Kunwara Bhimsen
For the Gonds in Central India, or for that matter many other tribal communities and even Hindus, all roads in the second half of the Chaitra month lead to the Kunwara Bhivsen temple in Parseoni tehsil in Nagpur district. Thousands of them converge from all directions every day for almost a month and quarter to celebrate the birth date of their deity Bhivsen who is supposed to be the fourth dharma guru of the Gond tribe.The celebrations have different forms. For those who have got what they wished from the deity, the celebrations include dancing with beating of drums, animal sacrifice and cooking the meat and eating it as prasad. Those who come seeking something, look forward to talking to the contented worshippers.For thousands of years during the Bhivsen Jatra, tribals from various parts of Maharashtra,Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh throng this temple which lies on the banks of Pench reservoir. Devotees queue up and move in an extremely disciplined manner to perform goat and chicken sacrifice. Even while returning after the prayers they disperse in a proper manner.