TRIBAL
WOMEN SENSITIVITY
This is an article
published in in “Girijan Siri” book on 50th birthday celebration of
P.K. Khandoba. This article is written by B.T. Lalitha Nayak.
Human
race is only one. We have differences among male and female not only physically,
but mentally such as inner feeling, sensitivity, thinking methods differs from
each other. These differences build on the basis of time, place, nation, caste,
clan and religious values. Women are invisible in patriarchal system of society.
She spends her life as a girl, young, adulthood, old age these all ages she
crosses in the patriarchal system. At the last stage of her life she recalls a
mournful song that is “it is batter to be as soil then as female. It is batter to born a tree on soil; it gives
overshadow to every creature”. This saying is applicable to tribal (who are
nomadic people away from modern society) women. There are many tribal
communities in this nation. I belong to Lambani or Banjara tribal women
therefore it is my sincere attempt to capture women sensitivity.
Lambanis
are away from so called written culture, they have their own oral tradition
which includes songs, stories, sayings, riddles; poetry etc. involved a huge
oral transfer from one generation to next generation.
Lambani
people’s way of living is different from Hindu people. They are not disconnected
with Hindu influence. Women are worship as goddesses, but in real life her
social status is subordinate to men. The society always considers women are
inferior to men. She is facing lower position in patriarchal society.
The
birth of male child, people expresses their happiness and beat the (Nagara) drum or bronze plate to spread
happy news to whole village is the custom. But female child’s birth takes place
we cannot hear any other sound accept crying sound of that child.
The
‘Male Lions’ gather on village assembly such as the leader (head) and secretory
including other members of the legal system. In the village assembly women are
totally absent. She considered as ‘theen
kaser kori’ (three paise women). She is not going to take part in the
village legal system.
The
Banjara women are not free from these hand-cuff strict rules but she has given
certain liberty in the society to express her happiness through dance and song.
When we hear this news we feel wonder and happy.
DANCE
Lambani
women mostly like to dance for free themselves from day today life problems.
The Tanda[i] women
do not let go full moon days waste. They call all the other women for dance
through this song “Oh, sisters come together, on these full moon beautiful day
let dance together!” On festival days the tribal women get ready to dance with
community ladies, wear new skirts, cholis, odhani and traditional ornaments
etc.
Minimum
four to twenty women gather in open place stand in circle curve down their
body, they turn right and left side of their body and dance with the help of
their self-created songs while dancing they go round clock wise direction with
rhythmic dance.
Bai kambediye……. rasata
chodan paresi besa.......
O
dear, sister pigeon…… sit away from the road…..
Bai kambediye…… maro
MaMa aayeto marliye dekh.
O
dear, sister pigeon…… if my husband saw you he may kill you!...
Bai kambediye…… darur
chakana karliye dekh…..
O
dear, pigeon sister….. He may make food on his liquor drinking.
Bai kambediye…… maro
bapu aayeto marliye dekh…..
O
sister, pigeon….. If my father came to this way he may kill you…..
Bai kambediye……
sindhire chakana karliye dekh…….
O
sister pigeon……He may make food on his wine drink…….
The
song goes on same lyrics but different male name. They add new name on every new
composition like father, brother, husband, brother in laws. These all male
characters are very dangerous and the tribal women give suggestions to pigeon
don’t stay on road side otherwise you may kill by these people. They request to
pigeon to be alert and stay away from road side. The dance goes on singing same
line repeatedly to suggest a helpless bird. The important aspect of the song is
pigeon belongs to female and the killer always men. . This song suggests the patriarchal notion
of the society.
POT DANCE
This
dance is very glamorous to watch. In this dance a women hold an earthen pot on her
head and she bend her knees down and sits on the earth and makes phhoo… phhoo…
sounds through her mouth and she turns pot round very artistically. All other women
stand round to her singing a beautiful song.
“Ghadiya pheru paani
mangavu…
Janganina gheeva
bharadure…….”
“I
turn pot, bring water ……
Give
life to every living creature……”
BEND DANCE
All
women collectively stand in circle and bend their body and play their hands
here and there rhythmically step by step go round in circle. While dance they
sing like question-answer songs between two groups. One group blame the village
leader because he theft a goat and eaten. The other group supports the leader
and they say no, he is not theft. They claim he is honest man.
The
song goes like this…..
Baiyo…… Baiyo…….
Oh!
Sisters!.... Oh…. Sisters!......
Kanyi yeh… Baiyo……..?
Oh!
Sisters….What happen?
EE.. tandero phelanya
Nayak…dinna dinna dhanto…
The
village headman ran away to forest.
Koniye baiyo….
Oh!
Sisters you are lying.
Ka koni kochoye
baiyo…….
Why
are you saying No….oh sisters…..
Charati chelina
choro……chara char kato gada gada randho….
Stolen the goat….. Killed the goat… bake to eat.
Koniye…. baiyo………….
Oh!
Sisters….. You are lying…
Ore gonni chamako
vangari…..
His
wife helped him to fry the food…
Koniye baiyo………
Oh!
Sisters… you are lying…
This
conversational song ends with the evidence of the Leader killer or not.
One
group says he is true and other group says, he theft and killed the innocent
goat his wife supported him to cook the meat. At the end they give evidence and
they say we are the witness because we have been to his house to take fire that
day. The dance end when they give evidence to the person is guilty. The tribal
women sing and dance with narrative story. Through story we understand the legal system.
TEEJ DANCE
Teej
festival is one among those festivals; unmarried Banjara young girls delightfully
dance and feel tired on this occasion. The meaning of this festival in
Banjara(Gaur Boli) language teej means offspring.
The offspring festival is for welcoming new harvest season. To welcome harvest the
young unmarried girls fill fertile soil in new basket, grow wheat seed on it.
They pour water daily up to nine days. Ninth
day immersion program for teej(offspring) in nearby river. They dance holding
teej basket on their head. It seems like whole land is wearing greenery along
with red dress.
The
village male and female gathers at river side on immersion day. The people
believed to pluck offspring are auspicious moment for them. When they pluck
offspring then girls express their agony/distress towards men through their
dance and song.
Golla vegere nayako
gollavege
Mare hunshe mandero teej
todalide
Mar velakelaro teej
todalide.
All
elders pluck up my compassionate offspring. I have grown it carefully. My hopeful
offspring you snap/break.
DIWALI DANCE
Diwali
festival is originated for young girls. It is one the beautiful medium to
express their gladness/ delight. On the day of Deepawali young girls go to
garden to pluck up various flowers for puja. On the way they turn back to
village and starts puja every household.
They
wear beautiful dress with mirror; cowrie and a tiny bell make their dress
brightness. New baskets full of flowers
while bringing back to the village they stand for dance.
“Ranginiro puleda tama
ramate jajore
Aang mando shivaro
tando, o maven jajore”
Colorful
flowers you go ahead delightedly to Shiva’s village.
HOLI DANCE
Some
places of the Karnataka won’t celebrate Holi festival. The Lambani villages
celebrate Holi festival enthusiastically. Before ten- twenty days women
(married-unmarried) starts dance-songs. They go to other non-native villages to
collect money. In that situation they dance and song in mixer of both language
for fun.
Ha…! Choriyoye…. cv
Gadi myale Gouda
kuntan….
Ha….. villedele adike
jagitan….
Ha….. Raichuru santigi
hogatan….
Ha….. challo challo
seeri taratan….
Oh!
Girls, village headman sitting on the throne
He
is chowing betel leaf and areca nut
He
goes to Raichur market
He
brings batter beautiful saris
Like
this they dance and sing self -composed songs to entertain people and men also
play (Kollat) strict dance to entertain everybody.
Singing
self-composed songs are important role in Banjara people’s life. They always
sing while they do embroidery work and agriculture work. The mothers were busy
with their domestic life that time a sleeping child in a cradle awake and cries.
She sings lullaby song to consoles their child while working.
“Hallo….. Hallo….hallo….
Sojho…sojho…. sojho….
Laly… laly… laly….
Duri….. duri…. duri….”
Sojho…. balla… sojho……
Sojho… lal... sojho…..
Laly laly sojho….
Dhuri.. dhuri… sojho…..
Jhollima jhulan sojho….
In
cradle try to sleep
Nindha na aawatone sojho….
Try
to sleep
Chandhanero chanda tu
sojho..
Light
of Full moon day fell into sleep
Mayer pholada tu sojho……
Mothers
flower fell into sleep….
Mothers’
melodiousness lullaby makes children fall into sleep once again and she
continues to complete her house hold activities.
MARRIAGE SONG
A
Banjara marriage ceremony starts with songs and ends with songs without any
musical instruments. Bride must to learn sing to express her emotion. Day
before marriage all elder women gather around her and teach her how to sing
farewell songs.
Yeh.. chutmat
jayeshye..
Yeh.. mare sheva sunka
bayeri Havelli…
Don’t
far off my dear father and brother’s house.
When
a bride cries saying don’t make distance my father’s house from me. All people sharer
in her agony /emotion. This process makes to express her sorrows through song.
Then onwards they become natural, fluently and in different context express
their feeling through songs.
A
brother goes to her sister’s house after many days. The sister holds her
brothers neck and starts crying. She expresses her feeling through songs.
Kinva
karana ghat chati karaleedo….
Mare
lakero yek veera…
Why
are you unkind my dear millionaire brother? Through the song she questions her
brother to why you people neglected me.
To
tease their relatives and make them happy they sing various songs. They express
their sorrows and happiness through hundreds of songs. If we hear their song we
learn the real essence of the song.
PARTING SONG बिदाई
Yadiey!...
Kunso Jalam lei tho……
tharo
mundo dekaliyun Yadiey!..... anhiya!
Mane
pedakidi yadi…. mane paliposhi yadi…..
Masena
chudan chalijarichun mari yadi……
Othradad
pal posan mar hat dosrene jhal dine mari yadi….. anihiya!
tharo
mundo dekaliyun Yadiey…… anhiya!
Oh
my dear mother!
Which
birth do I need to take to see your face again Oh my dear mother! Anhiya!
You
gave birth and nourished me, Oh my dear mother!
Today
I leave all of you, Oh my dear mother!
All
these days I feed from you, Oh my dear mother!
Now
you’re giving my hand to somebody else. Oh my dear mother! Anhiya!
When
do I see your countenance again? Anhiya!
MALE SINGER
Singing
is not for the women. Women are not only expert in singing. Banjara men are
also expert to sing melodious song. Thali[ii],
Jhang[iii],
Nagara[iv],
etc. are the musical instruments which they use to sing their household gods
like Shevalal[v],
Mariyamma[vi],
Hunumanji-Krishnaji, Balaji etc. to prayer singing. These people sing heroic
poetry, folk tale songs, lawani verses with expression of emotions through
movements and gestures whole night.
Asshi asshi dhartipar
raman lachaman khevanne
Unke piche chalore sab
duniya.
On this religious land Rama and Laxman lived.
Everybody was following their path.
PROFESTIONAL SINGER
Among
the people of Banjara some people are selected singing as their profession.
They call them Dhadi- Dhalaya. They go to one village to other village to
praise their forefather and brave persons an hours and sometimes whole day.
The
Dhadi sing self- created songs with help of the Rabab(musical instrument) and Dhalaya beat drums and sing song.
These artists are born genius. The other language speaker also enchanted with
their song and he listen to their song.
The
profestional singers sing one of the historical narrative songs is Parada
(ghoongat) system.
DESTRUCTIVE GHOOGAT
(PARADA) CULTURE
Basically
Lambanis were belonging to nomadic tribe hundreds of people went together with
their animals to supply salt, grain, sometimes weapons to kingdom. They go long
distance crossing jangles hills and they had their own group leader secretary
senior person. Rangidev Nayak was one of the camp leader he had a beautiful
daughter Jhamma. Chaju Jharpala was young leader of another group. He
fascinated with Jhamma and longing to marry her. She too attracted towards
charming face of young man. He sends his
relative to Rangidev Nayak asking for marriage with her daughter. But father is
not agreeing to this relationship. He dis-agrees not to give his daughter to already
married elder man with children.
Chaju
was an opinionated man, one night there was a musical program by profestional musician,
and everybody plunged into listen to music. Chaju Jharpala came on horse,
spirit away the girl and disappears brightly.
Rangidev
Nayak violated and he planned to attack on other group. But village secretory
consoled him to do not do hasty action. They send Jhamma’s brother Rupalal to
that group for good relationship.
Rupalal
brought good news from that village and he informed that Jhamma is happy with
her husband. Then Rangidev Nayak gave his blessing quite distantly and swallows
his sorrow of separation from his daughter. But within one year span of time a
tragic incident happened with Jhamma. One fine morning Chaju Jharpala went to
hunting as usual in the winter season. Bhuriya (elder wife’s son) was enjoying
with his friends and lite fire to remove cold of their body in front of their
house. Jhamma finds no young person is there and she went to their group to
take fire heat. She removed her ghoogat; spear her time in front of fire.
Chaju
Jharpala turns back with his friends to go hunting after two hours. He finds
his new wife removed her Ghoogat and sitting freely in middle of young children.
The wife is only for me she should not remove parada in front of other people.
This ignorant lady shows her face to everyone and laughing in midst of boys. He
lost his temper and ran angrily towards Jhamma. When she looks him she quickly
takes her Ghoogat and tried to go inside of her house. But Chaju stopped her
and he took his sword from his waist quickly within few second he separated her
head from her body. Her body hides in blood, her smooth body cover under the
cloth and throne away from the village. He given instructions to his friends
now let us go for hunting. They behaved like nothing happen in the village.
They went to hunting. This is the story of women in tribal society. The story
goes on to take revenge by women’s parents.
RETALIATION
The
barbarous murder news heard Ranjidev Nayak. He took oath to destroy the Chaju
Jharapala’s lineage. He attack on their
camp killed everybody and lite fire to village. Whole village burn in the fire nobody
alive. But Chaju jharapala’s son was not present at that time he was outside of
the village; he became only person alive in the whole village. He also took
oath to kill everybody of Rangidev Nayak’s people.
Once
Rangidev Nayak’s camp going to Alighada, they need to pass a tinny valley. They
had a small hole to pass one side to other side. They are started passing one
after one; in that situation Buriya was standing other side he killed one after
one person seriously from his sword. This barbaric activity took so many
innocent people’s life. Their body became food for vulture so many days. Women’s
golden and silver ornaments left plenitude like mountain.
If
we look at this historical incident women were suffering from child marriage
fear from elder, she faces punishment from husband. The whole social system
considers her as a sexual object and identified her as a human machine for
work. Throughout her life she cannot understand herself. She loses her
perspective of life in one way of patriarchal social system. The Lambani people
worship as their household goddesses as Saat Sati and Saat Bhavani(seven sattis
and seven goddess).
SATI SYSTEM
There
is a tragic story about Bhimmasatti a tribal woman become sati after the Teetaraja’s
death. One particular day the Lambani people establish sati and decorate it
with traditional dress, they bring fruit, flower, and lights and do sati puja
whole night tell her story and sing Vollang[vii]
song collectively. This is the celebration. If we try to look at the
meaning of the song consciously we will find out wonderful, sympathetic,
heartfelt story. Rama Nayak was belonging to Lambani tribe. He had a beautiful
daughter called Bheema Bai. She got married to a prestigious family man called
Teetaraja.
The
song describes her beauty
Oriye ranch ranch…
oriye mall mall…
Aaratadi dhoiye dhaye….
Ore bapaniye ramero
banna…
Ore aankhiye limboodaro
nenna
Ore dantaye dallamero
beeja
Ore geebye peepallero
paan
Her
body was like shining light on the sky….
The
silk was her skin.
Her
eyebrow was like Rama’s arrow.
Her
eye was like lemon.
Her
teeth were apple’s seed.
Her
tongue was like screed tree.
She
was goddesses of beauty with self –satisfied, good mannered. She was apple to
everyone’s eye in the family.
