Bhils

The Bhils are an Indo-Aryan ethnic tribal community of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh in western India, and among the largest tribal communities in the country. They speak Bhili, a language based on Gujarati, though its dialects have gradually merged into more widely spoken Marathi and Rajasthani.

Their main foods are maize, onion, garlic and chillies, cultivated in small fields. They have a deep knowledge of their local geography and gather fruit and vegetables from the forests around them; wheat and rice appear only at festivals and special occasions. The Bhils are known to be excellent archers, keeping self-made bows and arrows, swords, knives and axes for self-defence and for hunting. They profusely use homemade alcohol distilled from the flower of the Mahua.

Bhil painting is characterised by the use of multi-coloured dots as in-filling. Their Pithora paintings — horses — are highly ritualistic and are beautifully done on the walls of their houses.

The chief means of recreation is folk song and dance. Ghoomar, the traditional folk dance of young Bhil girls, is symbolic of their stepping into womanhood. Their dances include the Lathi (staff) dance, Dhol dance, marriage dance, Holi dance, Battle dance, Bhagoria, Deepawal and hunting dances, accompanied by harmonium, Sarangi, Kundi, Bansuri, Apong, Khajria, Tabla, Jhanjh, Mandal and Thali — usually made from local products.

Every village has its own local deity, Gramdev, and families their Jatidev, Kuldev and Kuldevi, symbolised by stones. The Bhils hold staunch faith in Bhopas for physical, mental and psychological treatment. Besides Dashhera, Diwali and Holi, they celebrate Akhatij, Navmi, Howan Mata ki Chalavani and Sawan Mata ki Jatar — occasions for tribal fairs such as the Navratri, Bhagoria and Gavari melas.