India, Oct. 17 -- IN THE 1990s, when Maoist violence was on the rise in Chhattisgarh (then part of Madhya Pradesh), Anup Ranjan Pandey was travelling through Bastar district in search of a special kind of musical drum. Then in his thirties and living in Bilaspur district, Pandey says he always had a passion for collecting traditional musical instruments. The legend of the tribal deity Lingodev popular across the Gondwana region inspired him in this pursuit.

Lingodev is said to have played a significant role in organising the Gond society. It is believed that the deity taught people to sing, dance, make musical instruments and play them. There is a tradition of singing his tales using a special instrument called the dhoosir. Tales associa...