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‘Gondhal’ performing tribe keeps the tradition alive

By Manu Shrivastava

In not uncommon in Mumbai’s chawls to see a group of ornated, traditional instruments-bearing folk singers performing during a ‘jagran’ or a night-long celebration. These unique performers belong to the Gondhali tribal community, named after their musical performances, called the Gondhal - a unique method of telling stories of mythology and folklore through lyrical songs. 

The traditionally nomadic performers, Gondhalis sing devotional songs of praise for gods and goddesses in performances deeply interwoven into the cultural fabric of Central and West India comprising Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. During their performances, called the Gondhal, the Gondhalis sing and sway with the tunes of the instruments that are unique to the tribal community. 

The origin and the legends

Gondhalis are nomadic tribals that are found primarily in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh and more recently in parts of Goa. The community dwells in and around places of worship and temples of regional Gods and deities. The male performers are called Waghya meaning ‘tiger’ and female performers are called Murali. 

The community was originally dedicated to Khandoba – a fierce Hindu deity and reincarnation of Lord Shiva worshipped mainly in the Deccan plateau region of India, particularly in Maharashtra. Today, the Gondhalis i.e., the Waghyas and their female counterparts, Muralis, sing and dance in honour of the God, narrating his stories and express their devotion to the fiery deity. 

Khandoba is also a kuldev or a family deity in the region comprising Maharashtra, North Karnataka and some parts of Andhra Pradesh. A warrior king also known by the name Malhari, Khandoba is worshipped by several warrior communities, farming communities and hunter/gatherer tribes native to the forests of the region. 

According to a legend, there was a battle between Khandoba and the demon brothers named Malla and Mani, who were wreaking havoc in the world, where the brothers were killed and that led to the birth of Lord Martand Bhairava - a fierce form of Lord Shiva. Khandoba’s main temple in Jejuri, near Pune, draws pious devotees from all over who worship him with turmeric. There are two shrines on top of a hill in Jejuri - Kadepathar and Gad-kot Temple.

The Gondhalis are themselves devotees of Khandoba and worshippers of Renuka Mata and Tulja Bhavani and perform to keep calamities at bay and to welcome peace, happiness and prosperity in life. There are several legends associated with the Gondhalis’ origin and work. Some believe that the Gondhalis’ native place is Mahur.

The unique Gondhal performances

On auspicious occasions in a family or during jagrans organised by a devout individual or family to worship a family deity, the Gondhalis are invited at homes to perform. The occasions many include navratri, weddings, thread ceremonies, house-warming ceremonies, etc.

The uniqueness of the performance by the Gondhali tribals lies not just in the way they perform but also the instruments that they use to accompany their songs. The use of traditional instruments such as jhanjh, tasha, daphli, tuntuna or ektara, etc., during the musical performances is still rampant. So, if one member of the group sings the folklore, another will accompany him with a traditional drum called the sambal or a metallic percussion instrument called the jhanjh or cymbal and another one will play the single-stringed tuntuna also known as the ektara.

In most Gondhali performances, the main singer recites folklores and sings devotional songs while the female member or the murali accompanies him with jhanjh (cymbal) and dances along. Other members of the troupe include members playing the Tuntuna or Ektara Veena (a string instrument with one string), tasha or dhol tasha (a percussion instrument) and daphli.

A form of folk music, Gondhal has kept the regional art and literature alive. During the performance of the ceremonial folk art, the Gondhalis invoke the gods and goddesses for blessings for health, happiness and prosperity. The tribal community has donned diverse avatars in the region. 

Staying relevant even today

Today, the Gondhalis strive hard to retain ethnic folklore, traditional art and literature that otherwise risk extinction. More members of the community are venturing out and seeking alternate sources of income and sustenance. However, the performances do not lose relevance, even in urban India.

Most Gondhalis in Maharashtra are frequently invited by religious families in Pune and Mumbai to perform on auspicious occasions. Mumbai’s famous chawls often witness Gondhali performances where not just the family who invited the performers but neighbours and passers-by stop to experience and revel in the musical performances too.

"I have often seen how a Gondhali performance just lifts up the mood and the ambience of the zone. The songs and the way these performers sing transcend you to a different zone completely,” offers a Mumbai-based homemaker Sujata Naik. Men and women don traditional attire and participate in the night-long event also called the prasang. 

Among families valuing traditions in Maharashtra and Karnataka, every auspicious occasion is marked with Gondhal during a jagran i.e. night-long performance. If not, these families may even pay a Gondhali family to go to a place of worship and perform on their behalf.

Gondhalis integral to devout families

Before the lockdown, the Kathar family in Mumbai’s Colaba area invited the Gondhalis all the way from Nashik, 167 km away, for a jagran (night-long performance). The family comprising Kishan Kathar, wife Sita Kathar and sons Vishal and Kiran Kathar had organised the prasang and invited relatives and neighbours. 

The family matriarch Sita says, “A few members of our family including my husband, I and some elderly relatives had visited Jejuri to seek blessings from our Kuldev Khandoba and upon return organised this prasang in devotion of Khandoba and Renuka Devi. It was a night-long programme that began at 10.30 pm and continued till 4 am.”

For devout families, such occasions call for big celebrations and the event holds a lot of importance for the members. A family may put in all their resources to organise a ‘proper’ Gondhal. The performers usually charge between Rs. 10,000 to 20,000 for an overnight performance by 6-8 members. 

A Gondhal performance holds special place in the hearts of the devotees. “This was the first time we organised such a performance and called the Gondhalis. It was a very special moment for our family,” says Vishal. Families call Gondhalis from far-flung places especially from areas near the famous temples in Maharashtra.

Facing modern-day challenges

Just like other tribal communities, the Gondhalis too face several challenges posed by modern-day life particularly in the urban pockets. Many Gondhalis have risen in the socio-economic ladder and are well placed in different fields such as science, technology, law, etc. But there is a significant population that continues to travel and perform Gondhal.

In late 2018, in South Goa, a group of nomadic Gondhali tribals issued a list of demands including that of reservation for their members in education and employment. The Gondhalis too face problems with obtaining caste certificates due to which they cannot avail several government welfare schemes.

Pune-based artist Smita Gondhali says, “There are several families that have diversified from the traditional vocation of performing and have taken up other vocations but there is still a significant number of those who need assistance.”

Interestingly, despite the fast-paced life in urban India, the nomadic Gondhalis remain an integral part of devout families and preserve age-old traditions and folklore. Despite their nomadic existence, it’s their visits to urban settlements mandated by rituals during key occasions that help families retain their ethnic culture.

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