Indigenous Art of Bastar District of Chhattisgarh: A Study of the Government Initiations for Artisans

India is highly known for its traditional arts and crafts, which give the country a distinct personality worldwide. Handicrafts have always been an important and integral part of the Indian Culture and more so in the State of Chhattisgarh, where handicrafts are not different from the culture and tradition of the people (Isaac and Shukla, 2011). The Bastar Art of the Indian state of Chhattisgarh, which excels at creating exotic handicrafts with a wide range of styles and shapes, is yet out of reach and unheard of by buyers on a national and international scale. The Bastar tribal handicrafts reflect the diverse and long-standing cultural legacy of the tribes. People engage in various artistic activities that reflect their simplicity, traditions, customs and individuality. The revitalisation of crafts is widely talked about as the need for time for the survival of crafts and crafts people, especially in India (Jagatramka and Prasad, 2021). The four main types of Bastar’s handicrafts are (1) wood art, (2) metal art, (3) clay work and (4) fabric. Bell metal (Dhokra art) and wrought iron (Loha Shilp) are two types of metal art. Clay art includes Terracotta, and the Kosa Saree of Bastar is well-known among fabrics. Bastar is known for its Godna, Tumba, Bamboo and Sisal crafts. This article focuses on Bastar handicrafts and government policies for developing artisans. It is descriptive research which tries to find out the indigenous crafts of Bastar. The article uses secondary data, collected from Chhattisgarh Handicraft Development Board, the census report of India 2011 and the district census report of Bastar 2011. The highlighted conclusion of this study is that in the Bastar district, there are 11 art forms under which artisans register themselves. To help artisans, the government provides them with training to enhance their skills and facilitates various development schemes.