Points2Ponder: 2011

Philipose Vaidyar

The weekly market at Similiguda is colorful and full of people with all kinds of features who carry headloads of things for buying and selling. We are crossing the market, making our way to Pantriguda to meet one of the many native tribes- The Ollar Gadaba- at one of their habitat.

Gadaba people are migrants from the Godavari river belt and are believed to have settled in different parts of Orissa and Andhra Pradesh about 300 to 400 years ago. According to an estimate, there are about 60,000 Gadaba people in Orissa and Andhra Pradesh. In Orissa, they are seen in Koraput, Jaipur, and Malkangiri districts. In Andhra Pradesh, they are seen on the Eastern Ghats, especially in Salur, Chenthapilly, Pader Gudem, and other parts of the Visakhapatnam district.

There are three different groups of Gadaba people based on the language they speak. Ollar Gadaba, Mudhili Gadaba and Gutob Gadaba. Their cultural practices are similar, though there are some variations in other regions. But their languages are different.

The Ollar Gadaba people live in the Koraput district of Orissa, close to the Andhra Pradesh border. The landscape here is so different from the rest of the state or the country. Hills are all around as you travel, but not very steep, and hence not many hairpins. The roads are quite straight but go uphill and downhill. Most of the hills are barren, but there are huge trees here and there as remaining signs of deforestation. Social forestry and government plantations of teak and cashew are seen on these red hills.

Ollar Gadaba has the highest concentration in the Similiguda and Pottangi blocks. In a village, there will be 30- 80 houses and about 150-300 people.

This is Pandriguda, a tribal village, in Orissa, 40 km away from Koraput, the district capital.

It is a festival season for the Gadaba people. There are 12 festivals for the Gadaba around the year, almost one every month, in connection with the season. This is Karke Paroop, the first fruit festival of mangoes. Mango will be plucked and tasted only after this celebration, which goes about seven or eight days.

The first day will be a day of rest, after which all the work should be concluded. Any work done in the village or outside on this day will be penalized. Penalty varies and will be finalized by the village council. In the evening, there will be a dinner prepared by a few families on the basis of clan or neighborhood. Rice cooked with first-plucked mangoes will be the recipe.

The next day will start with a celebration, the whole village, men and women, are supposed to join in singing and dancing, or watch it. The peculiar steps by holding hands together will be accompanied by drums.

The third day will be a day for hunting for children. This is fun and training for children and a warm-up for older men. The next day, the older men will go hunting and continue it until they find an animal. Wild pigs are ideal prey to be hunted. This follows greater celebration and merry-making. Though drinking and smoking tobacco are common for men and women, dancing with the head of the hunted pig is a symbol of joy and victory.

At Pandriguda, this is the third day of the festival. As I framed this snapshot, the procession paused for a while. These boys are the hunted prey- a sparrow and a rat.

A squirrel and any good bird would be ideal, but this time they had to settle for a rat.

The procession is moving towards the village center and the altar. The whole village has gathered under the big tree. The elder women are ready to receive the young hunters. They will press a pinch of wet rice to the forehead of the young men and boys, and a flower is tucked into their ears. I, too, had this welcome treat as the guest of my guide and family, who are well accepted by the village. The hunted creatures will be cooked over fire and will be eaten.

In the evening, we took a guided tour of the village. Most of the people were at home. Some women are busy drawing water at the well. They carry enough water for the home and for men to take baths at home. Groups of women are collected around some of the houses. All of them were having a drink of the homemade liquor from cooked rice.

We were back at home and sat to chat again; over the tea cups, we continued talking about village life. There is another noise growing closer. A group is heading out of the village. I was told that the men were going for another puja. We hurried on our last sip of tea and followed the crowd.

They had spears and axes. All were sharpened and fixed with new handles. The leader of the group pointed out a spot on the tarred road. A lady had carried some cow dung to plaster the puja ground. All the spears and tools were placed there. After some chants, the group leader spread some grains of rice. He had a newborn chicken in his

hand, which was released there after a few other chants. After the chicken pecked some rice, it was cut with the edge of one of the spears. An egg was placed standing on the scattered rice. Now the egg had to be shot with the bow and arrow. The spear became the measuring rod to set the distance. Good aim and ability to shoot mean success in hunting on the following day. Anyone can try; throwing stones is also allowed now, as not many are skilled in using bows and arrows.

One young man hit the egg with a stone. He is supposed to be the hero that evening, but he fled to escape; I was told, he needs to spend some money in turn for the treat he gets. Yet the crowd caught hold of his elder brother and carried him on his shoulders to the meeting place. He was seated on the raised stone platform under the tree. Some ladies were busy with the usual procedures of wishing everyone, wet rice on the forehead, and flowers for the ear.

The sun was disappearing behind the hills. The herdsmen were returning to the village with large flocks. Like anything else in the village, tending sheep or cattle is not just an individual matter. They share and take turns to take them for grazing. There are also hired men who will agree to tend the flock for a fixed amount for the year. As the herdsmen led the flock through the village, the cattle and goats divided and moved into their respective sheds. A day is winding down; it is time to eat, drink, and rest.

The descent of darkness had made Pandriguda quiet. There were no streetlights. Electricity hasn’t reached the village yet.

The day broke at about 5.30 in the morning. People began to move out to the countryside, with a wooden plank in their mouth- the vep (neem) tree branch-made toothbrush. The village naik (the elder) has not yet woken up from his night's sleep, in the front yard. A blanket he used to cover is lying nearby.

Naik’s wife, Murthal, is warming herself near the fire made outside. The village women once again became active at the well, drawing water. A group of young men appeared from one corner of the village. Two of them are holding two hens- one white and the other black. The group is heading to Naik’s brother’s home. It seemed that the Naik and his brother had a quarrel last night, after the heavy festive drink. Quarrels and fights are not allowed during the season, and the fine is normally a chicken. When the leaders are at fault, others will enforce it.

The young men with the third hen have now reached the Naik’s home to take hold of the fourth. One clever girl had released the hens from the hive by then.

There were claims, justifications, and arguments. The murthal (elderly woman), who could not even stand straight, began chasing the group, but they were determined to get the chicken. It was interesting to know how they could recognize one’s chickens. The young men succeeded in chasing to catch one. The four chickens will be cut and cooked soon. But they will share the dish with everyone in the village. Naturally, people in the village disagree and fight, but they do not hold grudges. Their community tie is stronger, and they love one another and respect each other. At festivals, they enjoy everything together.

The elders had decided to postpone the hunting for the next day since they were planning to go to a faraway forest. We too have packed up to return from the village. As we were getting into our vehicle, some women came running. They had a garland for each one of us; a symbol of acceptance, joy, and welcome back. It is customary to give them a gift in cash. As I posed for a group snapshot, in appreciation of their love for us, my regret was that I could not stay more than a day, and could not speak their language!

Gadaba Festivals

Festivals are very important in the lives of Gadabas. There is a festival in connection with every season and life in the village. Paroop is the Gadaba word for festival. Every festival will have singing, dancing, and merry-making, and of course, a sacrifice.

Kuse Paroop falls in January. Food cooked from the new paddy harvested and vegetables plucked are given to the cattle.

Nandee Paroop: Nandee is the female spirit of a clan, and the festival in her name is observed in February for special blessings.

Kardil Vatpondi Paroop during February- March is after the harvest of tuvar dhal (a kind of pulse) and before the new dhal is used for cooking.

Karke Paroop is observed in connection with the first plucking of mangoes during the early week of March. Mango is cooked along with rice and eaten together by many families. Days are set apart for hunting for children and for adults.

Bowda Paroop is before the monsoon arrives, when the people go to the hills to collect certain leaves to stitch together as a raincoat. This leaf coat will be used as an umbrella and will be used for manual work during the rainy season.

Diyali Paroop in November is in honor of Mahalaxmi, the goddess, and a buffalo or bull is sacrificed on a hill.

Jone Punnet Paroop falls in July and is in connection with the harvest of the maze. A chicken will be sacrificed by each household at the field as a thank offering for the harvest.

Varees Punnet Paroop: Varees is paddy, and this will be in September. The newly harvested paddy will be collected for the festival, and new pumpkins will be cooked.

Dasare: This is similar to the Durga Puja and falls in October.

Balee Paroop: Balee is sand, and the festival in December is not of Gadaba origin.

(Read more about the Ollar Gadaba people, their beliefs, and practices in the digital book: Trekking the Tribal Trail by Philipose Vaidyar)

All three Gadaba's- Mudhili Gadaba, Ollar Gadaba, and Gutob Gadaba- full-length narrative profiles with over 300 pictures can be ordered at createtools@gmail.com