Maldhari

Maldharis are nomadic tribal herdsmen who live in the Gujarat state of India. The literal meaning of Maldhari is "owner of animal stock". They are notable as the traditional dairymen of the region, and once supplied milk and cheese to the palaces of rajas.[1]

Culture

Maldharis are descendants of nomads who periodically came from neighboring Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and other parts of Gujarat finally settled in the Banni grasslands.[2] The Maldhari have been living in the Banni grasslands for nearly 700 years.[3]

These semi-nomadic herders spend eight months of the year criss-crossing sparse pasturelands with their livestock including sheep, goats, cows, buffalo, and camels in a continual quest for fodder. During the monsoon season, the Maldhari generally return to their home villages as more new grass grows closer to home during the rains. For villages in some areas, weddings are traditionally held just one day each year, on the date of the lord Krishna’s birthday Krishna Janmashtami, which falls in the midst of the monsoon.

Some girls in some regions are kept from going to school and expected to spend the early years of their life stitching elaborate garments for their wedding day, or, if they’ve been married off as children, as many are, for the ceremony performed when each moves in with her husband, normally when she is in her early twenties.[1]

Communities

In different regions, they belong to different castes. There are 8,400 Maldharis living in Gir Forest National Park who are mainly Rabari,Bharwad and Charan, and their villages are known as ness.[4]

The Maldharis of northern Gujarat are known by different names in different parts. In Kutch, the Maldhari are found mainly in the Banni region, near the town of Bhuj. Here some forty Kutchi speaking Maldhari hamlets are home to several tribal communities including the Halaypotra, Hingora, Hingorja, Jat, Junejas, Mutwas and Me.


Lifestyle

The pastoral Maldhari community live a simple life. They live in small mud houses deep in the forests, with no electricity, running water, schools or access to healthcare.

They earn a living by producing milk from their cattle. They have developed a local breed of buffalo that is well known in India for its high productivity and strong resilience to the harsh conditions of the Banni.[3] The Banni Buffalo was recognized as the 11th breed of buffalo in the country in 2010, the first one to be registered post independence. The breed registration process was carried out through the Maldharis themselves.

They grow vegetables and collect wild honey. Their main sources of cash income are sale of high quality ghee, milk, wool, animals and handicrafts.[2] They trade their produce in the local market for essential items like food grains. Most are unable to count or use money and are illiterate.[4]

Jewelry

Their jewelry and clothing portray the Maldharis' sense of identity and tradition. It symbolizes their beliefs and ideals. Men wear gold hoops and buttons in their ears. On their milking hands, many wear silver rings embossed with the Siva lingam. The milk that dribbles over the ring is an offering to the god, replacing the need to make oblations at a temple.

Maldhari women's ears are folded and stretched with a large amount of hanging silver. Their wrists are sheathed in heavy, hourglass-shaped bracelets, carved from elephant tusks. However, many wear plastic replicas for everyday use. They keep the more precious ivory originals stored in cans filled with vegetable oil. The oil keeps them from cracking and makes them easier to slip on. Such ornamentation disguises the poverty in which they live. It is worn as a status symbol to impart an impression of wealth upon which their family honor depends.[1]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Michael Benanav (4-6-2009), "The Maldhari of Gujarat", Handeye, retrieved 2012-2-23 Check date values in: |access-date=, |date= (help)
  2. 1 2 "Banni Grasslands; Kutch Dist., Gujarat", Alternatives to the Narmada Valley Project, Friends of River Narmada, retrieved 2012-2-23 Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
  3. 1 2 "Shepherding in a New Era of Livestock Keepers' Rights in India", 'Natural Justice, 2010-06-20, retrieved 2012-2-23 Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
  4. 1 2 Rupam Jain Nair (2-1-2007), Rights gained by the Maldhari tribe over the Gir forest, Reuters, retrieved 2012-2-23 Check date values in: |access-date=, |date= (help)

External links

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