Today there are various new opportunities available in the country for everyone in terms of development, since science is trying its best to ease and modernise all aspects of human life, as a result a new relationship is emerging between tribal and other communities in society. While we have a diverse and colourful existence of tribes all over the country, some regions are more dominated by their presence than others. Our country ranks second in the world in terms of its population, it’s also ranked second behind Africa for its tribal population. According to the 2001 census, 8.08% of the country’s population is tribal and they make 9.27% of the total Maharashtrian population. Out of the total 461, 174 are the major tribes which are further subdivided and exist all across the country, though their major presence is in forest and hilly areas. The tribes differ from each other on the basis of language, culture, belief systems and traditional practices. And these diversities are marked with various attractive art forms.
Bhil Tribe
This tribe has the most expanded and diffused presence across various regions of the country. Bhil tribals are known as the brave archers of India. Being one of the oldest tribal communities in India, Bhils were considered amongst the royal dynasties in history and were known as the Vihil dynasty.
Bhil has an incredibly rich and unique culture. They are known for their pithora painting, dance, music, handicrafts and paintings. In every Bhil village, there exists a regional deity and all families have their own recognised favoured god and goddesses. They worship and pay homage to their deities before and after every task and action.
Bhil tribal traditional agricultural worship methodology
People of Bhil tribe in the Nandurbar district of Maharashtra have their own agricultural traditional methodology by which they worship and call upon their Gods and Goddesses during the farming process of growing various crops.
The rituals of this traditional worship involve alcohol from Mahua tree as a critical component besides other materials like coconut, paddy, black gram lentil, wheat, sorghum, vermilion, incense stick, oil, Kumkum, pilers (palash) leaves and Madar flower being used in the prayer. The rituals around the worship are conducted in three stages, first is before tilling the land, second is before sowing the seed and lastly after harvesting the crop.
The farming cycle begins in the month of April (after Gudi Padava, the spring festival marking Maratha new year) and the preparations are made for the new crop. All farmers worship their deities before preparing the field. Just before tilling the field, a stone at the eastern corner of the field is consecrated with water, then oil is offered while burning the incense stick and putting kumkum & vermilion on the stone, then the Mahua alcohol is sprinkled with the help of piker (Palash) leaves all around and in centre of the field and the rice is kept along with alcohol everywhere, while they pay homage and call upon the Mother Earth, familiar favoured goddess, Kani-Kansri. They call upon the Mother Earth in the following way: “o Mother Earth, o Kani-Kansri, I begin the cultivation process today in you name and the Kani-Kansri should always continue to prosper, therefore I worship in the name Kani Mata.”
The second part of worship is conducted during the sowing process which also involves the prayer to various gods and goddesses for the protection of crops and a bounty harvest.
In august, no work is done in the fields on five days which include two Sundays and three Tuesdays, on which the Bhil conduct their worship rituals. First Sunday, blue grass and wood is worshiped, then the grass is cut and swing begins. The process of daubing in the house doesn’t begin until the grain is brought in and then this worship ritual is performed. The house is daubed only after the worship and the crops being halfway ready. On the second Sunday, a tiger deity is worshiped, where all the male members of the village gather under a huge Peepal tree just outside the village, and one person performs as a tiger, another as a cat, and they chant; “here comes tiger, here comes tiger, run”, then they hit the tiger and cat with balls of wet mud and perform the ritual of scaring the tiger away. Only men participate in this ritual and themselves prepare the food from the ingredients brought by all members from their home. Third, fourth and fifth Tuesday, they just stay at home and don’t go to the field.
When the harvesting process begins, first and foremost the place for keeping the grain is cleaned and the threshing floor is prepared. Before beginning the harvesting process, the farmers tie a turban on their heads and pour water, oil, vermilion on a stone at threshing floor; worshiping and calling upon the familial favoured goddess and various gods; Modi Mata, Kani Mata, Sun God (Surya Dev), Mother Earth (Dhatri Mata). Piler (Palash) leaves in dron form with alcohol are sprinkled on the floor and rice is kept along with it. The threshing floor is daubed with cow dung and next day after worshiping the area with coconut, incense stick, kumkum and rice, the new crop is brought for the threshing (cleaning) process.
After harvesting the crop and bringing it in house, farmers take a portion for oblation to the familial favoured goddess. A bamboo basket, kept in a white dhoti, is filled with coconut, Mahua alcohol, betel, dried date, all kinds of green vegetables, fenugreek, leaves, paddy, sorghum, arhal, Varaha rice (Kodo), batti, mor, Bhadi, incense stick, matchstick, vermilion, kumkum, oil, ₹11; the basket is tied with the dhoti and taken to the temple of familial favoured goddess (favoured goddess here mogi Mata; kuldevi yaha mogi Mata) and the worship rituals are performed. Rajafanta, Ganda thakur (Vinyaa Dev), kaali Mata, Kani kansari Mata are worshiped and called upon. After the completion of worship rituals, everybody returns to their home and the whole family sits together to eat the freshly cooked new grains.
‘Happiness and prosperity is maintained, crops keep on flourishing, these are the reasons for all worship rituals for the familial favoured goddess’ as the locals say it.
In this way, the Bhil tribe calls upon and pays homage to their gods, goddesses and ancestors so that their crops are safe and they have a bounty production. This is the finest example of the connection, interdependence and harmony of the Bhil community with nature and environment.
Roshni Padvi
Nandurbar, Maharashtra
Shardai Foundation
Roshni is the student of Certificate programme for Rural livelihood (CRPL), third batch; conducted by BRLF.
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Roshni Padvi
Roshani has completed her studies with B.A, DED & she is also an alumnus of Certificate Program in Rural Livelihoods run by Bharat Rural Livelihood Foundation. She brings more than 15 years of experience in the rural development sector and has been working in the tribal area of Maharashtra on Women & Child issues, Agriculture, and water conservation.
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