Tattoo & The Art of Ojhas
After getting lost around countless stretches of forest and being held up in the house of a fueling family whilst escaping the rain, we came upon the secluded village of the ever illusive Ojhas. This caste of tribe, who do not consider themselves to be Baiga while they may have once been, are a part of retaining one of them most important Biaga traditions, the art of full body tattoo. Karum Singh Marawi is the leader of a group of 150 Ojhas, living in around 40 villages Balaghat district. He himself came from Chattisgarh, a state with a large population of Baigas that is south-east of Madhya Pradesh. He says that he came here to initially seek employment in construction, yet the last 15 years he and his wife have been able to settle back into their traditional talents after having organized this fraternity of Ojhas.
An initial meeting after nightfall with Panchoby Maravi brought some insight into their practice. She said that for many generations back they have been making tattoos, her mother, Bhagioby Marawi, has difficulty making tattoos now because of her diminishing eyesight at 75 years. Panchoby does not know the art of design or drawing, so if clients want a complex tattoo, they have to give design that is made by someone else. She can only make lines and traditional tattoos. It was interesting to learn that men neither make nor receive tattoos. The only job of the man during the marking ceremony is to sing and to play the drums. For young women the first tattoo that they receive is at sexual maturity, and will be a dot each on the hands, cheeks, chin and a line of flowers, crosses, dots and lines on the forehead. The 2nd tattoos will be placed on the forearm and on calf at the age of eighteen or nineteen. After this final ceremony at around the age of 20, there will usually be no more tattoos. Panchoby made it a point that only the Baiga will be getting the marks on their forehead, but all tribe castes will have them somewhere on the body. Each of the communities has their unique styles of ornamentation, used to recognize their brethren in this life and in the afterlife.
After meeting some of the women of the Ojha village, I was invited to the home of Karum Singh Marawi. Without hesitation he began to tell us the his version of the story of the origin of the Adiwasi, or ancient man. The story began with a quarrel between Paravati and Shiva, on the subject of Paravati feeling lonely and abandoned, which resulted in their four sons being sent to live on Kailash mountain in Shivas place. The first son had taken up cutting the grass of the Bhonda. The second son, seeing the other cutting grass looked upon him and exclaimed, “What a great sin!” The third son went to a bamboo forest to cut bamboo for fashioning an instrument. This brother found some shade under a Saga tree and began to play the instrument and sing, praying to God to forgive the grass cutter. Much time later, Lord Shiva reached there, and finding only the 4th son he questioned him as to there the other three brothers have went. The forth son replied, “Father, the 1st is cutting grass, the second is lamenting his brother, the 3rd is praying to God to forgive the eldest brother.
An initial meeting after nightfall with Panchoby Maravi brought some insight into their practice. She said that for many generations back they have been making tattoos, her mother, Bhagioby Marawi, has difficulty making tattoos now because of her diminishing eyesight at 75 years. Panchoby does not know the art of design or drawing, so if clients want a complex tattoo, they have to give design that is made by someone else. She can only make lines and traditional tattoos. It was interesting to learn that men neither make nor receive tattoos. The only job of the man during the marking ceremony is to sing and to play the drums. For young women the first tattoo that they receive is at sexual maturity, and will be a dot each on the hands, cheeks, chin and a line of flowers, crosses, dots and lines on the forehead. The 2nd tattoos will be placed on the forearm and on calf at the age of eighteen or nineteen. After this final ceremony at around the age of 20, there will usually be no more tattoos. Panchoby made it a point that only the Baiga will be getting the marks on their forehead, but all tribe castes will have them somewhere on the body. Each of the communities has their unique styles of ornamentation, used to recognize their brethren in this life and in the afterlife.
After meeting some of the women of the Ojha village, I was invited to the home of Karum Singh Marawi. Without hesitation he began to tell us the his version of the story of the origin of the Adiwasi, or ancient man. The story began with a quarrel between Paravati and Shiva, on the subject of Paravati feeling lonely and abandoned, which resulted in their four sons being sent to live on Kailash mountain in Shivas place. The first son had taken up cutting the grass of the Bhonda. The second son, seeing the other cutting grass looked upon him and exclaimed, “What a great sin!” The third son went to a bamboo forest to cut bamboo for fashioning an instrument. This brother found some shade under a Saga tree and began to play the instrument and sing, praying to God to forgive the grass cutter. Much time later, Lord Shiva reached there, and finding only the 4th son he questioned him as to there the other three brothers have went. The forth son replied, “Father, the 1st is cutting grass, the second is lamenting his brother, the 3rd is praying to God to forgive the eldest brother.
Shiva then called for all three of them to be in his presence. When all showed themselves before him, the eldest son, bowing and holding his palms together said, “Father, I was cutting the grass that was visible on the mountain.” Shiva then named him Gond. The one who was lamenting was given the name Pradhan (one who brings the existence of God to the society of Gonds and one who can advise the people). The third brother, who was playing the instrument made form Bamboo was named the Baiga/Pujaree (or priest) . Coming to the side of the forth son, Shiva said,”because you did not leave your place of origin, hence, you are Ojha/Shaman (one who practices necromancy and who communicates with the sprits).
One can glean many themes from the story. The four brother were ranked in order of their morality, the Gond as the lowest, being that they cut the grass, or plow the earth. Traditionally, many tribes find it to be a great sin to cut the earth, which they call their mother. On the other hand, cutting bamboo is not considered a sing because it is believed as being a gift from their mother. The Baiga as one who cuts the bamboo and plays the instrument, is known as one who shows devotion to God. In Elwin Verrier’s text, there was reference made to the Baigas being employed by many Hindus as Pundas in temples. And the Ojha, who are those who communicate with the afterlife are of course deemed as the most high of the tribes. The presence of Hindu themes is also quite significant. Shiva is not just a name here used to substitute the name of a traditional Hindu God, he is the same form and from the same locality as Shiva who is represented in Hinduism. While the Ojhas say that they are not Baiga, but a distinct tribe, it is significant as the bearers of an essential Baiga tradition, the art of tattoo, that if they have experienced a ‘hinduization’ it must make some influence of the Baigas’ beliefs as well, being as stories will be passed to them during ceremonies. We can understand this by the presence of Paravati in the tale as well as by the mention of Kailash mountain, believed by many Hindus to be the abode of lord Shiva. Karum attests that this ancestors were even Shivansi, devotees to Shiva. In the story, when there is cryptic mention of the term, 'God', one should understand it is the understanding of omnipotence of the earth/nature, and not a reference to Shiva. The earth to these tribes exhists as a sentient entity, that is autonomous, though extremely influential to the gods and humans.
In continuation of the story during our meeting the next afternoon, Shiva later finds that his sons have become restless and have migrated from Mount Kailash. Shiva says to Paravati that she must go now to question them as to their abandon of their traditional ways of life. She, taking the avatar of Durga, comes to them and said, “Your father made you from the dust of his left forearm.” Paravati then made for daughters ffrom her right forearms and had the brothers married. Paravati then entered into Kali’s bidy and gave tattoos around the eyes of Ojha’s wife. The Ojha questioned as to why she was wearing this and Kali replied, “When people die, they would otherwise come empty handed to heaven or hell. Yet, if they have a tattoo, it will come with them after death. In the myth, Shivaji gives man his body, but Paravati grants the tattoo for man to take to the afterlife.
This idea of tattoos as remaining with the bearer throughout life and afterlife had been stated by all those Baigas and other communities with which I spoke about the topic. Nearly everyone came forth with the proverb, “Even in our death, our clothes and body is burned in funeral pire, but the tattoos remain with us beyond the fire.” In Elwin Verrier’s book, the ink is said to be made of charred snake skin and oil. And while all of the Ojhas present during our interaction were not certain of what the black powder is made of, one gets the impression from the smell and feel of it that it is the remains of something that was burnt. For my 3 simple hand tattoos, it took only about 3 minutes, and afterwards my hand was covered with cow-dung, washed and set with soy-bean oil, and haldi oil, which serves as an anti-septic. Bhagoby was the one to give me my tattoos, as I feeling her fit in her old age and wisdom to be the closest to the tradition.
One can glean many themes from the story. The four brother were ranked in order of their morality, the Gond as the lowest, being that they cut the grass, or plow the earth. Traditionally, many tribes find it to be a great sin to cut the earth, which they call their mother. On the other hand, cutting bamboo is not considered a sing because it is believed as being a gift from their mother. The Baiga as one who cuts the bamboo and plays the instrument, is known as one who shows devotion to God. In Elwin Verrier’s text, there was reference made to the Baigas being employed by many Hindus as Pundas in temples. And the Ojha, who are those who communicate with the afterlife are of course deemed as the most high of the tribes. The presence of Hindu themes is also quite significant. Shiva is not just a name here used to substitute the name of a traditional Hindu God, he is the same form and from the same locality as Shiva who is represented in Hinduism. While the Ojhas say that they are not Baiga, but a distinct tribe, it is significant as the bearers of an essential Baiga tradition, the art of tattoo, that if they have experienced a ‘hinduization’ it must make some influence of the Baigas’ beliefs as well, being as stories will be passed to them during ceremonies. We can understand this by the presence of Paravati in the tale as well as by the mention of Kailash mountain, believed by many Hindus to be the abode of lord Shiva. Karum attests that this ancestors were even Shivansi, devotees to Shiva. In the story, when there is cryptic mention of the term, 'God', one should understand it is the understanding of omnipotence of the earth/nature, and not a reference to Shiva. The earth to these tribes exhists as a sentient entity, that is autonomous, though extremely influential to the gods and humans.
In continuation of the story during our meeting the next afternoon, Shiva later finds that his sons have become restless and have migrated from Mount Kailash. Shiva says to Paravati that she must go now to question them as to their abandon of their traditional ways of life. She, taking the avatar of Durga, comes to them and said, “Your father made you from the dust of his left forearm.” Paravati then made for daughters ffrom her right forearms and had the brothers married. Paravati then entered into Kali’s bidy and gave tattoos around the eyes of Ojha’s wife. The Ojha questioned as to why she was wearing this and Kali replied, “When people die, they would otherwise come empty handed to heaven or hell. Yet, if they have a tattoo, it will come with them after death. In the myth, Shivaji gives man his body, but Paravati grants the tattoo for man to take to the afterlife.
This idea of tattoos as remaining with the bearer throughout life and afterlife had been stated by all those Baigas and other communities with which I spoke about the topic. Nearly everyone came forth with the proverb, “Even in our death, our clothes and body is burned in funeral pire, but the tattoos remain with us beyond the fire.” In Elwin Verrier’s book, the ink is said to be made of charred snake skin and oil. And while all of the Ojhas present during our interaction were not certain of what the black powder is made of, one gets the impression from the smell and feel of it that it is the remains of something that was burnt. For my 3 simple hand tattoos, it took only about 3 minutes, and afterwards my hand was covered with cow-dung, washed and set with soy-bean oil, and haldi oil, which serves as an anti-septic. Bhagoby was the one to give me my tattoos, as I feeling her fit in her old age and wisdom to be the closest to the tradition.
Baiga women get tattoos in observance of tradition and for beauty, as their future husband will want a woman with many Godnas (tattoos). Most of the tattoos have no intrinsic meaning other than the symbol of a flower ,or a lion, which to many castes are considered man’s ancestors. There are some 33 Ojha hamletts, and 175 individuals practicing their craft in Balaghat district alone. While he agrees that in some remote areas, Ojhas do not have contact with Baigas, so the process there is dwindling away, his organization has been integral to the revival of the art form.