At one of India's most ancient and distinctive festivals, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai joined President Draupadi Murmu and Governor Ramen Deka at the Bastar Dussehra celebrations in Chhattisgarh on Friday, October 23, 2026 — calling it a moment of 'deep personal pride' to witness the living traditions and cultural splendour of the Bastar region.

Maa Danteshwari at the heart of Bastar Dussehra

Unlike any other Dussehra in the country, the Bastar Dussehra is not centred on the Ramayana narrative but on unwavering devotion to Maa Danteshwari, the principal deity of the Bastar tribal communities. CM Sai described the festival as 'aastha ka utsav, janjatiya gaurav ki abhivyakti' — a celebration of faith and an expression of tribal pride — that serves as a unique confluence of cultural consciousness connecting generations.

The festival draws participation from the Muria community and other indigenous groups, with the Muria Darbar — a traditional assembly of tribal elders and communities — forming one of its most iconic components. CM Sai noted that traditions woven into everyday life, and society's collective role in preserving them, are what make this mahapaarv (grand festival) truly singular.

President Murmu's presence — a milestone of tribal recognition

President Draupadi Murmu, the first tribal woman to hold India's highest constitutional office, gracing the event lent it rare national significance. For tribal communities across Bastar — and for India's broader Adivasi population — the President's attendance was more than ceremonial. It was a symbolic convergence: the country's first citizen, herself from a tribal background, present at one of the subcontinent's oldest tribal cultural observances.

Governor Ramen Deka joined the gathering, completing a representation of all three tiers of Chhattisgarh's constitutional leadership at the festival.

'Vikas bhi, virasat bhi' — the BJP's twin-track tribal pledge

CM Sai closed his post with the state government's governing mantra: 'Vikas bhi, virasat bhi' — 'Development too, heritage too.' He reaffirmed the administration's resolve to preserve this invaluable cultural legacy while giving 'new flight' to the hopes and aspirations of tribal brothers and sisters.

The phrase encapsulates the BJP-led Chhattisgarh government's stated approach since returning to power: treating tribal festivals and cultural institutions not merely as events on a calendar but as live policy touchstones — platforms to project both developmental intent and cultural belonging to a state where tribals form a substantial share of the population.

Chhattisgarh has historically used state participation in Bastar Dussehra to signal cultural recognition to its Adivasi communities, and the 2026 edition — anchored by the President's presence — raises that signal to a national frequency.