I traveled to central India in October 2004 to photograph the Adivasis (tribals)
in Chhattisgarh, a recently established state originally part of Madhya Pradesh.
Piggy-backing facilities provided to me through a photo assignment, I drove south
to the state's Bastar region, where most of the tribal communities are located. I was
accompanied by Sanjay Singh Badnor, a friend and fellow photographer from Ajmer in
Rajasthan, who introduced me to this region and to whom I am thankful for putting up
with my quirks for all this time.

Chhattisgarh's southern region of Bastar is infrequently visited by Western tourists,
although local tourists and a number of hardy Western travelers make the effort to
explore it. There is a notable paucity of information published about the Bastar tribals
on the internet or elsewhere, so I am not surprised. The advantage is that there are no
tourist buses, and certainly no backpackers in Bastar. I stayed in local equivalent of
comfortable homestays in Kanker and Jagdalpur.

During this all-too brief visit, I photographed members of the Muria, Muria-Gond,
Bison-Horn Marya,Halba, Dhurwa, Bhatra and Dorla tribes. I witnessed their ceremonial
dances, and rubbed shoulders with them at their weekly markets, or 'haats', where they
barter for products and produce. I sampled their delicacies, including a rather spicy
concoction of red-ants. Their ceremonial dances deserve a special mention here as these
are similar in style and purpose to Native American dances.

The Adivasis of central India have received scant attention from the country's government
and live as they have for centuries. They congregate in small communities of villages, most
of these in the forests, have their own tribal laws, are self reliant to a large extent for
their needs and while were very welcoming to me and to others, are wary of outside
interference as they have a long and sorry history of discrimination and exploitation.

Chhattisgarh and its Bastar region is not for everyone, however I was captivated by the
courage against adversity shown by the people of this region, and by their desire to preserve
their identity. For the genuinely interested, this region offers an unparalleled glimpse
into the lives of a fast disappearing way of life