ICH Courier

Please briefly introduce the ICH community in focus. The Gandas occupy the Mahanadi belt in Odisha, India, spread across a sizable region in Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand. Recognized as a large scheduled caste Dalit society, these communities dwell in the low-lying hilly regions in the Eastern Ghats of India and are better known as the “highlanders,” as explained by German anthropologist, George Pfeffer. Myths about the Gandas being the original Mahanadi river civilization are widespread; however, their relationship with the “mainstream” was never conflict-free. The system of rule was not feudalistic; however, they did call their clan leader raja, or king. They were the initial agriculturalists and weavers of the valley, who brought instigated a culture by taming the nature in the region. Please explain the element that your ICH community is practicing. Music has remained an integral part of Ganda culture, a medium of their religious expression. Gana-Baja (literally translating as the “music of the ‘Gana’,” a caste identity associated with the Gandas) is a musical practice that is enjoyed during several religious and social ceremonies across Western Odisha. The art does not confine itself to the boundaries of the highlanders but is also a major part of mainstream Hindu-Brahmanical practices. The music becomes important especially during the Boil ritual, a practice of goddess embodiment and ritual healing enacted by the Gandas at the time of Dussehra and sixteen days prior. Through each rhythm produced by the different instruments used during the ritual, also known as Par, various Hindu goddesses are invoked in the body of the Hindu priest. The community assumes a status that is granted by the supernatural; ironically, the socially powerless become the bearers of the strength and uncontrolled divine powers feared by the rest. The music is a jargon for associating spiritual connections with nature and the village goddess; hence, an expression of cultural identity, making the Ganda musicians mediators between the heavenly and the common folk. The ritual music is complemented with a ritualistic dance called Dalkhai, signifying the appearance of the goddess in the body of the priest. The priest himself becomes the dancing goddess while the Dalkhai patterns are integrated into the performance of goddess worship. The dance patterns indicate the dialogue of trance medium and goddess, as observed by the head priest of the village in the allegiance of their village deity. The erotic power of the dance symbolizes the power of fertility ascribed to all boil rituals. Along with the music played by the Ganda musicians, the dance takes the form of a procession followed by the musicians and the priest in a trance as he has been embodied by the spirit of the goddess, who go around the village blessing people, especially women experiencing fertility issues.

How does it influence your society, and what changes did you see? In modern times, the Ganda identity facilitates a multifaceted crisis. The community being at the lower end of the social ladder, the marginalization of these communities poses a greater risk to their vulnerability and the continuity of their cultural practices. With passing time and negligence, they have been sidelined as people resort to taking petty jobs as laborers and move to urban slums away from their homelands. Related studies are often constricted to themes of backwardness, influenced by residual colonial ideas in state governance today. There is a perceived identity that is highly laden with the burden of “mainstreaming” the Adivasi culture and the colonial idea of taming the “backward.” Religious differences due to ritual inversions between mainstream Hindu culture and the worship of nature among the highlanders has remained a matter of conflict since ancient times, becoming one of the reasons for the social exclusion of these communities. However, the constant question here remains that just because the communities do not abide by “modern” notions of civilization, is it convenient to assume that they are “backward”? What is backwardness here? And even if they are, do they really want to merge with the mainstream? Do you have any message that you want to give to the ICH Courier readers? There exists a large gap between the ideation and implication of destigmatizing these groups. The process of “developing” and providing them equal opportunities, parallel to the mainstream, has unfortunately led to further exploitation. The pressures of urban supremacy have pushed aside the highlanders rather than integrating them into the transformative efforts. The groups have hence created their own shield, devised their own mechanisms to enforce law and order, and safeguard their culture in their own ways. Their current sociocultural situation adds to the need to safeguard these indigenous knowledge systems, and not just the associated art form. Any other issues that you want to inform readers of is more than welcome! With the recognition of intangible heritage with the 2003 UNESCO Convention, the process of doing so has become easier and better classified. However, its implications are not complete until and unless the communities themselves engage and evolve through the process. These new ways help in creating new paradigms for understanding Indigenous knowledge systems, and open debates about maintaining authenticity during evolution, ensuring contemporary relevance without sabotaging the community’s emotions and understanding power dynamics within and with the marginalized communities.