmental protection, with villagers paying homage to greenery and nature. Traditions such as hammering nails into doorframes by Lohar families to ward off negative energy, and hanging neem branches on doorways by Raut families to keep evil forces and diseases at bay, were observed across villages. Throughout the day, children enjoyed playing with bamboo Gidis, while households prepared a variety of Chhattisgarhi delicacies, including Cheela, Chaunsela, Gulgul Bhajiya, Thethri, Khurmi and Airsa. Villages also organised traditional competitions such as Gidi races, coconut throwing, and bull races, making Hareli a vibrant celebration of agrarian culture and heritage.