Religion of Bharias

Bharias are one of the three primarily vulnerable tribal communities living in the Patalkot region, a valley in the Tamia Block in the Chhindwara district of Madhya Pradesh. The place derives its name from the mythical nether world in Hindu mythology Pātāla-Loka, conceived to be below the surface of this world. It is shaped like a bowl resembling a huge crater formed by the depression of the earth’s surface. Its maximum depth reaches up to 1600 m, and it is stretched across an area of 8 km². The tall Satpura ranges and thick forest surround the area, thereby making it nearly inaccessible to the outsiders. The place is home to Bharias, for many generations.

Patalkot is a mix of dense forested area, with patches of barren land with many undulations. Bharia villages are located on those patches of land which are relatively plain, with tall Satpura ranges separating the villages from one another. There are 20 Bharia settlements in Patalkot, divided into 12 villages, under four panchayats,...