Former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Monday participated in the traditional Gaura-Gauri Puja, in which the major attraction was a ritualistic whip-striking ceremony, which is performed for the prosperity of the state.Baghel travelled to Janjgiri village in the Durg district to join the tribal Dhruva Gond community for the annual festival, celebrated on Govardhan Puja the day after Diwali. During the event, a local Gond man struck Baghel’s hand three times with a “sonta”, a traditional whip crafted from kusha grass and paddy straw.The symbolic ritual, known as “Sonta Prahar”, is a revered and deeply rooted folk tradition in Chhattisgarh. Devotees believe they get divine blessings from Lord Shiva (Gaura) and Goddess Parvati (Gauri) meant to destroy evil and remove life's obstacles.“Like every year, I had the good fortune to participate,” Baghel said, emphasising his commitment to preserving the state’s rural heritage.On the occasion, Baghel also attacked the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Diwali visit to the Bastar region.He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah had visited Bastar time and time again, but questioned, “What has this region actually gained from those visits?”“When we were in power, our government did the heavy lifting to break the back of the Naxalite movement. The current government is just taking credit for the final elimination,” he said. “And whatever happened to the Union Home Minister's big promise? He publicly pledged a reward of one crore rupees to every single Naxal-free panchayat. So, where is that money today?”Baghel alleged that PM Modi and the Home Minister are coming here to clear the path, set the stage, and hand over all of Bastar’s rich resources straight to Ambani and Adani.
