This module presents various aspects of the Madai of Chhattisgarh. Madai literally translates as 'social gathering'. Held after the harvest of the Kharif (summer) crop, the occasion is a celebration of the coming together of ancestral and guardian deities of various villages in a congregational space where men and women worship their deities. A bazaar and a mela (fair) are held, and a number of goods are bought and exchanged. The module engages with the elaborate rituals and processions of deities conducted during Madai, and tracks changes in the nature of the festival due to state initiative and increasing commercialization.
This content has been created as part of a project commissioned by the Directorate of Culture and Archaeology, Government of Chhattisgarh, to document the cultural and natural heritage of the state of Chhattisgarh.
