This is the second post to , “ When the Tongue stops, the Folk ends ”, blog series ( check every monday ) started with a aim to bring indigenous communities of India to the forefront of internet community, highlighting the richness of their culture and tradition.
Read the first article: Tribe of the youngest
PREFACE
The word Bhil means bow and the Bhils have therefore come to be known as the mountain tribals with a bow and arrow. The stories of their exceptional archery talent are recounted in the native narratives, with focus on Bhil warrior legends. The epic Mahabharata tells the story of Eklavya, who overshadows the skill of great Arjuna. The renowned poet Valmiki in Ramayana was a Bhil bandit named Vail before being blessed by the Goddess of Learning, Saraswati.
With a huge population of more than 4.6 million, Bhils are the most widely distributed tribal groups of India. Rajasthan, western Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, and northern Maharashtra are the main places where Bills reside. Women wearing traditional saris and men wearing long frock with pajamas and traditional brass ornaments highlighting their tradition in the modern world. Bhils are tall, well built with handsome features. They are brave and their national weapon is bow made of bamboo.
Earlier they were great hunters but now they practice agriculture as the source of livelihood. They are known for their truthfulness and simplicity. The people are full of life enjoying most of their time in nature. They live on mounds and hilly tracks where the presence of mineral deposit of important minerals is available. The temperature is moderately free from the terrific cold and extensive heat. Their language Bhili belongs to the Indo-Aryan family of languages. They do not have a script and as a consequence, other languages such as Rajasthani, Gujarati, Marathi, Hindi, and other regional languages are spoken by Bhili people depending on the state to which the group is attached, with an influence of Bhili — dialect.
They have many clans traditional and newly emerged. Some traditional clans namely — ahir, bhavare, bhore, pawar, etc. are in towns and cities. Bhil families have started residing in colonies, but they try to share a common locality. In rural settlements, a small group of families lives in a village sector known as falia, which is planned with the guidance of senior members of families. They plan the designing on availability of water, land for agriculture, availability of firewood and grassland for the cattle.
Religion practice among the Bhils differs from place to place. Most of them worship local deities like Khandoba, Kanhoba, Bahiroba, and Sitalmata. Some of the worship Tiger God called ‘vaghdev’. Despite of no temples, they consult Badvas -the hereditary sorcerers on all the occasions. Bhils are highly superstitious tribal people. They have Bhagat or Gurus who perform religious rites. They marry only in their own classes. Their close relationships are tightly based on mutual love and respect. In their rich cultural history importance art is dance and music. ‘Than Gair’ is the religious dance drama performed by the men in the month of Sharavana (July and August). The members of the tribe are talented in the sculptured work. They make beautiful horses, elephants, tigers, deities out of clay.
The Baneshwar fair is the main festival celebrated among the community. This fair is held during the period of Shivatri (in the month of January or February) and is dedicated to lord shiva. On this occasion, all member of the community gathers together to set up camps on the banks of the Som and Mahi river and perform a special dance around the fire singing traditional songs. At night all enjoy the raslila at the nearby Lakshmi Narayan temple. Shows themed on culture, magic, and animal acrobatic is the main attraction of the fair.
This fair is actually the combination of two fairs, which are held in reverence of Lord Shiva and the other one that commenced after the setting up of Vishnu temple by Jankunwari. Holi and Dusshera are the other major festivals celebrated among the Bhils in India.
The distinguishing fact about the tribe is despite low literacy rate they have their own knowledge of the herbs by which many diseases are cured. They are somewhere living their lives in a more human way rather than the life of an experimental rat what we the people of cities are living.
