July
Gonncha is yet another festival of Bastar region. The Goncha Festival is also popularly known as the Chariot Festival probably because it is celebrated at a time when the Hindus celebrate Rath Yatra There is chariot procession in the city. Tupki’s made by Tribals and pangs acquired by them for the same can be heard everywhere in the city (Jagdalpur). Local people as well as the tribal’s come together to celebrate the festival.
There are several ritual and customs that are associated with this Chhattisgarh Festival. Goncha is actually a kind of fruit and the tribal people make a pistol using tukki or bamboo. This is just a mock weapon that is constructed by them to follow the age old tradition of the tribe. The fruit Goncha is likewise used as a bullet.
They use the pistol and the bullet. Actually a bamboo stick cut in the shape of a pistol and a fruit to strike each other. The intention is not to hurt each other but to just be a part of a mock encounter. It is a source of unlimited joy for them and they find it very thrilling and exciting. The fervor and gusto of the people of Chhattisgarh at the time of celebrating this festival is admirable.