Chhattisgarh - Background
Raipur is the capital of Chhattisgarh, which is the 10th largest state in India, with an area of 135,190 km2 (52,200 sq mi). The northern and southern parts of the state are hilly, while the central part is a fertile plain. Deciduous forests of the Eastern Highlands Forests cover roughly 44 percent of the state.In the north lies the edge of the great Indo-Gangetic plain. The Rihand River, a tributary of the Ganges, drains this area. The eastern end of the Satpura Range and the western edge of the Chota Nagpur Plateau form an east-west belt of hills that divide the Mahanadi River basin from the Indo-Gangetic plain. The central part of the state lies in the fertile upper basin of the Mahanadi River and its tributaries. This area has extensive rice cultivation. The upper Mahanadi basin is separated from the upper Narmada basin to the west by the Maikal Hills (part of the Satpuras) and from the plains of Orissa to the east by ranges of hills. The southern part of the state lies on the Deccan plateau, in the watershed of the Godavari River and its tributary, the Indravati River. The Mahanadi is the chief river of the state. The other main rivers are Hasdo (a tributary of Mahanadi), Rihand, Indravati, Jonk, Arpa, and Shivnath.
The tribes that consider themselves to be ‘superior’ in the social order do not eat with members of other tribes. Tribes like the Kanwar and Gond do not eat in Uraon homes, and try to avoid even drinking water there. Similarly, tribes like Pando and Korba are not regarded as ‘equal’ in the districts of Korba, Surguja and Jashpur. Even among the Gonds, hierarchies exist. The Raj Gonds are considered superior to the other Gond sub-castes. In villages, where people belonging to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes live together, the tribes which consider themselves superior to the Scheduled Castes do not eat with them.
Almost all the tribes of the State follow the gotra system in matters of marriage. The gotra system is followed to avoid marriages within the family or within the branches of the family. It is similar to the gotra system of the upper-caste Hindus, where a girl and boy belonging to the same gotra cannot get married. Different tribes have different marriage rituals, and even within the same tribe, marriage may be performed in a number of ways.
The gharajiya marriage is common among the boys of poor families, who may be unable to get married because they cannot afford the expenses. Typically the boy goes to a family that has a girl of marriageable age. He works there, assisting the household for a month. If the family is happy with the behavior and ability of the boy, they arrange a marriage and the boy continues to live in the family of the in-laws even after marriage.
The festivals, customs, traditions and culture of Chhattisgarh bind its 16 districts together. Since Chhattisgarh is mainly a rural society, most of the festivals and traditions are associated with the agricultural calendar. The numerous festivals reflect the rich cultural heritage of Chhattisgarh’s society. There are some common traditions across Chhattisgarh. One of the most prominent is the Chher-Chhera festival. After the crop is harvested, groups of children go from house to house demanding ‘Chher-Chhera’, which is usually given in the form of grain, to symbolise the celebration of a good harvest. The hallmark of these festivals is that they transcend caste and tribal divides and are pan-caste/tribal in nature.
Navakhani (celebrating the new crop), Matthi tihar (festival of the earth), Aam tihar (celebrating the new mango crop), and Diyari tihar (festival of lights) are some of the festivals, which provide an opportunity for people to come together and celebrate. Naturally, no celebration is complete without the joy and merriment of dancing, which is an inseparable part of life of every community in Chhattisgarh.
Locally brewed liquor (from mahua and salfi) is considered to have beneficial properties as well. The people say that while excessive consumption of the traditional brews made from mahua and salfi are intoxicating, when consumed in small quantities, they act as relaxants. The widespread consumption and addiction to alcohol (including liquor made from mahua, but specially country liquor and Indian Made Foreign Liquor) leads to ill health. Nearly two-fifths of the Village Reports say that alcohol consumption is a factor that is responsible for poor health.
Excessive consumption of liquor affects the wellbeing of the entire household. It adds a burden to household expenditure and often results in the loss of wages. Women pitch in to maintain incomes. However, they are often targets of domestic violence associated with the consumption of alcohol. There is concern about the spread of alcoholism among the young. Another related issue is the increased availability and consumption of gutka, a mixture of betel nut, tobacco and other ingredients like lime. It is sold both loose and in small branded pouches.
Many indigenous forms of medicine exist in different parts of India. While ayurveda and unani medicine are quite well known, there are many less known local systems that are practised in different parts of the country. These use local herbs and locally available materials. The practitioners of these forms of treatment have been classified broadly as traditional practitioners. There are other healers who invoke supernatural powers or the faith of people to cure ailments and give some succour to their patients. Both traditional healers and faith healers have their origins in the local society and culture and form an intrinsic part of Chhattisgarh’s villages and its society.
These healers live with people, and draw their sustenance from them. This helps them to develop a relationship of trust and a dependence, which goes beyond the doctorpatient relationship. Traditional healers have been known to practise numerous ways to cure and prevent diseases and heal injuries. Much of their practice is based on local herbs, medicinal plants, and on practices that are similar to naturopathy. It is these traditional healers and the vast knowledge that they embody that the people rely on.
Faith healers also belong to the same sociocultural milieu but they provide very different services. Faith healers are referred to by various names such as baiga, dewar, ojha. They are mystical healers and are usually called when it is felt that the illness is due to some black magic or the powers of a spirit, or even the ill wishes of a living person. Faith healers provide emotional and mental support as well as comfort, which is why we go to them. There is no evidence to show that they adhere to any empirically developed form of curative or preventive practices, but through their invocation, which borders on a combination of the religious and the supernatural, they provide emotional and psychological support. This explains why many people say that they go to faith healers, often even while they are following another line of treatment. An important reason why people choose to go to traditional healers and to faith healers is because the payment pattern is flexible. Payment options include part payments and payments in kind.
The guniya is a person who heals illness using indigenous herbs. First, he sifts rice, and then depending on the type of illness, he decides the medicine and its dosage. If the patient does not get well, he is taken to a sirha, who uses a combination of incantations and ritual prayer in an attempt to cure the patient. Before starting any healing rituals, the sirha demands certain things like rice, a black cock, lemons and mahua wine. After a series of rituals the prasad (offering) is given to the patient. These rituals are based on the belief that the gods are angry or the patient is suffering due to the ire of an evil soul.
Apart from the traditional practitioners and faith healers, there are many other quasi-doctors, trained, untrained or ill trained, who roam the vast expanse of the State, offering medical services where none exist, at rates that people can afford, and in a manner that is accessible and reassuring. These include quacks that practise a mix of allopathic, homeopathic and ayurvedic medicine.
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