BHIL MARRIAGE AND FOLKLORE

The ancient indigenous communities of India who are today more than 500 namely the Adivasis or the tribals have something to retain through their oral tradition. This whole of their oral tradition including material, verbal and performing art altogether comprises of their valuable folklore of the indigenous society. Much of the elements of indigenous folklore are assimilated in the Hindu society as their own. A systematic retention, collection, codification and research has deprived from storing their tribal communities of the age old ancestral heritage. These elements certainly should be treated individual properties of these tribes, rather than calling them as Hindu culture, thus depriving them further of having something good and sublime in their social and cultural life.
In this heap of Adivasi folk-culture of India, there are massive elements of tribal of folklore one better than the other.

One of the rite, ritual, custom or tradition relating to marriage among the Bhils of Western India, depict over a hundred of such romantic, colourful and historical elements of their ancient symbols of folklore. Owing to honest and just documentation, and proper support by the Government of India including of the states of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan Gujarat and Maharashtra, the beautiful and significant folklore of the Bhils in these states is vanishing.

The folkloric elements of Bhil marriage, we see today still persisting are the reading of omens, solidarity of the clansmen, hospitality, sharing of views, clan council, singing of hundreds of folksongs, folkdances, plastering and beautifying of the houses, paintings, tattoos, totems, participation in folk duties traditionally assigned to various age and sex groups, community games, tribal orchestra, mimicries, clan competitions, deciding of bride price, presentation of gifts, sharing of country liquor, costumes, ornaments, body decoration, honeymoon, etc are some of the important elements of their traditional bhil folklore involved.

All these elements are an invitation to the members of community to participate in the folkloric life of the society. If one witnesses the marriage rites, rituals and customs in progress, which normally takes place in 6 to 8 days and nights one can see the traditional folklore, social life of an indigenous community of India that had beautiful life and charm once upon a time in the past persisting even today. This charm is in great danger of vanishing now due to the imposition of Hindu culture unjustly and their life style on these simple and traditional communities.

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