The present work documents different aspects of the cultural heritage of the district of Bastar. While the varied lifestyles of the Maria and Muria Gonds, and other groups, have been the focus of considerable anthropological research, relatively little is known of the numerous temples that represent the establishment of the Nagvansi dynasty in the 10th century and subsequently that of the Kakatiya. The ruins of Bhongapal and Garh Gobrahin are estimated to be older and bear testimony to the transitory efflorescence of the Buddhist and Vaisnavite faiths. Their influence on the socio-religions structure of the indigenous population is reflected in the village shrines, highlighting an on-going process of mutual enrichment. In illustrating the most important places of worship, an attempt has been made to explore the intersection of traditions. The subtle interplay of cultural interaction through time renders it difficult to distinguish the ‘folk’ from the classical, indicating the need to review our concepts of Indian art.

The myriad deities fashioned by the Ghadwa brass casters have poorly defined attributes which belie theses of fluid nature of the local belief system and the freedom of artistic expression. Although hollow casting is an ancient technique, the chemical analyses of selected brasses reveal the use of scrap metal, thus corroborating earlier findings. The quality of craftsmanship has inevitably declined in the face of commercialisation and the growing demand for mass-produced items.

The element of continuity and change is also manifest in the raising of memorials to the dead whereby ancestors assume divine status, reinforcing in the process, the ties that bind clan members to their land. The ethnographic and archaeological perspectives of current practices have been examined.

About the Author

Michel Postel, a French national, who has settled in India since the 1950s, is a pioneer it pharmaceutical industry, and the founder of medical review. In 1978, he established the Pr for Indian Cultural Studies in order to study t little known aspects of Indian art. This researc activity is headed by Dr. Kirit Mankodi, and I resulted in the publication of a series of books which constitutes a useful source of references scholars, several of whom continue to contribi to the study of Indian art and culture. Dr. Zarine Cooper has worked extensively ( the archaeology of Bastar and the Andaman Islands, and has publications in leading international journals. In 1985 she was award€ Homi Bhabha Fellowship, and since then she I lectured and undertaken research at the Australian National University, Canberra, the Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., as as the Ancient India and Iran Trust, Cambridg