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| Dahanu - A Town By The Sea |
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The Warlis
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For Warlis (in local language known as ‘King of the Jungle’), the original settlers of the Dahanu taluka, humans and nature are linked in a relationship that is celebrated in myth and reality. The Warlis completely identify themselves with nature and their identification with the forest is legendary. Their houses are made using ‘karvi’ and the walls are covered with a paste of red mud and cow-dung. The flooring too is made of the same mixture. For the roof they use leaves of coconut tree. Some of them also make use of earthern tiles and cover them with the empty stalks of the paddy. They are also well-known to have faith in ‘Vaghai’ (Tiger God). Warli life revolves around the circle of seasonality, which for them begins with the advent of the monsoon.
The arrival of the monsoon heralds the season of plenty for the Warlis, as the first crop of paddy becoms a virtual certainity for them. The festival of 'Koli-bhaji' celebrates the successful completion of sowing operations. The entire family gathers around the ‘deva medhi’ (principal pillar that supports the structure of the house) and prays for the ‘pavasya deva’, the rain God. The festival of ‘Navabhat’, literaly the new rice, celebrates the newly arrived crop. The rice is offered to the ancestors and to the forest. The rain God is offered the new rice and the Warlis dance to the ‘Tarpa’, a musical instrument.
The next important festival is after the paddy is harvested. The Warlis then are in the season of plenty. Marriage ceremonies take place, and important functions that might have been held up due to a variety of reasons are performed now. This season comes to an end in March and the wait for the next rains begin in right earnest.
The Warli Customs of Marriage and Death
Marriage is the most important ceremony in their community. The Warli marriage lasts for four or five days and many minor rites are scrupulously performed. Marriage is not so much a sacrament with the Warlis; it is a contract in as much as there is an agreement in the form of betrothal and a consideration in the form of a bride price.
Polygamy is allowed but has been stopped due to local influence. The system of ‘gharor’ exists, in which a man is permitted to marry a girl by offering his services to her father. A man and women are also allowed to lead a marital life without undergoing a regular marriage ceremony. The regular marriage may be performed at their convinience later, even after children have been born to the couple.
An assembly of a few influential men grants divorce. Divorce is granted on account of adulterous connections on the part of the wife and criminality. If a man dies, his widow, with her consent, is allowed to marry her late husband’s brother even if he has a wife. Remarriages are allowed. A man whose wife is dead can marry again by pat marriage. Widows and divorced women can also remarry by pat.
A birth in a family is an occassion for joy and various ceremonies are performed. The children live with their father and go with their mother in case of divorce. The institution of adoption is widely prevelent among the Warlis. It is very rare that a man has no issue. If one wife is barren, he can remarry. If he has only daughters, he may choose such bridegrooms as may be willing to stay with his own family.
The death anniversary is called ‘kaj’ by the Warlis. The anniversary is observed for the first time preferably in the month of Margshirsha (December) or on any convinient day. The anniversary is not necessarily observed on the completion of a year and is not repeated. The ceremonies relating to the anniversary begin in the evening and last for the whole night and the day after. A member of the family in which a death has taken place cannot marry unless these death rites are performed.
The Warli Art
One of the greatest contributions of the Warlis is their art. The Warlis are known for their mural paintings and decorative instincts. The paintings depict their way of life, their rituals and customs. The instinctive knowledge of their surroundings and civilisation is as well displayed in their paintings. Warli paintings are strangely ascetic, unlike other folk paintings of India, which generally consist of primary colours in abundance.
Traditionally painted in white, on a brown earthy surface, these paintings have great demand internationally. Now-a-days, the new generation does make use of other background colours like black, light grey, and light green. The paintings comprise of a combination of three basic forms of geometry viz. the square, the triangle and the circle. Some of the most common features found in the Warli paintings are trees, peacocks, other birds and animals.
Their simplistic lifestyle is the result of their experience and wisdom.
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The Warli women
The Warli home
The Warlis into paddy harvesting
The Warli Art -
depicting the harvest cycle
The Warli Art -
depicting the Tarpa dance
The Warli Art -
depicting the marriage procession
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“The past is never dead”, it is said.
This ‘once’ holy hill where upon a
time our ancestors took not only
refuge but also protected our fires
and kept them burning for 12 long
years is now in ruins.
HELP US PRESERVE IT |
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