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Bastar District in Central India was, till recently, one of the biggest districts of India. It shared borders with three states of the country - Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Orissa. Some time back this large district was split into three districts Bastar, Kanker and Dantewada. These three districts are now clubbed into one revenue division under the name of Bastar. Ethnically, aboriginal tribes locally known as adivasi inhabit the entire Bastar Division. Prominent among these tribes are Madia, Muria, Gond, Bhatra, Dhakad, Ghasia, Dhurva, Halba etc. The aboriginal of Bastar likes to be addressed as Mama. The great lesson from the life-style of the adivasi is how to lead a contented life on very limited wants.
Bastar is a district covered by forests. It is home to a large number of aboriginal clans better known in India as Tribes or Tribals. A remarkable aspect of the tribal society is its excellence in handicrafts. The tribals of Bastar are likewise masters of various forms of exotic handicrafts. The handicrafts of Bastar are mostly derivatives of what the adivasis had practiced. These include wood carvings, dhokra (Bronze) craft, terracotta crafts, wrought iron crafts etc.
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