World Views of Bhils

WORLD VIEWS AND RELIGIOUS PRACTICES OF THE BHILS

The Bhils ever since prehistoric times have their own world views, values, history, geographical habitat and more specially religious practices of their own. These world views and religious practices of bhils are still prevalent in rudimentary state in their social and cultural practices even today. Even though over the many past centuries they have heavily borrowed from their Hindu brethren, but at the root of the cultural practices, the Bhils are still Bhils, persisting in their traditional culture throughout India.

Naladi Anthony a student of St. Joseph's Seminary at Allahabad (U.P.) from Andhra Pradesh state of India has aptly brought out the Bhil world views in his B. Th. thesis written for the current school year 2009. Naladi Anthony focuses his studies on world views and religious practices of the Bhils mainly on three main headings:

1. Profile of the Bhils of Central India.
2. Bhil religion and theology of the land.
3. The tribal concept of salvation, morality, etc.

Naladi Anthony has made good beginning along these lines of the Bhil study. For this study he has heavily depended on the writing and theoretical approach of Mahipal Bhuriya who is a Bhil cultural anthropologist. He needs to pursue in this study and one can foresee that Naladi shall make a good contribution in clarifying the illusion that the Bhils are originally Hindus and they have no religion and culture of their own.