A sacred grove

Travelling east from Chhota we approached the Madhya Pradesh border. Our driver unexpectantly stopped by the side of road.

Getting out of the car we first heard and then looked up to see the shuffling of a large colony (that’s the proper collective noun) of fruit bats stirring themselves up ready for dusk.

Below, among the fig trees were piles of broken pottery, discarded over many years. As well as the usual terracotta horses there were leopards, elephants and other animals.Under one tree was a blue painted stone figure, garlanded with marigolds.

This was a sacred animist place and hugely atmospheric. The area is known for a series of tribal festivals that take place around Holi in March. There were photos in the museum.

The central statue