the gonds of madhya pradesh

NFSC and JATAN

Our Collaborators

J A T A N trustBaba Maya ramNagendraSatyendraMahesh Bhai

ContentDocumentationArchivesDissemination of Information

DocumentationFocusVillages visited and people metRituals and ceremonies

FocusGond DictionaryRice goddess Folktales and Folk songs surrounding the

medicinal plantsPaintings and Metal crafts of GondFestivalsClan structure

Gond DictionaryThe Gond dictionary – G.C. TrenchThe myth about the origins of Gondi languageRelationship between Gondi and Dravidian

languagesOrigin of the scriptGondi language relationship with Indus script

Gond DictionaryMYTH ABOUT THE ORIGINS OF GONDI

LANGUAGEThe story of Kupar and Sambhu MahadevaThe words are created by vocalizing the

notes created from the drum The first formed word is about his self

existence and he addresses himself by the pronoun “ANA” meaning “I”

Gond DictionaryRELATIONSHIP BETWEEN GONDI AND

DRAVIDIAN LANGUAGE

NumbersOne - Undi - OnnuTwo - Rand - IranduThree - Mund -

MoonruFour - Nalung - Naalu

Gond DictionaryORIGIN OF THE GONDI SCRIPT

It is based on the Ashokan Brahmi script which dates back to third century B.C

Relationship between Gondi and Indus script

Gondi script

Medicinal PlantsFolk tales and folk songs around the

medicinal plantsA farm with 300 varieties of medicinal plants

near Pipariya

Paintings and metal crafts of Gond

FestivalsThey celebrate atleast 23 festivals which are

unique to Gonds.They differ from the mainstream Hindu

celebration in many ways. (eg) They celebrate Dasshera not to celebrate the victory of Ram but be worried about the demise of Ravan.

Our collaborators are documenting a festival called Gond Madai right now.

Clan structureThere are 106 GothrasThere are 12 main godsEach Gothra is having a separate totem

symbol of plants and animals to which they do not any harm

Villages visited and people metPalia PipariyaDokhri Kheda,

Anhoni, Khurshikappa, Singanama, Matkuli

AndhraJunhetaKodiyaKhumkal,

Dobighat,Arra Dongri, Akiya Panchayat

P.S. UikeShanti Raj KhusreManmohan BattiQueen Raj ShriDr. Motiravan

KangaliProf. Vijay DuaPayodhiKallu Uike and

Narendra Uike

Part of M.P map

Palia Pipariya

Anhoni, Dokhri keda, Khurshikappa, Matkuli, Singanama

Andhra

Junheta

Kodiya

Arra Dongri, Aakiya Panchayat,Dobighat, Kumkal

P.S.Uike

Manmohan Batti

Queen Raj Shree

Dr. Motiravan Kangali

Rituals and ceremoniesFUNERAL

Ceremony on the day of deathThird day ceremonyTenth day ceremony

TONSURING

Sixth day ceremony after birth

Rituals and ceremoniesUNIQUE TO GONDI CULTURE

They go around the fire in anticlockwise direction

There is no separate community to do the funeral work

The son lights the fire at the foot with the smouldering dung cake brought from the house by walking backwards and setting fire

As the pyre is on fire sickle and axe is thrown into the fire. Here only axe’s handle is thrown into the fire

Rituals and ceremoniesUNIQUE TO GONDI CULTURE

On the way back home the master of ceremonies breaks a branch from cherwa or bor tree and place it across the way leading into the village. Then he steps over and walks towards the village. Other men follow.

Rituals and ceremoniesUNIQUE TO GONDI CULTURE

A few yards from the house the master of ceremonies with the toes of the left foot picks up the pebble.Without bending down he lifts his foot till his hand can reach the pebble. Then without turning around he hands it to the next man walking behind.The stone is passed from one man to another till the last person and its thrown over his shoulders backwards.

Rituals and ceremoniesUNIQUE TO GONDI CULTURE

When they return home from cremation ground they place a light in the middle of the courtyardd. Then a flour is spread on the ground infrontof the light and covered with a new basket upside down.then the people go for a smoke/liquorand when they come backif they see disturbance of the pile of flour then they decide that the life spirit of the deceased had returned.

Rituals and ceremoniesINFLUENZES FROM THE MAINSTREAM

CULTURE

In former times people were only buried. After getting in touch with Hindu customs people are burned.

No Brahmin priest presides over the ritual and ceremonies in older times.

ArchivesWriting down the day to day report on the

data notebook softwareCollection of photographs, audio and video

files on the computerWriting logins for the collected data in

EnglishCreating wordlist in language explorer using

the available dictionaryUploading the collected information on the

wiki

Data Notebook

Language Explorer

Things to be done in FutureEstablishing the digital community archive in

Kodiya village or Aakiya panchayat and continue the research.

Writing down the logins in native language and transliterate

Dissemination of information in the archives to the community members through unique system of search

Rearranging the structure of the archives according to the world view of the people using language as a tool.