Exploring Bastar- A Sketch Travelogue

In January 2023, I visited the Bastar district in Chhattisgarh. I got in touch with Unexplored Bastar who planned my trip and also provided me with a guide. I created a sketch travel journal during the trip, like the Ladakh one. Let me take you to Bastar through my sketches. 

I took a flight from Mumbai to Jagdalpur via Hyderabad. 

People waiting at the airport at 5.30 am.

View of the planes while waiting in the lounge. 

My favorite thing to sketch on a flight is the plane window!

Sunrise from above the clouds.

My first stop was the Danteshwari mandir in Dantewada, which is one of the 52 Shaktipeethas where the Mother Goddess is worshipped as an incarnation of Shakti.  According to Hindu mythology, Sati Devi, the first wife of Shiva, committed self-immolation in the Yagna kund (holy sacrificial fire) out of anger, because her father, Daksha, had insulted Lord Shiva. 

In utter grief and anguish, Lord Shiva carried the body of Sati devi, refusing to put it down. He also started the Tandava Nritya, the dance of destruction which threatened to destroy all worlds. Fearing the worst, Lord Vishnu, cut the body of Sati devi into 51 parts and thus creating powerful Shaktipeethas wherever the pieces of her body fell. 

Danteshwari mandir holds the tooth of Sati devi (Dant means teeth in Sanskrit) and is a very important pilgrimage center. 

Danteshwari mandir in Dantewada

The image of Goddess Danteshwari in the garba gruha is carved in black stone. and there was quite a throng of devotees since it was a public holiday on the 26th of January. I sat in the shade and did this sketch as curious people gathered around to take a look at what I was doing. 

My next stop was Barsur which was many centuries ago an important site with around 147 temples dating back to the 11th century built by the Nagavamsa dynasty. It is located around 80 kms from the main town of Jagdalpur and on the banks of the river Indravati. Currently, there are only around three or four temples, that too in ruins which can be visited. The first is the Mama-Bhanja temple believed to have been built by sculptors, an Uncle- nephew duo in a record time of 24 hours. The second is the Battisa temple, a Shiva temple with 32 pillars (battees is 32 in Hindi). The third is the twin Ganesha idols probably part of a temple earlier.

You may like to read my blog post on the cuisine of the Lepcha tribe.

The Mama-Bhanja temple

The Battisa temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and located in tye Barsur town of Dantewada. The inscriptions in the temple mention that the Someshwara and Gangadeshwara temples were constructed in the year 1209 by Queen Ganga Mahadevi of the Nagavansha dynasty. The queen and her KIng husband separately worshipped in the temple hence there are two scared Shivalingas. The presence of two Shivalingas is what makes this temple unique. 

The Battisa temple with 32 pillars 

The twin Ganesha idols are the 3rd largest sandstone figures of Ganesha in the world. 

Me sketching the Nandi.

The next stop was Madarkonta Caves. I was apprehensive about entering the Madarkonta caves after seeing the photos online because there are no steps so one has to walk and crawl over big boulders and narrow passages inside. But a little coaxing from my guides encouraged me to give it a try. A local guide from the Maria tribe named Benjan guided us. That's him holding my sketch. The outside of the cave was beautiful with sedimentary rocks stacked on top of each other. We reached a large chamber inside and I sat to meditate for a few minutes. The guides had put off their torch light and upon opening my eyes there was not a speck of light. Just beautiful darkness and my breath. Such a unique experience.

Entrance to the Madarkonta caves

My guide inside the cave, Benjan. He is hoping to join the Army.

Meditating inside the cave. My guide took this photo. 

Inside the cave.

After the unique cave experience, we spent some refreshing time by a rivulet, with birds chirping around and the sound of water.

A picturesque scene by the rivulet

After the refreshing time in the shade, it was time to face the scorching sun at Tirathgarh waterfalls. The waterfalls are around 35 kms away from Jagdalpur and cascade down from a height of 100 feet. I sat under the burning sun to sketch this while my guide shooed away monkeys who were trying to grab my colour palette, thinking it was food. 

The Tirathgarh waterfalls.

Some herostones or Veergal near the waterfalls

Tirathgarh waterfalls

After sketching at the Tirathgarh waterfalls, we visited a tribal market. Having visited tribal markets in Koraput, Odisha, I was looking forward to experiencing it. 

Some tribal communities in Chhattisgarh eat red ants as part of their diet. The red ants grow in abundance on Sal and Mango trees. They form nests by joining large leaves and lay their eggs inside. The tribal people collect these large clutches of ants plus their eggs and make a chutney (dip) out of it. It is locally called Chaapda. The chutney is made by crushing the ants and eggs live along with garlic, ginger, salt and whatever seasoning they fancy and eaten with rice and lentils. This dish is high on protein and believed to offer immunity against flu, malaria, etc. I saw this beautiful tribal woman selling ants out of leaf cups in a market. She broke into a smile upon seeing her sketch. And just in case you are curious, no, I didn't eat the ants last photo of the close up of the ants taken by my guide.

You may like my blog post on the Brokpa tribe of Ladakh.

Another interesting thing I sampled was the Mahua alcohol which is one of the oldest indigenous alcohols in India. The Mahua tree grows abundantly in central, western and eastern India. And the tribal communities such as the Gonds, Santhals, Dhuruwa, etc worship it as the Tree of Life. Every part of the tree- flowes, branches, leaves are used by the tribals in some form or the other. The mahua tree as well as the alcohol was inextricably linked to tribal life for centuries until the British banned it citing it as a health hazard (how ridiculous!). Probably this is the only alcohol made from sweet mahua flowers over a laborious 8 day process. This lady from whom I bought the alcohol was also making cups out of large leaves to drink the liquid from. I saw several groups of women coming, buying their share and sitting and chatting away. My guide explained this is their version of a kitty party. Women come for shopping in the market, catch up with friends over a glass of liquor ad have a good time. Women are the same everywhere.

That's me drinking mahua alcohol from a leaf cup. 

I saw women and men selling heaps of dried mahua, which people buy and make alcohol in their own homes. 

I returned to Bastar and in the morning visited another Danteshwari mandir next to the Bastar Palace.

We then visited the Narayanpur temple, the only temple dedicated to Sri Vishnu in the area. 

On the way to the Bastar Shiv mandir, we stopped for lunch at a small eatery run by the local tribal village women. Food was served in leaf bowls, the ultimate sustainable method. What impressed me was that they had UPI digital payment. 

I sketched the view next to this eatery. 

I stayed at a village-run homestay near Chitrakote waterfalls. The house was made of mud and the room was quite simple and comfortable. 

The Chitrakote waterfalls is horse shoe shaped and is compared with the Niagara waterfalls. The local people don't appreciate that comparison though. I agree because each place is unique. The waterfall is also worshipped by the local people. My guide @akashwithsky explained that many from Bastar may not be able to go to the Ganga river which is very holy for Hindus so they offer their prayers to the Chitrakote waters instead. The best time to visit the waterfalls in its roaring glory is after the Monsoon , from August to November. What I saw now is a mere trickle compared to what it looks like in its full form.

You may like my blog post on the ancient martial arts form Kalaripayattu.

I also visited a few artisans in Bastar. The first was the Dhokra artisans. 

The lost wax casting technique or Dhokra art as it is called in India, has been in continuous existence here since around 5000 years from the Indus Valley Civilization. One of the earliest figurines discovered from the IVC is that of the 'Dancing Girl'. I had the opportunity to visit the Dhokra artisans in Kondagaon, Chhattisgarh. First, a clay core is made in the form the desired final image. Over it is applied a layer of wax, shaped and carved intricately. The wax is a mix of beeswax, resin and a bit of charcoal. This is again covered with clay, which takes the negative form of the wax from inside, becoming a mould for the metal that will be poured inside it. Holes are left in the mould for the molten wax to drain when the clay is cooked. The wax is replaced by the molten brass. The liquid metal hardens between the innermost clay core and the inner surface of the outer mould. After it cools, the outer layer of clay is removed and the metal is polished. Dhokra art making still thrives in the states of Chhattisgarh, Odisha, and Bengal and I have quite a few pieces of Dhokra art that adorn my home. So glad to have an insider view of this ancient art.

Bastar is known for its terracotta art. I visited the National award winning potter-artist Shri. Ashok Chakradhari at his workshop-cum-residence. There is a custom amongst the tribal communities of Bastar, of offering votive figures to Mother Nature whom they worship. The clay for the terracotta is sourced from river banks and strained to get rid of impurities. It is then mixed with sand and kneaded in a machine to make it smooth and then poured into vats to allow it to settle. The Votive terracotta figures are hollow and are made with multiple cylinders and pots of various shapes. For eg, the head, trunk and legs of the elephant are made separately and then joined with mud. Geru or red oxide is used to impart a reddish tint to the clay. After joining the various parts of the figure, it is further decorated with pieces of clay and then baked in a kiln at temperatures ranging from 700° to 900° C. Check the pictures of the finished products.

On the way, we visited the Bastar Shiva temple. Not much is known about this temple and the Archeological Survey of India seemed to be doing some renovation work.

I visited the Anthropological Museum in Jagdalpur and saw these memory stones erected in memory of near and dear ones.

Last but not least, I would like to mention my guide, Akash, who made sure I had a comfortable trip and with whom I rode a pillion on his scooter around Chhattisgarh. 

I did this trip with Unexplored Bastar, a travel company based on social entrepreneurship model. 

If you have enjoyed reading this post, you may subscribe to new posts updates via email. Enter your email id in the 'Follow by email' on the right hand side panel. 

Also, follow my posts on Facebook and Instagram. 

Sketch Travelogue of Leh, Achinathang and Temisgam- Ladakh

Leh Palace with the mountains in the background

I am finally writing about my Ladakh sketch travelogue. This was my second trip in 2022 which I have documented entirely through sketches. The original Ladakh trip was to be in April 2020 which had to be shelved because of the Covid lockdown. I attempted to travel in 2021 too, but there was a third wave of Covid so again that got cancelled. 

Finally, in April 2022, Ladakh called me and I had a splendid 12-day trip. As pictures (in this case sketches) speak a thousand words, let me take you along on my wonderful journey.

Passengers at Pune airport

The Himalayas beckon!

I was hoping to sketch a plane on the 1st page, but at the Pune airport it's not visible from the waiting area. But people glued to their phones make for a good warm-up.

View from the waiting lounge at Delhi airport

Sketched this at 2 am India time at the Delhi Airport. The tails of the parked planes look like shark fins.

The magnificent Himalayan range on the Delhi-Leh flight.

You may like to read my blog post on the Lepcha tribe in Sikkim.

I am anyways grumpy when I don't get a window seat and today I was furious that after having paid extra for a window seat, my seat didn't have a window anyways I decided to make the best of it. I had some consolation that I had chosen the west side of the plane because on the east, the sun almost blinds you and you cannot enjoy the aerial view. I was right. Most people on the right side crowded on the west with their cameras. I started rapidly sketching but couldn't take a proper photo with the background and the sketch was also in a sleep-deprived state. Some more pictures of the aerial view. So magnificent our mountain ranges are!

View from the Ponyo guest house window

In Leh I stayed at Ponyo Guesthouse, run by a mother-son duo. It was in a quite lane, about 20 minutes walk from the Leh market and overlooking the snow peaked mountains.

Another view of Ponyo guest house while having tea in the morning

Leh market with the Leh castle in the background

I was drawn to sketch this cafe and the adjacent structures at the Leh market. The buildings are a muted colour matching the cold desert that Ladakh is, with bright pops of colours in flags and name boards.

The Leh Post Office.

I love how post offices across India try to incorporate traditional elements of architecture. In Leh it translates to intricately carved wood beams and bright red windows.
After a hot cup of tea and Ladakhi biscuits, on the 10th of April morning, I boarded a bus from Leh bus station and proceeded to Achinathang. At first glance, Ladakh looked barren devoid of any color, but upon a closer look I noticed a raw beauty in the barrenness and could decipher colors even in the neutral tones.

Thumbnails from the moving bus to Achinathang. Of barren, rugged almost lunar landscapes, weathered and fashioned by the wind and sun.

Now comes the part which travellers dread. I had zeroed in on Achinathang for the apricot blossoms in April and also to meet a renowned Ladakhi scholar, Sonam Phuntsog. As I had mentioned earlier, I had planned my trip in April 2020 which got cancelled due to the pandemic. But I had been in touch with Dolma and her husband Stanzin who run a homestay in Achinathang. Although having updated Dolma about my travel plans and dates, I felt utter dismay seeing how dirty the house was, upon reaching there. Things were strewn, and the floor wasn't swept for days. I was given a room on the first floor and was asked to use the bathroon-cum-toilet on the ground floor. The bathroom I was asked to use was utterly filthy, with leaves, mud, plastic buckets, washing machine and whatnot all dumped together. I said I would use the bathroom next to my room on the first floor. The wash basin had no water, luckily the flush had and it was better than the one below. The weariness of travel, the sleeplessness, and the indifference of the hosts took its toll and I wanted to immediately leave their place. But the next bus would come only the next day for my next destination, Garkon. I decided to brave out the 24 hours. Evening came and it was time to sleep and the hosts did not even bother asking if I needed some more warm blankets or hot water. I informed them that I would be leaving the next day. Stanzin justified the dirty house saying they are busy with farming and taking care of children. But why host people then who have come from far away to experience a slice of their life. Isn't that a waste of their time and money? I felt cheated.

The Ladakhi scholar Sonam Phuntsog

While I was sketching, this little boy who had seen me sketching earlier came up to me and handed me a bar of chocolate how adorable! He had purchased the bar from a shop nearby. So as a token of thanks I wanted to sketch him too. While I completed the 1st sketch he told me about his school and asked me which class I was in. He is in class 1. He was surprised that I couldn't tell him which class I am in.

He wanted to pose for a sketch with an imaginary black bird in his hand. Since I directly sketch with a pen, his feet got cut off. He asked me why I did not draw his feet with his footwear properly. Too strict for a 6 year old. his name is Nima Namgyal and Nima means the sun in Ladakhi language. For the earlier sketch he insisted I draw the sun because that's him.

A village on the other side of the Indus river. I was sketching this when the little boy Nima Namgyal met me (check the previous post). I had to draw the sun. He wanted me to draw the rays of the sun too but I didn't :-)

A village the other side of Achinathang across the river

Chorten in Achinathang

My homestay host said that this Buddhist structure is of great significance. There are only 2 such structures called Chorten with 5 domes in entire Ladakh. There is a belief that when people die, at the gates of heaven, the God of death asks if one has gone around this structure with 5 domes. And if not, they are promptly dispatched to hell :-)

Salted butter tea.

These colourful flasks with dragon designs are ubiquitous in most mountain villages I have visited. They come in various sizes holding up to 3 to 4 litres of liquid. In the mountains, people make large quantities of tea in the morning fill up these flasks, and keep having them throughout the day. This is salted butter tea, made with milk, butter, salt, and a different kind of tea leaf. It's rich and creamy and you can taste the butter in it too. This high-calorie beverage is essential for cold, mountain life.
My desire to see apricot blossoms did not materialize in Achinathang. Summer arrived early in 2022 and the village looked like a white fairyland with apricot blossoms the previous week, but by the time I arrived, they were all wilted. I wanted to burst out crying, for catharsis, because of the bad homestay experience and lack of apricot blossoms. I wondered if the rest of my trip would get worse and if I should just go back home. But a quick check of the astronomically priced flight tickets made me decide to tough and rough it out! Luckily, before I left Achinathang, as I wandered through the village, I saw this single tree full of apricot blossoms. Maybe, the nature fairies heard me cry. I sketched this determinedly with the scorching sun singeing my back through the layers of clothing.
You may like to read my blog post on Birding in Sarmoli.

The lone apricot tree with blossoms in Achinathang

Looked like I was not meant to visit Achinathang. As if the dirty homestay and lack of apricot blossoms weren't enough while waiting for the bus to Garkon, which was one and a half hours late, a shabby-looking old man annoyed me no end, by talking continuously and inviting me to his house and asking personal questions. I was mentally exhausted and was prepared to punch him if he crossed his limits. 

Sketching came to my rescue and I drew this, eagerly waiting for the bus and from the corner of my eyes making sure that the old man wasn't up to anything undesirable. 

A bad sketch by a mentally exhausted me!

The bus finally came and I breathed a huge sigh of relief. The bus meandered its way parallel to the turquoise Indus river. 

Thumbnails of the Indus river from a bus to Garkon

I reached Garkon, the village of the Brokpa tribe. I have a separate detailed post about the Brokpa people which you can reach here. 

I stayed at Payupa guest house, run by Diskit and her husband Tashi. They also have a 500 yrs old Brokpa house converted into a museum to preserve Brokpa tradition. 

Outside the Payupa Guest house

I attended the Apricot blossom festival at Garkon, locally called Chuli-menduq and I had an amazing time. Please read my entire blog post on Garkon. 

Two young Brokpa girls in their traditional attire

At the Payupa Guest house in Garkon, I met two girls who were traveling through Ladakh in a hired cab with a driver. They told me that their next destination was Temisgam. I have never heard of it. But a quick Google search told me that Temisgam also known as Tingmosgang was at a higher altitude than Garkon so I inferred that I might still stand a chance to see trees full of apricot blossoms.  I asked the girls if I could accompany them and they gracefully agreed. I did a search for homestays in Temisgam and got to know the names of the hosts but there wasn't a proper address. Luckily, the family with whom the two girls were staying knew this homestay I wanted to go to and took me to Yakpa homestay run by the motherly Ama Tsering Lanzes and her husband Tashi Wangyal. 

It was a large house with six rooms with an attached bathroom each. Within the house compound was a large orchard full of apricot trees. My hostess Ama Lanzes was very motherly and fed me sumptuously. My first meal there was a huge plate of fresh and hot momos with cabbage and carrot stuffing. I sketched away as my hostess dexterously shaped the momos and steamed them. 

Making of momos in Temisgam

My hostess was very caring and made sure I had a heater in the room and extra warm blankets. 

The next morning I sauntered around the village. Temisgam has many old, elegant houses and structures, many of them abandoned. and to my utter delight I was right. Being at a higher altitude than Garkon, the apricot blossoms were still blooming. I had my heart's fill of these blossoms by sketching and savouring them. 

An old traditional Ladakhi house

After being heartbroken at not having seen apricot blossoms in the earlier 2 villages (and shedding some tears over it) I was in for a delightful surprise the moment I arrived in Temisgam/Tingmosgang. The village was dotted with these blushing pink tinted, white apricot trees. The earth laughs in flowers and I felt the laughter through joy rippling through my body and like a harp playing in my own heart. I sketched this in the morning, sitting in the sun and thawing my frozen body.

A profusion of apricot blossoms

Close up of apricot blossoms

You may like to read my post on hand pollinating vanilla flowers.

A road in Temisgam lined with apricot blossoms with the snow-capped mountains in the background

I even had the luxury of drying my towel on a tree full of apricot blossoms

My hostess, Ama Lanzes, suggested that I visit the Temisgam Gompa, situated high on a mountain. We trekked up, paid our respects at the Gompa and I decided to spend some time sketching the view below. My hostess pointed to two paths leading down to her house. One path was easy but she warned me that some fierce feral dogs barked and scared passersby on one of its bends. The other path was steep and full of gravel but was safe. 

I started sketching the view below while the cold wind froze my fingers and face. At one point, my fingers became so stiff that the brush just fell off my hand. But I persevered and finally have a memory in my book. 

View below from Temisgam Gompa

I returned to Yakpa homestay to see my hostess and her friends shelling apricot kernels. She told me that they collectively spend some time every day this season to do this. I was exhausted from my trek down from the Gompa. Did I mention I went to Ladakh with a swollen left ankle? Just a day before leaving Pune, I did flying kicks during my martial arts class and landed wrongly on my left foot. So, everywhere in Ladakh, where I had to walk and trek quite a bit, I went around half-limping. 

I did not want to walk around any more so I sat and sketched group at work. 

Women shelling apricot kernels

The next day while strolling through the village, I saw a beautiful traditional Ladakhi house. It looked unoccupied. I started sketching it when a young man asked me if I would like to see the house from the inside. He said he could get the keys from the owner who now lived in a 'modern' house. 

A 500 yrs old Ladakhi house in Temisgam

The house was 500 years old and built in a traditional style with mud and stones. Traditional mud architecture is more quake and fire-resistant and very enduring as one can see. 

I went around the house and there was a 250-year-old iron metal hearth for cooking in the kitchen area. Many walls had rich Tibetan Buddhist paintings, the colors chipped off over the centuries. I imagine how glorious the house must have looked in its prime. 

Later that evening as luck would have it, I met the owner of this house in the market. I asked him why is such a beautiful house abandoned. He said his children wanted a concrete modern house. 

84-year-old Tashi Angdus, the owner of the house.

On the upper floor

The prayer room

Ladakhi hearth

The kitchen

The young man who had shown me around said he was a soldier in the Indian Army and was home on leave. When I told my mother I went to explore an abandoned house with a complete stranger she was horrified and warned me to never repeat that. But traveling solo has sharpened my instincts and I generally keep my common sense on me. I would have missed this beautiful experience if I had gone by general conditioning. So I'd rather go by my gut feeling. 

I wandered around a little more and wanting to stuff as much of the visual delight of the snow-capped mountains into my eyes, heart, and sketchbook I did one more sketch of the mountains. If you look closely at the mountains show different colors depending on the sunlight. 

A couple of more old Ladakhi houses...

I returned to Yakpa homestay after a fulfilling day of sketching. My hostess fed me sumptuously.

Ladakhi pasta called Chui-taki

Ladakhi bread

My hostess gifted me a jar of apricot jam made by her.

Hand-made pasta shells which are then boiled in vegetable or meat soup

Bukhara at Temisgam

Yakpa Homestay

 You may contact Ama Lanzes of Yakpa Homestay on 9469294229. 

I had a fulfilling stay at Temisgam and took a bus back to Leh after three days. I sat next to the driver in the front and enjoyed the best panoramic views. 

Bus drive from Temisgam to Leh

Thumbnail sketches of the road from Temisgam to Leh

Road to Leh

I have two other separate posts on Leh and Garkon. On the way back to Delhi from Leh I did another sketch of the Himalayan ranges. 

Himalayan ranges from Leh to Delhi

View from my hotel in Leh

If you have enjoyed reading this post, you may subscribe to new post updates via email. Enter your email id in the 'Follow by email' on the right-hand side panel. 

Also follow my posts on Facebook.