thesilkroadtoday
पांगुळ जालों देवा नाहीं हात ना पाय । बैसलों जयावरी सैराट तें जाय ।
खेटितां कुंप कांटी । खुंट दरडी न पाहे । आधार नाहीं मज कोणी । बाप ना माये ॥१॥
दाते हो दान करा । जातें पंढरपुरा । न्या मज तेथवरी । अखमाचा सोयरा ॥ध्रु.॥
हिंडतां गव्हानें गा । शिणलों दारोदारीं । न मिळे चि दाता कोणी । जन्मदुःखातें वारी ।
कीर्ति हे संतां मुखीं । तो चि दाखवा हरी । पांगळां पाय देतो । नांदे पंढरपुरीं ॥२॥
(Source : Collective work of Saint Tukaram , Verse no. 423 )
(God, I am paralyzed/ no hands, no feet/ the one who sits on/ it runs fast)
Once upon a time, every village in Maharashtra used to wake up with the song of Pangul. A Pangul man was often seen sitting on a tree or on a high wall saying “Dharma Jago” (Awake to perform your duties and start the day with charity). He would arrive in the village before sunrise. One of his symbolic relations is said to be with ‘Aruna,’ the crippled charioteer of the Sun, and another with Pingala, a small owl (considered a good omen).
Pangul, believed to have knowledge of the future, would narrate the importance of piety and charity through his songs. After that, Vasudeva was seen riding into the courtyard. Vasudeva men /community people are devotees of Lord Krishna. Their attire is similar to that of Shri Krishna. Nandiwala (a wandering community that keeps a sacred bull as a symbol of Lord Shiva’s vehicle) used to come and wonders across the road performing tricks and tactics with sacred bull for a whole day. At the end of the afternoon, the Bahurupi (Manifesto) men were seen wondering across roads in various appearances.
लग्नाला चला , तुम्ही लग्नाला चला
काळुबाई, साळूबाई लग्नाला चला
(Come to the wedding, you come to the wedding
Kalubai, Salubai let’s come to the wedding)
They entertained the diverse village population by dressing up in various costumes and singing songs. There were also Chitrakathi in the village, narrating picture stories. These communities played an important role in shaping the folk culture of Maharashtra. Dr. R.C. Dhere honored traditional folk artists by calling them as worshipers of folk culture. The Gondhali, who stages the ritual drama, are worshipers of goddess Renuka and Tuljabhavani. Waghyamurli Jagran is a form of worshiping of Lord Khandoba. Potraj is the Priest of Mariaai, the goddess who stays under the trees outside of village. Bharadis are known as devotees of Lord Bhairavnath. Bhope is the Bhagat (a priest) of Devi (Goddess). The Dahaka of Kumbhra (potter community men) is important in Munja’s (a local god idol of un-married god men) worship ritual. Dhangar community worships Biroba. Sahdev Bhadli are predictors of rainfall. Balsantosha comes to ask for old clothes. Dwari Joshi, Kudmude Joshi, Pingle Joshi belong to the astrologer communities telling predictions based on divine inspiration. These worshipers of various folk gods have helped cultivate the folk art of Maharashtra. These folk artists preserved their art not for the sake of fulfilling their stomach but for their faith. It is necessary to participate in the actual ritual to understand the words of the worshipers and the code of action properly.
Maharashtra has its unique identity as compared to other western states. The state is situated at the confluence of North and South India. Obviously, the amalgamation of North and South Indian culture is very well visible in Maharashtra’s folk culture. The neighboring states of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Telangana, Goa have influenced Maharashtra’s folk culture. Coastal area of the Arabian Sea in the west has also influenced our folk culture. Therefore, there are regional variations in the folk culture of Konkan and the eastern districts like Gadchiroli, Chandrapur, Bhandara. Similarly, differences exist between the folk culture of Kolhapur, Sangli, and Satara in southern Maharashtra, and that of Dhule, Nandurbar, and Jalgaon in northern Maharashtra. These differences are observable in various aspects such as dialect, food, costumes, customs, traditions, traditional games, rituals, worship practices, folklore, art forms & craftsmanship. Local geography has also influenced folk culture. Primitive culture, village culture and urban culture are three distinct forms of folk culture. All these three forms co-exist in the same region simultaneously.
Tribal culture is deeply connected to nature whereas the urban culture is not as closely associated with it. For example, we can mention the wedding rituals of the Warli tribal groups, living in and around Palghar and out skirts of Mumbai metropolis. Even today, marriage ceremonies are performed by Dhwalerya at tribal padas (small colony) in remote area. These rituals are traditionally performed by the widowed woman of the pada. Warli painting is a part of these wedding rituals. On the wall of the marriage house, Dhavelerya has been drawing pictures in a specific way. This painting came to be known as Warli painting. The pada, with the remnant of primitive civilization, is sometimes visited by priests and sometimes by Dhavlerya for wedding ceremonies. But in the tribal padas near Mumbai, marriage ceremonies are performed by priests only. That is, in the same period, in the same territory, in the same group, all three folk cultures have been observed.
Maharashtra’s folk culture is based on agro-centric structure. Maharashtra’s folk culture has been shaped from the village, which is home to agriculture, farmers, Alutedars, Balutedars (categories of castes & communities allied different business, professions in villages like barber, carpenters, potters, etc.) and folk artists. In fact, the terms agrarian culture and folk culture are used synonymously. Due to association between agrarian culture and folk culture, Surjan and Sufalikaran (Creation and Fertility rituals) became the core component of folk culture. Folk culture has a unique relationship with land.
Bhumi is not just a piece of land or an object; she is ‘Mother Earth’, the Goddess. It is strongly believed that earth is source of the creation of sustenance, creativity, fertility, protection and prosperity.
Maharashtra’s folk culture has deeply ingrained the faith in Bhumi, the land through various worships and rituals. Ghatasthapana in Navratri, Varula Pooja performed on Shravan Panchami, worship of earthen pots on Makar Sankranti express the rituals relating to the relationship with the Bhumi, land or soil. Folk culture is associated with various elements of creation. Rivers, water bodies, mountains, bushes, animals, trees, and birds are important parts of people’s life. Therefore, the folk culture seems to worship all these as deities. Cows, buffaloes and bullocks are as important as land in agricultural culture. Puran Poli is offered to bullocks on the occasion of the Pola festival.
दिन दिन दिवाळी
गाई म्हशी ओवाळी
गाई म्हशी कोणाच्या?
लक्षुमनाच्या
लक्ष्मण कोणाचा?
आई बापाचा
दे ग माय खोबऱ्याची वाटी
वाघाच्या पाठीत घालीन काठी!
(Day to day Diwali ,
worship to Cows & Buffalo )
Cows and cattle are worshiped on the festival of Diwali. Women show their gratitude to the bull by fasting on Rishi Panchami. Folklores mention the bull as a brother and sometimes as a father. In the Festival of the Pola, a cow is formally married to a bashing-tied bull, marriages in people, the groom is also bashed. The practice of bashing was derived from the Pola festival to marriage culture in Maharashtrian people. This simply means that the process of exchange in various parts of folk culture goes on simultaneously. In the wedding ceremony, the mother of groom and the bride’s grandmother is Gifted by Special Cloths (Aaher) called ‘Pot Zakne’ and ‘Aajichir’. The broad spectrum of folk culture includes all rituals from man’s birth to death. Culture is seen to be preserved through a broader human value system.
These are very unique features of ritual of Maharashtra folk culture. Being at the confluence of North and South, Maharashtrian folk culture has a synergy of Patriarchal and Matriarchal practices. Maharashtrian folk culture emphasizes the collective way of life. Its tradition is mainly oral. Its continuity can be observed through images, symbols and myths.
Marathi folk literature is an integral part of Maharashtra’s folk culture. Folk tales, folk songs, (Ovi songs of Grindstone (Jaatyavaril Ovya), songs sung by farmers while pulling water from well (Motevarachi Gani), Death time (Martika) Songs, Rirual Songs (Vidhi Geete), Songs of Farming (Shramgeete, Bhalarigeete), Play Songs (Krida Geete), Girls’ songs(Fugdigeete, Bhulai Geete, Feragani Geete), festival Songs, various chants (Mantras), etc., Songs of Thakar- Gond-Andh-Warli-Konkana-Kolam tribes. Gorbanjara songs, Vaganatya, Lavani, Powada, Kirtan, Sayings, Phrases, Ukhane, etc. all wealth of folklore is work related. Collectiveness, chanting, lyricism, location specificity, eternity are the characteristics of Maharashtrian folk literature. Above all, it is expressed through the various dialects. Grandmother’s wallet (Aajibaicha Batava) is a traesure of folk medicine. The core of saint literature conveys the message of universal humanism which is also found in folk culture. By adopting the poetic/literary structures (Rachanabandh) from folk literature, the saints propogated about true path of life (Sanmarga ) & devotional thoughts in the community.
Different regional forms of Maharashtrian folk culture are found as they are related to daily life work and are expressed through dialects. The geographical condition of particular region has been shaped the life of people. Dashavatar from Sindhudurg, folk songs from the Zadi forest, Akhaji songs from Khandesh, ghost stories from Konkan, Kanbaicha Rot (special dabble sweet bread) from Khandesh, Ear twitching ritual (Kanpili) in Marathwada, Lalita Panchami and Bohada in Khandesh and Marathwada, Dandar from Chandrapur and Gadchiroli area. Horse dance tradition in Dolhare, Ras-Gana tradition in Shahada tahasil, Dhemsa in Kinwat-Mahur area are few examples. Puranpoli is offered as sacred food to Gauri in Marathwada Vidarbha region while in Konkan fish-foods are offered as Naivedyam (sacred food) as impact of geographical diversity.
Gudhipadwa is a most important festival in Maharashtra. Maharashtrian folk culture is reflected through this festival. Gudhi, which is erected in the Maharashtrian houses every year which reminds of the Matriarchal tradition and the importance of women. However, in the later period, the festival added stories from the patriarchal system. Today in Maharashtra, every where this festival is celebrated in Marathi style, by synthesizing the rituals of maternal and paternal system. The unique confluence of two different cultures can be experienced on this occasion.
However, with the changing times, various forms of folk culture are disappearing. Modernization, mechanization, and marketization have affected the worshipers of folk culture; a changing village is not conducive to the preservation of folk culture. Rituals and customs are abbreviated. A new generation of worshipers is moving away from folk deity worship. Jate (Grinding Stone), now got vanished from households, has taken Ovi along with it. Along with the Mote (a bullock driven water pulling system settled on the well), the songs on Mote, sung to the beat of the bells on the necks of the bullocks, have also disappeared. With the advent of tractors, cowsheds have emptied and bulls have no longer a place in agricultural life. The rich heritage and wisdom of folk culture is being lost at the hands of a changing new generation.
(Dr. Prithviraj Taur is a poet, translator and critic from India. He writes in Marathi language. Presently he is working as a Head of Marathi Department and Director of School of Fine and Performing Arts in SRTM University, Nanded, Maharashtra, India. Contact 9423274565)
