Toki Parab : A festival
of female Infanticide in Kalahandi
Introduction :
Toki Parab is a
festival observed by the Kondh-paraja tribe of Kalahandi
and Koraput districts in the state of Orissa. The Kondh-paraja
tribe live in the Jaipatna, Koksora and Thuamul Rampur Panchyat
Samitis, especially in the eastern part of kalahandi bounded
by the Nawarangpur sub-division of Koraput district. Kalahandi
was formerly known as Kondhan raij. The Kandh-paraja tribe
is the offshoot of Kandh and Paraja, both belonging to the
Dravidian language group. The total number of Parajas in
the district is about five thousands (1980, 102 and 119).
For the field study two Kandh-paraja villages named
Paraja-nagpheni and Ranibahal have been selected. Though
it is a festival observed by the Kondh-Paraja tribe, thousands
of people from other castes and communities of this locality
also participate in the festival.
Historical Background
:
In the past the Kondh-paraja
tribe were to sacrifice their virgin daughter before the
earth Goddess. The Kandh tribe of south east India were
practicing ‘Meriah’ or human sacrifice to appease
their earth mother goddess. Even the Kandh priest were sacrificing
their eldest son to earth mother Goddess for the shake of
their community to get good harvest, good rain, to save
their men and domestic animals, from the attack of wild
animals and to save their community from cholera and small-pox
etc.
In the last part of nineteenth
century the Kandha were practicing meriah-human sacrifice
and the Kandh-Paraja were used to practicing tokimara (femal-infanticide).
Major Campbell, the agent of suppressing meriah sacrifice
in Kandhisthan stopped this cruel tradition forcibly (1838
: 132).
The tradition of Meriah
sacrifice was patronized by the Raja and Zamindars of Thuamool
Rampur, Mahulpatna (present Jaipatna) and Karlapat in kalahandi
Estate. They were arranging the meriah out of their own
prisoners and were getting financial gain as well as their
own prisoners and were getting financial gain as well as
the administrative support from the furious Kandhas of their
respective zamindaries. (1838 : 132).
The victims for meriah
were brought by the lower castes like ‘Dom (3) and
Ghasia (4) and were offered to the kandhas for sacrifice.
(1984 : p. 51). Lt. Hill has rightly mentioned in his report
that the practice of Meriah had taken place in the hill
principality of Kalahandi, Patna, Khariar and Nawapara.
(1838). In 1844. Cl. Owseley, the agent to the Governor
General of South-West Frontier Agency reported that the
practice of Meriah was prevalent in Sonepur, khariar, Bindra
Nawagarh and Bamra. Major Campbell, and Captain Macdwell
covered the hilly area of Koraput, kalahandi and Phulbani
to suppress human sacrifice (1851 : 1853). After a major
operation by Campbell with the local Raja the human sacrifice
and female infanticide was suppressed. (1980 : 57).
Suppression of Meriah
is a cultural loss for Kandha and kandh-Paraja as well.
So to compensate this loss they substituted buffalo for
the meriah or human sacrifice and an ewe for the female
infanticide. To keep their ethnic culture and religious
tradition the Kandhs perform the Pod-puja (5) (literally
meaning buffalo sacrifice) in their community once in every
twelve years. The buffalo brought for sacrifice is marked
as Janipod (6) which means the son of Jani-kandh priest.
Similarly the ewe representing the eldest daughter of the
Kandh-Paraja priest is known as Toki. ‘Toki’
means virgin unmarried girl and mara means sacrifice. Now
the Kandh-Parajas are being presented with an ewe by their
traditional kings and Zamindars of respective areas and
name it as Jani-toki (7) the daughter of the Priest.
How does toki parab
takes place :
It is interesting to observe
how the aura of a village comes for celebrating the Festival.
Toki parab. This festival falls on the preceding or the
following Sunday of the Pongal or Makar Samkranti on the
bright fortnight of Pausa (January). The festival continues
for seven days. This festival falls in Kandh-paraja village
in a peculiar manner. (1996 : p. 21-32)
During the dasahara festival;
the Jani of the village puts two pegs vertically parallel
to each other on the worship ground and ties a bamboo rope
on it. It looks like the English capital letter ‘H’
standing on the ground. When the upper ends of the pegs
close up to form a shape like English letter ‘A’
on the ground, the priest proclaims that the festival will
be observed in that village. After this declaration, the
village invites all the Janis and Disaries (8) (Priest and
Shamans) of the Panchura (9) and Pali (10) (literally meaning;
the villages sharing a common Goddess worshipped by them,
usually five villages constitutes Panchura and twelve villages
constitutes Barapali) and declares the festival Tokiparab
to be observed as he has got the auspicious omen of joining
two pegs in the worship place of Dharnikhal.
Then the Jani informs
it to the Raja of his respective region. The Raja, as a
reverence to the ritual offers an ewe to the jani. Along
with it the king provides some financial assistance to the
Jani for the smooth management of the festival. The ewe
offered by the king is known as Toki daughter of jani. The
Toki is named as Rasmuana. Fund is collected from all the
villagers to meet the expenses of the festival. As it is
an agricultural festival, besides Kandha-Paraja, others
also contribute funds for it. The Jani, the Disari and the
two village headman of each Pali are invited to the Toki
village to form a committee for the management of the festival.
The invited guests from their pali are provided with lodging
and fooding. These guests are the representatives of their
respective village Goddesses. So they come with the Chhatra
the symbol of the Goddess, accompanied by a musician group.
Toki parab in context
:
The festival is observed
for seven days with pomp and ceremony. The festival begins
on Wednesday; four days prior to the fatal day of the sacrifice
of the Toki. The distribution of rituals over the seven
days is as follows :
1. Preparation
and collection of leaf and wood.
2. Gurupuja
3. Tokipargha
4. Sadarpuja
5. Tokimara
6. Dhangaridola
7. Tangiulen.
Day—1
On the first day, all
the men and women of the Toki village go to the nearest
forest for collecting leaves and fire wood. On this day
collection of all necessary required things meant for the
festival is made in the village by the responsible members
of the committee. On this day the priest worship the Dharamdebta—Sun
God.
Day—2
The second day of the
festival is known as Gurupuja (12). On this day the Priest
and the shaman along with other people of the village go
to the nearby hill. The name of the hill is Gurudongar,
where the Gurubudha or Budharaja the universal tribal God
is seated. It is believed that all the hills and mountains
are the Gudi; the worship place of God and Goddess.
After worshipping Gurubudha
they come to the seat of Dharani mata—earth mother
goddess. In a large sacrificial axe called ‘Tangi’
in local language the Jani mounts the spirit of Dharnimata
and brings the axe to the village. This ritual is known
as Tangi utara literally meaning the bringing down of axe
from seat of the Goddess. It is the symbol of the Goddess’s
spirit animated in it.
Day—3
The third day of festival
is known as Tokipraba—worship ritual of Toki. On this
day the Toki is bathed with turmeric water by the women
of every house. A procession of Jani and other people starts
in along with village with music and dance. The toki is
moved from door to door to get worshipped by the villagers.
The community treats the Toki as the actual daughter of
the Jani. In the evening the community eats, drinks and
dances with their local music and make merriment.
Day—4
On the fourth day the
Jani and Disari of all the villages assemble in the Toki
village with their respective village Goddess. They are
treated as the representatives of their villages. Arrangements
are made for their lodging and fooding by the Toki villagers.
On this day the community cleans the road and the houses
of the village.
At every entrance of the village they plant two banana
trees as the sign of welcome. The sadargudi (13) is designed
with the festoons of mangoleaf with folk art on the wall.
The Sadardudi is in the heart of the village whereas the
Dharnikhal(14) or sacrificial pit of the earth Goddess is
out side the village, in the middle of a grand field. The
ground near Dharnikhal is meant for festival. From Sadargudi
to Dharnikhal proper decorations are made but the youth
of the village. In this night the priest and the Shaman
of the Toki village alongwith the Priests and Shaman of
other villages unite at Sadargudi. Here, right from the
mid-night the ritual begins with strict discipline. The
Jani moves around the Sadargudi for four times folding his
hands to Dharnimata. After it, the Jani put the alive ewe
on a wooden mottar and crush it on a pestle again and again
to pull out the fresh liver from its wounded body. The liver
is kept in an earthern ware. It is called Mutpani. (15)
It is preserved for offering near Dharnimata in Dharnikhal
on the next day. Then the Jani taking an arrow in a bow
shoots it aiming towards the east. This ritual is
called ‘Jogkand bindha’. After it a pig is sacrificed
to appease all the Goddesses representing from other villages.
All appease all the Goddesses representing from other villages.
All these rituals of the fourth day begin at mid-night at
finish before sunrise.
Day—5 : The ritual
performance
Fifth day is known as
Tokimara day. The Toki is offered to the earth Goddesses
on this day. Villagers from all sides come to Toki village
in a procession with their traditional music and warfare
dance. In the procession each one has a wooden club, hand
axe and big stick in his hand. They come with their symbolic
village Goddess animated in a long bamboo stick designed
with red clothes and peacock feathers, and also in a big
nisan (a local drum) from every village such procession
come to attend the festival. When the procession enters
near the gate of the village the receptionists of the Toki
village receive them in a peculiar manner. Unless the banana
trees posted on the both sides of the gate are not cut down
with one axe, the procession never enters into the village.
It is a symbol of inviting them into the festival. Thus
all the parties are invited from all sides of the
village. The procession arrives on Sunday morning. On this
day the whole locality irrespective of caste, age and sex
come to the Toki village to attend the festival. This reception
does not end up until all the parties of the invited villages
arrive.
At the time of midnoon,
the Jani and Disari make proper arrangements to take the
‘Toki’ (deadbody of the ewe) and ‘Mutpani’
from the Sadargudi of the village to the Dharnikhal. It
is about two hundred meters away from Sadargudi. A virgin
girl from their community is invited to invited to carry
up the earthen pot taking Toki’s ‘Mutpani’.
The girl is dressed with a new red saree to take part in
that ritual. She takes the mutpani from Sadargudi to Dharnikhal.
The Jani holds up the Toki in a Jahpi-bamboo box on his
head guarded around a military array of young Kandh-Parajas.
While the Jani and the
girl with their respective Jhapi and earthen pot start from
Sadargudi about fifty to sixty young Kandh-paraja community
with their sword, hand axe, wooden club and sticks encircle
them to protect the Toki and Mutpani from the attack of
others. They all intoxicated with liquor, are preoccupied
with a sense of trans—. It is believed that if any
outsider plunders away even if a single hair of the Toki
by any means from their array, them all the holy action
and virtues made by the Toki village will be invain. As
a result of losing a hair or a piece of flesh of the Toki;
they may face the loss of harvest and rain, also many unforeseen
dangers in their village in forth coming years. They also
believe that if any body snatches away a flesh or a hair
of the Toki from the procession and offers it to his earth
goddess will be rewarded with ample harvest in forthcoming
year. So while taking the Toki with mutpani from the Sadargudi
to Dharnikhal the youth of the toki village try their best
to save the toki from others. In spite of all these strict
cautions taken by them, the out-siders manage to take the
flesh or a hair plundering from the Jani’s Jhapi out
of the procession may it be by force by tricks. If some
outsider succeeds to get the flesh or hair from the Jani,
suddenly the protectors run after him with weapons to take
his life. If the plunderer offers the stolen flesh to his
own goddesses situated in their camp, then the attackers
never do any harm to him. But if captured by them, the victim
is wounded mercilessly. Instances of putting them victim
to death are also heard. So in the festival the Government
police from district Head quarters are deputed to watch
over them.
Thus with great care and
protection the ‘Toki’ & ‘Mutpani’
are brought to Dharnikhal. Here the Linga is taken off out
of the Dharnikhal by the Jani and put in front of the worship
place. The Linga represents ‘Dharam debta’ and
the stone simbolizes the ‘Dharnimata’. Dharnikhal
is the main worship place where one can see the symbolic
images of God and Goddesses such as; a long bamboo stick
designed with peacock feathers, a metal image of peacock
on the metal pillar, a sacrificial axe, some arrows and
a bow, a cluster of weapons like knife, spear etc.
In the worship place, the Jani alongwith the other
priests start the ritual. Burning a lamp before the Goddess,
throwing some rice on the sacrificial pit (Dharnikhal) the
Jani begins the invocation (as below) with is known as Pat
puja mantar. All the God and Goddesses of their habitats
are invoked in this place and are appeased by offering habitats
are invoked in this place and are appeased by offering different
kinds of sacrifice to the different deities accordingly.
The mantra runs as follows :
Bapude rai denda
Bapude sariso Jani
Bara bhai bhimasen Kitankani
Sola bhauni Gangadi Kitaka
Nana Dekraiti gude re
Nana maninge saruti gude
Godke kata gala daniroye
Mundke lata gala
Bapude rai denda bapude
sariso.
Which means:
I worship twelve Bhima
bhimsen.
I worship sixteen sisters
Gangadei,
I worship the Goddess
inside the Gudi
I worship all the Goddesses in the Gudi,
Let no thorn touch my foot
Let no creeper touch out head.
After praying all the Gods
and the Goddesses of all the invited villagers the Jani takes
off the mutpani from the pot. Holding it in his hands, kneeling
down before the pit he recites some hymns and offers it to
the earth goddess. This ritual is called Tokipara. After this,
the other Goddesses of the locality are worshipped by the
Jani one by one. The Jani devides the flesh of the Toki and
distribute it among all the Janis of invited villages. The
Janis of the respective villages consider themselves fortunate
to have the auspicious toki flesh and take it with reverece.
After this, the gathering disburse; the Jani and his followers
remain there for further rituals.
In the evening the Jani and the Disari worship the
goddess. The rest flesh and bones of the ewe is burried by
‘Rapia’ belonging the ‘Dom’—a
scheduled caste. The ‘rapia’ is alienated as impure
and unholy for that day. Next the Jani offers a pig to the
earth goddess to purify the Rapia and declares him as sacred.
Then mix with his society again.
Day—6
The Sixth day of the festival
is known as Dhangridola. On this day the young unmarried
Kandh-paraja boys and girls have the freedom to choose their
life-partner with a socioreligious recongition in the festival
ground. On this day the parents of the boys and girls have
nothing to protest against their love marriage, as the whole
community gives sanction to them. The youth, on this day
wearing beads around his neck is expected to pull the hand
of his beloved young girl. This system is popularly known
as ‘Malichagha’, literally means wearing of
beads. It symbolizes the snatching of a girl by the boy.
This is the day
giving opportunity to the youth to extend love and friendship
with opposite sex. The unknown boys and girls make permanent
friendship ritually by addressing each other ‘Baligaja’
and ‘Sari’ or a Baligaja by tucking it on the
right ear of the other. On this day many groups of girls
and boys with the local music, dance and sing on the group.
One group sing the love song competing to defeat the other.
At this time a choir of singers with their Dungdunga and
Dhap (two local musical instruments) sing the song describing
Gods and Goddesses, hills and mountains, rivers, villages
and the deities of their locality, which reflects their
love and involvement of nature and spirit.
In the afternoon, the
young girls of this community make a lovely arrangement
of receiving the guests to appease them. They invite the
guests to whom they choose to be their own friend or sari.
The group of girls holding the hands of the guest, take
him to the place of worship. They sit the guest on a cot;
carrying the cot on their shoulders on four sides they move
around the worship place seven times. At the time all the
girls sing the song the entertain the guests. After moving
around, they keep the cot in front of the Goddess and touch
the feet of the guest one by one and make ‘Juhar’
(obeisance). This ritual is called Dhangridola. Literally
meaning a swinging of the young girls. They also collect
some tips; money as a regard from the guests. The singing
and dancing goes on till evening. Thus, the ritual of the
sixth day ends.
Day—7
In the seventh day the
Jani along with the newly married couple of the previous
day, leads a huge procession to the Gurudongar, the seat
of Gurubudha. There they beg the blessings from Gorubudha.
After coming from Gurudongar, they seat, drink and make
merry by singing, dancing and merrymaking. At night the
Jani returns the sacrificial axe to the earth goddess. After
it the Jani close the festival. The next day the associates
of the Toki village bring down the festoons of mango leaves.
Thus the grand festival ends after the observation of seven
days.
Myths on toki parab
:
There is a myth found
among this community as to why the Tokiparab is observed.
The myth corresponds tot he problem of bride, price and
free marriage system among the Kandh-paraja tribe. The myth
is as follows :
“In a kandh-paraja
village the Jani had a daughter named Rasamauna. After maturity
her father proposed to give her in marriage with a lad of
the village name Mundradharia. The negotiation was also
over. Marriage date was fixed up. A few days remained for
the marriage ceremony. Meanwhile Rasmuana fell in love with
Baplamada, another youngman of the same village. As to keep
his beloved daughter’s interest, the Jani cancelled
the previous negotiation made with Mundradharia and gave
his daughter in marriage with Baplamada. Time passed on.
One day Rasmuana went to
the nearby forest to collect fire-wood. There she saw Mundradhar
is—the groom proposed for her. She, out of passion
fell in love with him in the forest and this game of love
went on. Baplamada, her actual husband new this and he went
to the jani—his father-in-law and told every thing.
He also claimed the Jani that he would divorce his wife
for her infidelity. So he demanded the Hajra(18) bride price
which he had paid to his father-in-law during his marriage.
He also suggested the Jani to hand over his daughter to
Mundradharia according to her will.
So the Jani had to return
the Harja—bride price taken from Bapalamada. Also
he had to pay ‘Mandpani’ (19) fine fixed by
his community for the divorce and the remarriage of his
daughter. Again Jani fixed up a date for his daughter’s
marriage in the month a pousa. At that time the Kandh-paraja
were to observe the festival of mariah. The community reported
the Jani that no victim was found out for the sacrifice
and asked him to arrange the sacrifice of his own for the
festival. The festival arrived. No victim was found. The
Jani suddenly sacrificed his own daughter Rasamuana before
the Goddess. Thus it became a tradition that the Jani would
give his own daughter for the sacrifice. Now the female
infenticide has stopped, by instead of it an ewe is symbolically
presented to the earth goddess as a substitution.
Now if we analyse the
above myth is would be revealed that marriage with social
recognition is accepted where as violation of social rules
results fine and punishment by the community. The illicit
love violating the social norms causes hatred and results
in the punishment like elimination of the defaulter.
In Kandh-paraja community, Jani, the religious head has a lot of socio-religious
responsibilities. Their religious belief is that the pure
character and action of the Jani could save their community
from the unseen dangers. The Gods and Goddesses are appeased
according to the manner of worship and action of the Jani.
He propitiates them by means of his own virtue and spiritual
power. He is the mediator of man and spirit. So if the purity
in his personality is deviated or some social norms are
violated by him, it is believed that the Jani would not
be able to appease the earth Goddess, or if he does so,
the result would be harmful for the whole community. So
in the myth, the Jani sacrificed his own daughter, to prove
himself pure and to escape from such socio-economic and
psychological burden. It is a fact that, the hatred
of Jani for his daughter, at the same time the need for
a victim for sacrifice both the causes have doubled the
problem in his mind. Individually in order to maintain his
priesthood status also as a community leader to manage the
welfare of his society by propitiating the earth Goddess
with a sacrifice, the Jani tried to kill two birds in one
arrow by offering his own daughter to the earth goddess
in the festival.
By doing this the Jani
mentally compensated the loss of his daughter by receiving
a sanction from the community on him. He has not considered
it a sin as he has got rid of two problems burying it under
a religious mask. The plea by the Jani in his invocation
depicts that Goddess Herself choose the victim for her sacrifice.
The donor of the sacrifice bears on sin for his act. This
theme has been picturized in the following invocations recited
by the Jani during ‘meriah’ sacrifice.
1. Nanu Kode
aie papu hille e’.
Siri-kamresi Kepitee Loh-kdali,
Tinjim Jane Durga,
Nanu kode aie, Nange papu
hille ye.
(We bear no sin.
the Iron-weapon is taking
the sacrifice
Durga is taking the sacrifice,
For it, we bear no sin.)
2. Ita kanda tinjim
jani
Meria kanda Tinjim jane.
(The sword is taking
sacrifice
the weapon is eating
the meria)
3. Purti susta padi,
Raji susta padi
Jada hillretu, manda
hillaretu
Abare manbe, Balare manbe.
(Let the earth be healthy,
and let the country,
be no danger.)
According to the Konths the earth mother and Sun god are the universal
mother and father-prakriti and Purusha or Dharnimata and Dharamdebta.
The living being, plants and animals, animate and inanimate
are the offshoot of these two forces. As man and animal live
on exploiting nature and plants, in turn the plants also exploit
the man and animal absorbing it in the earth. In vedic and
puranic literature this philosophy clearly speaks that “all
dead things rotting corpse or sticking garbaga when returned
to the earth are transformed into things that nourish life.
Such is the alchemy of Mother Earth”. (1986 : p-29 :
Rajagopalachary). It is a reciprocal process in which both
the animal and plant live on dedicating each other through
a natural law, exercised by the supernatural power. Thus this
vedic philosophy and world view of thousand years ago has
attracted the mind of this land. No doubt this heinous action
of human sacrifice adopted by them in the ritual are inhuman,
but the worldview of “Sarve Bhabantu Sukhina”—let
all the happy in their invocation has shown their greatness
of self dedication for the well being of community.
Tokimara—the symbolic
representation of ‘Kumaribali’ or sacrifice
of virgin girl is symbol of fertility and productivity.
The earth mother Goddess Hershlf is the symbol of fertility.
Meriah is substituted with buffalo sacrifice and Tokimara,
with an ewe represents symbolically which compensates the
cultural loss of stopping female infanticide. Virginity
is the symbol of fertility and creativity. The ewe is regarded
as the daughter of Jani. The process of worship and the
tradition of ritual is obeyed with strict discipline. The
‘mutpani’ which symbolizes fertility means the
‘Urine water’ of the ewe. It is the symbol of
female procreative power incorporated in the Toki. Alongwith
the liver of the ewe, the rice, husk and water is added
in the earhten pot and all those constitute mutpani which
bears the meaning of getting life, corns and ample rain
respectively. Thus it represents the possibilities of getting
new life and food resources on the earth. Moreover the mutpani
taken to the Dharnikhal from Sadargudi by a virgin Kandh-paraja
girl of ten to twelve, signifies the name and the tradition
of the festival.
The phallic stone, iron
weapons, Nisana musical drum, phallic wooden stumps, bamboo
sticks with peacock feathers are the symbolic God and Goddesses
of the community. The sacrificial pit of earth Goddess is
the symbol of female procreative organ. The peacock model
represents the totemic symbol of Kondh tribes. (1968 : 120-121).
The original spirit of the Goddess is based in some
hill, outside the village. This place is said to be the
origin place of the Goddess. The discoverer of the Goddess
finds her by getting some omen, sign and dream and are invited
her to the remains in the place of her origin. So, during
some worship or festival the spirit is invited through a
ritual e.g. in this festival the fitual of Tangi utara is
followed by this process.
In the Dharnikhal the
sacrifice is offered to earth Goddess and a stone is covered
to protect it. Comparing the greater earth as a great sacrifice
pit and the animal and nature inside the earth covered by
the sky like the stone—the Jani recites the invocation
the meaning of which bears the high naturalistic worldview.
The meaning of the invocation are as follows :
O mother, as
inside the earth pit
covered by a big stone—
The offering is secured,
This Earth is a great pit,
This sky, the cover and
we nature and creatures
are inside
O mother, save us like-wise.
Social Significance :
The religious rites are
meant to solve the problem of the community. (1980 : 344)
This may be examined from the present festival studied,
the sixth day of Tokiparab, known as dhangridola the love
marriage of boys and girls with socio-reiligous recongitions
and sanctions and to solves the problem of bride price.
The social problem of ‘Harja’—bride price
among the Kandh and the other communities of Kalahandi is
still prevailing in the society (1878 :5). The bridegroom
pays bride price as demanded by the bride’s father.
Even if a groom is unable to pay the bride price and want
to marry a girl, the father of the girl may agree to adopt
the by as ‘bride service’ for a fixed period
of time as to compensate the amount of bride. After the
amount is collected from ‘bride service’ the
couple set free. But in some places where the bride’s
father refuses to accept the proposal of the boy, the marriage
between the interested boys and girls fails. This failure
is only due to the poor economic condition of the boy.
This ritual, thus, helps the loving couple getting
married, who were unable to marry due to lack of providing
bride price. This ritual is known as Dhangrighicha.
Moreover, the guests and
participants honoured by the young Kandh-paraja girls in
the ritual of Dhangridola, irrespective of caste and creed
shows the oneness in tribal culture shared by the non-tribals.
The Raja, the Bramhins, the village headmen and the other
gentlemen are invited for this ritual. Thus, the entertaining
of the guest in this festival shows the mutual sharing of
culture among the tribal and non-tribals.
As this is a festival to
pay reverence to the earth Goddess, also to assure more
harvest in future, all the peasants of the society, irrespective
of caste and creed take part in it. The non-tribals also
believe the philosophy of Kondh-Paraja and want to bury
some flesh of the Toki in their field to get ample harvest.
So the influence of the tribal culture among the non-tribals
of this locality is represented in this festival.
In this world man exploit the men exploiting the nature. But the indigenous
people of this land bear the naturalistic world view. They
have their way of thinking, which has been symbolically
represented in their rites and rituals. The equality of
man and nature keeping the balance of the earth basing on
reciprocal dependence is the sole philosophy of the people
of this locality. Here no difference is seen in between
the animal and nature as both are the creature of a supernatural
power Dharnimata—the earth mother Goddess.
REFERENCES NOTES
:
1. Toki means a
virgin girl and Parab means festival, also known as Tokimara
parab. Literally meaning of Tokimara is sacrifice of a virgin
girl. Mara means sacrifice.
2. As regard to the social status, the Kondh-Paraja
tribes are inferior to the Kondh tribe. They observe Tokimara
which is the counterpart of meriah. Meriah was observed
by the Kandh tribe of south east India in 19th century.
The Kandh never performs Tokimara.
3. & 4. In past,
the ‘Dom’ and the ‘Ghasias’ were
considered untouchables. Now they are belong to Scheduled
Caste. In this festival they help the Kondh-Paraja tribe.
The ‘Doms’ are supposed to be the ministers
of Kondh. A proverb as regards to it is ‘Kandhghar’
‘Dam Jalngia’ means a Kandh master is followed
by a Dom mediator or servant. Another proverb runs, Kondh
Raja Dom Mantri—Kondh is king and Dom is minster.
5. & 6. ‘Pod’
means Buffalo and ‘puja’ means sacrifice. Previously
the Kanshs were offering their ‘Po’ son to the
earth Goddess. When the human sacrifice stopped they sacrificed
Pod—buffalo in place of ‘Po’—son.
Here, the phonic resemblance of ‘Po’ and ‘Pod’
may be observed. The Kandh have appeased the Goddess by
offering Pod instead of ‘Po’.
7. Imitating the ritual of Kondhs the Kandh-Paraja used to sacrifice
Toki—virgin girl. The Jani was offering his own daughter
to the Goddess. After the suppression of female infanticide,
an ewe is being offering to the earth Goddess. The ewe is
identified with the Jani Toki—the daughter of the
priest.
8. In Kandh community
the priest is known as Jani and the shaman whom the Goddess
spirit possesses is Disari. In Gond community the priest
is called Jhankar and the Shaman is Dihari. Here one can
mark that the Gondi ‘h’ becomes ‘s’
in Kandhi e.g. Dihari to Disari.
9. Five villages constitute Panchura. The social organisation system
in ancient India was based on this ‘Panch’ literally
consisting five villages. The demonstration consists of
five villages sharing worship of the clan Goddess, commonly
found even now-a-days.
10. Palli means village. Brara means twelve.
Barapalli means twelve villages where the clan is divided
into those villages sharing their clan Goddess. The twelve
villages unite in the main village from where they have
divided. It is the ideal model of central Indian political
and social organisation.
11. Sungod is known as Dharamdevta or Dharam Niranjan, Father of
Universe.
12. Master, teacher,
ancestor spirit and first progenitor are known as Guru.
In central India, the Gond culture Hero Budhadeo is known
as Gurubudha : Usually the Guru or Rishi stay in the forest.
Thus the seat of Gurubudha is situated in the hill known
as Gurudongar. People go to Gurudongar is situated in the
hill known as Gurudongar. People go to Gurudongar for blessings.
13. The spirit invited from the origin place
of the God or Goddess is brought to the village. The Kandhs
establish the Goddess in the heart of the village and build
a house; known as sadargudi.
14. The sacrificial
pit away from the village is situated in the festival ground.
The meriah victim was being given to earth goddess here.
15. Literally mutpani
means urine water. The level of the ewe with some water,
husk and rice constitute mutpani which symbolizes the life,
harvest and rain.
16. Barabhai Bhima
Bhimsen, literally meaning twelve brother Bhima is worshipped
as the Gods of the Rain and cultivation in central India
and South India.
17. Sohala bhauni
Gangadevi : People believe that there are sixteen rivers
in this land lead by Ganga the holy Goddess river. All the
rivers in this land lead by Ganga— the holy Goddess
river. All the rivers are regarded as Goddesses and mountains
as Gods.
18. ‘Harja’
means bride price. The bride’s father demands Harja
from the groom. The Harja—may be some money or in
form of materials demanded by the father of the bride.
19. Mandpani—means
liquor water. A person alleged unsocial or criminal is punished
with some fines for his exemption from the crime. The amount
collected from the person is spent in feasting and drinking
liquor, so this fine is known as Mandpani consumed by the
community.
