The Full Flower Moon. Abu’s hill sides are in full bloom. Out here in India it’s called “Buddha Purnima”.
The full moon this year has fallen on May 2, 2007; it commemorates the
birth anniversary of Lord Buddha. It’s an auspicious day and folks in
India throng to Religious sites to pray, and seek the blessings of the
gods, what really interest me is the invasion of my home town by
thousands of ‘‘Garasias”.
These Garasias throng to Abu by the hundreds and that to on foot, they hoof it all the way up from
Villages all over Rajasthan. They come in huge groups singing and
dancing in their local dialect till they amass around the famous Nakki
Lake at Abu, their final destination.
For
the Garasias this “Buddha Purmina” is a day of special significance,
because on this day, marriages are either premeditated or spontaneous.
After the elopement, a bride “price” is paid to the bride’s father. Should this agreement not work out the girl returns home with her father who receives some money for the inconvenience caused.
The
Garasias, legend has it are descendants of the Rajput tribe of the
Chauhans. Apparently the Chauhans after being defeated in a battle eons
ago fled and mingled with the local Bhil tribal to form a distinctive
group. The tribal population of Garasias is concentrated around the
hills of Abu and the Kotra region of Udaipur.
It
is not surprising that the Garasias have a semblance of Bhil culture
where bows and arrows attribute significantly, towards hunting and
personal protection. I Still fail to understand how they have a higher
status than the native Bhils, perhaps there is some truth in the legend
of the Garasias origin (the fallen Rajputs)
I
spent some time amongst these happy go lucky folks, I was carried away
with their gaiety, and their colourful attire, their zest for life sure
left an impression on me. I’m posting a few snaps taken of these fun
loving folks, happy viewing.Sickle Cell Anemia in Garasia Tribals of Rajasthan
http://medind.nic.in/ibv/t09/i3/ibvt09i3p239.pdf
