Tour Guide, Jagdalpur, India
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Bastar Tribal Homestay is situated in Chhote Bodal Village, 23 km from the district headquarters of Bastar, Jagdalpur.
Surrounded by fields and close to Kanger Valley National Park, Chhote Bodal is a typical tribal village with around 200 families. The homestay is located right at its heart. There is nothing fancy or luxurious about this homestay, and it is a simple, even essential, place to stay, complete with an Indian-style toilet. This is like staying in any village home there.
Very few places in India have such a rich tribal history and tradition as Bastar in Chattisgarh. But Bastar's tribal heritage is not just in the past; the region's tribal population proudly upholds the culture and practices of their communities. This region is also stunningly beautiful, with awe-inspiring waterfalls, cave formations and a national park.
Travellers explore the region's cultural and natural riches, local lifestyle and practices.
The biggest issue of Bastar is insurgency, and it falls in the Red Corridor - the swathe of Eastern, Central and Southern India that continues to witness Maoist insurgency, Internet connectivity, Lack of Transportation, Ignorance of the local people towards tourism, Electricity, Running water, Sanitation and so on which were solved at a slow pace with the help of local administration. It took about 20 years to complete this work, and even today, this work is going on so that overall development of this area can be done, yet to make it to the bucket list of most tourists.
Homestay activity -
This homestay has been constructed in collaboration with the local district administration with local materials. The walls of the house made of mud bricks and clay mortar, and the roof is made of stones.
It is a four-room house, with three rooms reserved for tourists. Each room has four beds that can comfortably accommodate four persons, and each has an attached toilet and bath. A car parking facility is available inside the premises.
Since we are doing this work with the support of the local community, the food arrangements are made by them, the tourists are taken to the homes of the local residents, and local organic food is served at their homes.
Local residents use Seasonal vegetables according to the season; all the ingredients related to food are purchased from the local market and farmers.
You can also help the locals by purchasing food items, herbs, artwork and forest products of daily use.
Guest can use the bicycle, two and four-wheeler rental, Parking, Pickup and drop-in service, Pets are allowed (make sure you discuss the details with the administration), Internet access, Tribal and halal food, Medical, Laundry facilities are available on request.
The region is home to three major tribes Gond, Dhurwa and Bhatra. Guests interact with the tribal communities and learn about their way of living during the village visits and other interactions like local cooking experiences. Visits to local tribal markets, participating in the many local festivals (primarily between January and March), and going on cycling or trekking tours are just some of the experiences to be enjoyed here. Guests can also explore local agricultural practices (Organic) and better understand tribal cooking techniques and dishes. A stay at the homestay will be filled with local food. You can learn various local Crafts from Bamboo, Bel Metal, Wood, and Stone artists.
Natural wonders like Chitrakote and Tirathgarh Waterfalls and the caves like Kotumsar, Kailash, Mahadev and many more are short-day excursions from the homestay.
You can feel the hospitality while your stay at Bastar Tribal Homestay. By replicating it, we are creating a network of homestays with the support of local district administration in all seven districts of the Bastar division, -- Bastar, Dantewada, Bijapur, Narayanpur, Sukma, Kondagaon and Kanker.
We are also cautious that the tourist influx doesn't affect the "fragile tribal culture" because scheduled tribes account for 65.9 per cent of the total population in the Bastar district.
We don't have commercial interests to take precedence over the local environment and culture and trying to create an economic model where the locals see value in their culture.
We spend most of the profit of our homestay earnings on the malnourished, handicapped, orphans and older adults of this region to fulfil our social responsibility.
In the region, we facilitate the tourists with the authentic experience of the daily life of the local community, their culture, cuisine, and art.