Chhattisgarh News: Chief Minister Shri Vishnu Deo Sai Releases Logo and Theme Song of Bastar Pandum 2026 Dedicated to Bastar's Art, Culture and Traditions

The Chhattisgarh government confirms Bastar Pandum 2026, expanding to twelve competitive categories and three phases. The festival, launched at Danteshwari Temple, aims to globally elevate Bastar's tribal arts, dance, crafts, cuisine, and forest-based knowledge while fostering peace and development.

With the objective of promoting the rich tribal culture, art, folktraditions and heritage of the Bastar region, the Chhattisgarh governmentwill once again organise the grand Bastar Pandum festival in 2026, followingthe success of its inaugural edition last year.

Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai formally released the official logo and themesong of Bastar Pandum 2026 at Dantewada, at the sacred premises of theDanteshwari Temple, seeking the blessings of Maa Danteshwari.

Extending New Year greetings on the occasion, the Chief Minister said thatBastar Pandum is a vibrant platform that showcases Bastar's culturalheritage. He noted that beginning the festival preparations from the holytemple complex symbolises the deep spiritual and cultural roots of theregion. The release of the logo and theme song marks the formal commencementof preparations for Bastar Pandum 2026. Describing the festival as more thanjust an event, he said Bastar Pandum represents the soul of Bastar andreflects its living traditions, art, and heritage.

The Chief Minister emphasised that the true identity of Chhattisgarh lies inits tribal traditions, which are reflected through dance, music, crafts,traditional cuisine, forest-based medicines and village shrines. Recallingthe inaugural edition of Bastar Pandum, he said its closing ceremony wasattended by the Union Home Minister. For Bastar Pandum 2026, invitationswill also be extended to the President of India, Union ministers associatedwith culture and tourism, and ambassadors of various countries posted inIndia.

He said the overwhelming enthusiasm witnessed among the people of Bastarduring the previous edition has inspired the government to make this year'sfestival even more magnificent, ensuring that Bastar's cultural heritagegains recognition not only at the national level but also globally.

Chief Minister Sai announced that the number of competitive categories hasbeen increased from seven to twelve this year. These include tribal dance,music, theatre, traditional musical instruments, costumes, ornaments,worship practices, crafts, painting, traditional food and beverages,regional literature, and forest-based medicinal knowledge. The competitionswill be organised in three phases to ensure wider participation and betterrepresentation of local talent.

Reaffirming the government's commitment to preserving Bastar's culture forfuture generations, the Chief Minister said Bastar will now be recognisednot only as a cultural hub but also as a symbol of development driven bypeace, prosperity and tourism. Under the leadership of Prime MinisterNarendra Modi, the double-engine government is taking Bastar to new heights.He added that Bastar Pandum reflects a new identity for the region-onedefined by creativity and celebration rather than conflict. He urged artistsand cultural practitioners from across Bastar to actively participate andcontribute to strengthening the region's cultural pride.

Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma said the word "Pandum" signifies afestival, and in Bastar such festivals have traditionally been celebrated tospread joy and harmony. He noted that it is customary to begin any majorcultural event with the blessings of the Mother Goddess, which is why BastarPandum is being launched from the Danteshwari Temple. He also stated thatpeace-building efforts in Bastar are yielding positive results and thatleft-wing extremism will be completely eliminated by March 2026.

Forest Minister Kedar Kashyap said Bastar's art, culture and traditions area matter of pride, and Bastar Pandum is an important initiative to establishthis identity on the global stage. Referring to mythological history, hesaid Lord Ram spent time in the Dandakaranya region during his exile, andthe government is committed to preserving the cultural diversity of thissacred land.

Culture Minister Rajesh Agrawal said Bastar Pandum is being organised forthe second consecutive year to promote the diverse art forms of theculturally rich Bastar region. He added that competitions will be heldacross twelve disciplines this year.

During the programme, the Chief Minister interacted with senior traditionalleaders of the Bastar division, including Manjhi, Chaliki, Gayata, priests,prominent tribal representatives and Padma awardee artists. Bastar MP MaheshKashyap and Dantewada MLA Chaitram Atami also addressed the gathering.Traditional leaders and community representatives expressed gratitude to thegovernment for organising Bastar Pandum.

It was announced that Bastar Pandum 2026 will be held from January 10 toFebruary 6, 2026, in three phases. Janpad-level events will be organisedfrom January 10 to 20, district-level programmes from January 24 to 29, anddivisional-level events from February 2 to 6. Tribal dance troupes fromvarious states will also be invited to participate.

To ensure maximum participation, provisions are being made for both onlineand offline registration. The festival will be organised across 1,885 grampanchayats, 32 janpad panchayats, eight municipalities, twelve nagarpanchayats and one municipal corporation in the seven districts of Bastardivision. The Department of Culture and Official Language has beendesignated as the nodal department for the event.

Senior officials, public representatives and dignitaries, including MPMahesh Kashyap, MLA Chaitram Atami, Bastar IG Sundarraj P., CultureDepartment Secretary Rohit Yadav, DIG Kamlochan Kashyap, Collector DeveshKumar Dhruv and SP Gaurav Rai, were present at the programme.