This new festival in Madhya Pradesh revives a lost indigenous culture

Rani Kajal Mata is the protector of an ancient tribe in Madhya Pradesh

Thousands of people have gathered in Verwada village in Barwani district to celebrate the newest festival in Madhya Pradesh – the festival of Rani Kajal Mata, an ancient, indigenous deity. The deity, a sacred rock, is the guardian goddess of the Pata tribe that resides in Barwani, the northernmost district of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, bordering Rajasthan.

It was the first time that such a festival, celebrating the goddess and the indigenous way of life, was organised by Jagrit Adivasi Dalit Sangathan, a nonprofit working for the welfare of the