Dindori Chhindwara Mahua Forest Gond Tribal Economy

Dindori and Chhindwara districts in the Satpura-Maikal belt are the heart of the Gond tribal homeland of Gondwana, where mahua (Madhuca longifolia) tree groves are community assets managed by Gond households across generations — the April mahua flower harvest is the year's most important economic event, supplementing subsistence farming income with cash from NTFP sales. Chhindwara district's Tamia plateau and Pachmarhi hills provide a cool climate and biodiversity-rich forest where wild ginger, turmeric, and medicinal herbs are gathered. The Dindori Ghughari fair at Amarkantak (source of Narmada and Son rivers) is the region's largest tribal craft fair, where Baiga, Gond, and Korku communities trade handmade goods.