The small bullock cart with two Adivasi persons travelling through the interiors of Indervelli and Sirikonda mandals of Adilabad district in the first week of the holy pushya masam or the month of ‘poos’ does not get a second glance from passersby. Hardly anyone realises that the cart, locally known as chakda, symbolises centuries-old customs and traditions associated with the famous Nagoba Jatara of Mesram clan of Raj Gonds.
Even in these days when passing information can be done by pressing a button or motorised travel has made the task much easier, the Raj Gonds prefer age-old traditions. “These are traditions associated with our gods,” Pardhan elder Mesram Dada Rao explained.
‘Tummana kurvin’ or visiting designated families from the clan for the ensuing jatara, which is actually the Bada Dev puja of the Buiguita branch of Mesrams, is the centuries-old mission performed by the duo. The chief priest or katoda, Mesram Hanmanth Rao, accompanied by a Pardhan or patadi guide, Mesram Pandurang, set out on January 8 and returned to Keslapur on January 15.
Sequence of visit
The first and most important stop of the katoda and patadi is at the house-cum-workshop of potter Guggilla Swamy with whom they place the order for pots which will be used during various religious functions during the jatara to be held between February 4 and 9 this year. Swamy’s family has been making the pots for the Mesrams since a long long time.
The duo visited seven villages during their journey visiting seven families of different ‘kitha’ or functionalities. They collected sendhur dhoop, small monetary donations which are used to purchase puja material for the ganga puja yatra to Hasthinamadugu in Godavari near Kalamadugu of Jannaram mandal in Mancherial district.
“The families were informed of the date, January 16, when the ganga puja yatra to collect holy water starts from Keslapur, the seat of the serpent god Nagoba. The Gaiki who looks after the bullocks of families during the jatara, the Jhopa who functions as the watchman during the event, the Naikwadi who assists the katodas and the Jadia who helps the katodas in maintaining sacredness of the jhari or the vessel in which the sacred water is brought from Godavari were informed of the date when they would be required to be present at Keslapur,” explained Mesram Manohar, a Pardhan elder.
