- "a warli world view"- documenting cultural heritage
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This power point was made for my presentation at a conference on "WHY and HOW of Documenting Cultural Heritage"- "A WARLI WORLD VIEW" INTACH Dahanu ChapterTRANSCRIPT
WARLI WORLD VIEWA DIGITAL DOCUMENTATION
INTACH – DAHANU CHAPTER
DAHANU, MAHARASHTRA
By Phiroza Tafti
Convenor, INTACH - Dahanu Chapter
CULTURAL HERITAGE and TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE
Warli Art is their language to communicate in story form about their lives
Warli Art shows their relationship with life
Celebration with dance in an open circle shows the cycle of life and death
Warli paintings always show creaturesand portray their respect for nature
Hunters and Gatherers Cultivators
Originally a forest community
Now do sustenance farming
Warli ‘padas’ built around a well at the edge of the forest
Warli huts made from natural materials
Original huts with fibre thatched roof
Sturdy shelters made from reeds
Warlis have practiced and preserved traditions of the early agriculturists
The “rab” practice of burning leaves kills the seeds of the weeds Ploughing with the wooden “hal”
A Warli Family - Janu the painter
Warli artists can afford ‘pakka’ homes
Janu at work – an inborn talent
Warlis working as farm labourers
Warlis demonstrating their traditions
The traditional TARPA dance & Rangoli
The TARPA dance today
“Waghiya” temples and totem poles of wood or stone to communicate with spirits and dieties
Sustainable living is part of Warli philosophy
Warlis live off the land- ingenious fishing nets built on rivers
No stream is too small to catch their dinner- main source of protein
Warli paintings as murals adorning walls- telling the story of their customs
‘Lagna Chowk’ replete with symbols Murals tell their life stories
Supplementary Income
Selling of Stalks
The Local Market
Mat Making
Pottery
Toddy Tapping
Filming on location – daily life of artists
Interacting with students who learn from first hand observation
Sensitizing the students as to the background of this unique community
Exploring the surroundings to get a feel of the rural setting
Hands-on Experiential learning
Visiting villages and becoming curious
Getting the feel of local practices
Students documenting for project reports- a different perspective
Thoughtful recording of events and experiencesInformal observation and asking the kids point
of view
Educational initiatives – digital documentation with a broader context
Respecting the “Bhagat” or religious medium at the sacred grove site
Interviewing the locals to their personal feelings on changing scenarios
A picture explains customs in vivid detail
Women sit in groups to mourn a deathA family walk to and fro daily to the fields with
cattle and kids
Changing practices and transitions…..
Home deliveries with a mid wife Girls being sent to school
Marriage rituals rooted in tradition
The ‘bhagat’ doing the puja
Marriage procession- modern style
Vibrant living Traditions
The backless ‘choli’ and the 9-yard sari
Sacred Groves - worshipping stones to communicate with
spirits via a “Bhagat”
Warlis are an indigenous people with their own beliefs, customs and traditions
Warlis live in tune with nature
WARLI Tribal culture is a heritage too precious to be lost.
Let us Archive it!