RAIPUR: The first thought anybody would have after coming to this temple in Bastar would be that it has an ophthalmologist around who was prescribing sunglasses to every visitor but people are amazed to find those goggles were offered to local Goddess in the season prone to conjunctivitis with a belief Devi will prevent them from. Bastar region is full of uniqueness for its tribal tradition and culture and one of those is ‘Chashmewali Devi’ where tribals of 30 villages gather once in three years.
Tribal people from neighbouring 30 villagers gather at Bastabundeen Devi temple fair located at Kotamsarvillage in Kanger Valley National Park in Bastar district and perform several rituals bringing their home and village Gods.
They said it’s an age-old belief that the Goddess was like an ophthalmologist who would protect and take care of their eyes through the years and mainly in summer and rainy season when conjunctivitis becomes contagious.
“To please the Goddess and to register our presence in the list of seekers who pray for protection for our eyes, we offer the Devi with sunglasses. The tinted glasses are offered with a concept that when there’s an ailment related to eyes, doctors ask patients to wear such glasses,” a villager said.
The religious fair was recently held at Kotamsar that saw gathering of hundreds of tribal people from neighbouring villages who said that it was a part of cultural belief system that their Gods also are like humans.
“The Goddess being a human, might also catch the disease, so we offer her glasses as preventive measure from eye disease and all other health ailments and she would bless us. We also believe that making her such offerings would please her to fulfil our wishes once in three years. This tradition is being followed since several years,” Srinath Rath, a person in know local culture said.
Mangturam Nag, the serving pandit at temple said that just like humans Goddess eyes also need to be clean and healthy so that she can look at her worshippers clearly. There are different beliefs behind offering the glasses to Goddess.
The fair begins with tribal people introducing their local Gods from respective blocks (Pargana) to the Goddess amidst drum beats and celebration and the ‘sirha, baiga’ (pandits) bless them sitting on a swing.
Tribal people from neighbouring 30 villagers gather at Bastabundeen Devi temple fair located at Kotamsarvillage in Kanger Valley National Park in Bastar district and perform several rituals bringing their home and village Gods.
They said it’s an age-old belief that the Goddess was like an ophthalmologist who would protect and take care of their eyes through the years and mainly in summer and rainy season when conjunctivitis becomes contagious.
“To please the Goddess and to register our presence in the list of seekers who pray for protection for our eyes, we offer the Devi with sunglasses. The tinted glasses are offered with a concept that when there’s an ailment related to eyes, doctors ask patients to wear such glasses,” a villager said.
The religious fair was recently held at Kotamsar that saw gathering of hundreds of tribal people from neighbouring villages who said that it was a part of cultural belief system that their Gods also are like humans.
“The Goddess being a human, might also catch the disease, so we offer her glasses as preventive measure from eye disease and all other health ailments and she would bless us. We also believe that making her such offerings would please her to fulfil our wishes once in three years. This tradition is being followed since several years,” Srinath Rath, a person in know local culture said.
Mangturam Nag, the serving pandit at temple said that just like humans Goddess eyes also need to be clean and healthy so that she can look at her worshippers clearly. There are different beliefs behind offering the glasses to Goddess.
The fair begins with tribal people introducing their local Gods from respective blocks (Pargana) to the Goddess amidst drum beats and celebration and the ‘sirha, baiga’ (pandits) bless them sitting on a swing.
