Static arts

Static arts

Characteristics
1. not much complicated to create
2. has lots of symbolic meanings
3. Dependent on factors like place, occasion, season etc.
4. raw material easily available
5. it is not for purpose of sale
6. it is for the decoration
Under this we can consider
Warali paintings
Rangoli
Mehendi
Wall Paintings etc.
paintings(warli)
sculpture
craft
rangoli
mehndi
textile(paithani)
gondan(tattoo)

Folk Dance

Folk Dance

In Maharashtra, folk dance is wide spread evident from the variety one gets to see when these are listed down. There are many stories attributed to the emergence of folk dance. Adivasi’s believe that man learned to dance from the peacock. And this was no ordinary peacock but god himself who in its form gifted man the art of dance. Whereas some think that one night a few Vanvasi’s saw a tiger playing the Nagara, a cheetah playing the Dundubhi and a peacock dancing on their tunes. It was from this night that the Vanvasi’s started dancing. In this way the Adivasi’s attribute their dance to nature and yet others believe in the story of Shankar and Parvati teaching man to dance.
According to this story, Shankar after slaying Tripurasur, started dancing with joy. At that time Brahma made a drum out of Tripurasur’s hide and Ganpati started playing it. In this way for the first time, dance and music were performed. Another version of this states that Brahma gave Bharatmuni the art, which in turn Bharatmuni performed in front of Shankar. Shankar taught Bharatmuni the Tandav and Parvati taught Banasura’s daughter Usha the ‘Lahsya’(the female version of Tandav).
Of all folk arts folk dance seems to be the oldest. An expression of man’s spontaneous emotions, folk dance is characterized by its graceful movements and an inane sense of rhythm.with evolution and refinement these ancient folk arts have taken on the form that we see today. Folk dances do not have the rigid restrictions that classical dance has.
There are many reasons or purposes behind performing the various folk dances, for e.g, to appease the gods, to drive away evil spirits and demons, to ensure a good harvest, to ensure victory in war, dances performed as courtship rituals, to ensure a good hunt, or just to celebrate the coming of a season. Some also have a part in magical rituals. There is no social cause behind these dances and religion seems to have come far later. People performing these arts do so for their own good unlike the other performing arts. The best part about these performances is that they don’t need an elaborate arrangement of instruments, just enough to give it a sense of rhythm and the steps are repetitive and easy to follow. Following are the types of folk dances.

The types of folk dance

fugadi
tipri
goph
jhimma
kombda
nachgoghuma
kis bai kis
pagda fu
pinga
agota/pagota
gauri cha nach(kunbi)
dasra nrutya(katkari/thakkar)
dindi
dahikala
ganpati nach
lejhim
bohada(dashawatar)
dholancha nach(gond, bhilla, thakkar, katkari,korku)
tamboricha nach(gond, bhilla, thakkar, katkari,korku)
tarapi cha nach(gond, bhilla, thakkar, katkari,korku)
gheracha nach(bhilla)
rathacha nach
martika cha nach
nakta nach
kathkhel nrutya
radha nrutya
gaje nrutya(south satara)
ghusara nrutya(ghusari adivasi)
dhandari nrutya
meherache nrutya(degun village)
dandar nrutya
shimga nach
sankasur nach
veerancha nach
dera nrutya
koli nrutya
kunbi nrutya(goa)

Wandering performers

Wandering Performers

These people are not really performers. They are almost wandering philosophers. The songs and dance that the do is very traditional and is passed on from generation to generation. Till about a decade ago, they could be found in cities as well. Now it is difficult to even find them in villages. All of these wandering performers perform in groups. Each type has his own time during the day when he roams around singing, dancing or just talking. Each one has his typical costume and accessories. They visit homes without invitation or notice. They are followers of a particular god or goddess and ask for alms in their names. These people don’t perform for money, their art is their way of life, their upajivika. They go about their work/performances like it were a social responsibility on their shoulders. These wanderers are very close to people’s hearts. If one failed to put in an appearance, something would seem amiss in people’s daily routine. These performers were especially loved by children.

Various folk artists

Pangula
vasudev
nandibailwala
dombari
dauri
kadaklaxmi
bahurupi
potraj
jogti/jogtin
waghya murali
bhutya .

Performing Arts

Performing Arts

Life itself is a stage. We all are actors in a universal drama. And as with other things in life, art imitates it. Tiny bits of this universal drama find their way into man’s life thru the medium of performing arts. On the surface it all may seem out-dated and archaic, practiced and performed only by those deemed illiterate and orthodox by society today, but on the contrary, these are well-planned, well thought attempts at social upliftment and education, so simplified that everyone can easily understand and ingrain in their day to day life.
And all this comes in form of pure entertainment, unlike anything television or other modern medias have been able to provide today.
Unfortunately a lack of awareness and a slow drift towards western cultures have compelled people to label these lores as superstitious and unfashionable. It is only due to this we see a steady and frightening disappearance of folk culture and the people linked to it from urban as well as rural India. Maharashtra has a variety of performing arts.
For convenience sake we have divided them into 3 categories.
Public performances
Public performances were the only medium of entertainment before the advent of television, radio and cinema. Its importance is diminished greatly now. But it is apparent that the essence of a live performance is there only in its true form and no amount of technological advancement can replace it. We have identified many types of public


The folklore coming under this –
Natak/Dashawtar
kirtan
bharood
lalit
dashavatar
shahiri
powaade
bhedik
gondhal
bharaad
jagran
tamaasha
gan
gaulan

Other Literature

Other literature

Language is a medium of self expression, but it is firstly a medium of communication.
It is because of language that thought, opinions and expressions can be freely exchanged. For our convenience, we had specified the restrictions of grammar. But spoken language is seldom bound by the grammatical nuances.
Language evolves with the influences of time, place and the people who speak it. The common man decorates, redresses and changes language for his ease, and it is then that even two words convey a whole load of meanings. words at times, evoke bubbling laughter and at times cut like
a sharp knife. These are the little gems of language that define it and give it its distinct flavour.
These are also the one thing that cannot be literally translated and archived. One can only hint at what it may mean in another language. The essence of these is in the language itself. It is therefore very necessary to preserve them in their original form.
Below are some examples of other literature.
idioms
ukhane(name-taking)
proverbs
riddles
jokes

Folk Songs

Folk songs

For ages now man has needed little encouragement to burst into a song and moresoever people who are closely associated with nature and earth. Also it wasn’t necessary to have a talented voice or elaborate music accompaniment to express spontaneous emotions and simple happiness. And that was exactly what they did. The best of folk songs have come from people who were considered illiterate by today’s standard. Janabai’s ovya, tukaram’s abhangas are so replete of an immense understanding of human nature, social life and philosophy, that they are enough to shame a research scholar into reconsidering his contributions to the society.
Auspicious occasions like baarsa (naming ceremony), dohaljevan (ceremony performed for a pregnant woman), mangla gaur( after marriage), bhondla(little girls ceremony in spring) all have their own specific songs which women get together and sing.
In adivasi tribes, the day is incomplete without a song on the lips of a farmer, to drive away his exhaustion and bring joy to his heart. Young children before they say their names, learn to hum these songs. In this way, a great impact can be seen on the lives of people of Maharashtra.
Attached below are some examples of folk songs.
ovya
abhanga
bhajane
gawalan
jogwa
bhupali
phatka
bhavara
aarti
bhondlyachi gaani
kautimbik gaani
bhalari geete
dhangaranchi gaani
jadavachi gaani
koli gite
nrutya gite
aadivasi gite

Folk Stories

Folk stories

From olden times man has felt a need to tell stories, starting from his exploits at the hunt to stories about the gods and demons. This need stems from a desire to understand and explain phenomenon around him.
In Maharashtra, an agrarian dominated society’s only escape till about a decade ago were these forms of folk entertainment. Taking out what ever little time they could from their work, people would get together and a story telling session would commence. And then it wasn’t necessary for one to be a good orater. Even narrating incidences would become exciting. At times like these, there would be no shortage of an audience.
And the key to this distant imaginary world would be simple phrases like ‘ekada kay zhala’(literally ‘once what happened was’) and ‘aat paat nagar hota’(in a distant land far away)
It is difficult now to find gatherings like these. Even the traditions of a grandparent telling their grandchildren stories have been wiped out with the advent of new medias. These days, television has grabbed hold of peoples mind spaces. Content at sitting at a couch and mindlessly flicking channels, young and old alike have forgotten the charm of good, old styled story telling.
Having lost their battle with the tv, these stories are quite now, no hallways echo with the wondourous gasps of children at the antics of monkey caught by a crocodile.
We have tried to collect many of these stories, but we also realize that the essence of a story told is lost when put down in print. And the nuances of language are lost in translation. But before these will be lost forever, we have tried to gather them in one place, hoping that someone will immortalize these in some form or the other.
We had categorized folk stories theme/ topic wise. The other ways of categorizing them are according to
-Region( Konkan, Desh, Marathwada, Vidharbhab, khandesh and
adivasi’s)
-Style of narration (prose, poetry, kirtaans etc.)
-Age of audience( children, young adult etc.)
-language( different dialects of Maharashtra i.e marathi, Konkani, thakari, warhadi etc.)
And our categorization
-theme/topic

डॊ. सरोजिनी बाबर

डॊ. सरोजिनी बाबर

लोकसाहित्यातील असे व्यक्तीमत्व जिच्यासमोर केवळ साष्टांग दंडवत घालावा. या विदुषीने लोकसंस्कृती आणि लोकसाहीत्यासाठी संपूर्ण आयुष्य वेचले. अथक परिश्रम घेउन महाराष्ट्र लोकसाहित्य समितीच्या तर्फे या विषयावर बरेच संशोधन करुन अनेक पुस्तके प्रकाशीत केली.


काही पुस्तकांची नावे उदाहरणादाखल देत आहे.----

आदिवासींचे सण उत्सव
भोंडला भुलाबाई
चिंचेची पत्रावाळी
दसरा दिवाळी
दौत लेखणी
एक होता राजा
जनलोकंचा सामवेद
खिरापत
कुळाचार
कुलदैवत
साज शीणगार
वैजयंती
जा माझ्या माहेरा
सांगी वांगी

Folk literature

Folk literature

Before the advent of printing technology in India all forms of literature were passed on from generation to generation by the medium of oral teachings. Even after printing came, folk literature continued to flourish in the medium of oral transfer. But now it is essential that it all be documented in the form of print because the people connected to these forms are slowly disappearing and the tradition of teacher has already lost its hold over society. There is already a gap in the spoken and the written language.
It has now become of great essence that it all be put down in print for further preservation and for people who haven’t access to its original form.

For convenience’s sake we can divide all of folk literature into three categories-
folk stories, folk songs and other folk literature.

Folk culture of maharashtra

Ek Hota Raja

We are blessed with a rich and complex tapestry of folk art and culture. Its multicolored threads are interwoven tightly with those of history. Throughout ages culture has been a part of everyday life. It was so enmeshed till about a decade ago that it would have been difficult to differentiate it from life itself. It has instilled good values and propagated virtues that have worked in the past towards the betterment of society. These daily activities were different forms of entertainment, news and updates. People had astonishingly clear ideas about philosophy, religion and social values. The different forms of folk lore were used as mediums of educating the society and spreading awareness about various issues all around. They were all aimed at compelling an individual to think about the society as a whole and not just for selfish gains. Also if one sees that kind of people who actually performed these art forms, one realizes that they did it all out of the boundaries of formal education. That is what is so astonishing about these performers. Another observation that one is compelled to make is that in the monarchy of those times, these public performers, instigated people into giving to those less fortunate than themselves, and made it clear that receiving was not as shameful as it is made out today, thus ensuring a flow of wealth in the society all the way from the very rich to the very poor.
And as society has developed, this tapestry has faded, long forgotten, like a dusty heirloom. With the advent of new media, these art forms have lost their place in the public consciousness. Television, radio, and other modern medias have replaced the traditional forms of folk art. In this fast changing world of today , it is essential for us to recapture the essences of these folk traditions and renovate or rethink the contexts from which these come from and the way they can be contemporized to stop them from dying out like so many others.
In the course of our research we found many people who have spent their lives trying to document the folk culture of Maharashtra. The people have poured their whole soul in the works they have done. And as expected we cannot claim to have shed more light than them on the work that we have been able to do in the past two months. We have collected the contacts of these people and are attaching them with our report. And yes, most of what we have found out about the folk culture of Maharashtra has a basis in their study, how ever surfacial it may be on our part.
These people and their work remains an asset and their attempts to revive a dying culture commendable.Referring to indepth studies in this area we have been able to come up with a tree structure that allows one to go as deep as he wishes in the selected area of study and exploration.

Folk Culture of Maharashtra - an overview
Paper presented by
Prasad Bokil & Sheetal Gokhale
Master of Design(Visual Communication)