When it comes to the varied facets of tribal life – the cultural diversity, extraordinarily beautiful surroundings they live in, coupled with the geographical isolation – Bastar occupies a special place in the country. The literature, folk songs and dances as well as the languages make the tribals of this region stand out for their distinctiveness. Different art forms, traditional and native musical instruments, handicrafts, and old art forms are the main draws for tourists from across the nation.
To bring out the traditional culture and diversity of Bastar in front of the whole country and the world, the Bastar District Administration established an exclusive project called BADAL (Bastar Academy of Dance, Art, and Literature), last year.
In an exclusive conversation with Indian Masterminds, the District Magistrate of Bastar, IAS officer Chandan Kumar, shared details about the same.
ABOUT BADAL
This initiative was launched to preserve and promote the wonderful art forms that the Bastar artists have been passing down through a chain of discipline succession since the dawn of time, and so that they may be passed down to future generations by teaching this folk art and rich cultural heritage to those who are interested from all over the nation and the world.
“The main purpose of BADAL is to conserve the art, culture, tradition, and skill sets, original to the region and transfer it to our next generation in its pure form. With this thing in mind, we established BADAL and also involved a large number of faculty with us,” shared Mr. Kumar.
The officials and staff at BADAL Academy will be introduced to and trained in the regional dialect, and they will be allowed to modify it for use in official government activities as well.
INVOLVING TRIBAL COMMUNITIES
According to Mr. Kumar, Bastar is not just an institution of learning comprising a few faculty members but much more than that. Several original tribal communities are also actively taking part in making it successful.
“We have involved community heads from different tribal communities such as Bhadra, Gond, Koya, Kutama, etc. who are very actively involved and interested in preserving and protecting their traditions and culture and transmitting it to the next generation,” he told Indian Masterminds.
MORE THAN JUST AN INSTITUTION
BADAL was inaugurated by Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel in Asna village near Jagdalpur, the headquarters of Bastar division, in October 2021. Since then, the institution has witnessed new developments throughout its existence as the administration has made sure to keep evolving it. Four different divisions namely Folk Songs and Folk Dance Division, Folk Literature Division, Language Division and Bastar Shilp Kala Division have been established in the academy for the people to participate in.
- All of the folk songs of Bastar, a compilation of folk dance songs, sound recording, filming, and performance will be taught to the new generation under the Folk Songs and Folk Dance Division. Notable examples include Ganwar Sing Nacha, Dandari Nacha, Dhurva Nacha, Parab Nacha, Lejageet, Marirsona, Jagar Geet, etc.
- The Public Literature Division will compile and make available to the public a collection of religious practises, social structure, festivals, poems, idioms, etc. of all the societies in Bastar.
- The Faculty of Languages and Dialects’ exclusive training programme will offer training through a spoken course to people interested in studying Bastar’s native dialects, such as Halbi, Gondi, Dhurvi, and Bhathari.
- The performing and producing arts of woodcraft, metalcraft, bamboo craft, jutkala, tumba art, etc. will also be taught in the Bastar crafts arts under the Bastar Shilp Kala Division.
BADAL is equipped with all the essential amenities that a good academy should have, including an office building, a training building, a hostel and mess building, two open theatres or amphitheatres, a recording studio, tourism huts, a hotel, an exhibition of Bastar handicrafts, and a retail mall. Scholars of the Bastar tribal society and culture are currently working on codifying and recording tribal culture, customs, folklife, festivals, folk music, and folk dance on the BADAL Academy campus.
Furthermore, the three buildings constructed in the Academy have been named after brave martyrs. In these, the administrative building has been named after Shaheed Jhada Sirha, the residential complex has been named after Shaheed Ballesingh of the Halba tribe and the library and study building have been named after Shaheed Veer Gundadhur of Dhurwa society.
RECOGNITION AS A CERTIFICATION CENTER
The District Administration realized that for the new generation to get involved with BADAL and take pride in its history, science, and art, it is necessary to impart a formal education related to dance, art, and literature to them. Keeping in line with this, the academy recently received recognition from Khairagarh Indrakala Sangeet Vishwavidyalaya, one of the most renowned universities in Asia, as a certification centre to start with.
“We have started with four courses that will go on for 1-2 years and fortunately, over 60 students have already enrolled in these courses. BADAL, which was originally established through innovation, has now been institutionalized and I believe, in time to come, it will act as a centre to gain pin-to-plane knowledge about Bastar,” Mr. Kumar shared with Indian Masterminds.
“BADAL will act as a one-stop centre for people who wish to come and gain knowledge about Bastar. It will soon become a resource centre for everyone,” he added.
