The Chief Minister’s residence is painted in the colors of Hareli’s beautiful tradition
Bastar and the plains of Chhattisgarh are also beautifully reflected in the decoration focused on Sargujha art.
Hareli program decorated with Sawan Jhula, Gedi dance and exhibition of agricultural equipment
Program mandap made attractive with colorful small Gedis, garlands of neem and mango leaves
Raipur, July 24, 2025 / In the tradition of Chhattisgarh, “Hareli” is a festival to pay obeisance to the connection between humans and nature. When Hareli arrives, the fields, villages-cities, ploughs and bulls, children-youth-women of Chhattisgarh are all filled with joy. The doors of the Chief Minister’s residence of Chhattisgarh have also been decorated to welcome the Hareli festival, from which the festivals begin in Chhattisgarh. The entire Chief Minister’s residence is colored in the color of the Sugghar tradition of the Hareli festival, which is celebrated on Shravan Amavasya.
There are three main parts of the decoration of the Chief Minister’s residence on Hareli. Entrance gate, middle toran gate and main mandap. The entrance gate has a glimpse of Bastar’s metal art. At this gate, in the welcome of the people, there is a replica of Lord Ganesha in the middle of the traditional instrument of Chhattisgarh, Turahi, and a metal art horse has also been engraved.
After the entrance gate, in the middle is the Toran gate which has been decorated with traditional Tokni. Along with this, colorful small flags are enhancing the beauty as toran. In this part, garlands of neem and mango leaves have been installed as a symbol of the tradition of Hareli. The main attraction of the entire decoration is those small, colorful Gedis, whose beautiful form is visible everywhere from here to the main mandap.
The main mandap gate has been made attractive with the colors of Sarguja’s art. The roof of this gate has been shaded with straw and charming pictures of Sargujha wall art have been made. A wheel of a bullock cart decorated with many colors is also enhancing the beauty of this gate.
A traditional house of the rural environment of Chhattisgarh has been built on the left side of the main program mandap. The courtyard of this house has been decorated with the painting of the plains of Chhattisgarh. In the courtyard of the house there is a Tulsi Chaura and a Gaushala, where traditional agricultural instruments like plough, hoe, Rapa, Gaiti, Tangia, Sabbal are kept along with cow dung cakes. The walls of this rural house have been decorated with beautiful pictures of Sarguja’s Rajwar painting.
The exhibition of agricultural implements is the main attraction in the program mandap. The special thing is that traditional and modern agricultural implements have been displayed together in this exhibition. Instruments like Paddy Seeder, Juda, Biasi Plough, Leopard Plough and Tractor are displayed.
On one side of the mandap is a part of the refreshments of traditional Chhattisgarhi dishes, while Sawan’s Jhula also depicts the joy of the rainy season of Sawan. Chhattisgarh’s traditional Rahchuli Jhula is also the center of attraction.
*Traditional dances spreading the colors of culture:*
On the occasion of Hareli, the colors of traditional folk dances like Gedi dance and Raut Nacha are also scattered with enchanting tunes in the Chief Minister’s residence. A team has been invited from Bilaspur for the Gedi dance. The Gedi dance team has worn a Sikband peacock feather crown on the head along with Parasan cloth in the costume, a garland made of cowrie and chinimitti and a cowrie-studded jacket. This team is giving its performance in the sweet tune of Mandar, Jhanjh, Jhumka, Khanjari, Harmonium and Bansuri. It is noteworthy that the Gedi dance starts from the day of Hareli.
A team of 50 people has reached the Chief Minister’s residence from Gadbeda (Pithora) for Raut Nacha on the occasion of Hareli. In this team, while the men have worn a turban with a kalgi on their head, a cowrie-studded armlet and a box with ghungroos on their feet along with dhoti-kurta, the women have also arrived after traditional makeup. The members of both these teams said that they eagerly wait to reach the Chief Minister’s residence on this occasion.