Adivasi Festivals in the Gujarat

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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