oral tradition in kalahandi
TRANSCRIPT
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Cultural Tradition in Kalahandi
Dr.Mahendra K MishraManaging Trustee
Folklore Fouondation,Bhubaneswar ,Odisha, India
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Kalahandi
A land of nature, elephant, gem stone ,
sandal woods, tiger and bison
The land is known as Kondhan Desh - the land
of the Kondhs- an indigenous community of
the state
The Kondhs were known for Meriah - Human
Sacrifice till it was suppressed by the
Britishers during 1835 1860 AD.
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Prehistoric cave paintings
A hunter throwing a stone at the deer
deer
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Elliots Report 1876
There were 2100 habitations
Total population was 1,24000
Out of that 88,000 were Kondhs
They constituted about 60 % of the totalpopulation
Now in 2001 tribal population in cluding the
Kondhs is 28 %. Demographers have a ground to study why
this happened.
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1.Geographical Areas
2.Area under Forest
3.Population4.Scheduled Caste
5. Scheduled Tribe
6.Density of population per sq.kms.
7. LITERATE
8.ILLITERATE
9. No of villages :
1. 7920 Sq.KM
2. 2,538.01 Sq.KM (32 %)
3. (2001)Census 1335494 ( Male-667526,Female-667968 ) ( Rural -
1235275, Urban - 100219 )4. 236019 (17.67 )(Male-117344,Female-
118675)
5. 385273 ( 28.84% )(Male-188646,Female-193927)
6. 169
7. 513383 ( 62.45% ) ( Male-349473
,Female- 163910)
8. 822111 (Male-318053 , Female -504058 )
9. 2236
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Kalahandi in many names across the
space and time
Mahakantara 3 century AD
Trikalinga 4- 5 century
Parvata Dwaraka - and Nala dynasty - 5th
century Saravapuriya - 6-7 century
Soma Vamsa 7- 9 century
Chidaka Naga - 10 Century
ganga dynasty 11-13th centiry
Naga 14 th centuryAD
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Ruling dynasties in kalahandi
Mahakantara [500 BC to 500 AD] Vyaghraraja
Nala Kings
Parvatadwarakas
South Kosal Trikaling
Chakrakota Mandala : Someswara Naga
Kamala Mandala
karunda mandala Kalahandi
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Naga Kings 1005-1947
1005-1528 Raghunath Sai (1005-1040 AD)
Pratap Narayan Deo (1040 - 1072 AD)
Birabar Deo (1072 - 1108 AD)
Jugasai Deo I (1108 - 1142 AD)
Udenarayan Deo (1142-1173 AD) Harichandra Deo (1173-1201 AD)
Ramachandra Deo (1201 - 1234 AD)
Gopinath Deo (1234 - 1271 AD)
Balabhadra Deo (1271 - 1306 AD)
Raghuraj Deo (1306-1337 AD)
Rai Singh Deo I (1337 - 1366 AD)
Haria Deo (1366 - 1400 AD)
Jugasai Deo II (1400 - 1436 AD) Pratap Narayan Deo II (1436 - 1468 AD)
Hari Rudra Deo (1468 - 1496 AD)
Anku Deo (1496 - 1528 AD)
1528-1947 Pratap Deo (1528 - 1564 AD)
Raghunath Deo (1564 - 1594 AD)
Biswambhar Deo (1594 - 1627 AD)
Rai Singh Deo II (1627 - 1658 AD)
Dusmant Deo (1658 -1693 AD) Jugasai Deo III (1693 - 1721 AD)
Khadag Rai Deo (1721 - 1747 AD)
Rai Singh Deo III (1747 - 1771 AD)
Purusottam Deo (1771 - 1796 AD)
Jugasai Dei IV (1796 - 1831 AD)
Fate Narayan Deo (1831 - 1853 AD)
Udit Pratap Deo I (1853 - 1881 AD) Raghu Keshari De (1894 - 1897 AD)
Court of Wards (1897 - 1917 AD)
Brajamohan Deo (1917 - 1939 AD)
Pratap Keshari Deo (1939 till the merge withOrissa state)
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The present District of Kalahandi was a former
princely state. After Indian Independence,
Kalahandi joined with the Union of India
on January 1, 1948, and was subsequently
merged with Orissa on November
1, 1949. The former capital of the State of
Kalahandi, Junagarh, located 26 kilometers
from Bhawanipatna
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Post Independent era 1952-2009
During 1952- 2009 royal family became the
MP . Maharaja PK Deo for 20 years and his
son for 12 years total 32 years
Rest of the years common people became
the MP for 16 years
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Religion in Kalahandi
Tribal religion Nature worship
Earth Mother Goddess
Forest Gods 84
River Goddess 16
Mountain Gods - each mountain and hills have a god
Water God : Bhima
Water Goddess Seven sisters water fairies
Village goddess : Ganga Devi
Clan Gods and Goddess :
Each tribe have their clan gods and goddesses and accordingly the kinship
of the gods and goddesses also do exists.
Sacred centers : No temple- either a hut or open space of the nature
Worldview : naturalistic
interdependence of man with nature and spirit
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Fairs and festivals
Forest related
Gods and Goddesses related
agricultural festivals
Cyclic festivals ( Buffalo sacrificie in every 12years in a kondh vilage)
Worship of clan Gods in every 12 years by thelarger clan group
Purpose of the nature worship is to perpetuatethe forest , air , water and the earth for a betterharvest
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Bhunjia tribe
The Bhunjia is a endangered tribe. Their number is about9000.
They maintain their cultural purity
They build their separate kitchen in front of their house.It is
called Lal bangla.( Red bonglow)- a red mud hut.
If some one enters and touches the kitchen , they burn the
hut and build a new one
Once a girl is married she is not allowed to her fathers house
to cook food.She is a guest
women dont wear coloured dress, except white saree.
They are rich in folklore
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Paharia tribe
Even smaller then the Bhunjia in number, ( 4000) thePaharia are most primitive and endangered, live as ahunter gatherer community , and shift their settlementdepending on availability of water and hunt.
They have a lot of forest knowledge that theycaptured in their folklore and cultural practices
They catch fish, melt iron, make bamboo craft andhunt forest animals.
Their number is small but their oral tradition is muchmore- about 37 oral epics. And powerful songs
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Classical Indian Tradition
From 5th century AD , Kalahandi was
connected to middle and north India for
trade and commerce (ivory, gem stone,
sandal wood)
History of Kalahandi was significant in terms
of understanding the power relation between
the kings, Marathas, and British Rule during18th century.
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Religions
jainism and Buddhism
sakta and Shaiva and Vaishinava
many temples for Gods and Goddesses of pan
Indian classical tradition Manikeswari is the state deity of Naga Kings of
Kalahandi
Over a period of time it was found that some Buddha
images are worshiped by the tribals as village femaledeity( dokri buddhi)
Also Budha Deo- a supreme God of the Gond tribe.
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Fairs and festival
Seed Receiving ceremony
Seed sowing ceremony Sapling making ceremony
Millet growing ceremony
Navanna : New Rice eating ceremony Laxmi puja Goddess of padpdy
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Tribal festival
Buffalo sacrifice ( a modified form of Meriah )
Taki Parab ( a festival of female infanticide)
Am Nuakhai - offering of new mango to goddess
Kandul parab offering of pulses to Goddess
Budharja parab- festival of Godn supreme God
Dasahara : orship of Goddess Durga
Chait parab : Spring festival ( 21 days)
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first Kondh rebellion
The Kondh were the land owner A proverb runs.Kondhar je Bhuin aru Rajar je Raij- The land belong to theKondhs and may be the administration belong to the king.
Kondhs were practicing Human sacrifice ( meriah) beforethe earth Mother Goddess. They were buying a victim from other communities secretly and were sacrificing thevictim.
The victim used to marry a Kondh girl and was living like ason in law.
In the meriah Day they were sacrificing the victim with abelief that offering the victim to Goddess result ampleharvest
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The Kondh and Naga kingsWhile coronation of a Naga prince, a Kondh chief of
Budaka clan would tie turban to the prince
During coronation theprince wil sit on the lap of aKondh Chief of Tuduka clan
While coronation the naga prince would marry aKondh bride from the Kondh Chief of Sermelkaclan
This shows the political and social relation of the Naga
with the kondhsTherefore they were not opposed to the Naga kings ,
but rebelled against the Britishers.
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a proverb captures the history
Patbandha Budaka
Kudedhara Tuduka
Jhi Dia Sermelka
Similarly
Khutkata gondGond clean the forest
Padarbasa Kondh- Kondh settle the village
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The Kondhs and the Naga Kings
The majority Kondhs were maintainingself rule and were not paying tax to the kingstill 1850. In 1880 the king transferred the
land from the Kondh village chief to othercastes
The king also brought good cultivators fromSambalpur to produce better
This led Kondh rebellion ( 1882)
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This was suppressed by the British Rule during1838- 1860
The Kondhs fought against it since this wasagainst their religious belief. This was turned into Kondh rebellion.
Another reason is land transfer and powertransfer. Other castes grabed the tribal landand they rebelled.
In 1882 there was a Kondh rebellion inKalahandi for land. It was suppressed with amilitary force.
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Life in Kalahandi
Community belongingness
1. A tribal chief , after hunting the boar
shared the meet to all household of the
village
2. Collective efforts in dance, music and songs.
3. Festivals are collective determined by the
village priest.
4. Collective labour in agriculture.
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Social customs
Not dowry , but bride price
A meeting is always attended with some
contribution not free
Village customary law is flexible to excuse
the guilty and crime after the community
consensus- some punishment is given
gender equity is more in tribal society
weekly market is dominated by 70 % women
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Oral tradition
Collective expression
No authorship
Every body has some knowledge on songs andtales
Senior men are good in proverbs and oral
epics and myths
women use to sing creative songs and tales
young man and woman use to sing love songs
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Tales
Highly creative
Context sensitive
Imaginary reality
Resolve socio-psychological issues
Cultural continuity
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Oral songs
Aesthetic beauty in the mental text
expressed in verbal texts
Energized with local metaphor andsymbols
Creative and deep meaning
reflection of every day life
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Songs
Sajani ,
Dhanare dhania mise,
Shangara sangare dhangari mise
Suni janapara dise
O Companion
Paddy and coriander mixedThe youngster and the maid coupled up alike
They look like full moon.
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question answer
Youngster sing
Sajani,
sagadara kani khila
Toke nebi bali mormana thila
Sate muhun tike kala hela.
The pin of the cart wheel
I had a desire to take you
BUt your face is a bit black
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the maid replies
Kali Kukurara kesa..
Kali kali bali bakhunithisa
Kali dehe teva rasa
Feathers of black hen
You always blame me, black
But oh,
black body carries the orange juice.
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Rasarkeli re
Malifhula phutikari mahamaha basu..
Kalabhamarake dekhi taha taha hasu
Tara tara hele nani alge jai basu
kie toke kainkahela sangata
Alge jai basu rasa ja chalija re.
Oh savor of love
You bloom and smell like jasmine
You smile when you see the black beeWhen I approach , you keep aloof
Who told you what , o mate
You sit alone , O maid, tell me
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caste as barrier in love
Sajani
Aha re Ukiabati
Tui nai helu amara jati ,
Sate kole dhari chuma deti.
Oh companion
O bright lamp,
Were you of my caste
Really, I d kiss you holding on my lapO Gua nadia ,
the young lads moves around you.
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young age
Naike Kie bandhichhe
Maa buar katha kie manuchhe
Bayasa jaha karuchhe.
O Sajani
Who can check the flowing river
Who cares for parent's advice
That is the out burst of age.
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Gender disparity
Sajani
kansi Baunshara dhuna
Munisa khauchhe sikara tuna
Maijhi chatuchhe nuna.
A bow of tender bamboo
The husband is relishing meat
The wife is licking salt.
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Sajani
Udigala udajhajha
Tanga banigala chuchha kagaja
Dukane nagala bhanja
O companion
Plane flied over the skyLo, the silver rupees turned in to paper rupees
How difficult is it to get change for it.
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The younger brother story
A younger brother in a family was very lazy.
He was in love with his maternal uncles daughter.
His father abused him, You are a donkey.
Get out of my home.
The younger brother went to his uncles daughter who wascoming back from the river after fetching water. The boyput a stick on her way and said, my father abused meand said, You are a donkey
Soon after telling that the younger brother turned in t a
donkey. The girl taking that donkey left her home.
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They reached a country where the women werebarren and had no children.
The king had also no progeny.
The girl with the donkey was given shelter.
The girl worshipped a dry sal tree and flowerbloomed in that dry tree.
the women of the country started getting their
procreative power Suddenly the donkey got back his human form.
The king gave him some land and he lived there.
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A farmers story
A farmer had four sons
they were lazy and scared of work. There wasa severe drought for 12 years .
the rain God was angry upon the people of theearth. Everything , man, animals and birds, treeand creepers , every body were affected.
The old man thought , how long this drought
continue? How to get rid of it?
how the living being will survive?
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he called his four sons to plough in the sandof the river.
They plaugh the river.
Indra- the raingod was astonishied listeing thesound of cultivation. He thought I have not givenrain water. Who is cultuvatingon the earth?
he came in a form of an old Brahmin and camethere.
He asked Hey cultivator, Are you mad? How canyou cultivate in the sand of the river in thissummer days?
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the old cultivator replied, I am not cultivatingfor harvest. I am handing my knowledge to mysons about thew art of cultivation. I am like a dryleaf; dont know when to fall. After me , what my
sons will do if they dont know the knowledge
that I have ? So I am not mad.
Indra- the rain God was shocked. He came back
to his heaven. he called in all his sons ( four clouds) to his
presence.
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he asked,
Do you know how to create cloud?
Do you know lightening ?
Do you know how to down pour rain ?
Do you know how to create sound?
They all replied. Youhave suspended our worksince last 12 years, how can we know this ?
We have forgotten it.
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Indra taught them the art of rain.
They started the practice of the respective
occupation and expertise.
Suddenly there was a rain in the earth.
The living being got sloace, and felt happy.
The old farmer looked the sky and smiled. Finally Indra the rain God felt that the old
farmer has won the God thorugh his wit.
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Thank You