Adivasi Festivals in the Gujarat
Akhatri
Dev:-
In the eve of rainy
season, people are starting their farming. The worships and dedicates mahuva (a
traditional liquor of adivasis) and chicken, seed, leaf. And in the same day
they washes ox by the water and worships them. Also they worships wood made
hall (a traditional agriculture equipment) and also remembers the ancestors.
The follower of sati-pati does not use the liquor and chicken during the
worship process.
Matlia
Dev:-
When rain comes the paddy fields turns into greenery
with the newly grown leafs of the seeds. Adivasis takes permissions from the
nature for taking the tandliya vajis (one type of green leafs) leafs as
their food. That day is called as Matlia
Dev festival by the leader of the village. The called “Vaohoba” as the
leader of the village. In the same day every people in the village are takes
Tandliya vhaji as their food in the evening. Also they worship the cooking
materials in the festival day and remind the ancestors. In the evening all
males are comes at a place where they worships a sticks (Parano) from
every home and worships them together and dance by using dhol (a traditional
music instrument).
Doda
Dev:-
When corn becomes eating they dedicates it to the
natural gods for worshiping. They worship every home and remind their own
ancestors. After that they take vegetable and corn as their food.
Gam
Devti:-
The whole people of the village worship of Gamdev.
There are put stones near the tow Hamra tree at two sides of the village. There is done worship through cocks, goats,
mahuda liquor, tree leaves and foods. Cow dungs, eggs of hen. The people
worship Gamdev so that he could protect the village. They gather and together
take meal and dance. It is called as Ujmuni
in the local Vasavi dialect.
Undiya Dev: -
People gather at the pre decided place the worship
of scorn. They take meal together. They
also perform dance over there. The person cheers up and dances together with
loud voice in order to enjoy. There is done worship through cocks, goats,
mahuva liquor, tree leaves and foods. The Cow dungs and eggs of hen. The alders
do the ceremony.
Dev
Diwali:-
There is made mada (adivasi tradition food)
in each house in the festival of dev Diwali. There is done nature sine on eat.
On that day people remember their fore fathers wile worshiping after putting
their ovens. The people who know the ceremony of Zadimudi (tradition
medicine), they let do the worship of it.
Adivasi gather and together dance and sing songs.
Onga
Dev:-
On this festival there is worshiped of oxs, cows,
and the things with which they are tied of it. There is done worship through
cocks, goats, mahuda liquor, tree leaves and foods. Cow dungs, and eggs of
hen. And they discuss about farming.
Simadiya
Dev:-
Simadiya Dev is being worship for the protection of
animals and people while they go to forest (Jangal). There is done
worship through cocks, goats, mahuva liquor, tree leaves, and foods. Cow dungs,
eggs of hen. The adivasi people discuss about the rules wither the animals have
broken after going in others yards and farms or sometimes they discuss of
labour wages.
Vagh
Dev:-
The village people worship the tiger on the same
place so that he could not be harmful to the people and animals. The people
collect rise and Dal from each house in order to worship Vagh Dev. They carry
it at the place where the Vagh Dev is being worshiped. They cook it and take
the meal together. They worship Vagh Dev with youngest of hen, cook mahuva
liquor, Goat. There is put the share of Vagh Dev. Then there are taken animals
of the Village. There is being saturated worshiped water on them, so that the
tiger, animals, adivasis people are saved.
Khola
Dev:-
People collect the new grain when it comes in the
farms. Adivasi people call it Khola Punjan. The grain is collected on a
specific place in order do the ceremony. There is cooked grain, Liquor of
Mahuwa, Hens, eggs; also made white flag/Black Flag are being worshiped. The
new grain is invented at home. People worship this new grain. This is called “Navai”.
This ceremony is done after remembering the forefathers of the villagers.
Yahmogi:-
This festival comes in February. The new grain comes
to the people. The people go to Devmogra village to worship Yahmogi, taking the
new grain in the newly made Bamboo baskets. They take the Mahuwa liquor, a
cock, a goat and green leaves of Kesuda as the thing of worship. This people
worship Yahmogi because they believe in it. It is the Goddess of Grain (It is
called as kani kansari). She gives life to the Adivasis. It makes alive
them. They believe in it. Yahmogi Yahki (Mother) is creator of food
grain.
Holi
Dev:-
‘Holi’ is one of the important festivals for the
Adivasi. The fifteen days before ‘Holi’ are meant very important that the
Adivasis to be pure. On the celebration day of ‘Holi’, Adivasis use to worship
nature. People use to dance together both male and female with the traditional
instruments. The making of Holi constitutes wood, coconuts and coins etc. and
the bamboo is used in the Centre. This is to debt their Natural Gods. Before
burning the Holi, Adivasis used to sing songs in their owned mother tongue and
dance around. The old aged people from the same clan fires the Holi. The
instrument used during Holi is called “Rohtiyo” (a traditional
instrument made up of bamboo). The Adivasis standing around Holi wear ornaments
at waist, feathers of peacock at head and tighten ornaments with legs. The
celebration lasts till five days of burning Holi. Adivasis use to have group
dance at a common place and have mixed sweets of Jowar or Tuwar Pulse along
with Jaggery. 
The importance of various aspects
differs from one Adivasi to another in case of occupation, religion and
tradition etc. “Pitharo” is a festival celebrated by Rathwa Adivasi.
While ‘Warli Paintings” are important for Warli Adivasi. The Choudhari Adivasis
celebrate ‘khatre’ as one of the important festivals of them. In the
current, scenario, we find the case of conversion among the Adivasis. Such as,
the Adivasis have converted from their Adivasi tradition to Christianity, Islam
and the Hinduism etc. The influences’ of outsiders or non-Adivasis is seen now
and then. The extreme cases of Muslim conversions are seen in the areas of
Selumba and Sagbara. The hybridization is seen cases of Adivasi gods and
goddesses, festivals, customs and traditions, values etc. This is the impact of
outsider ideology.
Food
Grain:
Adivasis are called, Kodra, Moar, Boati, Laro,
Nagni, Rice, Juwar, khatifindhi and using the Mahuwa oil etc.
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