The Tribal Tales

4.4
Visit to Banjara community living
in Jodhpur
Banjara community is known for their nomadic nature. We got the opportunity
to meet some people from the community in Jodhpur city. The UJAS
Foundation helped us reach to the area where the Banjara people were living.
The area where they lived was called Chopasni Vali Bypass.
The people were dressed in brightly coloured clothes and were wearing tribal
jewellery. They had small houses made up of mud alongside the main
road. It seemed to be their temporary dwelling likewise the nomadic nature
of the community. The people were welcoming and even after having a conversation
with them in Marwari-Hindi language we could understand what
they were trying to convey. There were 10 people among whom we met
5 ladies, 3 kids and 2 men. We asked several questions and a lady named
Kavita willingly gave us the information. She told us that they belonged
to the Banjara community and were earlier living in Balotara, which is a
district in Jodhpur. She told us that they got the jewellery from a jeweller
belonging to Pachpadra village. It was interesting to know that the women
are adorned with the jewellery pieces only after their marriage and it is only
during their marriage ceremony that they are gifted all the jewellery by their
husband’s family. Thus, it is a tradition which is being followed since many
generations in the Banjara community without which any marriage is incomplete
in this community and they regard all the jewellery worn by them
as a symbol of them being married. We asked them about the jewellery pieces
which they were wearing and told us about the names of different pieces.
The piece adorning their head was called Bor by them and the silver hand
jewellery pieces were called Chud and Muthia by them. All the members of
the community wear pendants representing their gods and goddesses. They
called these pendants Phool and said that the reason behind these pendants
was their traditional beliefs and practises. We asked them about the motifs
on their jewellery which usually comprised of fishes, flowers, etc. They said
all these motifs are selected by them only while they place the order for their
jewellery and the designs are crafted by the jeweller thereafter. The Chud
and Muthia weighed approximately 1 kilogram although they told us that it
can be made lighter and heavier according to the requirement.
52
4.21
(Fig 4.21)
A woman belonging to the
Banjara community.