Gomantak Maratha Samaj

Gomantak Maratha Samaj is a Hindu community found in the Indian state of Goa.[1] They are known as Nutan Maratha Samaj in the Sindhudurg district of Maharashtra and Naik Maratha Samaj in Maharashtra, Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka, also Telangana respectively.

Gomantak Maratha Samaj
Regions with significant populations
Primary populations in: Goa, Maharashtra, Karnataka & Deccan
Diaspora populations in: Anglosphere
Languages
Konkani, Marathi & others
Religion
Hinduism

Origin

Gomantak Maratha is a relatively new ameliorative name.[2] adopted by a community of traditional Hindu temple servants. They were previously known by the following names:[3]

Kalavantin/ Kulambini
  • Those who participated in music or singing and Dancing were known as Kalavantini and Kalavant , literally meaning an artiste, they enjoyed a high status in the community. They were Beauty with high Intelligence with vast Knowledge of Hinduism , Traditional Puranic stories, Honesty and High Devotion etc.... Earlier They meant to preserve celibacy and Deliver music and Dance for there Deity. They use to sing and dance in front of palanquin too during Ritual ceremonies of temple.[2]

The Kalavant women (sometimes called as Naikinn)[4] as a custom became mistresses of Brahmin men who paid a huge sum of money to her mother. Few Devadasi's also started practicing prostitution for Upper class Elites in later ages, for living . According to B.D. Satoskar They didn't practice Prostitution , rather they chose monogamy. It were the Bhavin who did so and was thus called "Naikinn".[5] [2]

Devli and Bhavin

Etymologically Devli, the word Devali is derived from the word Devul or Dev meaning God. Devli ( Male ) and Bhavin ( Female ) are synonymous works. So Devlis are those who were dedicated or devoted to the temple or to God. The duties of Devli males (Jyotkar) included lighting the temple lamps and mashal (torch), hold Devdanda, act as temple attendants (kathkar), also some were temple architects (Nayak) and play the ritual musical instruments like Mahavadya, Panchavadya, Ranavadya.

  • Those Females who maintained the temple lamps, Palanquin, and held Chamara (Chavar in Konkani) were known as Bhavins, literally a pious lady.

Chedvaan, Chede, Bandi, Farjand

They were not always connected to the temple but with the Brahmin landlords (Bhatkars), at whose residences they performed all types of household work.[2]

Perni

Their main occupation was acrobatics. They used to perform Jagar (a form of acrobatics) as the main source of their livelihood and held a lower status in the community.

Gomantak Maratha Term

So, This Gomantak Maratha Samaj is formed by combining the three Main sub - groups and Minor group Perni given above. Gomantak is not to be taken in the regional sense of the word or place, but in the sense of a native adjective. It means that Gomantak Maratha is not some Maratha caste of Gomantak, but it is to be taken to mean that this caste is having origin of the community which is in Goa , under the people's living there. As the old vast Gomantak extended from Kankavali to Gangavali, all the three sub - Groups of Above Mentioned were spread in this ancient Gomantak.[2]

History

The Devdasi system of temple servants had been prevalent in Goa since times immemorial.[6] The Kalawantin community finds references throughout Goan history.[7] From ancient times, Mostly Hindu Kshatriya and Upper class widows originally sought shelter in the temples if they did not commit Sati after the husband's death.[8] These widows would then become the mistresses of the Brahmins.Any resulting daughters from the relationship either be sold by their mothers to become mistresses of Brahmins or become temple servants and entertainers. The sons would also become temple servants and musician.[9]

The Portuguese called them bailadeiras (dancers). In 1598, the Viceroy Francisco da Gama passed a law on behalf of King Philip I of Portugal that prohibited members of the community from entering the Velhas Conquistas on the grounds that the community members "perform many obscene dances, sing dirty songs and do all sorts of things that only reflect a diabolic state."[10]

During British colonial rule, many Kalawantin community members moved for economic reasons to the city of Bombay and other areas of British India. Most of these emigrants followed Hindustani classical music gharanas to improve their art and talent. Those who remained in Goa began organizing themselves after the Portuguese First Republic period. In 1910, Rajaram Painginikar started Kalawantin Movement from Poinguinim village in Goa. In 1917, Maratha Gayan Samaj (Maratha Singers Society) was formed in Kakode. In 1925, the Gomantak Maratha Samaj (G.M.S.) was formed under the leadership of Rajaram Panginikar.[11][12] The main functions of the G.M.S. are as follows:

  • To promote the education of its members.
  • To arrange marriages of their children within the community.
  • Other community welfare activities for their community.

Following the Annexation of Goa, the G.M.S. was formally included by the Government of Goa as a Reserved category.[12]

Notable members

See also

References
  1. Gracias, Fatima da Silva. Kaleidoscope of women in Goa, 1510–1961. p. 80.
  2. "Gomantak Prakruti ani Sanskruti" by B.D.Satoskar
  3. Gracias, Fatima da Silva. Kaleidoscope of women in Goa, 1510-1961. p. 80.
  4. Dias, Remy A. (January 2016). "Marry 'gods', merry with 'lords'". Old and New Worlds: the Global Challenges of Rural History. Lisbon: ISCTE - Instituto Universitário de Lisboa, Centro de Investigação e Estudos de Sociologia. doi:10.15847/CIESIUL/2016.onw.105. hdl:10071/10753.
  5. People of India, Vol. 21: Goa. Anthropological Survey of India. 1993. p. 79. ISBN 9788171547609.
  6. Sinai Dhume, Anant Ramkrishna (1986). The Cultural History of Goa from 10000 B.C. to 1352 A.D. University of Michigan. pp. 310–311.
  7. Mitragotri, Vithal Raghavendra (1999). A Socio-cultural History of Goa from the Bhojas to the Vijayanagara. Panjim: Institute Menezes Braganza.
  8. Mitragotri, Vithal Raghavendra (1999). A Socio-cultural History of Goa from the Bhojas to the Vijayanagara. Panjim: Institute Menezes Braganza.
  9. Satoskar, B. D. (1979). Gomantak Prakruti ani Sanskruti. Pune: Shubhada Saraswat Prakashan.
  10. de Mendonça, Délio (2002). Conversions and citizenry: Goa under Portugal 1510–1610. Concept Publishing Company. p. 425-427. ISBN 978-81-7022-960-5.
  11. Goa world book review Archived 5 January 2009 at the Wayback Machine
  12. Radhakrishnan, Waman (1998). Purushartha. Panjim: Rajhauns.
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