THE PEOPLE

RECREATION

A number of forms of entertainment mainly religious in nature are known to the people. The religious minded Hindu, particularly if he has taken to saguna devotion (idol-worship) attaches great religious merit to japa repeating silently the name of the Lord and more so to attending or participating in different kinds of religious expositions or entertainments such as purana, pra-vacana; katha or kirtana and bhajana delivered by professionals in a technique of their own. Formerly kirtana was a necessary item in the festival of any village deity; casual kirtans were performed by Kirtankars who happened to pass by the village. A tendency is seen nowadays to use the Kirtana institution as a vehicle for spreading more of cultural and social ideas than purely religious ones. Bhajana is the chanting of religious songs in chorus, and as a form of religious communion it seems to be very popular at present. Almost every village in Konkan has a bhajana group. Bhajana mandalis found in the district are of three types: (i) Ektare-those who use a guitar with a single chord; (ii) Nalavale-those who use a big drum or a sort of tabor, as their special musical instrument, and (iii) Sagra-sangit bhajanis, highly developed musical parties [ Kale D. N., loc-cit, p. 254.].

Recreational activities popular among boys are games such as Atya-patya, Kho-kho, Hutu-tu, Viti-dandu and Lagorya. Games of gotya (marbles), bhomra (top) and patang (kite), and tag and chase games such as Andhali-kosimbir, Lapandav are popular among boys of all ages. Games such as Aba-dabi, Gup-cup-toba, Sur-parambi, and Vagh-bakari are played in a team spirit. Bhatu-kali (house-keeping), Sagargote, Phugdya are essentially games played by girls.

Indoor Games.

Of the popular indoor games current in the district the chief are: chess Buddhibal, cards Patte and Songtya, the Indian backgammon. The chess played in Indian or Hindu style differs from the European game in some points such as: only the pawns of the king, queen and castles can at starting move two squares; that the first move of the king, when not under check, may be the same as a knight's move; that only the king's and queen's pawns can become a queen; and that, if the game goes on till five pieces are left, it is drawn. The jorajori style in the Hindu game is played with the rule that no covered piece can be taken.

Of the card games a type known as ganjifah played by three players with eight suits of round cards-twelve cards to each suit- is now practically extinct. The current card games played among the elite are mostly Contract Bridge, Bezique, Rummy and Flush; among others the popular games (of doubtful origin) are: Ladis, Pac-tin-don, Sat hall and Jhabbu.

The game of Songtya or Indian backgammon is played with sixteen counters songtya of two or four colours, eight or four in each. The scoring is fixed by throwing either three hand dice or six kavdi shells. The game is played between two sides of two to eight players and with eight counters for each side. The playing board is like a cross of four rectangles each rectangle being marked like a chess board eight squares long and three broad enclosing a central space square. Starting one by one from the square next to the central space the players send the counters round the outer row of squares till they work back to the starting point. A piece unless protected is captured by the opposite player and it has to start afresh and complete the round. The game goes on till one party succeeds in working all its men round the board.

The modern games played in some educated families are Draughts, and Snakes and Ladders; Carrom is played both at clubs and in families.

Recreational activities popular with the rural population in the district are: gymnastics and wrestling, Tamasas, cart-racing, betting on fights between rams, cocks and buffaloes, theatricals known as Lalita, and folk-dancing and singing.

Gymnasiums.

Talim or Akhada as an indigenous institution for training athletes and wrestlers, though is now in the wane in the district, towns like Mahad. Alibag. Panvel. Uran and such other places are reported to maintain still a few talims as traditional centres of this useful recreation. A local gymnasium is usually under a master ustad, generally an experienced athlete who is paid by his pupils by way of entrance and monthly fees and by gifts when a pupil masters wielding a weapon. The usual time for amateurs to indulge in athletic exercises is the evening before dinner. For developing strength and stamina the popular exercises followed are baithak, sitting on the ground and rising with a spring; and dand, stretching the body face-down nearly parallel to the ground, supporting its weight on the hands and toes and alternately straightening the arms and letting the chest drop between them. Clubs mudguls (pair) generally of blackwood and weighing from a pound to ten pounds each, and karela (single) weighing twenty pounds or more are also much used for the purpose. Muscles are strengthened and made agile by pulling chains and practising 'grips and jumps' on a polished pole malkhamb. Dumb-bell, barbell, double-bar, etc., are the other adjuncts used with the same objective. Of contests of skill and strength are the exercises with the patta or long sword, lakadi and bothati sticks, and a kind of fencing displayed with pharigadga, a leather-quilted stick and a shield. For training in wrestling is provided a wrestler's pit hauda filled with soft earth where various holds after Indian style to make the rival's back touch the ground are practised.

Wrestling.

Wrestling as a popular pastime is of late generally losing its ground in the district. However, wrestling bouts, or phads as the local term goes, are organised well and the villagers take a great interest in them. These bouts are mostly held in the monsoon the main days being the festivals of Nag Pancami, Janmastami, and Narali Paurnima. Bouts are also arranged at many of the village fairs. Hardy youths specially equip themselves with practice and training under ustads (guides) to enter the arenas of wrestling tournaments at various places in the district. Funds are raised by the villagers to meet the expenses of organising the tournament and getting prizes for the winners. A combatant is recognised as the winner if he succeeds in throwing his opponent on the ground, and makes his back touch the ground.

Tamasha.

Tamasa seems to be a popular recreational activity in the rural parts of the district. There are generally two kinds of tamasas; one performed by village amateurs wherein the nacya (dancer) is generally a boy dressed as a girl, and the other staged by professionals, the dancer being necessarily a Kolhati female. Although there is no rule regarding the proper season for the tamasa performance, need of proper accommodation limits the season to the dry months of the year. Of the religious occasions, Simga and the annual village fairs are the ones which are usually accompanied by tamasa performances.

Cart-racing.

Bullock-racing in light carts (chakadas) goading the animals to speed by using parani (nail-pointed stick) is a popular amusement with the agriculturists in the district. The fairs of Ceul, at the shrine of Datta and of Avas, at the temple of Nagesvar are known as the fairs of cartmen'. A number of frantic cartmen long for the day of such a fair when they take part in cart-racing. With a similar spirit of contest the villagers enjoy the fights between rams, cocks and buffaloes specially trained for the purpose.

Lalita.

Dramas dealing with pauranik (mythological), historial or social themes and enacted mainly by enlightened amateurs on festive occasions such as Rama and Hanuman Jayanti, Ganesot-sava, and Mahasivaratra constitute still a popular form of entertainment with the rural population in the district. These performances which are known as Lalita are perhaps the precursors of the modern drama enacted on the Maharastra stage.

Folk-dances.

Various types of dancing activities generally of the nature of folk-dances are current among the people of the district. The occasions for the dances are usually the various religious festivals occurring mainly in the months of Sravana, Bhadrapad and Phalguna. The festivals of Gokulastami and Dahikala celebrated on the dark eighth of Sravana and on the day following are occasions for the display of goph and tipri, and Kala and Govinda dances. Sravana also gives an occasion for Mangalagaur dances among Brahmans which are danced exclusively by females the most popular and prominent of them being the phugadi. Besides phugadis a variety of allied dance forms are also displayed as Mangalagaur dances, e.g., Nach-go-ghuma, Korhbda, Pinga, Zimma, Pagdaphu, Kis-bai-kis, and many others. On the bright fourth of Bhadrapad and after come the Ganes and Gauri festivals. In towns, public Ganapati festival may be celebrated by mela (troupe of boys, girls or of both) performances and by demonstrations of physical feats, singing, and amateur artistic individual dancing. But the Gauri festival which is enthusiastically observed by agricultural classes is spent in singing, dancing and merry-making. Dancers pay house to house visits and dance a Gauri-Ganapatica Naca before the goddess in each house. Women have their own dances and songs but they do not dance while men are dancing. Kunbi and Agri women indulge in Phugadi and allied dances at the time of Gauri. The Ganapati Dances as performed by the Agri males has three varieties: variety one is a simple dance conducted by a buva who sings and beats the nal (drum) to regulate the steps and other movements of the dancers numbering eight to twenty; in variety two, the dancing party are equipped with pairs of small sticks tipryas in addition to kerchiefs and ghungurs; the variety three is known as the Dance of the Sylphs (Parica-Naca) which includes boys and girls dressed in fancy dresses of paris or celestial beings [ Kale D. N. loc. cit. p. 257 ].

Koli Dance.

Besides the Agris the Son-Kolis, the fishermen community of the district, are famous for their Kolydcd ndca. It is a dance imitating a boat being rowed in the open sea. "With the miniature oars in their hands the dancers imitate the rowing of a boat, now in full swing, now in lull. With their bodies swaying backwards and forwards in full unison they create a plastic picture of a boat tossing on the waves of the sea." [ Agarkar-Folk-Dances of Maharashtra, p. 59.]

Tribal Dances.

The tribals in the district particularly the Katkaris and the Thakurs are famous for their folk-dances. Apart from the exclusive male or female group-dances in the open the Katkaris have mixed group dances in private. Under a stranger's gaze their women run shy and men feel reserved, and this could be said of the Thakurs too.

Katkari Dance.

The formation of these tribal group dances is usually a circular one. The important figures in the dance are two, namely, the Khelya and the Dholya ; the first is the singer and leader-dancer, and the second is the musician of the drum. The dance commences with the Dholya beating the drum, and the dancers gathering round him in a circle. Some of them, particularly the khelya, have cala (jingles) tied to their feet. The Khelya sings out a line of a song which is then repeated in chorus by the group. He then initiates the dancing move and others follow suit. The drummer doubles his speed the dancers displaying more lively steps, and as he trebles or quadruples his speed the tempo of the dancing increases. This goes on till the dancers get tired. The drummer then resumes the original speed, and the dancers cease dancing, walk a silent round or two and then make a halt. The khelya then sings out the second line of his song, the chorus takes up the refrain, and resumes dancing afresh. For every start, the beginning steps are the same, but as the dancing progresses, new exhibition steps are displayed.

The Katkari women have dances of their own. Largely, they imitate the dances of their men, but they have got their own songs which are distinct from male songs by way of greater simplicity and charming rhythm. The exclusively female dance of the Katkaris is the Dera dance which in some respects resembles the Garba dance of Gujarat [Weling A. N. The Katkaris, pp. 127-32.].

Thakur Dance.

The Thakurs have a variety of dances. During the Holi festival they dance the Phulbaja, on Gokul Astami, the Govinda and during the Vagh-baras festival the Vaghya dance. The Ma men and women never participate in a mixed dance as the Ka do. The Ma men's dance is called Kambad in some places. The Ma women's dance has no particular name. The Tamasa, in which a young boy in female attire dances to the accompaniment of instruments played by his companions, is the only instance of solo dancing among the Thakurs [ Chapekar L. N. The Thakurs, pp. 153-57.].

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