15,000 Hectare of Gorakhpur - a Craft Document

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CRAFT DOCUMENTATION / 15,000 HECTARE / SUNEEL KUSHWAHA

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15,ooo Hectare - Gorakhpur Dry Leaves product & Bamboo product

Published by: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF DESIGN © 2010 by Suneel Kushwaha All Rights Reserved

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without prior permission from the Publisher.

This publication is limited to three copies - noncommercial purpose only.

By: Suneel Kushwaha UGDPD I Batch 2010 Textile Design

Preface The NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF DESIGN has been promoting the craft sector in India from its inception. It preserves its treasure of documents and researches on different traditional crafts.

Each year it is further enhanced by the craft documentation course in different disciplines.

It is said that “the root built the tree” similarly craft is the root of design, hence essential for a design student to document the craft, not only for its general awareness but to add value for personal development.

“Design cannot exist in isolation”

It is absolutely essential for a designer to fully understand the social, cultural and physical environment in which he has to operate in order to deliver its relevant meaning to the people. It is the initiation by a design student to study and understand the Indian environment with keeping in mind its design responsibility.

This NID ideology leads the student to the sensitivity & richness of the craft as well as it enhances the understanding of craft evolution.

In India many crafts are breathing their last, dying craft can

be preserved for a later reference.

Documentation of a dying craft also helps in finding reasons, solutions and a hope for modification which is the closest to the aesthetic value of the craft. On the same lines is the story of the Dom and Musahar community of Kusamhi forest, Gorakhpur. They would practice on forest based products, but now with the products outdated these communities too are extinct.

“Going back to my childhood memories, I would find an endless number of giant trees standing on my way

to the village Deoria.

Passing through the dark forest of the skyhigh Sal trees was like entering a big castle.

As time passed the Kusamhi forest became like an adventure. I started observing the people in the forest and the want to know more about the place became a suppressed desire. As time passed the frequency to visit the forest was reduced. Now with being a design student when I was asked for craft documentation, I evidently chose my suppressed desire”.

Guide: Swasthi Singh Ghai

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Content •

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Introduction • About NID • About Craft Documentation

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Gorakhpur region • History: Forest Villages • Gorakhpur Time Line • Places in Forests: • Gorakhnath Temple • Budhi mai ka Thana • Vishnu temple • Kusamhi: Vinod van • Tarkulaha Devi Thana

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Villages of Gorakhpur • Caste system • Caste function • Caste identification • Gotra (phratry) • Kinship • Untouchable • Discrimination • Village Housing system • Caste and Tribes

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The Forest • Reserved forests • Tangia system • Kusamhi time line • History: Kusamhi forest

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Water bodies • The River • Tal / Pokhar / Canal

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The Soil and fertility • panorama: the Kusamhi forest

Farmer and Musahar

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Crafts: dry leaves products • History of Pattal • History of Dona

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The Flora • Bio Diversity Park • Process: Sal plantation

Raw material: Sal leaves • Cultural importance • Accessibility of raw material • Laggi method • Langar method • Kans grass for stitching stick • Kanda (stitching stick) preparation

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The Fauna • Birds • Laws and games • Vinod van • Fish • Tribes

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Tribes: The native of forests The Tribes of Gorakhpur • Other co-ordinating caste • The craftsmanship

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The Musahar • Mouse eaters • Origin: the Musahar • A tale: the Musahar

Process • Pattal making • Dona making • Products

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The Dom and Musahar

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The Dom Caste • The tales: the Dom • The Juthan • The raja harishchandra • Dom caste evolution • Classification of the Dom

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The Chandal Dom

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The Bajania Dom

77 Pattar Bhoj Dona

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The Pattarbinnah • Craft Tools

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Role of Women

Craft man: the Musahar • Life • Life philosophy

The Netua Dom

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The Bansfor Dom • Basketry in Gorakhpur • A basketry tale • Basketry material

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Raw material • Raw material: Bamboo CRAFT DOCUMENTATION / 15,000 HECTARE / SUNEEL KUSHWAHA

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6 • Preparation • Process • Rahaitha basketry material • Rohina/Bhatwasi basketry material • Moonj and Kans basketry • Patterns • Narkat (cane) basketry • Patterns

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Products Details • Ritual Basketry • Mour: the groom headgear • Mour details

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Chulha

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Cuisine of Gorakhpur • Taste of Gorakhpur • Forest based food • Litti - Chokha • Chaurai ka shag • Rikavach • Dahi-Chura • Gorakhpur sweets • Bheli / Gud • Making of Bheli

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Craft Tools

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The cot weaver (Bansfore Dom)

The Frugality: the sense of utilization • Containers reuse • Textiles reuse

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Jewellery

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The idol maker (Bansfore Dom)

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The brick factory labour(Dom and Musahar)

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Forest village • Utensils • Kitchen tools • Tools • Keeping Place • Huts • Forest habitat • Cow dung cakes • The cow dung • The Gohara CRAFT DOCUMENTATION / 15,000 HECTARE / SUNEEL KUSHWAHA

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Attires: woman • Clothes • Parda Pratha • The sindoor • The widow system • Body piercing and tattoos • Make ups

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Attires: man

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Attires: youths

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Services • Barter system • Bicycle sellers • Barber • Lohar and Pattharkatta • Convenes

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Industries

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Government

Jadu Tona • Ojha Sokha • Vaidh

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Religion and rituals • Festivals • Offering to the God • Terracotta • Local Deities

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Measurements units • Length • Day clock • Month cycle

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Entertainments • Intoxication: Tadi • Mahua Daru • Surti

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Betterment of Forest Villages • Gav Ki Asha • Health status of Forest Villages • Gorakhpur Literacy Rate • Rasan System • Reservation

Power: Electricity Industrial Estate

Forest department

Market • Dom marketing skills and opportunity • Musahar marketing skills and opportunity • Acknowledgment • In quest of Dom and Musahar

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Journey

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Aknowledgement

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Glossary

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Bibliography Image & Graphics

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Introduction “Only fittest can survive” Darwin said, this statement holds true about nature and its natural habitats (human beings also). Not only in terms of physical evolution, our way of life is also evolved as per our surrounding. The way of life -people, natural resources and the occupation) from Rajasthan is very different from that of the Northeast.

The way of life in a particular region also varies according to the people in urban/ rural/ tribal regions. Such differences directly point to the natural resources available there. The dependent nature of human beings for food, livelihood and for some religious deeds is inbuilt from long ago in time indefinite. For example using natural resources like bamboo, leaves, animals differ from one city to another mainly in India.

of Kashmir are known for its intricate designs by the young fresh twigs of the willow tree. Mysore district produces a large quantity of cane, the north-eastern region of India, which comprises of Assam, Manipur, Nagaland, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh and Tripura has the finest example of cane and bamboo work, the bamboo baskets of Bengal are used for a number of ceremonial purposes, north Bihar has a special tradition of basketry made with the local rough monsoon grass and Uttar Pradesh also has the tradition of making baskets out of a monsoon grass called moonj.

Punjab is famous for its sturdy spirally built baskets by Sarkanda (a local grass) and palm leaves. The willow baskets

Gorakhpur is a city in Uttar Pradesh which is blessed with lots of natural resources like forests, rivers and ponds.

The banks of these water bodies have bushes and plants in abundance. The locals use it in making (Basket) products and earning their livelihood. I personally

CRAFT TO BE DOCUMENTED

BROAD AREA OF RESEARCH & SCOPE OF STUDY

DONA and PATTAL making in the Kusamhi Forest, Gorakhpur - also a WAY of LIFE makes for interesting craft documentation.

To understand the context of craft making, and to learn how craft is integrated within the socio-cultural context of a place

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found Gorakhpur natural forest based products very interesting. How people use leaves to make “Dona” – a dry leaves bowl and “Pattal” – a dry leaves plate.

How people do basketry out of the local bushes using bamboo and non bamboo material.

I also belong to Uttar Pradesh and have grown up watching these activities.

People’s faith, life and creativity in terms of making sustainable products out of non metal material amazed me and compelled me to document this as a classroom course for craft documentation. The link between forests, tribes, villages, hierarchy of the caste system, craftsmen and their lifestystyle is very interesting & intriguing. Though with examples in basketry within different regions we still know little about how these people use natural resources. I did a detailed study about the evolution on the life of the local tribes who use these

OBJECTIVE OF STUDY Forest based products- Dona, Pattal, Basketry etc, and understanding the everyday life of the natives from 15,000 hectare in Gorakhpur and learning how the craft survives today.

forest resources since a very long time.

Mainly the Dom & Musahar tribes of the Kusamhi forest made for interesting research and studying it extremely interesting. The Darwin rule says the “fittest can survive”, which holds true and befits these tribes. A Dom started with isolation from society – after that for burning dead bodies and then came up with singha( a trumpet), which evolved in to a basketry man and so on.

The practice of eating on banana leaves also went through a lot of R&D (trial & error) in villages by local tribes called the Musahar. The Musahar evolved from helping and doing labour work.

They would crop the fields to dry leaves, plates and bowl makers and maintain its importance while being away from society. The forests are preserved by the government and the scope of assessing the natural resources is going to cease, yet the fight for survival is on.

ANTICIPATED OUTCOME A document chronicling the making of the craft and reflecting on the observations of the field.

INTRODUCTION

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(1) NID, by- viswesh konkar

About NID National Institute of Design (NID) is internationally acclaimed as one of the foremost multi-disciplinary institutes in the field of design education and research. The institute functions as an autonomous body under the ministry of industries and commerce and is recognized by the department of scientific research (DSIK) under ministry of science and technology.

NID has been a pioneer in Industrial Design education after Bauhaus and Ulm in Germany and is known for its pursuit of design excellence.

NID graduates have made a mark in key sectors of commerce, industry and social development .

About Craft Documentation Craft documentation is a very important course of the Textile Design programme at the National Institute of Design. The knowledge management centre at NID is the Centre for a lot of craft documents collection by students - field study, experience and compilation. The craft study from the field helps students understand the locals, origin of the craft, rituals and lifestyle & helps promote the innovation of the craft. The field work teaches students to empathize with people and develop sensitivity towards artisans and society in general.

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(2) Saint Gorakhnath

(3) Gorakhpur railway station

Gorakhapur region

Uttar pradesh (5) Gorakhpur up map,

(6) Gorakhpur map

Gorakhpur is a city along the banks of the Rapti River in the eastern part of the state of Uttar Pradesh in India, near the border with Nepal - it is only 90 km from the Nepal Border.

Geologically, the bowl shaped Gorakhpur city is situated along the River Rapti and the River Rohini. Gorakhpur is bordered by River Rapti on its west and by dense Sal forests on the East and by Ramgadh Tal in the south. The north border of Gorakhpur is constituted by the booming industrial area of the city.

Gorakhpur is a delightful city in the north of Uttar Pradesh and is one of the most important religious and cultural centres in Eastern Uttar Pradesh. The city has a long history that connects it with Hinduism and Buddhism.

The city was once part of the famous ‘Koshla’ kingdom of Lord Rama during the Vedic period.

In the ancient period, the city has remained under the rule of Sishunaga, Nanda, Maurya and Sunga dynasties. Sadly, in the recent years, the town has become a centre of frequent Hindu-Muslim strives.

(4) Kusamhi forest

The city rose to prominence in the 12th century when it became the center for the famous Hindu Tantrik and Ascetic Baba Gorakhnath.

Gorakhnath Temple is one of the most famous temples in the state and is frequented by hundreds of pilgrims every year.

The city is also associated with the famous poet and philosopher Kabir. Gorakhpur again rose to prominence in the early 20th century due to an incident that shook India. During the Non-Cooperation Movement, some people burned down a police station in the locality called Chauri Chaura. This led Mahatma Gandhi to withdraw the movement altogether.

Kushmhi is a reserve forest area in Gorakhpur and is expanded between NH-28 and the Gorakhpur- Deoria road. This forest is known as the Ramgadh forest range and the area of this forest is 15,000 Hectare.

(7) Kusamhi jungle Google map image (edited) CRAFT DOCUMENTATION / 15,000 HECTARE / SUNEEL KUSHWAHA

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History: Forest villages Even after almost 55 years of independence thousands of families living in the forest villages of Gorakhpur are struggling to prove their existence in the State.

Inspite of the historical background of their existence and active participation in the freedom struggle of India, in the 18th Century British Government implemented permanent settlement of land for collection of more and more revenues and land holdings of the farmers – which went to the landlords (Jameendars) and most of the farmers became land less and large number of them became agricultural laborers. The British made announcements in the villages that those who need land can fallow them. A large number of the labourers left their native place and they were provided vacant land in the forest areas where they could construct houses and use the land for agricultural purposes. The British Government also fixed land tax (lagan) @ 37 paisa per bigha (0.5 acre) and in return these people would have to perform. 6752 families of forest villages are still waiting for their recognition as citizens of the country.

They are not being considered as citizens of the village

1853 A.D- A Jain temple renovated in Aryanagar.

panchayat, hence ration cards are not provided to them and thus their access to any of the Government welfare schemes are denied. Their names are not included in the Kutumb( Family) Register and therefore their addresses and identity cannot be certified and without any proof of residence they cannot apply for any Government or Nongovernment jobs.

Their land is now in the hands of the Forest department and this state owned contractor of the forest continuously harasses and exploits these poor communities. It is not only in the U.P. Forest Department or Corporation that is exploiting them but also their rights are violated by the political system of the country. The self-interest of the political parties provide them voting rights for election of state assembly and parliament but their voting rights in the Panchayats and local bodies are denied. There is no legal or constitutional definition for the forest villages but these villages are settled in consent of the forest department and administration of the land, which is occupied by the forest department. There are normally three types of forest villages in U.P.

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1865- New district Basti was carved out from Gorakhpur.

1923- Gita press set up in a small rented room (Rs. 10 per month) in Urdu Bazaar.

1931- Gandhi ji gave the name Harijan to untouchables.

1920-The NonCooperation Movement was launched.

1801-It transferred to the East India Company by the Nawab of Avadh.

1946- Split up form new district Deoria.

1987-The Govt.

Buddha Museum was established on the bank of Ramgadh lake.

1965September 26-Chitragupt a Mandir stablised.

1980-The Tangia (clear filling) system in reserved forests stopped.

20th Centurythe Vishnu temple renovated.

Gorakhpur: Time Line (487)

900-950 A.D.The Tharu king, Mausen of Madan Singh ruled.

(8) National highway,-28 Kusamhi Forest.The Gorakhpur to Deoria road, national highway-28, eastern railways and air force stations placed and cuts the forest in to parts - so people have to travel through these forests.

1936-The forests area became reserved forest.

1857Bandhulal hanged dead.

1572-Gurunanak Dev along with his two pupils Bala and Mardana had arrived.

6th Century B.C. - Gets apart from the famous kingdom of Koshal.

1955- Gita press inaugurated by Dr. Rajendra prasad (the India’s first president)

1793-Raja Pahalwan Singh of Satari donated mauza Kusamhi along with the jungles to Niyaz Imam Sahib.

Medieval periodRuled by the Muslim rulers, from Qutub-UdDin Aibak to Bahadur Shah.

1935- They were listed in -unsuchit jati 1857-Active in the freedom struggle.

4th Feb., 1922-The historic ‘CHAURI CHAURA’ incident happen.

1874-Lord Laurence Steam Engine reached to Darbhanga.

1829-it became the headquarters of a Division of the Gorakhpur region.

1947-Indian got freedom.

1927-The forest act was launched.

1942- A rally for the quit India movement.

1882-(NER) Gorakhpur Trains service started.

1959-The Gorakhpur Municipal Corporation Act started.

1989-The third division of Gorakhpur led to the creation of district Maharajganj.

1970- The Gorakhnath temple renovated.

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Places in Forests

(9) 20 th century Ramgadh tal, Gorakhpur

(10) Gorakhnath temple

The forest in Gorakhpur has a lot of activities happening and it has always been the centre of attraction. Devi Thana (the goddess temple) of Gorakhpur is situated in the forest area around the forests. The other places in Gorakhpur like the Gorakhnath temple has a history beginning from the forests of Gorakhpur.

These forests play a major role in the life of Gorakhpur and the people who follow high religious values in the local dieties so often these forestsare visited by the local people.

Gorakhnath Temple:

(11) Budhi mai Thana (temple)

(12) Vishnu mandir

(13) Vinod van

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Gorakhnath temple is 4 Kms from Gorakhpur Railway Station on the Nepal Road dedicated to the great yogi Gorakhnath - these Yogis were the local forest natives. It is one of the most prominent and magnificent temples of this area. A month-long ‘Makar Sankranti Mela’ is held every year commencing on 14th of January. Several Lakhs of pilgrims and tourists visit the temple especially during the Mela.

Budhi mai ka Thana: The budhi mai ka Thana is situated in the Kusamhi forest. This place is full of mythical stories of the forest, rituals and offerings of animal sacrifices. The temple is divided in two parts - one is on the high land in pokhar (a water pond) and the other one is outside of the pond.

People say once there was an old lady who would stop people and would ask to entertain her by dancing - if someone she would drown them in the pond.

Slowly people started believing in buddi (the old lady) mata (a pond goddess).

People asked for wishes and promised to sacrifice something to please buddhi mata,- like children kept long hair to wish and would go bald once fulfilled( called “maan dharana” locally).

Vishnu temple:

near the Idol of “Tarkulha Devi”. Since then traditional devotees of Tarkulaha Devi sacrifice goats to appease the Goddess. Bandhu Singh was hanged at Alinagar crossing of the city on August 12, 1857 without any legal proceedings and his property was confiscated by the government.

The famous temple, associated with God Vishnu, was constructed in the 12th Century. A large Idol of Lord Vishnu made of ‘Kasauti’ stone is found inside the temple.

Kusamhi Vinod Van: It is situated on National highway-28, 9 km from the railway station. It is a picnic spot and is a place of attraction for kids, as there is a small zoo with a few animals in it.

Tarkulaha Devi Thana: Famous month long Tarkulaha Mela is observed during Chaitra Ram Navmi.

A goat is sacrificed to the Deity and mutton is cooked in earthen vessels and served as Prasad. Situated 20 kms east of Gorakhpur City on the Gorakhpur- Deoria road (SH-1), about 5 kms from Chauri-Chaura, in Gorakhpur district, Bandhu Singh, resident of Dumari village under Chauri-Chaura police station of the district, headed the first war of independence against the British government in 1857. According to popular belief he beheaded several Britishers and threw their heads in a well

(14) Tarkulaha mela

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Villages of Gorakhpur The villages are situated in the east of Gorakhpur. Most of the villages are near the Kusamhi and Tilkoniya forest and are highly connected by these forests for reasons like food, occupation and shelter.

According to the 1991 Population the total population was 3,769,456 people,

The Caste System: urban population was 783, 591 and the village population was 555,276 in which the population of SC & ST was 831,968 including the forest people. By the population enumeration the rural population was 91.5%. Vigorous social and political movement in the last century as also the process of urbanization has

considerably mitigated the whole system.

People with segregation based on caste, diets, living style live together, but villages still follow the class system strongly. People like Dom and Musahar come under the untouchables. There is a high level of discrimination amongst the conservative villagers. Caste system

is born from the religious tales and epics. A talk with Mr. Ram Narayan rao(65yr), Visnupura(Gorakhpur) who was a Hindi teacher in the govt primary school, vishnupura – teacher who is very honorable and knowledgeable about the caste system. The information given by him is as follows - (see next page).

The caste system has probably attracted more attention from sociologists and anthropologists than any other feature of the Indian society. The emphasis is not unwarrented, for it is one of the most dominant social and cultural facts of life in India.

Caste functions: Caste (jat or jati) is the ultimate extension of the kingroup. Its members are considered to be remotely related to one another, and it is the furthest extent of potential or actual affinal kin ties. In fact, the geographical and social limits of a caste may be defined most satisfactorily in terms of the marriage network. As a result, caste functions are in many respects similar to family, sib, clan, and kindred functions, although caste is a less intimate group. It is a unit of social control in that its members or their representatives determine collectively.

It is the unit of rituals and social equality. It is the endogamous unit, the

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caste system

“A specialized labor groups operate as a caste within a society”

commensal unit, the unit within which there are no ritual prohibitions on contact and outside of which such prohibitions must, theoretically, are observed. It is an economic unit of importance in that it tends to be the largest competitive unitthe largest unit whose members engage in the same traditional occupation.

Caste identification: Caste identification or loyalty is prominent despite the informality of caste organization. It is to be expected that in a caste society in an isolated area caste identification will be strong. From childhood the individual learns the only among caste-fellows is he among equals.

The Brahmin and Rajputs are the two “twice-born”, ritually clean castes. From their point of view all other castes are Achut (literally “untouchable”) or defiling and referred to as Dom. Gotra (phratry): The exogamous unit among high caste over much of India is called Gotra.

In many areas this unit amounts to a

BRAHMIN *Priest *Religious man *Pure man *Knowledgable

KSHATRIYA *Ruler *Soilders *Protector *Farmer

patrilincal sib. Gotra are called by the names of great rishis who were founders of the original families.

Gotra, like sib, is an inherited affiliation passed down patrilinearlly since sibs are subdivisions of Gotra, the Gotra contains many sibs but one sib never spans two Gotras, Gotra therefore fit the definition of phrantry.

Wherein”...two or more sibs recognize a purely conventional unilinear bond of kinship...”

Among the lower castes there are apparently no Gotras in the sense of phratries such as those found in the high caste.

Kinship: In order to understand the aggregates of related individuals that has been referred to above as kin groups. The system of relationships defined in terms of consanguinity and affinity which exists among the people. This is codified in the system of terms used by people in addressing and referring to one another.

Distinction among Doms is known but

VAISHYA *Traders *Money man

SUDRA *Worker *Labourer

irrelevant to these high-castes.

They will accept from Doms no drink except liquor and no cooked food except parched grain, and potatoes or meat roasted directly on the coals of a fire.

Doms must not touch the water pots or other utensils of the higher caste people.

If they do, the contents are discarded and the utensil. “a true meaning of term achut in reference to a Chamar, doesn’t mean that one cannot touch or touched by him, it’s just one cannot take water and food from him.”

Doms are not supposed to touch any higher caste or to touch anything of higher caste.

Blacksmith, barber and bajnia Dom, carpenters, weavers, and shoemaker will be included, since these groups are continually in contact with the villagers and are residents of the area. Mention will be made of the bajnia Dom and rope slider dom. all these groups are lumped together under the term “Dom” by high caste villagers who often assert that “Doms are all alike.

UNTOUCHABLE *Cleaner *Sweeper *Labourer *Slaves

(15) Village bullock cart, Gorakhpur CRAFT DOCUMENTATION / 15,000 HECTARE / SUNEEL KUSHWAHA

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Discrimination:

Untouchable The 150 million untouchables, the Dalits, of India comprise a number of ‘impure’ castes which occupy the lowest rungs in the hierarchy of Hindu society. Earlier and in many parts of rural India even today-the visceral withdrawal boarding on revulsion at a Dalit’s approach was so strong that the Dalits were denied access to temples, through fares and other public spaces. Their housing was segregated, their children not allowed to attend the common village school and their women forbidden to draw water from the public well lest the drinking water become contaminated.

Within rural society, there are extremely backward sections like the ‘Dom’ and ‘Musahar’ of Gorakhpur. , Dom is traditionally involved in weaving Bamboo/cane products, widely used as prayer accessories. On the other hand a Musahar practice leaves products. It is CRAFT DOCUMENTATION / 15,000 HECTARE / SUNEEL KUSHWAHA

ironical that these castes are treated as untouchables. They suffer from a severe lack of education, opportunities for other livelihoods and live on the margins of society.

There are Gotra which is the origin of the race. In each Gotras there are 7 Jaati.

For example (in Gorakhpur villages) Dom=Beldar, Dharikar, Heldar, Bansfore, Netua, Bajania Dom, Chandal, Mohpatar, Bhangi, Bari= Musahar, Bari, Taduan, Mali, Madhukar, Sonchiraiya, Pattarbinnah, Bhad, Barber, Bheel.

Kewat (fisherman) =Mallah, Kewat, Chamar, Mallah, Kahaar, Beenwa, Bhahaurah, Kewat Kumhar.

Viswakarma= Kumhar, Lohar, sonar, Shilpkar, Pattharkatta, Mochi, Carpenter, Meson, These are some classification Jaaties of having same Gotras in Gorakhpur. The Gotra works mainly in marriages as “Musahar can marry in Bari jati” as they have same “Gotra”.

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In spite of breathing in fresh air, people would use harsh words to these people. And their caste was considered as slang like Chamar is a schedule caste but a slang, saying “te Dom k chhual hawa- you are touched by untouchables” may offend badly to any other higher caste. There are many evidences to describe the level of discrimination.

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A Tale “Crow and Sparrow “ Origin of Untouchability:

Tribes:

There are different opinions regarding the origin of untouchability. According to the people of Gorakhpur, practice of pratiloma marriage was the cause for the origin of Untouchability. Children born of such marriages were called ‘Chandal’.

The Chandal were the progeny of the union of Brahmin female with a Shudra male. ‘The origin of the position of the exterior castes’ (untouchable) is partly racial, partly religious and partly matter of social customs. Some people are in favour of the racial explanation of Untouchability. The disabilities of the so called “depressed castes” are not ceremonial, but are founded on racial and cultural differences. Association with dirty profession such as scavenging, sweeping public roads, curing the hides, tanning, leather works, carrying the dead animals, etc., gave rise to the feeling of Untouchability.

Caste distinction and untouchability are one of the causes of the formation of tribal groups (Dom caste and Musahar) or forest people in Gorakhpur. *Geographical isolation – they live in cloistered, exclusive, remote and inhospitable areas such as river banks and forests. *Backwardness – their livelihood is based on primitive agriculture, a lowvalue closed economy with a low level of technology that leads to their poverty.

They have low levels of literacy and health. *Distinctive culture, language and religion – communities have developed their own distinctive culture, language and religion.

Shyness of contact – they have a marginal degree of contact with other cultures and people.

“Once there was a crow who wanted to eat a sparrow’s babies. He went to the sparrow and asked for his desired feast.

The sparrow was shrewd and knew that she would be unable to give an open fight to her strong opponent. She thought for a while and said meekly to the crow, ‘oh crow!

You can surely eat my babies if you want, but there is one condition you know that you are a malhar, an untouchable, and I am a Brahmin, so do not touch my babies as you are.

You must wash yourself, beak and all, and then eat them up.

‘So is it,’ said the crow and went to the river but the river asked him to get a pot as it might be impure by you(the crow). The crow flew to the potter and The potter asked to get his own soil or own pot .

The crow went to dig some soil but could not dig much then he asked for help from a deer. Deer suggested to go to a dog. Now the dog said to get an iron ball to kill the deer for his food. The crow went to smith and asked for an iron ball. The smith made a ball and the crow held the hot burning ball in his beak and was burnt to death.

The sparrow saved her young ones.”

The crow was fittingly punished. But the smartness of the sparrow that she knew that being an untouchable the crow would never be able to take a bath. Just keep this story aside and now replace the crow and sparrow and assume an untouchable living in society, it was a horrible truth of those times.

(16) Kalimai ka Thana, Deoria

Supports: Those were the days when by mistake if any untouchable would break the rule the punishment was very brutal, like putting melted glass into ear the after the shlokas (religious recital), cutting of the hands on touching any person of the higher caste.

Rules for untouchables *no rights for keeping property and money. *cleaning duty/dead bodies duty. *isolation from every religious act.

Because of separation from the outer world The untouchables were unable to get an identity in society.

Mahatma Gandhi named them “HARIJAN” which means {HARI (GOD) + JAN (PEOPLE)} “SON OF GOD”.1931 they were called “OUTER CASTE” by the English and were claimed not from that (By -shabnam khatoon, Phd management. Title- ansuchit jatiyo me samajic place. gatishilta aur rajnitik sahbhagita Guide- sri shafeek ahamad( prof. sociology, In 1935, they were listed in -Unsuchit jati.

D.D.U university) Gorakhpur.)

Later Britishers started calling them “DALIT From documentary film “the sudra” it is show that if an JATI”. untouchable speaks slokas, his/her tongue will be cut.

Sudras were asked to keep brooms to remove their footprints So many efforts have been tried to reform their position by Mahatma Jyotirao so that high caste would not step on those.

Govindrao Phule and by bheemrao ambedkar.

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Village Housing System Higher castes were placed in the center (highland area) so that the control and approach would be maintained. King and members of court used to live in this part of the village/ kingdom. It was also considered as the wealth center. The cycle of currency used to end here and start from here. It was a court area also.

So it was known as the capital. This area was the most sensitive area as it was strictly prohibited for untouchables.

Chatriya were distributed in two parts 1stladaku (fighters) who was a professional fighter and placed majorly in the centerr and at the periphery of the village.

2nd-soldiers were placed in the trading area to control the public hatchets. The Vaishya the middle caste - all the trading would happen there. Even in the old times it was the area where punishment was meted - because of the brutality of the punishment the frightened people

followed the highest order. This area was open for other villages to do trading along with the untouchables. Most of the population and the market stated the name to this area “market” (Praja).

The Vaishyas used to live in 3/4 groups of houses. In Gorakhpur this tradition is still on, these groups are called “Tola”.

Further classifications in Tolas are like “Koiri Tola- farmers, Ahirane Tola- milkmen, loharane Tola-smith men, chamruiya Tolauntouchable and so on. The forest and the river are rich enough to fulfil all basic needs of human body. But being a social animal its natural desire to get a place in society. In case of severe disasters due to floods in different areas these people lived in forests called forest villages.

There are around 150 such villages in U.P. which can be defined as forest villages but information can be collected only for about 35 villages.

Castes and Tribes In the post- independence period not only does one find great concern but also more systematic efforts towards distinguishing tribes and castes. It has generally been assumed that the two represent the two different forms of social organisations. Castes have been treated as one regulated by the hereditary division of labour, hierarchy, principle of purity and pollution, civic and religious disabilities, etc. tribes on the other hand have seen as one characterized by the absence of features attributed to the caste. The two types of social organizations are also considered as governed by the different set of principles. The differences between the

The Forest : The Wealth of Gorakhpur

utilitarian and non-utilitarian function of the religion is, Caste groups tend to maintain the different forms, practices and behaviour pattern for each of these two aspects of religion. Tribes in contrast maintain similar forms, practices and behaviour pattern for both function of the religion. Tribes and caste are also shown to be different in respect of the psychological disposition of the members. Tribes are said to take direct satisfaction in pleasure of the senses whether in food, drink, sex, dance or song. As against this caste people maintain certain ambivalence about such pleasures.

The forests are the true of the Gorakhpur. These forests are the source of • Timber • Wildlife • Fisheries • Water quality • Aesthetics or Visual • Recreation capability • Threatened or Endangered Species • Fuel Management • Cultural • Conditional use or Wilderness Forest, is the combination of flora, fauna and people. Each part is required to balance but there is always human interference and control over the forest system because of unbalances. For instance the Kusamhi forest had rare carnivals which have vanished, other herbs are cleared out and only the Sal trees have been kept. Forest people and tribes are being

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thrown out from the forests.

6752 families of the forest villages are still waiting for their recognition as citizens of the country. They are not being considered as citizens of the village Panchayat, Knowing this fact the forest department is active in these forests to aid in developing specific silvicultural prescriptions, some have developed general forest management guidelines, from planting to final harvest, for each resource management zone.

These plan prescriptions are somewhat generic and may create possible pathways necessary to meet the resource objectives.

(18) Kusamhi forest

*even their houses were placed outside but should be at the west side of the villages so that the smokes of their cooking’s may not impure the air.”

Silvicultural system: A silvicultural system is a planned series of treatments for tending, harvesting, and reestablishing a stand to meet management objectives. These treatments are applied throughout the life of the stand and are combinations of regeneration methods and stand tending, called intermediate

treatments.

Tribal groups of the forest have the best knowledge of the behaviour of forest but uneducated people of forest lack in of technical method of silviculture. They follow their own way of living but also maintain the balance of nature.

Forests &politics: It is not only the U.P. Forest Department Or Corporation is exploiting but also their rights are violated by the political system of the country. The self-interest of the political parties in the forest people is more during the election as the tribes have voting right

the debate of who should have right on the forest? Government of the city or people lived in the forest. There is no legal or constitutional definition of the forest villages.

(17) Dom, Golghar, Gorakhpur CRAFT DOCUMENTATION / 15,000 HECTARE / SUNEEL KUSHWAHA

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Reserved Forests

Tangia System

A reserved forest or protected forests in India are terms denoting forests accorded a certain degree of protection. The terms were first introduced in the Indian Forest Act, 1927 in British India, to refer to certain forests granted with protection under the British in India, but not associated suzerainties.

After Indian independence, the Government of India retained the status of the existing reserved and protected forests. All activities like hunting, grazing, etc. in reserved forests are banned unless specific orders are issued otherwise. In protected areas, rights to activities like hunting and grazing are sometimes given to communities living on the fringes of the forest, who sustain their livelihood partially or wholly from forest resources or products.1936, it converted in to the reserved forest.

Since 1920, the fallen trees were replaced by planting the Sal trees, this process of planting timber trees was called TANGIA SYSTEM and KAPIS SYSTEM. TANGIA also known as “CLEAR FILLING” as per ease of the local, the “Tangi” means an “axe” and the group of people employed by forest department is been called “Tangia”. The totally changed tree of Sal are of 18-20 years and these trees comes under Kaipiarganj and Foreda. In contrast Tilkoniya, Ramgadh and Bangain forest range preserving 85 year old Sal trees.

In working period of Shri Muhammad Ahsan (head of forest department, Gorakhpur) (1984-58 to 1993-94) the Tangia system of reforestation was applied to all the forest of Gorakhpur division, but in 1985 to 1989 the Tangia system was stopped because of farmer TRANSGRESSION. These forests has the concept of

the mixed aged stand (Sal trees of all age groups).the new plant vegetation with some old trees is done, so no net gain or loss of materials and calculation follow The approximate Value. Such forests are useful for conveying ideas succinctly; The Gorakhpur forest department didn’t wants to disturb any other tree, animal by their works in forest, because of that the Tangia people still employed in the forest. The plantation of Sal tree is done in the spacing of 10-15 feet .there are small space between 30-40 mtrs high Sal trees, it may damage the neighbour tree, while cutting and the falling of trees over the trees around. These small gaps do not have any scope of the crane machine help. In the forest, these tribal groups are the experts in cutting work. Today also they are needed to help in crown thinning (cutting of top leaves and branches) of the Sal trees.

History: Kusamhi Forest

Kusamhi :Time Line (488) 1980- The tangia (clearfilling) system in reserved forests stopped.

1882- (NER) GorakhpurTrains service started through the kusamhi forest.

1942- A rally of 10,000 peoples moved from gorakhupr to deoria for the quit india movement.

1936- The forests area became reserved forest.

1927- The forest act lounched.

(19) Map by Forest guidebook, Tilkoniya 4th Feb., 1922- The historic ‘CHAURI CHAURA’ incident people sheltered in the forest.

Tangia System: Tangi is the local name for an axe (kulhadi).and having identity of wood cutter with axe; they have been named as Tangia people. In a talk from Tangia group people Mr Chotua (56 year) said “it was not at all any riot by any Tangia group in 1980 when the Tangia system stopped, the fact was the required work was done and as for government record the people were promised

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for life time work. The government played the trick to kick them out from the forest work.

Some still works because of requirement for maintenance work.” these cheated people are now sheltering under their fate.

Tangia process was replication of the experiences of the forest development in the countries like Burma, Uganda, Shri Lanka,

Kenya and Thailand etc .Under the process the department provided half-acre land to every adult labor. He had to develop the land as per the prescribed process in a period of 5 years and after the development of particular forestland they were shifted to the other areas. This means they were the part of periodic displacement and settlement. Even after the independence there was no change

in the position of Tangia labor they were continuously displaced after every five-year.

In the year 1980 the Tangia raised their voice for this exploitation but the forest department declared them illegal encroachers and since then the department is trying to destroy these villages. There are 17 and 5 such villages are in Maharajganj and Gorakhpur District respectively.

1857- Bandhulal hanged dead with a talkul (a tree) by britise police in a forest (near chauri chaura) its a saying- later local people found him alive and concider it the bless of the tree(tarkul) since than “Tarkulhadevi temple” spotted there as the name of takul(palm) tree.

1853 A.D- A jain temple renovated in Aryanagar stayed in forests.

1572- Gurunanak Dev along with his two pupils Bala and Mardana gone through the forest village to the Nepal.

The forest and the forest tribes exist since Ramayana and Mahabharata period, Due to fast tribal population growth in the forest / tribal areas, naturally available forest resources in a sustainable manner are becoming inadequate for their basic livelihood.

Many tribals are giving up their traditional livelihood and taking up farming and cattle rearing in the forest areas causing un-repairable damage to forests.

The erstwhile protectors of forests are slowly turning into bane of forests and its wildlife.

The description of Kusamhi forest comes in- The Imambara - abode of imams - is a well known landmark of Gorakhpur. Its History begins with the advent of Syed Roshan Ali Shah in Gorakhpur in 1774. His father Syed Ghulam Ashraf, a native of Bakhara, had come to Delhi during the reign of Mohammad Shah. He fled from Delhi during one of the invasions of Ahmad Shah Abdali, He finally settled at Shahpur.

His son Roshan Ali Shah left him and came to Gorakhpur where he inherited a sizeable land from his maternal grandfather in mohalla Daud Chak (Now Mian Bazaar). He decided to build an Imambara on his land and changed the name of Daud Chak to Imamganj. Raja Pahalwan Singh of Satari donated mauza Kusamhi along with the jungles in 1793 for Niyaz Imam Sahab. Nawab Asif-ud- Daulah, the Shia ruler of Oudh, offered a grant of 16 villages, Rs. 10,000 cash and silver Tazia in 1796 to Roshan Ali Shah. With this grant Shah built a pucca enclosure around the central Imambara and added other edifices to it.

the “Kusamhi” tale (447)

Kusha is the name of the grass that is widely used in prayers and rituals in Hindu tradition. An interesting folktale connects Kusha grass to the birth of Kush, the son of Sita. As per the folktale, after her banishment from Ayodhya, Sita gave birth to Luv at the ashram of a Sage Valmiki.

One day Sita left Luv in the custody of Sage Valmiki and went into the forest to collect firewood. But when the sage left for his daily prayers, Luv wandered into the forest and followed his mother. Upon returning, Sage Valmiki on not finding the child became tense. Valmiki searched for Luv everywhere but was unable to find him. The sage thought that some wild animals might have carried the child away. He could not even think about saying this to Sita. Therefore, he took a Kusha grass, used his divine powers, and created another Luv, who had all the qualities and characteristics of the original Luv. Sita soon returned with Luv and was surprised to see the twin. Valmiki then explained the whole.

This is the belief that KUSMHI jungle had some connection with KUSH (the Ramayana) and was named so. “Gorakhpur is very much influenced by the stories of RANAYANA, on the other hand these forests are stuffed with folk tales. These are the people who didn’t visit the school but knows all by mouth to mouth. Here children sleep with the tale of grandparents. While gazing at the stars/ or coiling in the lap of the mother, they learnt to live, to believe and to survive”.

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The water bodies

(Gorakhpur forest division)

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(23) Tarkulha devi pond, Gorakhpur

(20) Chath puja, Rapti river

River *Rohini nadi, *Baliya nala, *Turra nala, *Bhilua nala, *Temara nala, *Kanal nala, *Pawah nala, *Vijay salhi nala *Dandoh nala

Rivers of India play an important role in the lives of the Indian people. The river systems provide irrigation, potable water, cheap transportation, electricity, and the livelihoods for a large number of people all over the country and to rural areas.

This easily explains why nearly all the major cities of India are located by the banks of rivers.

The rivers also have an important role in Hindu Dharma and are considered holy by all Hindus in the country.

Kewat. As a tradition, Hindu dead body is made up of Panchtatwa (five element of nature) - i.e. earth, water, fire, sky and wind. And should be offered to the Panchtatwa back and consider the bank of a river is the confluence of all Tatwa (elements). So creamations happen at the bank of river. Once in Ramayana a Kewat helped lord Ram cross the river is a story here also the people cross the river with the help of Mallah (boat man).

If it’s a talk of Taal (ponds) it can’t be possible not to talk about Ramgadh Taal.

It’s the biggest pond near Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, India. It covers an area of 723 hectares and its embankment is 18 km long.

(21) Jhanghahawa, boat conveyance, Rapti river

Rapti and Rohini is the main river of Gorakhpur. They made the Gorakhpur, an agricultural and ecological city. The fertility of these forests is because of Rapti River / by its Tributaries.

Many tribes and caste are totally dependent on the river are the Dom, and

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Tal / pokhar / canal

(22) Cremation, Gaurighat, Rapti river

On the South-East of Gorakhpur city and on the south side of the metalled road to the Kasia in Deoria district is the Ramgadh Tal. Ramgadh Tal is rich with fishes and helps in the livelihood of the (Kewat) people in several villages on its banks. It is also said that in earlier times there was a village found here named Ramgadh and due to some disaster it collapsed and formed a big hole there; a lot of water was collected in it after a long time and resulted in Ramgadh Tal. It was surrounded with greenery and jungles at the time but now many small colonies and other villages have formed there.

For solving the water problem later many Taal (pond) have been created.

People are still connected with the river and ponds by means of their work - as washermen wash their clothes, the potter use the clay for making pots and cremation also happens here.

A washerman washes clothes - a potter sources the clay from the pokhar. The fisher man does fishing from the ponds.

Tal is cosidered as a water body to harvest water nuts or for fishing.

(24) Dhobi(washerman), Turra nala

(26) Kewat(fisherman) in turra nala

(25) Rohini nala

(27) Kumhara(pottor),sardar nagar CRAFT DOCUMENTATION / 15,000 HECTARE / SUNEEL KUSHWAHA

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Soil and Fertility The soil and the fertility in this region is very high because the area comes under the indo-Gangatic plains and the Trai Region of the Nepal border. The Gangatic region is named after the Indus and the Ganga, the twin river systems that drain it. About Gorakhpur the Rapti River blessed this area with high fertility of the land. The Rapti is an Extension of the River of Ghanghara; it brings all the food, shelter for flora and fauna. The physiochemical properties of soils of two different types of forests (pure Shorea robusta and mixed Shorea robusta) were analyzed.

Soil samples of forests are rich in texture, optimum pH, organic matter, humus content, water holding capacity, nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium.

The high levels of soil nutrients in the

pure forest of Gorakhpur were partly due to the reduction in the loss of the top soil and partly due to the increased supply of nutrients in the form of leaf litter and biomass from the larger number of Sal trees and their saplings.

The Kusamhi forest leg is a dip in Rapti River and the forest trees are weak due to the low water level in this area.

The soils upper layer is formed by the fermentation of the trees leaves /bushes/ and many organic things. The tribes are always in the search of soil and mud and use it for making home pots; chulhas etc as a different Domat is used for making hut walls, chulha and Dehari (grain store) while for making pots the black soil obtained from Pokhar is the most famous in this area. The forest people are adept in using all soil properties made of clay

and they use it all in their daily lives in different ways - either as wall insulation or firing of terracotta.

The soil close to the water body produces Nona which is highly caustic and usually the washermen utilize it as a washing powder.

Soil:

(28) Tarai and Gangatic area, Gorakhpur

*Domat (mold soil) *Balui (sand clay) *Indus-Ganga Plain Climate: *Samsithosna (a temperate region) Avg. annual temperature: *26 °C (79 °F) Avg. summer temperature: *40 °C (104 °F) Avg. winter temperature: *18 °C (64 °F)

Panorama:the kusamhi Forest

(29) Soil, Tilkoniya forest, Gorakhpur

The forest-a sensorial treat! A description to justify it would be hard to pen down. The morning is suffused with cold and the scent of a chill as you are surrounded by more than 30 feet tall Sal trees - like giant sentinels against the sky. The trees ring around you stretching into perspective through the shrouded mist and you keep walking through the avenues of Sal trees. You feel small and awed as you crane your neck up to get a familiar feel of low hanging leaves to brush your head - only to find them out of your reach.

It’s a feeling of quite- absolute silence when you catch yourself within the rustle of leaves, cracking of branches, an obscure animal scurrying across. Crickets never cease their buzzing songs enticing you to explore further.

Squirrels flit around- appear and disappear till they scanper down to the ground in the search of fare such as nuts, a corns, berries and flower.

(448)

Through glimpse and ephemeral sights of shy and curious Sāmbhar, blue bull and boar. The skies get canopied by the flights of egret, quail, spoon bill, partridge, parakeet, dove, common yellow bat & the great Indian horned owl. The forest floor is treacherous for the unknown hidden with the jaws of reptile, monitor lizards, geckos and snakes. It gets closer to home as herds of monkeys hover around.

Sakhua seeds float down from the 30 meters high Sal tree- resembling helicopters as their petals fan outwards. They land on floor rolling through brush and bush. During the month of June and July, the seeds ripen and fall changing the visual terrain of the forest.

Summer nights in the forest seem enchanted and surreal as they are lit and twinkle with glow-worms.

(30) Kusamhi forest CRAFT DOCUMENTATION / 15,000 HECTARE / SUNEEL KUSHWAHA

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Flora

Bio diversity park: Many factors influence biodiversity, from the physical features of the landscape around us that provide living space (niches) for species, to rivers and glaciations and erosion that modify physical features and provide habitat niches.

* 15o types of trees i.e.; Sal (Sakhua), Shaguan, Mahua, Shisham, Jamun, Arjun, Mango, Awala, Kadamba, Banyan, Pipal and Neem e.t.c . *85 types of small trees and shrubs i.e.; Guawa, Babool, Bel, Tad, Pakad, Bahera, Bamboo, Imali etc.

Variation in rainfall and annual precipitation contributes to biodiversity by, resulting in wetter and drier regions.

Annual temperatures and number of frost free days determine which species can grow in a region. All of these geographical factors combine to form the conditions that produce a regional flora and fauna.

*100 scandent shrubs and climber, i.e.; Amarbel, Lepteuna, Tulsi, rose etc *42 types of grasses (coarse and fine), i.e; Rohina, Bhatwasi, cane, Kans, moonj, Doob, etc.

The local flora (Kans, moonj, rahaittha, rohina, bhatwasi, bamboo etc) is used by the Dom, the Musahar for their livelihood.

Other than some Kand (roots) like Banda, Arooi and grass like Chaurai are used for food. The Doob grass used to make a ring for bride and groom in marriages of villages. Moonj, sugarcane leaves; food grain dry stems are used in making the hut. Sticks of the buses like Rohina, Bhatwasi, Babool and tree of Neem, Aam (mango) is used for brushing the teeth.

Maintaining intact populations and ecosystems is important to biodiversity protection. And it is especially important as we face global climate change.

Intact ecosystems and intact species populations will have more resilience in the face of change, and will allow for species persistence in the face on increased competition and changing growing conditions.

Mokoicha, Khat-Mitta are some grasses used in (souse) Chatni making. Sakhua (Sal seed) is source of floor, snacks; Mahua is used for making Puaa (a village sweet dish) or used in making of Daru (local wine). Tadi and Khajoor tree are most famous drink (intoxicate) source.

Vat, Bargad, Pipal are religious tree used for worshiping. The Kul-Dewata of family or di baba is being placed on the Pipal tree. It is consider that these deities will help the people from evil eyes.

Bio diversity plant in Gorakhpur is aiming to -

(449)

*Replanting the old species. * experimenting by Dhadkalam system.

(Dhadkalam is a process of joining two different branches.) *saving wild animals. *sustain the original natives of the forest. *look after the forest affairs.

Information- talk with mr. Santram verma (ranger-kusmhi jungle, viswanathpur ),jitendra kumar (forest guard- kusmhi jungle) (31) Doob (cynodon dactylon)

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(34) Sal tree plantation,Kusamhi forest

(32) Lepteuaa (urena labata)

(33) Chakotara (forest lemon) CRAFT DOCUMENTATION / 15,000 HECTARE / SUNEEL KUSHWAHA

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Process: sal plantation The process of Sal Plantation follows as in the series of the images. First a funnel (plastic, 6.5” length and 3”dia.) is set in to frame (capacity-24 funnel). Dry leaves from the forest are used as soil. Soil from the dry leaves - the leaves are cut into small pieces and left for fermentation. The Germination occurs separately. The Sal seeds are kept in moist soil for 1-2 weeks.

(35) cone

(36) Cone Frame

(37)Leave’s soil

(38)Working place

The small plant needs to be planted into the funnel for proper growth. The lady worker (from Tangia Basti/village) washes the small plant and keeps it in water. The prepared tray of funnel with fermented leaves is dug with a Gulli (a 6”and 2cm dia pointed wooden stick). A point hole is made firstly then the plant root is fixed in the hole and covered with the leaves (fermented peaces) around to align it. The pressure is kept gentle. After 5 to 6 months it is again transferred into a polythene bag as its roots start expanding.

When the need arises these plants are transferred to the forests.

(39) Worker picking plant

(40) Worker sowing plant

(41) Pressing the root in the soil

(42)Transferred in to poly-bags

(43) Kusamhi forest CRAFT DOCUMENTATION / 15,000 HECTARE / SUNEEL KUSHWAHA

Fauna * Carnivorous 12 species * Insectivorous 5 species * Birds 120 species * Reptiles 45 species * Others 160 species.

Dewaka (Deemak)/termite affect 80% of the Sal trees every year. The forest mosquito bite can give you a wound like pain and leave a mark. Mata (red ant) can make a tree climber lose his balance by their deadly bites. Different varieties of snakes and other reptiles are found everywhere in the districts especially in the rural areas. Some snakes are deadly e.g. the cobra (Naja naja), Karait (Bengarus caeruleus) and rat snake (Ptyas mucesus). Majority of the snakes are non-poisonous, few people die of a snake bite almost every year. Lord Shiva is the god of snakes majorly worshiped in the forests. The cobra is considered the Shiva during Nag Panchami (a local festival) and milk is fed to the snakes.

Monitor lizard (Varanus bengalensis) locally known as “Goh” is a lizard famous for its strong grip on walls or any surface.

In the old days the thieves used them to climb high walls by sticking them in the walls. All animals have some mythical, religious value and get respected accordingly. For example the black dog depicts Baba Bhairawa who has a negative image in the stories. Now dogs have to play along on account of Baba Bhairawa (A god). The monkey is Lord Hanuman. The Netua community keeps Basaha bail (a malnourished ox with an extra leg on the back) and is consider special and depicts Nandi - well trained (by the Netua) Nandi tells the future of the people from the local areas.

(48) jolaha/jahaj/helicopter (dragon fly) (44) Mas (forest mosquito)

(52) Gehuan shap (cobra)

(45) Makara (spider)

(49) Chutkail (squirrel)

(53) Girgitan (chameleon) (46) Mata (red ant) (50) Neura (mongoose)

(47) Dewaka (termites)

(51) Neelgai (blue bull)

(54) Goh (Monitor lizard) CRAFT DOCUMENTATION / 15,000 HECTARE / SUNEEL KUSHWAHA

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Birds

Game-Laws

Vinod Van

The birds of the district are similar to those of the adjoining districts. The prime game birds found are of several varieties like ducks, partridges and pigeons.

Besides these the other varieties of birds which are commonly found in the district are peacock (pavo cristatus), quail (Coturnix coturnix), jungle fowl (Gallus soneratti), snipe (Cappella gallinago), parrot (Psittaculaeupatria), kite (Milvus migrans govinda), crow (Corvus splendens splendens), vulture (Gyps bengalensis), bulbul (Molpaster cafer), mynah (Acridotheres tristis), baya (Ploceus philippinus philippinus) or the weaver bird, sparrow (passer domesticus indicus) and bagula (Eqret alva modesta).

The game-law applicable to the district was governed by the wild birds and the animal protection (U.P. Amendment) act of 1934. It has been replaced by the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 which made game-laws more stringent with a view to conserving wild life and preventing the extinction of certain species. The wolf, crocodile, garial and peafowl have been declared protected species while certain restrictions have been placed on shooting wild pigs, neelgai and some other species. The punishment for infringement of the law has been made more deterrent.

Vinod Van is located far away from the city inside the quiet Kusamhi forest. A zoo is also a part of this park where some animals like deer, snakes, antelopes and rabbits are kept to attract children. A children corner with many swings & playing spaces are surrounded by the forest making this spot an ideal picnic spot especially for school children. It has a comfortable rest house with a charming ground.

In history pigeons were messengers.

Talking about birds living in the forest areas – they had a good relationship with the animals they used to work with and who helped alert them by their flight and sounds. They would eat the insects and the body of cattles.Batail (bater), farguddi (sparrow), banmurgi (fore st cock), and Titar (Tital) were used as forest based food. A Sugga (parrot) has high ritual value in this region as he is the master of all taste fruits and in Chath puja (by tradition many types of fruits are offered to chat mai and Surya (The sun) bhagawan) and the Sugga song is sung by the local ladies. Mor (peacock feather) pankh is associated with god krisna. And consider, the dancing mor pleases the Indra (god of rain) and it will rain. Bagula (little egret) is addressed as Bagula bhagat and consider as a Brahmin. The Netua had expertise in making bird sound and they used to use it for patrolling and ambushing in forest.

(58) Bagula (little egret)

(55) Sugga (parrot)

(64) Hiran (indian deer)

(63) Lomad(indian fox)

(65) Banar/hanuman banar(monkey)

Vinod Van has strong zoo legislation in Uttar Pradesh, particularly in the area of inspection, monitoring, etc.

However, it provides a very vague direction to zoo managers about how actually to manage and care for animals on taxon or species basis.

(56) Nikantha (king fisher) (59) Jalmurgi (moorhen)

(57) Mahokha (coucal) CRAFT DOCUMENTATION / 15,000 HECTARE / SUNEEL KUSHWAHA

(62) Karikka banar/langoor

(60) Mor (peacock)

(61) Vinod van maingate

(66) Vinod van front view CRAFT DOCUMENTATION / 15,000 HECTARE / SUNEEL KUSHWAHA

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Fish Many stories from the Gita have the discription of machali. Deep in the origins of the Mahabharata is the race of the Santanu and the Satyavati. Satyavati was a mallah. Fish are found in the rivers, lakes and ponds of the district.

The species which are commonly found in the district are rohu (Labeo rohita), karounch (Labeo calbasu), bata (Labeo bata), khursa (Labeo gonious), bhakur (Catla catla), nain (Cirrihina mirgala), raiya (Cirrihina reba), darhi (Barbus sarana), putia (Barbus stigma), parhan (Wailagonia attu), tengra (Mystus aor), tingan (Mystus vitatus), cheagna (Ophicephalaus straitus), girai (Ophicephalaus gachuwa), patra (Notopeternus notopeternus), Moi (Notopeternus chitala), mangur (Clarias mangur), singhi (Heteropneustes fossils), chelwa (chela bacaila), belgagra (Rita rita), and gonch (Bagarius bagarius).

Local people still beleive that the fish is

not for pandit / Brahmins. It is considered that, Fish eating is for low caste. The main shops are at Ramgadh tal nh-28 and some are at Minathapa. It is also a very famous food in the forest area (15,000 hectare). Rohu, magoor and sauri fish is the most common fish and due to its abundance, the government & police department of Uttar Pradesh have the Rohu fish in their logos.

Among the ten avatars of god Vishnu, “Matasya Avtaram” is also an avatar, so fish has religious value too. People prefer fish fry. Some cook fish gravy too.

Raghavendra, 26years is a mallah. He does fishing with his net in the local

water reservoir everyday. His earnings for the day are 1 to 5 kgs of fish worth Rs 130 (26rs a kg). Sometimes many other animals like the leas, water snakes and frogs also get caught in the net. he throws them back. Whenever the net tears he stitches it back with a needle (l=8cm) which he keeps with him.

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@Fish basket

Tribes: The native of forests Tribes lived in isolation from the rest of the population without any interaction with the outer world. Earlier they led a nomadic lifestyle and now they live in groups in the forest villages. In 2001 (UP) the population of the tribes was more than the village population.

(68) Fish basket (69) Rohu

(70) Mangoor

(71) Saury (73) Raghvendra clearing the net

(74) Sewing the torn net

One of the dominating modes in which the transformation of the tribal society has been conceived in terms of tribes moving in the direction of becoming a part of civilization. By getting absorbed in to the society they are no more as they were and represent civilization extended in to own villages and own religions where they may not be minority and where they may not abandon their old affinities and identity. They have even identified themselves as a caste and others also have addressed them as castes rather than tribes.

A very important process has beenthe acculturation of the tribes in to the language of the regional community.

(67) Fisher men, Budhi mai ka thana, Tilkoniya forest CRAFT DOCUMENTATION / 15,000 HECTARE / SUNEEL KUSHWAHA

(72) Kewat thrown net over a pond

Tribes have not been studied in their own right but only in relation to the general Indian society, features of caste and social differentiation. To put it differently, they constitute primitive, simple, illiterate and backward societies.

The people who used to lived in these forests, after government declared these forests as a reserve forest. These people started living near to the forest.

The Musahar preserve the DONA and PATTAL (Dry leaves product) making on the other hand in Maharajganj the same craft is practiced by the Bari people, Bari people are originally the Mali (flower man /gardener) and the difference between their products is - Bari use sticks of Neem leaves to stitch the Sal leaves and the Musahar use Kans sticks (“Kanda” the local name). Bari use clean Sal leaves while Musahar they don’t care for it.

Bari explored the Dona Pattal making by other leaves like Plash, Punair, Mahua, Vat, Kadamb, Sakhua (Sal) in the same way Pattarbinnah are also different than the

Musahar. Pattarbinnah are engaged in the green leaves business while the Musahar trade in the dry leaves business. In the old times Pattarbinnah used to collect dry leaves for Bhad. The Bhad are the people who used to make traditional Indian snacks known as Bhuja, Chura and Ghughani. Pahheri, Bari, Mali, are also the same. Kalbhillah are people who professionally are wood cutters. On the other hand DOM practice Bamboo Basketry (Bamboo Products) earlier they were considered just cremation people.

Agra Dom are called as Madhukar, in the same way Dom has synonyms like beldar, dharikar, heldar. Netua is a famous nomadic tribe group.

Above were the tribes who are related to the forest for their professions-dhobi, Kewat, Chandal Dom and Kumhar these people rely on the river and stay close to the river. Other than the above some castes who depend /or often visit the forest are thakurs, pasi, ahir, kumhar, dhobi, brahmin, lohar, and kurmi.

(76) Boy (Bhad dom), Kudaghat, Gorakhpur

(75) Net sewing needle CRAFT DOCUMENTATION / 15,000 HECTARE / SUNEEL KUSHWAHA

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Tribes of Gorakhpur

(77) Bansfore, Minathapa

Bansfore

Basketry is preserved by the Dom. The craft or process of making baskets or objects woven like baskets is basketry.

They are also called as Bansfore as they make Bans (bamboo) products.

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(79) Pattarbinnah, Kusamhi forest

(78) Musahar, Kusamhi forest

Musahar

The Musahar are Hindu scheduled tribes found in the states of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh in India. They are also known as Arya or Banbasi or in Bihar as Rajwar. They are mouse hunters and field labourers.

Pattarbinnah

These people have no evidence of their origin but can be classified by their profession.

They gather dry leaves for Bhad.

(81) Netua, Gorakhpur

(80) Bhadhbujwa, Minathapa

Bhadbujwa

“Bhad me jao� (go to hell) is a famous proverb of Gorakhpur associated with the Bhad community. They roast snacks.

(Bhuja, Chura and Chana).

Netua

Netua are nomads of Gorakhpur.

They do acrobatics, cattle breeding, body tattoo & piercing (nose/ear) etc.

(82) Kumhra, Sardar nagar

Kumhra

Kumhra they depend on the river for clay which is used for pottery work. The stagnant water causes the black color in the pokhar (ponds) of Gorakhpur.

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(83) Dhobi, Kusamhi forest

Dhobia

Dhobia/ Dhobi/ washerman are the men who wash clothes in the river/resesrvoir for the local people. Earlier the “nona” the fungi soil at the bank of the river worked as a detergent.

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(84) Chandal dom, Jhangahwa,Gauri ghat

Domawa / Chandal Chandal Dom is a cremation worker. Seeing his face is considered bad luck by the villagers. He is needed when any dead body comes for cremation.

He lives close to the river as his work place is the river (Rapti River) bank (gauri Ghat) and is usually called the “Ghat”.

(85) Kewata, Kusamhi forest

Kewata

Kewata/Kewat is the fisherman. The fisherman catches the fish and sells them in the villages/ market.

(86) Singhahawa dom, Motiram adda

Singhahawa Dom

Bajania/ Singhahawa Dom is the person who blows the singha in local marriages.

The singha was initially made from the horns of cattle (buffaloes / ox) as per the need and visited the forests and Ghats (river bank) for sourcing those animal horns.

(87) Bansfore, Motiram adda

Bansfore(Cot weaver)

The paid labor Dom is a skilled rope maker and a cot weaver. The raw material (patua / san) is sourced from the forest.

(88) Bansfore, Minathapa

Bansfore(Idol maker)

Recently Bansfore Dom came up with a new profession of idol making.

The raw material used is from the fields and the forests.

(89) Taduan, Motiram adda

Taduan

The Taduan is the person who sources the drinks (intoxicated).

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Other Co-ordinating Castes

Other co-ordinating castes Being isolated from the village was not the idea it was just to make space and work divisions. For a society a Brahmin is considered pure as he leads religious events but he also eats in the Pattal made by the Musahar (impure).

The higher caste get dirty by the touch of a Dom but accept all his crafts, enjoy all his services and use all the products in religious activities which brings about many questions. Shri Chauthi Prasad Goun has said (a baba) - “if the caste system was built by the higher people this ideology never took them higher at all, but brought them down lower than the lower castes.”

(91) Barber, Rampur padaw

(90) Lohar, Viswanathpur

Lohar: Lohar is the blacksmith who makes and sharpens the tools used by forest tribes.

Naiya: Nai/ Nau/ Naiya (Barber) cuts the hair of the locals of the forests villages.

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(92) Taduan, Motiram adda

Taduan: Taduan sells the tadi/intoxicated drink in the hat (bazaar- the market).

Some shops are found in the forest.

Forest people prefer to go to the forest instead of going to the hat (market).

The Craftmanship There are some other castes which always help the untouchables. The Vaishya groups are busy people.

They were the middle men between the forest people and the higher caste people. These groups of people always had a safer life as compared to the untouchables. They are very skilled and have inherited their profession. But the bad condition of the lower caste creates an imbalance in their business. These are the castes which work parallel to the Musahar, Dom and the other forest tribes. Tools made by the Lohar, hair cutting and shaving by Nau / Naiya, Mahua Daru/ Tadi from Taduan, food & fish fish from Kewat and tools of stone was obtained by the Pattharkatta.

(93) Mallah Kewat, jhangaha, Gauri ghat ghat

Kewat: Kewat the fisherman catches the fishe for selling/barter to the villagers.

(94) Pattharkatta, Motiram adda

Pattharkatta: A Pattharkatta is a stone sculpture and makes domestic tools (Grinding/milling).

Domain of quality is usually talked of and thought of in terms of material. We talk as though the material itself conferred the quality. Material in the raw is nothing much. Only work material has quality and pieces of work material are made to show their quality by men, or put together so that together they show quality which singly they wouldn’t. GOOD MATERIAL IS A MYTH. For example in the Kusamhi forest there are lots of bushes and unwanted waste, but among them Rohina, Bhatwasi have never been introduced as basketry material. The Dom people started using these bushes for making baskets. It is only because of workmen like felling, converting, drying, selection, machining, setting out, cutting, fitting, assembly and finishing - particularly finishing - that a very small proportion of the tree comes to be thought of as good material. It is good only because the workmanship has made it so. Good workmanship will make something better out of anything. Some material promise more potential but the workman can bring out what they promise.

Pattal produced by everyone. Number of leaves, their size, and colour may vary but the size remains the same without any ideal size (13”) reference. Following the reference size somehow lowers the risk of going down in quality. Good and bad of workmanship is judged by two different criteria: soundness and comeliness. Soundness implies the ability to transmit and resist forces as the designer intended; there must be no hidden flaws or weak places. Comeliness implies the ability to give that aesthetic expression, or add to it. The word is everywhere. But there has been no corresponding interest in workmanship and there has been a decrease of interest in it.

The quality of the result is not predetermined, but depends on the judgement, dexterity and care which the maker exercises as he works, the essential idea is that the quality of the result is continually at risk during the process of making. Same if we take the example of local tribes of the forest, the Musahar practises the making of dry leaves product. They are dragging the craft of Dona and Pattal making from the past. But it’s a universal size of the

terminology or pedantry. The distinction is in the mind of the designer and he must be clear. Can we say a leaves bundle made by Pattarbinnah, is a design?

It’s just clean shorted sal

leaves. But worth occurs when these leaves are used. Lot of manipulation in its packaging / making one leaf Dona - is it not a design / just the raw material, can be used as per requirement. Going in depth it is surprising that the composition of green leaves with food items play a major role in the sale of the food items.

A simple leaf narrates freshness and hygiene of the food items. The holding position of a samosa on the Sal leaves automatically creates the curve to keep the Chatni also. The curve leaves according to the user - he/ she wants to hold the food item. Here a simple leaf is itself a design, but the idea and use

is patent by the Pattarbinnah. “Design is what, for practical purposes, can be conveyed in words and by drawing: workmanship is what, for practical purposes, cannot.

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This has not happened because the distinction between workmanship and design is a mere matter of

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The Musahar

Mouse Eaters When the crop is cut fields are filled with water and the rats start coming out of their holes and running in the watered fields and in a plain field without any stands (no crops)it is very easy to be caught by the Musahar. Musahar are quick and have a sharp eyed with their experience and are able to predict the rat holes. Whether it is in use or abandoned or hired by other predators like frogs or snakes catching is the intention. And often while searching for rats they come across snakes and hence a few people die of a snake bite almost every year.

Varieties of snakes and other reptiles are found everywhere in the districts especially in the rural areas. Some snakes are deadly e.g. Gohuan saap( means the cobra snake which eats the food grain rats.), the cobra (Naja naja), karait (Bengarus caeruleus) and the rat snake (Ptyas mucesus). The majority of the snakes are non-poisonous other than some red tailed forest lizards locally named as “rajaji ki Ghodi” bite and fields/ forest spider. Mata (the red ant) and the scorpion bite all prove themselves deadly at the time of any danger in their territory.

So the Musahar started killing the rats and other animals (snakes and insects) they found harmful. This was the biggest advantage for the farmer as he had to work in the field everyday. Double benefit for the farmer was directly related to the high risk for the Musahar. In the fields they walk bare feet and rush if they find any rat. They then wash their feet and keep aside all the killed rats and then cook them.

The Musahar were traditionally rat catchers, and there is still uncertainty as to their exact origin. The rat catching activity has been abandoned today. They are now mainly landless agricultural labourers.

They are one of the most marginalized groups in India, and have suffered discrimination. Although the Musahar are Hindus, they believe in a number of tribal deities and follow a distinct lifestyle.

(95) Musahar, Rampur padaw CRAFT DOCUMENTATION / 15,000 HECTARE / SUNEEL KUSHWAHA

The process of rat catching to eating is shown here. They don’t need any chulha and the chulha is not essential to carry along while hunting for rats in the fields.

The Mouse is roasted in two stages - first stage is to burn away its fur and when it is clean the salt is stuffed in it and the unwanted parts are removed before next stage. Now the mouse is roasted with its stomach open (see image) and the salt is melted inside the stomach mixed with the inner soft flesh - it is like a chicken leg piece.

(96) Catching feild mouse

A saying -“ann khaye wala mush, ann hi hola”, means eating the grain eating mouse is like eating grains.

(97) Roasting

(100) Cutting and filling salt

(453)

(98) Baking from inside

(101) Eating mouse

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Origin: The Musahar

The Kusamhi jungle forest preserves the Musahar who makes Dona and Pattal.

Every year lots of grain get wasted in the fields because of the field mouse.

The Koiri community (the farmer) used to ask them to come and catch the rats.

After field cutting the whole field is filled with water. Now the rats start coming out because of water in their holes.

The moment it comes out the Musahar catches them. Most of the Musahar would eat the mouse. And hence the Musahar became mouse eaters.

In the rural areas, Musahar are primarily bonded agricultural labourers, but often go without work for as much as eight months in a year. Children work alongside the parents in the fields or as rag pickers, earning as little as 25 to 30 rupees daily.

The Musahar literacy rate is 3 percent, but falls below 1 percent among women.

By some estimates, as many as 85 percent of some villages of Musahar suffer from malnutrition and with access to health centres scant, diseases such as malaria and kala-azar, the most severe form of leishmaniasis, are prevalent.

Life never let these tribes come out of the forest. Life is safe in the huge tertiary covering more than 15,000 hectare. In 1936, these forests became reserved forests and with their home gone, occupation gone and land gone they stepped out of the forest, met with the CRAFT DOCUMENTATION / 15,000 HECTARE / SUNEEL KUSHWAHA

fast running industrial city (Gorakhpur).

They started working in the kiln, factories and industries and migrated to other cities.

A Tale: The Musahar

Farmer and Musahar-

“This Hindu Mythology story shows how they are perceived in the traditional Indian society; Parmeshwar (the Hindu creation god) created man and gave him a horse to ride.

The first Musahar decided to dig holes in the belly of the horse to fix his feet as he rode. This offended Parmeshwar, who punished them by making them rat catchers. They are found in eastern Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and north Madhya Pradesh.

These two people were interconnected because the Musahar used to provide labour to the farmers. Musahar were landless tribes and were not allowed to keep any property.

The Musahar consists of three sub-groups, the Bhagat, Sakatiya and Turkahia. Each of these clans is endogamous. They speak Bhojpuri, but many now have working knowledge of Hindi.�

It was the time when the fields were spread far and lots of man power was required to cut the crop / sowing the seeds. The Musahar people used to be hired by the farmers.

Earlier the Musahar were so active and there was no need to ask them to come to catch the mouse. But today there is no need of a mouse catcher because we are fascinated by using rat- kills. And the Musahar are less in number and are involved in different activities. Due to the use of access of rat-killer medicines and use of other insecticides in the fields, the Musahars prefer not to eat the mouse.

[According to Theses of sabanam khatoon (DDU. Gorakhpur PhDs-management. ]

It was said that Musahar were slaves and hired by farmers to get their work done.

Times have changed and now there is hardly any such bonding between the farmer and the Musahar.

(454)

Mouse eaters are very fond of eating mouse. There are different types of rats - field mice (mus boodugagray), -bandicoots (bandicota indicabechestein), -house mouse (mus musculus -Linnaeus),-bandi coots, house rat, mice (rattus ratrus-linnaeus). Usually in the grain fields the amount of mice is very high and especially during crop cutting either in June or in July, These fields used to face lots of waste due to these mice. Mouse collects the eatable for the next season and his tunnels are found filled with grains and every time the number is increasing. It was the double benefit to the farmer- alongwith the hunting of the field mouse, the other deadly reptiles and insects were also killed by the Musahar.

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Craft: Dry leaves products History of “PATTAL “ In ancient times the higher caste people used to eat in a Thali, which was made of gold / silver / bronze. And they used to feed others too. This was a thing to be proud of because it was a symbol of prosperity. Still people in Gorakhpur offer a bronze Thali (fule k thal) to the groom during marriages.

Usually a person keeps these Thalis for family people / it is used once before. Old saints never eat in a Thali because it’s not new and somebody has already eaten in it and it’s impure. They consider leaves the purest thing to eat on. It is available everywhere. Banana leaves are being used as a Thali. Because it is for one time use and the bio degradable does not cause any harm to the environment as well.

Now just imagine the amount of banana leaves needed in a banquet. It became difficult to fulfil the requirement of banana leaves. In alternate of banana leaves, people used papaya, Banda, Arui etc but with the same end.

Because the common thing in all these leave was that they all had one/ two flowers and their life is very short. One tree can give around 10-20 matured leaves. They can’t give leaves in all seasons. And these leaves can be used only if they are fresh or else they stink/ decay in a few days. So no scope for storing these leaves for later use.

Here the design for need is a dry leaves

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History of “DONA”

plate, locally called “Pattal”. Pattal / Patravali / Vistaraku / Vistar an Indian eating plate or trencher made with broad dried leaves. It is mainly made from Sal or Banyan tree leaves, in circular shape, by stitching 6 to 8 Sal leaves with tiny wooden sticks.

Pattal is so called because it is made up of patta- the leaf. While Dona name came from the general (Hindi) term used for asking for somthing to eat in the palm – the locals said - “Dona”- “ do na” - please give.

It has many qualities against banana leaves like -it is durable, stiffer that it can hold food in it can be shift another place. The modular of leaves are arranged in such a way that the slope of the plate is towards centre so, that food never falls off, it is heavier and easier to handle. It can stay more than a year in storage.

No tension of the leaves source, the source trees give a number of leaves throughout the year. There was one more problem with plates made of banana / Arui / Banda/ papaya, was their plucking drops used to leave stains on clothes often and that was really very tiring to wash off.

With Sal leaves there is no staining and due to the drying process there is no chance of a stain and it is not toxic.

(102) pattal

Dona has some distinct story and no doubt the design of Dona is derived from that of Pattal. But it is said initially Dona was the replication of a glass and not a bowl.

Dona was a one leaf product coiled in a cone shape deep enough to hold water and the combination of Dona Pattal was for food and water.

(103) Two leaves dona

(456)

(105) Banana bowl

(104) One leaves dona CRAFT DOCUMENTATION / 15,000 HECTARE / SUNEEL KUSHWAHA

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(107) Flowering(sakhua)

Raw Mterial: Sal Leaves Other names: Shala, Sarai, Sargi, Salwa, Sakhu, Sakher, Shal, Kandar and Sakwa are the other names used for the Sal tree.

Description: Sal is a large sub deciduous tree. It is up to 30 meter high. The leaves are 10–25 cm long and 5–15 cm broad. In wetter areas, it is evergreen; in drier areas, it is dry-season deciduous, shedding most of the leaves in between February to April, leafing out again in April and May. Sal tree is seldom completely leafless. It has large leathery leaves and yellowish flowers. They have tough texture.

Young trees have a linear crown, which becomes rounder and flatter with aging. The sapwood is whitish in colour, thick and is less durable.

The heartwood becomes dark brown to black in colour on exposure. The wood pores are filled with resin.

Location: It is situated between National highway-28 and Gorakhpur to Deoria road.

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Cultural Importance : Sal-tree Cultivation methods: Sal tree requires well drained, moist and sandy loam soil. It can grow in any type of temperature. It is mostly propagated through cutting. In dry conditions it sheds it leaves from February to March. New leaves appear in the month of April and May. The flowers mature into fruit in summers and the seeds ripen in June -July.

Medicinal uses: The resin is used in the indigenous system of medicine as an astringent and detergent and is given in diarrhea and dysentery.

It is also used as an ingredient for ointments for skin diseases and for ear trouble. It is also used in foot care cream. The fruits of the Sal tree are used in the treatment of excessive salivation, epilepsy, and chlorosis. The powered seeds have insecticide properties. The powered seeds are even used to treat dental problems. It cleanses the skin of oily secretion and is used as a cleanser for washing hair.

Other uses: The leaves of the Sal tree are used by the tribal people for preparing rice cakes and for smoking. The leaves are used to make platters, bowls, small baskets and many more. Distilled leaves produce oil which is used in perfumery. It is also used in flavouring chewing gums and tobacco. Its dried and fallen leaves are used as fertilizers. It is used for caulking ships and boats. The oil that comes out from its seed is edible and is known as Sal butter.

It is often used in cooking and for the burning in the oil lamps. The seeds of the Sal tree are used for fat extraction. Its oil is even used for adulterating ghee. Tribal people give marriage invitations in the form of folded Sal leaves, with a little bit of turmeric and rice inside it.

In the Hindu tradition, the Sal tree is said to be favoured by Vishnu.

Its name Shala, Shaal or Sal, comes from Sanskrit (śāla, literally “house”), a name that suggests it for housing timber; other names in the Sanskrit language are ashvakarna, chiraparna and sarja among many others.

The Sal tree is often confused with the Asoka tree (Saraca indica) in the ancient literature of the Indian subcontinent.

(457) Sal detail (106) Sakhua (Sal) tree, Kusamhi forest

In the Buddhist tradition, it is said that Queen Māyā of Sakya gave birth to Gautama Buddha under a Sal tree or an Asoka tree in a garden in Lumbini, in south Nepal, while grasping its branch. When this event took place, Queen Māyā was en route to give birth to him in his grandfather’s kingdom.

It is also said that four pairs of Sal trees growing around the Buddha’s bed suddenly turned white when he died.

(108) Shakhua

(109) Roasted Shakhua CRAFT DOCUMENTATION / 15,000 HECTARE / SUNEEL KUSHWAHA

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Laggi method:

Assesibility of Raw Material As being a reserved forest there are no rules for plucking the leaves as it affects the growth of the Sal tree.

“There is no give and take by any other except the forest department.”

- Ravindra nayak (police commissioner Gorakhpur)

The Tangia system (clear filling) started and the forest department employed only the natives (people) of the forest to turn the forest into a Sal tree forest.

Accommodations were provided in the middle of the forest as they belonged to the forests. Time passed and suddenly these people started feeling bound in so many rules as they had never heard of rules not to hunt, not to pluck woods. In 1980 it became a big issue. And Tangia (clear filling) had stopped, these people became unemployed. Now they are known as Tangia people not by their identity.

(111) Musahar prepared for forest

This is the “Laggi method”. There is a Hasua (a knife) at the top end of a bamboo stick. The bamboo stick used is usually 20-30 feet. Bamboo is straight to control the direction and light in weight to balance the movement.

Hasua has a sharp edge and in a hook shape it holds the green branches and slices them apart.

Because of less damage to the leaves this method is most common.

Keeping all the facts in consideration still give and take is allowed in the forest but unofficially. People are being charged for taking leaves, Sakhua seed and fire wood.

Forest charge for plucking Sal leaves -25 rupees/person/day (Tilkoniya forest range-Vishwanathpur) -90 rupees/person/month (Kusamhi forest range) But there is no permission for timber wood.

There are strict rules against smuggling timber.

(110) Plucked sal leaves, Kusamhi forest CRAFT DOCUMENTATION / 15,000 HECTARE / SUNEEL KUSHWAHA

The Raw material of Dona and Pattal making are the Sal leaves and Kans sticks. Both are found a lot in the Forests.

There are two famous methods of plucking the leaves from up there at 30 meters height.

(112) Musahar going in to the forest

(113) Laggi

It’s never been that when the sun comes out it is the morning. They reach the forest at 04:00 am in morning so that they may return for breakfast. This timing helps them to skip the forest guard and save the leaves charges. It’s usually a bicycle with a water bottle on the handle, a Laggi/ Dhelwash in a bag, sag / a piece of cloth / polythene / bag in the carrier of the cycle.

Because of the length of Laggi they keep it in their hands.

Sometimes they hide the Laggi on Sal tree as shown in the image (left).

In average always the need of the amount of Sal leaves is more than the permission. And there are also some specific trees which are marked to take leaves no other tree should be touched.

So to get rid of these restrictions people go before the sun and avoid the attention of the forest department.

(114) Laggi hanging from the tree CRAFT DOCUMENTATION / 15,000 HECTARE / SUNEEL KUSHWAHA

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Langar method

Kans grass

This one is “Langar method”. One long rope is enough to reach the top of the Sal tree (60mtrs) tied with a metal bob at the end. Rope used is usually made up of nylon or polyester, because of its strength and smooth surface it is the best material for Langar. The bob is round dia- 2.5cm and weighs 250grms.

This is locally called “Dhelwash”.

The name Dhelwash is from Dhela (the stone). The Dhelwash is to get to the Sal branches and shoot at the branch to pluck. Throwing Dhelwash needs precision and perfection. In one attempt one needs to get to the top branch entangle and next task is to pull the branch down with the help of the rope. By changing the position

Kans grass (Saccharum spontaneum) is a grass native of South Asia.

It is a perennial grass, growing up to three meters in height, with spreading rhizomatous roots.

around the tree and exerting twists, they get the branch down.

In this type of method there is lots of waste of branches, lots of leaves get damaged and lots of immature leaves fall down. It is very damaging for the flowering season.

On the other hand this is not safe for the people also. Dhelwash method is prohibited in the forest by the forest department.

Elsewhere, its ability to quickly colonize disturbed soil has allowed it to become an invasive species that takes over croplands and pasturelands.

Either it’s a bank of a river /pond / canal or dense forest or road side space it is everywhere. After the stem is considered mature enough to pluck.

(115) Man with dhelwas, Tikonia forest CRAFT DOCUMENTATION / 15,000 HECTARE / SUNEEL KUSHWAHA

(116) Dhelwas

(117) Women pulling the branch down

(118) Peeling the Kans leaves

Plucking and shorting occurs together. They make bundles of it and take it the home. drying is done in front of the hut / over the chhanhi. the bundle is stored in the home.

(119) The Kans bushes

(120) Plucking the Kanda stick CRAFT DOCUMENTATION / 15,000 HECTARE / SUNEEL KUSHWAHA

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Kanda(stitching stick) preparation: Such bushes are used in hut making, sometimes as fire wood. For a stitching stick, it needs to dry properly. Usually Musahar keeps Kans stock in advance for the off season.

The structure is the same as for sugarcane. It has knots from where 2-3 long leaves project. Leaves cover the main stem. During plucking the Kans stem these leaves are removed and then while drying because it takes less time to dry it when there are no leaves. The stick has a dry pulp. And it is to remove as shown in the image the sticks are cleared from the centre pulp. These sticks are divided in different slices.

“Matured will be the stick, stronger will be the stitch”.

Now prepared the stitch sticks are called “kanda” locally. It has one side of a high polished surface so it’s easy to pair in leaves, on the other side it is very rough and there are fewer chances of slippages once the leaves are stitched. Some people just practice to sell this prepared kanda. In the market one bundle of kanda has 100 pieces each of 1.5-2.5 foot.

This much (one bundle) is enough to make 500 pieces

of Pattal/ 750 pieces of Donnas. But there are lots of drawbacks of this material as it leaves blade cuts around the skin.

These bruises are home for poisoned reptiles of the forests along with lots of insects.

Hasua is a tool which is (very common) a vegetable cutting knife in Gorakhpur villages. It has a little curved hood. The sharp edge is towards the inside, used in (push direction) outside cutting.

There is a wooden handle ornate by rings which provide a good grip.

Use one stick and Hasua together to peel out the kanda/ clearing the kanda, is a very smart trick.

In this both the hands work together one with Hasua and the stick with two parallel action of pressing the kanda between the jaw of Hasua and the stick pushing out. Other hand works as a bench it just holds the other end of the kanda.

Sometimes it only requires exerting pressure to help the other hand.

(122) Kanda storage

(124) Thinning

(121) Hasua (123) Kanda cleaning

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(125) Pepared Kanda sticks CRAFT DOCUMENTATION / 15,000 HECTARE / SUNEEL KUSHWAHA

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Process : Pattal making This is a kind of plate which is used in India for eating in many rural areas in the country.

It is made up of Sal or Banyan tree leaf, & it is simply joined with small wooden sticks which you can take from broom sticks, toothpicks, below trees etc * Things you will need for making Pattal are Sal or Banyan tree leaves and Tiny Wooden sticks see image[1]. Take 5 or 6 leaves and 10-15 sticks.

Process: Dona making

(458) Pattal making process

the middle so that it can hold all the surrounding leaves together.

[1]

[2]

* Now you have got three leaves joint together you can join the other two leaves in the same way and finish the plate see image [5].

The simplest leaf product is one leaf Dona it’s just a leaf converted in to cone shape and with inserting one stitch stick. The making of two leaves Dona is as follows: first two leaves over lap as shown in the image tip of the leaves are folded inside then converted in a bowl shape by two folds and stitched them. It requires two leaves and four stitch stick.

* drying for 2-3 days in the sun.

(126) Making of one leaf bowl

*finish

[1]

[3]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[4]

One Leaf Bowl

* arrange the leaves in a circular way according to their shape and size see image[2]. * Now you can join 1 and 2 leaf to each other and you can choose any two leaves and join with inserting the sticks between the two leaves see image[3]. * Hold the two leavess from their ends and insert the stick between them. * Now bend the leaf to insert the stick the way it is shown see image[3].

[5] (459) Making of two leaf bowl

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

Two Leaves Bowl

* Now turn around the leaves and press the wooden stick and let it penetrate.

At the length of 2-3 cm the sticks break apart and one stitching stick of 2-3cm got in the Pattal see image[4]. * Now you have two leaves joined together - you can join the next leaf with these two leaves. * Join the third leaf to the leaves. Again you can choose to join any leaf but basically the widest leaf is joined in CRAFT DOCUMENTATION / 15,000 HECTARE / SUNEEL KUSHWAHA

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Products An ideal Pattal is stitched in a way that it has two leaves layer throughout the plate to gain some insulator property.

Because it can’t hold liquid food items like Dal or curd - people first take rice/ Chura right in the centre of Pattal and now place it and make a Gadda in the centre with rice. Gadda should reach to the Pattal bottom. Dal/curd will be served precisely in that Gadda only.

(127) Pattal drying CRAFT DOCUMENTATION / 15,000 HECTARE / SUNEEL KUSHWAHA

(128) Pattal bhoj, Gorakhnath temple CRAFT DOCUMENTATION / 15,000 HECTARE / SUNEEL KUSHWAHA

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Use: Pattar Bhoj Pattar Bhoj is community feeding. There are rules of Bhoj which are strictly followed by the people:

(129) Pattal eating

(130) Pattal washing

*you have to sit together and stand together from Bhoj and the sitting in the queue is called “Pangat”. *you have to sit crossed legged on the ground. *you will start together when every item is served to everybody. *“no talking while eating” and the person who is serving will not let you speak for anything you just have to raise your head. He has to keep rotating, observing the Pattal items if something gets over / or about to get over. The food will be served before somebody calls for it. But sometimes this rule gets you in trouble.

When the serving man keep on filling your plate even when you are done you can’t leave the food because it’ll be against the rules of Pattal Bhoj-never leave food in your plate.

An incidentthe Bhoj was happening and I was serving food to kids (from local village).

Suddenly one kid stopped me to serve food in his Pattal. This kind of an embarrassment had never happened before. He told me - “labadhattha hauwa ka? !hum nahi leb khaikawa rauro se” I will not take the food from you because you are a lefty and you are serving food with your left hand. Such an insult, people suggested to try the right hand to serve. I finished the row and heaved sigh of relief.

*follow sitting arrangement. Either you are facing no one or facing the person in the next row. *however the urgent problem is, you are not allowed to leave the Pangat (the queue). It is insulting for the rest of the people sitting there.

The left hand is considered impure and being a lefty is not normal in those villages and since the birth of a child he is observed for his/her active hand if he/ she is lefty he/she will be compelled to use the right hand.

*Take your pattal and deposit it at the respective place, close to the hand washing area. *Earlier Dom people used to collect these pattal and also used to collect the left food to eat.

This is a very famous part of hospitality of the Indian culture. This kind of teasing is also a part of a tradition when the groom comes to the bride’s home for the first family banquette all the sister-inlaws/brother-in-laws will stuff his stomach because of this rule.

In the olden times it was considered a disability. People would bully lefty people by calling him (her) Labadwa, Labadhattha, and Labda.

By my experience most insulting is when everybody has finished and you are the only one left who hasn’t finished and then people stare at you. The anger is very clear on their face.

(131) Layered pattal

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Sal Leaf Plates are: *100% Natural *Compostable *Bio degradable *Disposable *Heatproof *Waterproof *Visually Stunning, Beautiful Texture and Varied designs.

plates, bowls and platters as an alternative to plastic, Styrofoam and paper plates.

The material does not react with the food and will not add any additional taste or chemicals to it. All wet food can be served without the plate or the bowl becomes soggy and loses its integrity.

Sal leaf plates are nature’s own solution to the harmful results of using paper and plastic disposables.

Each plate is as unique as the individual leaf it comes from.

The tree is endowed with huge leaves, These leaves are turned into disposable

Comparison between Dona and Pattal: -Dona is the simpler design.

-Dona is green use product while Pattal is dry use product.

-after use it can be eatan by the cattle.

Pattal is dried and usually cattle do not prefer to eat it.

-in Dona making kanda sticks are not required usually Neem sticks are used.

- Dona is Handy.

This bowl is made of green leaves.

Gorakhpur buys these like hot cake. The damaged leaves become goat food.

-Pattal has more space. It’s big and can be used for covering purposes. It is costlier than Dona.

It is used as food item plates (see image, Samosa plate). The holding position usually creates the curve to hold the Chatni alongwith the Samosa (see image, plate in use)but it can’t hold the liquid items. For that it has to be Dona.

-the biggest property of Dona against Pattal is it can hold liquids.

-Dona making is less time consuming.

(137) Samosa plate

The idea of using green leaves is to give a separator between hand and food items it works as a heat insulator.

(134) The Pattarbinnah

The Pattarbinnah: The leaves overlap between Musahar and Pattarbinnah in this area. Pattarbinnah means the person who collects the leaves. Earlier they used to collect dry leaves for Bhad. Dry leaves collection is sent to the bio diversity park (Kusamhi jungle) for making composed soil.

(138) Plate in use

(135) Shorted leaves

Pattarbinnah sells green leaves of Sal. It is very essential to do cut them neatly and then the complete leaf is made for selling pan (betel) to the wala/ samosa wala/ chat wala.

(132) Gulchup(panipuri) bowl CRAFT DOCUMENTATION / 15,000 HECTARE / SUNEEL KUSHWAHA

(133) Dona bolw in use

A different reason is that it gives a feeling of freshness to the composition (Samosa and Chatni over Sal green leaf)use as packaging of Pan (see image, Pan packaging) opens up a high demand of the leaves in Gorakhpur.

(136) Bandles of leves

Except collecting the leaves and fire wood, they also collect Sal seeds. Often all these seed collections go to their home. They use these seeds as flour.

But some time the forest department employs them to collect these seeds, either for replant or for oil. First the fire is put on the ground. The dry leaves and bushes burn away, the seeds are only left on the ground, so it becomes easier to detect and collect the seed.

The smoke harms less.The Sal seed collection of 8-10 kgs in 8 hours of a day gives them 5 to 60 Rs /day wages.

(139) Pan packing CRAFT DOCUMENTATION / 15,000 HECTARE / SUNEEL KUSHWAHA

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64 Craft tools “Where is style Where is skill?

Where is forethought?

Where’s discretion of the heart, Where’s passion in the art, Where’s craft?”

--lyrics from “Liaisons,”A Little Night MusicStephen Sondheim

Old tools, rescued from the toolkit of obscurity, whose hands held them? What did they shape? Seasoned, they still function well.

They remain dues-paying members of the brotherhood of craft. Very true about the tools which has been used for crafts they have their own definition of handling and language it’s just easy to understand- using different grads of pencil for writing papoose but results differ.

Although there is special purpose is announced for each

Craft Man : A Musahar

pencil, but remember in childhood there were only HBpencil for all works writing and drawing.

The means to say is when there is scarcity of tools we seek out another way of doing the same. “A Laggi” is a Hasua (used in house for cutting vegetable) the handle part of a Hasua needs to extend enough (around15ft -20ft) and it is Laggi. This Laggi is neither a commercial product nor a professional design? The entire product evolved by past experiences.

Previously climbing up and cutting the leaf branch had lots of risk while cutting from down by means of Laggi is safer. Same with Dhelwash, it is an iron boll with a hook welded along. No, doubt these invention of tools had gone through lots of R&D. but they also escape from the modernism by considering it complex method .among the Musahar community use of Pattal making machine

has no value even it makes their work easier, they never prefer the machine. By using old method always appreciated and get privilege, people also admire the hand done crafts and using machine is to kill the dexterity inbuilt in their blood.

The working posture is also depending on the tool. If we talk about Hasua used by women (mainly) for making kanda sticks. As there is a wooden handle but holding position of Hasua is changed (see image) as little precise work (to slicing the Kans sticks in to thin stripes). In their process end result (the kanda) is most important than the process, posture and tools. By practice some are able to make kanda while baby in lap. Some girls can do while grazing cattle. All of that are their patent of style, skill, forethought, discretion of the heart and passion of art and craft.

“Once in his hchildhood there was a time he slipped (from the slippery surface near by the hand pump). (Traditionally Neebu (lemon) is planted in the backyard of the house or near to the hand pump or somewhere else, away from house but never in a place near the Neebu tree - in front of the house.) He got his all clothes dirty that day. The pulpy baby was a little weak in balancing and slipped from the tree - four times - after that he got this name that is his name until now“NEBULAL”.”

--Nebulal Nebulal is an old man of ~50 years, he lives in Vishwanathpur, Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh. Vishwanathpur is a village surrounded in the range of Tilkoniya forest and lot of the Musahar family lives here. Nebulal is a Musahar. Nebulal has two brothers he is the younger one and closer to his parents and didn’t study properly and left school in the 2nd standard. He used to enjoy life by going for - Nachi (a stage dance performance by professionals in marriages), have 3 glasses of Bhattha Daru (drinking alcohol).

He had 20 inch bicycle. He used to roam around he used to wear one Baniyan and a Lungi. He never wears the dhoti because it gets stuck in his bicycle and nNever used Panahi (old day’s plastic jutti) slipper though it was in fashion.

dependence on the parents of Nebulal brought him in to a small hut after their death, just beside a brick house of his elder brother. After his parent died the only work he knew was Dona and Pattal making as his father had taught him.

A very colorful life of Nebulal was now blurred in the practice of Dona & Pattal making.

He had children two girls and one boy.

Girl’s education hardly reached the 5th standard and the eldest one just the 3rd standard. They both got married close buy. The son followed the footprints of his father and completed too though he was less interested in Dona & Pattal making. He is a labourer (22years) now.

He visited Gujarat and Mumbai for work.

He got married 4 years back and got two children. His grandson brings joy to his life once again. The grandson - Ajit always stayed around him.

Last February (2012) he got Motia bind he got eye care from Sitapur hospital Gorakhpur and got sun protecting glasses to prevent direct sun light (in 1500 rs). He is a jovial person but quiet at work. His smile says the story of satisfaction in his life. The only dream left now is of a good home.

Elder brother studied considerably. The (140) Dhelwas throwing man CRAFT DOCUMENTATION / 15,000 HECTARE / SUNEEL KUSHWAHA

(141) The Dhelwas

(142) Man carrying Laggi

(143) The Laggi

(144) The Hasua using woman

(145) The Hasua

(146) Nebulal(a musahar) with his grandson Ajit CRAFT DOCUMENTATION / 15,000 HECTARE / SUNEEL KUSHWAHA

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Life

(147) Nebulal house

Living in a small hut with one son, his wife and two grand sons - the hut was so small that it never alloweone to stand straight up straight. It had a very low ceiling and was very dark inside. There was one Takhat and clothes scattered everywhere to prevent light and rain. The mud wall is protected by a Chhanhi and placed at an angle against the rain force. The kitchen was there too. The smoke produced while cooking kept the mosquitos and flies away from the hut. The kitchen had 3-4 utensils. The washing hand pump was behind the hut. The Chanhi is covered with vegetable creeper (Kalabash). The hut had no door. The Silha and Lodha (the Masala grinding stone), Argani (the cloth hanging rope) and his work place was outside. The sleeping area was mainly outside only if it didnt rain or was bad weather outside. Sleeping outside, gazing at the stars (removed spectacles) Nebulal sings Soratha (a Lokgeet - tribal songs). He tells the stories of forests and forest animals to his grand children. He stops the stories only when Ajit (his grandson coiled in his lap slowly and starts snoring while listening).

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Life Philosophy-

(148) Nebulal working

Nebulal is a religious man. He loves to participate in worship activities. He is very simple and believes in originality. He has a good sense of humour. He takes little time to analyse a stranger. He is happy with his life. He teaches all the religious stories to his grandson. His grandson brings cheer to his life. No demand, no complaint, and no faith in the government, he is a a good critic of the government rules in the forest. He visits the Theka once /twice in a month. He is a quiet drinker and never disturbs others, he prefers Mahua Daru. He keeps Surti always in his pocket. He is happy.

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(149) Fire wood collecting women(tribal)

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Role of women Women’s activity consists of “sensuous human activity practice”. Women’s activity is institutionalized in two kinds of contributions - “subsistence” and child-rearing. The activity of a woman is at home as well as work and she does for wages to keep her continually in contact with the world qualities and changes. Her importance in the word of use - in concrete, many –qualities, changing material processes- is more complete (than that of men). And if life itself consists of sensuous activity, the advantage point available to women on the basis of the contribution to subsistence represents intensification and deepening of the materialist world view and consciousness available to the producers of commodities in capitalism.

However, it is in examining the conditions of women’s activity in child care that the inadequacy of the Marxist analysis appears most clearly “WOMEN PRODUCE / REPRODUCE MEN (AND OTHER WOMEN)” on both a daily and long term basis. This aspect of women’s production exposes CRAFT DOCUMENTATION / 15,000 HECTARE / SUNEEL KUSHWAHA

the deep inadequacies of the concept of production as a description of women’s activity. The gradual relinquishing of control, the experience of the human limits of one’s action” is fundamental characteristics of the child care assigned exclusively to women.

The female experience in reproduction represents a unity with nature which goes beyond the proletarian experience of interchange with nature.

An observation of these arguments can pick out five different reasons that they offer to explain why inquiry from a feminist prospective can provides understandings of nature and social life that are not possible from the perspective of men’s distinctive activity and experience.

As changes in the labour market for women came about, availability of employment changed from only “dirty”, long hour factory jobs to “cleaner”, more respectable office jobs where more education was demanded, women’s participation in the labour force rose from 6% in 1900 to 23% in 1923. These shifts in the labour force led to changes in the attitudes of women at work, allowing for the revolution which resulted in women becoming career and education oriented.

In the 1970s, many female academics, including scientists, avoided having children. However, throughout the 1980s, institutions tried to equalize conditions for men and women in the workplace.

When these tribes step out of the forests (after the government declared the forest as a reserved forest) it was not enough food for family so the women of the family also started working along the men. However, the inequalities at home stumped women’s opportunities to succeed as far as men. Professional women are still responsible for domestic labour and child care.

As people would say, they have a “double burden” which does not allow then the time and energy to succeed in their careers. Furthermore, though there has been an increase in the endorsement of egalitarian gender roles in the home by both women and men, a recent research study showed that women focused on issues of morality, fairness, and well-being, while men focused on social conventions. Until the early twentieth century women’s colleges required their women faculty members to remain single, on the grounds that a woman could not carry on two full-time professions at once. “Being a scientist and a wife and a mother is a burden in society that expects women more often than men to put family ahead of career.”

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70 They are fully dedicated to their work.

Cooking food, look after the family, child care and craft they are very punctual and honest to their work. Their work is to love care and hard work.

“WOMEN WAKE UP FIRST AND GETS THE MEN UP.”

(150) Women as a housewife

(151) Women as a cook

(152) Women as a mother

They rise before 04:00 am even in the winters when the sun is on long vacation. It was winter when I was there. In early morning touching the water was like suicide. It used to chill like glaciers. And these women used to wash the utensils in that early morning. Feeding Chara to the cattle if have. When it is hard to step out the feet from bed, there is a continuous sound of anklets of their bare feet. They start cooking food very early. covering bottom of Pathuki (a vessel to cook rice) with thin layer of wet clay (so that it’ll be easy to clean the bottom after cooking.) putting the cooking material in it and cover its mouth with plate, mounting on the chulha (an earthen stove), feeding fire wood / cow dung cake (Gohara / Chipari / Gaitha / Gulla the local name of cow dung cake) to the chulha. If there is a baby in home the same drama will be played but in different style every time the baby will remain in his/her mom’s lap all the time. His/her mother keeps him/ her very softly that he/she does not need not to open his eyes. While the all the food items gets ready the men of the family brings the SAL LEAVES now the craft comes. The preparation of kanda is only done by women.

Before sun set, they complete collecting the fire wood from the forests and cooking dinner than involving herself in a chit chat session. They are very fond of gossips- discussing problems and sharing the day. They eat only after all the work is done. She does not get any time for herself; small injuries, diseases and malnourishment have no value in their life until it starts affecting the work.

Only when they sleep they remember, but next morning starts once again with the same commitments.

The Dom Caste

Dom and Musahar

the young lady do not stitch the Pattal.

But they help a lot in gathering raw materials as their livelihood depends on this occupation of dry leaves product.

The life will be very hard so they also do other paid labour work. They get work easily in villages. They do sowing plants, cutting harvests, grinding (“jata pisana”-milling ata or “dhan kutna”beating the rice seed) and cleaning spaces. It’s tiring and women of home doesn’t able to perform well so they hire these women to work for wages (money / food / clothes / other things). They are also the earning hand of the family.

Dom and Musahar were in connection in every ritual of the villages. These two were always important. If basketry has value as Aragha (a Supa loaded with lots of fruits, Diyas and other worshiping items), the Pattal was the medium of distributing the Prasad/ food to one another.

The Dom is a Hindu caste found in the state of Uttar Pradesh in India. They are also known as Mehtoar and have the scheduled caste status. The Dom is very likely to be of Bhangi origin, and many are still employed as sweepers and scavengers. They are found mainly in eastern Uttar Pradesh, principally in the districts of Kanpur, Raibareli, Gorakhpur and Allahabad, and speak the Awadhi dialect.

The Dom community are said to have originally consisted of seven divisions, the Domar proper, the Turahiya, the Lal Begi, the Hadi, the Bansfor, the Dusadh and the Dhanuk. All these are now distinct communities, and strictly endogamous. The Domar, like other Hindu communities practice clan exogamy. They are Hindu, but are rarely visited by Brahmin priests, and have their own religious specialist.

(154) Woman as a labour

The Dom is a landless community, providing the bulk of the agricultural laborers in eastern Uttar Pradesh. Many urban Doms are employed as cleaners in city markets, hospitals, and roads.

The Dom remains one of the most marginalized communities in the Awadh region. They live in multi-caste villages, but occupy their own distinct quarters.

As a Dalits community, they often suffer from societal discrimination. Each of their settlement contains an informal caste council, known as a biradari panchayat. The Panchayats acts as instrument of social control, dealing with issues such as divorce and adultery.

Making of dry leaves product is only done by men (or old men/old women).

(153) women as a caftsman CRAFT DOCUMENTATION / 15,000 HECTARE / SUNEEL KUSHWAHA

(155) Woman as a forest sourcing gatherer

(156) Dakchhina (a ritual while “janeu”)-the dan is given from supa. dan is taken in to pattal.

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TheTales: The Doms

Raja Harishchandra- a Dom One more story of Dom is very famous.

- Once “Raja Harishchandra” (he is famous for saying the truth and keeping promises) promised to give whatever Swami Vivekananda wanted. Just to test the Swami he asked for all his wealth and 20 gold coins. He gave all his wealth, for 20 gold coins he decided to work and earn it and then give it to Swami. He found no job in his kingdom and then he decided to work as a Dom and do cremation of dead bodies, but black fate made him burn his dead son too.

Dom caste evolution “Harishchandra’s story is a story but it’s our truth. We have burnt our kith and kin too” -Gopi, a Chandal Dom, Gorakhpur The worst of Dom life is mentioned in Harishchandra’s story was filled with untouchability, casticism, racism, poverty and religious facts / tales / stories.

Dom was associated with pigs, both do the same work i.e. cleaning the sewage of the villages.

Evolution of Doms burning dead bodies to practicing basketry has also a storyas they were involved in cremation of dead bodies. People used to give their dead cattle for disposing. These people started using horns of the dead cattle for blowing - because of its far reaching sound for signaling. It also said as they used to stay outside of the kingdom they were the first to know if some attack was going to take place. They used to blow the horns as a signal for danger. Later blowing horn became very popular in royal celebrations.

people that split in the 6th century.

Several tribes moved forward into Western Europe and were called Rom, while the ones that remained in Persia and Turkey were called Dom. Among the various Dom subgroups, the Netua are the most famous for their dancing and music. The Netua dancers have been associated with the development of the Egyptian raqs sharqi style which ultimately gave rise to Western schools of belly dance.

Having the Dom origine these doms are evolved in to different professions. They are also classified by their occupation. First Dom divied in to main three catagory chandal, bajnia/ singha, before - further bajnia parted in sub category - the netua.

Basfore jumped in to sculpturing and weaving cot professions and classified in the same.

(461)

Sometime later these groups came up with very creative ides of bamboo weaving as there was the abundance of bamboo at river banks/ inside the forest.

Basketry Dom are mainly found in Uttar Pradesh, Nepal and Madhya Pradesh.

(157) Dog eating left food -metafore for dom as a dog : motiram adda, gorakhpur

The Juthan- For the Dom Doms were considered people who burn the dead bodies and are the natives of the river banks (“Ghat”). Turning the pages of Ramayana, I found one incident where once in Ayodhya one Dom has reached. There was some “Bhoj” going on. Laxman (brother of Rama) didn’t allow him to eat food and asked him to go away. After some time when the Bhoj got over, this Dom entered in the kitchen and searched for food but everything was over, he moved to the search food if left in thrown Pattals by the people. Suddenly Rama came to him and ask- what do you want.

The Dom was so hungry; he didn’t notice CRAFT DOCUMENTATION / 15,000 HECTARE / SUNEEL KUSHWAHA

him as the king Rama and said “hatho!

Juthan chahiye” - go away! I want food left by the people as he was busy in. ram blessed him. Since then it became a tradition to feed Dom in any ceremony/ banquets, and considered as the sigh of luck and blessings.

“It is also said the flute was the invention of Dom as they were active in blowing instrument called singha and practicing bamboo/ cane products”.

They have an oral tradition and express their culture and history through music, poetry and dance. Initially it was considered that they are a branch of the Romani people, but recent studies of the Domari language suggest that they departed earlier from the Indian subcontinent, probably around the 6th century. The world wide used name for Gypsies to identify themselves was the term “Rom”, which in Romani language means a man. The words Rom, Dom and Lom were used to describe Romani (158) Slum children bathing with the pig and the cock arround CRAFT DOCUMENTATION / 15,000 HECTARE / SUNEEL KUSHWAHA

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The Chandal Dom Gopi is from Chandal Dom. He has been practicing cremation work for 9 years. He lives at the side of the Jhanghaha Bridge Gorakhpur. His hut is at high up land and this is the bridge to go to the Ghat (see image), so that he never misses a chance to earn from the people coming to Gauri Ghat, Jhanghaha, Gorakhpur.

Sometimes if Dom is not available at Ghat, people do the procedure with the help of elderly people. So now it’s his (Dom’s) duty to attend each & every

funeral. He gets not only money but clothes and food also.

“Earning is uncertain”.

Work of Dom is to make the Chita (the holy bed starting from the bottom - the first layer would be of woods, then cow dung cake and moonj). Moonj catches fire fast and hence the rest catches fire.

He (Gopi) guides the people for Antim prikrama of the Chita. The Antim parikrama is a farewell for the dead person. The

fire comes from home so it is in the form of (cow dung) fire and it is only smoke, coming from kanda. Now the task was to convert smoke in to fire without blowing.

Gopi took kanda in contact with moonj bushes and waved it in the air and moonj got fire then son set fire to Chita. This incident shows his (Gopi) expertise in his job.

The worst part was he had to talk to relatives of dead person to get desirable

money Gopi: I neither have money nor land nor fields nor any other option of income. You are my patron.

Me: How much you got.

Gopi: found 100 rs, (the dissatisfaction was on his face). It’s an everyday story.

Me: the river will get dirty.

Gopi: never, it’s Ganga and Ganga never gets dirty. (with a firmess in his eyes).

Name: Gopi Kumar Chaudhari Cast: Dom (Chandal) Age: 21 years Place: Jhanghaha, Gorakhpur.

Profession: Dead body cremation Ghat: Gauri Ghat Education qualification: 10th

(159) Dom-Gopi kumar chaudhary(21yr)(jhanghwa, gauri ghat) CRAFT DOCUMENTATION / 15,000 HECTARE / SUNEEL KUSHWAHA

(160) Hut of dom(-Gopi kumar chaudhary(21yr))jhanghwa, Gauri ghat.

(161) Dom-Gopi kumar chaudhary(21yr) doing cremation of a dead body :jhanghwa, Gaurighat CRAFT DOCUMENTATION / 15,000 HECTARE / SUNEEL KUSHWAHA

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Tha Bajania Dom Dom is connected with the drumming profession, they are linked to Damara and Damaroo, Sanskrit terms for “drum” and the Sanskrit verbal root - ‘to sound (as a drum)’, perhaps a loan from Dravidian.

Bajania Dom was hired because they used to grace the occasion by dancing, crying and drumming/ blowing horns. And this became a culture to hire them for all celebrations in the village.

The remains were the property of the Dom after the cremation of the dead. In Gorakhpur the number of Chandal Dom is very less. These Dom have the Ghat as their territory for working. No other Dom can carry out the funeral activity at that particular Ghat.

It’s not only the human body, but dead cattle were also buried/ float / burn from the bank of the river. In case of buffalos it was the horn that was always left. Slowly they learnt how to blow the horn. They were first to know about the incursion in the village /kingdom as they were placed outside of the village/ kingdom. They were employed to give a signal if any intrusion happened by blowing Singha (blow horn).

Bajania Nat is one of the two endogamous sub-groups within the Nat community of Uttar Pradesh. They get their name from the Hindi bajana (to drum), which means to play musical instruments The singha Dom got special privileges as they were working for royal deeds and in this upliftment of caste the art of Singh (horn) blowing has amplified with the help of multiple adjustment of singha. The material of Singh is changed and tuned to high pitch due to the uncertainty of animal horns.

(162) Broom

Today there in no king, no boundaries to kingdom- “na rhega bans, na bajegi basuri”. In some story Dom are claimed to be the inventers of Bansuri (the flute) there are only two families of Bajania /singha Dom now remaining in Motiram Adda. Old things, have been rejected now. Now they are practicing the sweeping of markets.

CRAFT DOCUMENTATION / 15,000 HECTARE / SUNEEL KUSHWAHA

The Natua Dom The Natua are a nomadic community found in the North of India. They are one of the many communities that are said to be of Dom origin, the Natua tribes evolved from the Bajania Dom. The word Natua in Sanskrit means a dancer, and the Nat were traditionally entertainers and jugglers. They visit the village often - one to two times a month.

(165) Singha(dom) house

The community is now associated with cattle trading, and animal (wild) trading. In the forest there are many animals which have religious attachments to the villages. The Natua catch them, train them and do drama to entertain the village people and ask for flour and food grains. Monkey dance, bear dancing, begging elephants, future forecasting parrots, snake shows were their main professions. Being a Nat they had a flexible and light body. Rope walking, fire shows and glass shows were also their professions. The shows were done by the entire family - team work.

Light juggling was done by small children, male used to high risk task and woman of the family used to collects the pennies/ flour and food grains. The poor Netua follow the profession of begging. Like other nomadic communities they are extremely marginalized.

(166) Singha (dom)

(163) Blowing singha (dom): Motiram adda (167) Singha:mouth

(164) Singha instrument

(168) Singha: head

Singha is used as an alarm instrument, some experts use it as a musical instrument. The design is inspired from horn of animals and the name too. It has four parts - small (size able to blow from mouth) expands successively into four stages. The curve shape of this assemble can be adjusted according to the human body (height difference) this is a standard size of 2.5 feet.

(462) Scketch-Netua(dom) namades tribe (a family): Gorakhpur

(for breeding cattle). Sometimes they keep Basaha bail - the future forecasting bull and that bull is considered as Nandi- the bull of Lord Shiva. The well trained bull and skilled Natua can easily fool you. It was said these people were expert thieves.

Their women used to go to the village for selling honey, herbs or fire woods and she used to observe the location and then she used to make the plan of stealing from the house.

Because of practising acrobats these people were fast and very active in running and escaping. A very smart thing about them was they were well aware of the lubrication property of Sarso (mustard) oil. While stealing, these people would go in bare bodied with oil all over their body so they would slip very easily if anyone tried to catch them. They used oil for opening locks and latches of doors without making any sound.

They do practices of Naak-Kaan chedana (nose and ear piercing), Godna lagana (body tattooing), herbs selling, and keep male cattle CRAFT DOCUMENTATION / 15,000 HECTARE / SUNEEL KUSHWAHA

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The Bansfore Dom

Dom who makes bamboo item it called Basfor/ Bansfore in Gorakhpur. As per demand products have been designed. The most known/ famous product was “basket� because of which the art of making product was named basketry.

In Gorakhpur weaving of baskets is done by experienced artisans from the Bansfore (Dom) caste.

Bamboo is divided into strips of equal sizes very precisely with a sharp knife (Hasua).

The strips are made thinner by peeling the top layer and the bamboos are split into flat thin strips. Artisan arranges the strips in a circular manner to make the base of the basket. Strips of bamboo are weaved (run alternatively through the base strips). Once the base is completed, the strips are bent slightly to weave the side walls. Bamboo strips are continuously added and interlaced till the required size of the basket is acquired.

CRAFT DOCUMENTATION / 15,000 HECTARE / SUNEEL KUSHWAHA

(169) Dom community, Golghar market,Gorakhpur

(170) Dom- Genia(73yr) w/o nandalal(80yr) ,minathapa, Gorakhpur

CRAFT DOCUMENTATION / 15,000 HECTARE / SUNEEL KUSHWAHA

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80 Gorakhpur Jail Industries / (Basketry as a punishment)-

Basketry in Gorakhpur

*Gorakhpur basketry includes wise products no piece of art is made commercially. * Common basket is of cane of Arahar/ Bhatwasi/Rohina in place of bamboo stripes in Gorakhpur. *in Gorakhpur there is very less use of colourer basketry product. *they use other raw material for making Baskets other than bamboo. *sustainability of bamboo work is increased by the use of Unbamboo material i.e.; giving cloth border to hand fan to safe its corners from breakages,

applying the coat of charcoal over the Supa so that its life will be increased, and so on. This type of value added material makes the Gorakhpur basketry, unique.

Basket Materials

* In marriages giving Bena, Mauni, Dauri are considered as the peace of dexterity and giving it to bride is to giving the sign of prosperity.

(172) Dove in the basket nest

Baskets have been called the most destructible of all textile constructions.

Unlike ceramics, few ancient baskets have managed to survive. Yet through the persistence of tradition, through the extreme conservatism which has made basketry virtually changeless, baskets have withstood all the destructive forces to which they are so subject: moisture, heat, fire, mould, insects, wear. Although the life span of an individual basket is very short, other basket takes its place.

Baskets have been replaced over and over, by modification, improvement. So, through the centuries, baskets have shown a remarkable endurance.

Basketry of Gorakhpur is different in many ways than that of others -

Durries, niwar, strings and mats of moonj are produced by prisoners in the district jail, Gorakhpur. Goods worth an amount of about Rs 6,000 were produced in 1973.

*lots of rituals of marriages are based on basketry product in Gorakhpur- such as Faldan will be done in bamboo basket. Other example the Chathi Mata worshiping is only done when you keep the Chadawan/Aragha in Supa.

*Khanchi was also used as keeping animal- such as Dhecha (is a huge basket with bigger gapes in place of compact perforation) was used to keep goats and it was mainly used by Pattarbinnah they also used to collect the dry leaves in it.

Some functional similarity are: spider uses his web to trap the prey, the Dhaka/ Dhecha (it is a huge basket with big spacing between interlacements) use it for keeping the goat or hen keeping.

*Kewat people used to catch fish with khanchi (a special type) from small ponds. Because of perforation water gets out but fish stays in.

Baya (weaver bird) a bird keeps her eggs in Bottle nest- the portable basket is more like the nest of Baya birds.

As above still there are so many other ways/reasons for basketry use in Gorakhpur.

(171) Flower baskets CRAFT DOCUMENTATION / 15,000 HECTARE / SUNEEL KUSHWAHA

A BASKETRY TALE

In nature there are lots of examples which evoke the weaves for basketry, it’s also said that the original design of basket is derived from the nests of the birds.

*Khanchi is the best transporting item for goods, and is good packaging material.

A basket is a container which is traditionally constructed from stiff fibres, which can be made from a range of materials, including wood splints, runners, and cane. While most baskets are made from plant materials, other materials such as horsehair, baleen, or metal wire can be used. Baskets are generally woven by hand. Some baskets are fitted with a lid, others are left open.

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The plant sustainability, in a region affects the choice of material, which in turn influences the weaving technique, the thin grasses of temperate regions, and broad-leaved tropical bromeliads, each require a different method of twisting and braiding to be made into a basket. The practice of basket making has evolved into an art. Artistic freedom allows basket makers a wide choice of colors, materials, sizes, patterns, and details. Baskets serve utilitarian as well as aesthetic purposes. Some baskets are ceremonial that is religious, in nature. While baskets are typically used for storage and transport, specialized baskets are as sieves, for cooking, for processing seeds or grains, for tossing gambling pieces, rattles, fans, fish traps, laundry, and other uses.

CRAFT DOCUMENTATION / 15,000 HECTARE / SUNEEL KUSHWAHA

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Raw material Landless Dom (Bansfore) had no bamboo trees. They used to use the forest based cane. Bamboo had a huge tertiary over the banks of Rapti River. Bansfore (Dom) source the raw material for making bamboo product. As time erased the coast free from bamboo these people compelled to buy it from market. Life became tougher they started leaving the bamboo product making.

Other than basketry bamboo were used for making huts (Chhanhi / Tati), Laggi, Kudali handle, fire wood, cot, grazing sticks, stumps for cattle. It was used to use as medical vessel to feed the medicine to cattle. Ritually green bamboo

is planted in courtyard (Mado Chawana) in marriages.

Indian Bamboo Scientific name: Bambuseae Rank: Tribe Higher classification: Bambusodae Lower classifications: Shibataeinae, Bambusinae, Melocanninae,

(173) Bamboo transportation:Gorakhpur to deoria highway. kusamhi CRAFT DOCUMENTATION / 15,000 HECTARE / SUNEEL KUSHWAHA

(174) Bamboo (jhanghwa, gauri ghat)

(175) Bamboo bushes: rampur padaw,motiram,Gorakhpur CRAFT DOCUMENTATION / 15,000 HECTARE / SUNEEL KUSHWAHA

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84 (464) Basket making process

Process:

*Bamboo is divided into two halves. * Rough surface of the bamboo is removed with the help of a knife. *Bamboo is cut into thin strips. *Bamboo strips are peeled to make the surface smooth. *Water is sprinkled on the strips, so that they flexible to weave.

(176) Dom preparing bamboo stalks,minathapa, Gorakhpur

Preperparation Bamboo accessed from the market or bought directly from the owner of bamboo bushes. They take the green mature bamboo. Bamboo is a tribe of flowering perennial evergreen plants in the grass family Poaceae, subfamily Bambusoideae, tribe Bambuseae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family. Locally people classified the bamboo in two categories - Bharal bans (thick bamboo) and Fofad bans (thin bamboo). These two are according the space between the inner diameter to outer diameter of bamboo (the thickness of bamboo).for making Bharal bans is preferred more.

A long bamboo cut into pieces 1-2 feet

(some time the same size is getting from market). This size of bamboo can be used in other works like - Khunta(a stump for tying the cattle),Paina (it’s an old man stick, stick use while grazing cattle /ploughing with the ox. e.t.c.).

From market Dom brings the bamboo and apart it vertically because it is more convenient, after that surface cleaning comes. Surface cleaning is to plane the knot portion (little raised from body) of bamboo to the level of body in to plain.

After planning the bamboo is slices (vertically) in to thin in to thin stripes.

This work is done very precisely because of high risk of damaging for craft man as well as for material. While slicing the effort is to keeping same thickness of stripes, gives best result in basket making (handling) or also affects to the end product look.

*Illustration of making base.

Strips are arranged in an order to make the base of the basket [1].

[1]

[3]

*Strips of bamboo are run through the loops and weaved.

Detailed sketch that shows weaving pattern [2]. *Once the base of the basket is weaved strips are bent slightly to weave the side walls. Strips are continuously added until the required size of bamboo is attained. *Thick bamboo strips is added and looped around the rim of the basket for a better grip [3]. *The rim is knotted tightly with thin strip of bamboo [4].

[2]

[4]

(177) Dom- Nandalal(80yr) preparing bamboo stalks,minathapa, Gorakhpur CRAFT DOCUMENTATION / 15,000 HECTARE / SUNEEL KUSHWAHA

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Arahar rahittha (canjanus cajan)

(180) Arhar plants:deoria,Gorakhpur

By the time Bansfore got in the business, where other material were replacing the convention bamboo product so they also felt that the need of the market they started new designs of bamboo products and introduced many products like - jhpoli, dhanka, chita, mauni, dauri, but continue with the base product.

Market always seeks for opportunity. The bamboo has lots of opportunity, In terms of sleeks, style, simplicity, design finish.

Many company jumped in to bamboo product making, and the Dom (Bansfore) got lagging behind. Only those people who value the Dom products or value the tradition visit Bansfore Dom. Rest prefer to buy from the bigger sophisticated shops for bamboo products.

CRAFT DOCUMENTATION / 15,000 HECTARE / SUNEEL KUSHWAHA

Rahittha (the Arahar Dal stem) is a common material for basket making in forest villages. When Dal was removed, the left stems were used as cane. The process involves, stemming (rottening) (Rahittha kept under water for two to three days. So that it absorbers the water and doesn’t break on twisting/bending.), Then branch shorting comes (to clear the branch and make it linear.), the weave is a coil interlacing same as of bamboo basket.

Guiding skeleton is arranged by laying 12 to 18 big canes crossing each other at mid point. And a cane starts coiling up and down around. The big advantage of Rahittha cane baskets are there is no need of adding extra rim for border, it’s just to insert the projected end of skeleton in to the gap beside the next skeleton cane.

(182) Dal

Rohina(mollotus phillipensis) Bhatvashi(clerodendrum viscosum)

(179) Dom community:golghar market, Gorakhpur

(181) Bhatvasi bushes: Kusmhi forest, Gorakhpur

Basket by Rohina, Bhatwasi does need to dry the raw material is just direct applicable to weave. These baskets also make as for bamboo. These baskets have no durability for material packaging. Other than basketry use these are used as Datoon/Datuan (brushing teeth) by the people.

(183) Gay brushing teeth with bhatvasi stick

CRAFT DOCUMENTATION / 15,000 HECTARE / SUNEEL KUSHWAHA

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“Moonj” Saccharin moonj, known as moonj (Hindi) is a grass found in arid areas and along river banks in Gorakhpur. It grows up to 2 meters (7 feet) in height. Its white flowers are of ornamental value.

Moonj is used as a raw material for thatching roofs. It is used for making baskets. The plant has medicinal value. Its fibre is used for making ropes. Saccharin moonj, a perennial wild grass, is one of the ecologically successful native colonizers of abandoned mines. It is used by low income locals for making ropes, hand fans, baskets, brooms, mat, hut and shields for crop protection.

The moonj is harvest in winters (Fagua- Holi time) and peel of the stalks left out in the dew for about 3 days. For highlighting colour, some spills are dyed in bright colours to pattern the baskets. The binding of the baskets these days is being done with new material like colour plastic strips, tinsel and clothes.

It is a perennial grass, growing up to three meters in height, with spreading rhizomatous roots. The kanda (stitching sticks used by Musahar.) is obtained from Kans bushes (saccharum sportaneum) only. Kans has long leaf blades and use as binding the moonj ornamenting (sometimes colour it) some people use the palm leaves blade in place of Kans leaf blade.

(184) Drying of Moonj: Motiram

CRAFT DOCUMENTATION / 15,000 HECTARE / SUNEEL KUSHWAHA

Narakat/ bait (Cane) Basketry

Patterns-

Munja and Kans Basketry

(185) Drying of Kans: Motiram

Narkat/ Baint (Cane) is the material which has a lot of scope of weaves in making the product.

Source from sides of Pokhar / Tal, but cane basket products is low in this area (Gorakhpur).

In Gorakhpur cane/bamboo thin sticks are used to make perforated products only. There is mainly the tree category of mashe of cane used (I.e. 3/8”, 1/2” and 3/4” left to right see image).

Moonj is to give volume while Kans is to wrapping/ binding.

Coiling is a basketry technique used by rural women in Gorakhpur and some parts of Uttar Pradesh. Usually the products are for domestic purposes (not for commercial purposes) like use in kitchen for keeping food grains/ storing flour or for transportation purposes.

Bunches of moonj is wrapped and tightened in to a coil form. The tighter the basket it’ll get more properties like waterproofing, compact shape, strength and light weight.

(189) Diamond pattern

(190) Stripes diamond pattern

(191) Motiff pattern

(192) Wave pattern

(193) Bounching

(194) Neack/mouth

(195) Hexagonal interlacing

(196) Check pattern

(197) Triangle pattern

(187) Mashe of cane

In marriages mother gives the basket to her daughter as a tradition. Day to day baskets are simpler and smaller. Tribal women coil large beautiful patterned Maunis, circular basket with large mouth and convex bottoms. Traditionally during marriages the bride has to step in the Mauni as she leaves her home. The bride takes some baskets with her, laden with grain, sweet and other gifts like Bena (hand fan) and utensils.

(186) Broom (moonj)

Patterns-

(465) Different types of Moonja basketry technique

(188) Cane bush,kusmhi forest :Rapti river bank, Gorakhpur.

CRAFT DOCUMENTATION / 15,000 HECTARE / SUNEEL KUSHWAHA

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90 LOCAL NAME/ OTHER NAME

IMAGE

Khanchi / Cow dung Basket

PURPOSE

to collect and diposite the cow dung / litter. to feed the bhunsa(husks) to the cattle.

MATERIAL

Rhaittha / Arhar cane

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Jhapoli / Fish Basket

Khanchi / Vegitable Basket

Supa / Food grain Cleaner (201) CRAFT DOCUMENTATION / 15,000 HECTARE / SUNEEL KUSHWAHA

to collect fish.

for keeping vegitables.

for cleaning food grain’s husks. in ritual(chath puja & marriages).

TECHNICAL DETAILS

Top Rim Dimensions: 18” dia x 12” H Base Dimensions: 6.5” dia Color: Natural(undyed) Size Category: large Strength: Low to Medium

Rhaittha / Arhar cane

Top Rim Dimensions: 8.5”dia Base Dimensions: 4.5” dia Color: Natural(undyed) Size Category: large Strength: Medium to high

Bamboo

Top Rim Dimensions: 24” dia12” H Base Dimensions: 4.5” dia Color: Natural(undyed) Size Category: large Strength: Low

Kans

Rim Dimensions: 20”W 16”L 4”H Color: Natural(undyed) Size Category: large Strength:high

PRICE

IMAGE

LOCAL NAME/ OTHER NAME

Chita / Food grain Basket 35rs

PURPOSE

to clean the food grains by means of air flow. with the garavity fall of grains, the lighter impurities get seperated by air.

MATERIAL

Dhaka / Dryleaves Basket

PRICE

Bamboo / Cane

Top Rim Dimensions: 24” dia x 6” H Base Dimensions:no base Color: Napthol(dyed) Size Category: large Strength: high

35rs

Bamboo

Top Rim Dimensions: 30” dia x 20” H Base Dimensions: 18” dia Color: natural (undyed) Size Category: large Strength: very low

50rs

Bamboo and Cotton strings

Dimensions: 48”W x 84’’L Color: natural (undyed) Size Category: large Strength: medium

110rs

Bamboo and Cane

Top Rim Dimensions: 30” dia x 20” H Base Dimensions: 6.5” dia Color: natural (undyed) Size Category: large Strength: high

20rs

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to collect and to carry the dryleaves. foster the small gaots,hen and other animals

TECHNICAL DETAILS

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25rs

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Parda / Screen Curtain

used as a see through curtain

40rs

30rs

Khancha / Big Basket

used as to keep papad and carry it.

(205) CRAFT DOCUMENTATION / 15,000 HECTARE / SUNEEL KUSHWAHA

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IMAGE

LOCAL NAME/ OTHER NAME

Tokara/ Snake Basket

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Dauri/ Flour Basket

PURPOSE

used as to keep snake

used as to keep floor.to keep etable items(dry/oily but not liquid/semisolid material).

MATERIAL

Bamboo / Cane

Moonj/ Kans

TECHNICAL DETAILS

Top Rim Dimensions: 12” dia x 6” H Base Dimensions: 12” dia Color: natural (undyed) Size Category: large Strength:very high

Top Rim Dimensions: 24” dia x 20” H Base Dimensions: 6.5” dia Color: natural (undyed) Size Category: large Strength: high

PRICE

IMAGE

LOCAL NAME/ OTHER NAME

PURPOSE

MATERIAL

Bena/ Hand Fan

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Mauni/ Snacks Basket

(209) CRAFT DOCUMENTATION / 15,000 HECTARE / SUNEEL KUSHWAHA

used as to fan for air ,to fly away the flyes.

Bamboo

(210)

Sidhi/climbing Ladder

climb to the hights.

Bamboo

Dimensions: 24”Wx144”L Color: natural (undyed) Size Category: large Strength:very high

300rs

Mat Grass

Dimensions: 38”Wx75”L Color: natural (undyed) Size Category: large Strength:low

150rs

Moonj

Length: 24” Color: natural (undyed)Size Category: medium Strength:medium

20rs

Puara( stem of grain(genhu) or Moonj

Dimensions: 12” dia x 6” H Color: natural (undyed) Size Category: large Strength:very high

50rs

80rs

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30rs (212)

used as to keep snackes(usually offered to guests)

Moonj/ Kans

Top Rim Dimensions: 8” dia x 4” H Base Dimensions: 6.5” dia Color: napthol (dyed) Size Category: medium Strength: high

PRICE

60rs

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Dimensions: 12”W x 12”L handle Dimensions: 4.5”L Color: natural (undyed) Size Category: large Strength: medium

TECHNICAL DETAILS

30rs

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Chatai/ Mat

Jhadu/Broom

Beeda/ Setting

sleeping on the ground.

used as to sweeping and cleaning.

sitting on the floor.

CRAFT DOCUMENTATION / 15,000 HECTARE / SUNEEL KUSHWAHA

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Ritual Basketry Like other cities, in Gorakhpur each caste and each status uses the bamboo products made by dom. Products for different purposes; in different designs have three things common the Dom, the bamboo, the basketry. Bamboo products are a culture /tradition to use in marriages and worship, some style products (bamboo) is a sign of sophistication. As per need the product costs are different. A clean finished flower basket cost is four times more than a basic basket.

(214) Janeu vidhi:Gorakhpur CRAFT DOCUMENTATION / 15,000 HECTARE / SUNEEL KUSHWAHA

(215) Chathi dala:Gorakhpur

(216) Fera rasm,offering flowers :Gorakhpur

(217) Maur chadhana:Gorakhpur CRAFT DOCUMENTATION / 15,000 HECTARE / SUNEEL KUSHWAHA

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IMAGE

LOCAL NAME/ OTHER NAME

PURPOSE

MATERIAL

TECHNICAL DETAILS

PRICE

IMAGE

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Maur(mour means- flowering)

broom ornament (a part of ritual to hold it on head). consider as a blessing.

Bamboo

Dimensions: 14”dia 24”H Color: natural (undyed)Size Category: large Strength:very low

250rs (221)

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LOCAL NAME/ OTHER NAME

Mour mat

MATERIAL

PURPOSE

sighn of comfort and simplicity of life.

Mour supa

sighn of good livelyhood.

Mour, mor/ mour peacock

sighn of bless of fauna (friendly and helping).

Mour adahul( gudahal flowerHibiscus Flower)

sighn of bless of fauna (sifficiency).

TECHNICAL DETAILS

Bamboo

Dimensions: 6”Wx6”LColor: napthol (dyed)

Bamboo

Dimensions: 6”Wx6”L(open) Color: napthol (dyed)

Bamboo

Dimensions: 4”Wx6”LColor: napthol (dyed)

Bamboo

Dimensions: 6”Wx6”LColor: napthol (dyed)

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Mukut

(219) CRAFT DOCUMENTATION / 15,000 HECTARE / SUNEEL KUSHWAHA

for broom to keep on head.

Bamboo, laces, Cardboard, Clothes

Dimensions: 8”dia 16”H Color: natural (undyed)Size Category: large Strength:very low

400rs

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CRAFT DOCUMENTATION / 15,000 HECTARE / SUNEEL KUSHWAHA

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Craft Tools Tangi, Gadasi and Hasua are the main tools used in basketry. The tangi is a small axe for cutting the bamboo into parts. Gadasi is used for tearing apart the bamboo. Hasua is for slicing the bamboo stalks. There are four different types of Hasua. They all are different possess different functions according to their size and weight. The coarser the stalk the heavier the Hasua will be, and for the finer and finish purposes lighter and smaller Hasua will be advisable. All these tools are handled in a sitting posture. While cutting bamboo/ doing basketry people uses their legs for

holding the baskets/ bamboo. They alter their position of working as convenient – and as the work requires i.e.; if it Supa is to border, the sitting position will be as- one leg on Supa and one hand to hold the tightening part and another hand to pull the tying stalks. Working on ground / sitting also helps them to assess all the tools lying around and also helps give support. While tearing apart, the bamboo is held in one hand and pressed against the ground for firm positioning (vertical) and second hand is free to strike on the bamboo with Gadasi or Tangi. The impact of tangi and Gadasi transmits to the ground.

Craft man: the cot weaver(bansfore Dom)

Colouring of stalks is also in demand in the market. Any metal bowl whichever is available with hot water and colour, is required. The stalks (finished) dipped for 4 to 6 hours and dried in shadow for 1 or 2 days. Red (purple), green (dark) and yellow is the most common used colour.

Yellow colour is replaced by undyed stalks as it is of some yellowish tone (when dried) as they are intended for marriage /worshiping purposes - these colours have high contrast. Colour used also follow some meaning as green for earth element, yellow for sky element and red for power. The moonj basketry requires only one tool called Suja (a hooked Needle).

Jaggu (50 years) is a Dom who practises the labour of making ropes and weaving the cot. With practicing basketry the Bansfore (Dom) have good skills in weaving. Rope material is Petua (local name for san/jute) grown at the periphery of the sugarcane fields (mostly as a protection boundary), many other villagers also know then art of weaving cot so no special demand for Doms for weaving cot. Jaggu is very experienced and skillfull in weaving the cot. He starts from spinning the rope (two ply) to weaving and stretching the cot (the weaving is done in a lose condition so that it is easy to interlace with hands and holds three side of the cot. The leg side (godwari) of the cot is left loose only supported by a loose rope. When the weaving is completed the weave is stretched from this side. The weaving also gets loose at that time and this part has the opportunity to adjust the tension on the weave. The cot is a bed, a sofa, a dining table. it is light in weight and kept in a standing (horizontal) position, when not in use it is kept along the walls.

(226) Coloured moonj

(227) Moonj colouring

Jute Goods

(224) Tangi-a cutting tool: Gorakhpur

(233) Dom-cot weaving:kerwani,rampur,Gorakhpur

(228) Hasuliya price-100rs: Gorakhpur

(225) Ganasi-a cutting tool: Gorakhpur CRAFT DOCUMENTATION / 15,000 HECTARE / SUNEEL KUSHWAHA

(229) Chotka hasua, price-140rs: Gorakhpur

(230) Hasua, price-180rs: Gorakhpur

(231) Badka hasua, price-200rs: Gorakhpur

(232) Suja,kuchi prise-60-100rs: Gorakhpur

a mith- it is belive, eating on the cot, stopes the money coming to you. a proverb- khatiya khadi ho gail- stuck in to trouble.

Before the petua rope making and cot making came. the skilled weaver (origin Dom) who was employed in production in the jute mills. Gunnies and strings of jute are manufactured in the Mahabir Jute Mills Ltd., Sahjanwa, which was established in 1935.

An amount of Rs 58, 68,81 was invested in the undertaking in 1972-73 when goods worth Rs 1,58,33,432 were produced utilizing raw jute of the value of Rs 76,57,003. About 1,025 persons were employed in the factory in 1973.

(466) Spinning petua ropes

(234) Jaggu-50yrs(dom):kerwani,rampur,Gorakhpur CRAFT DOCUMENTATION / 15,000 HECTARE / SUNEEL KUSHWAHA

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The idol maker (Bansfore Dom)

The brick factory labour (Dom and musahar)

India is a confluence of different culture /tradition and occupations (crafts), the number of people exchange their experience and work in different places in terms of scope of profits in their work. A little example is the Bansfore community of Gorakhpur. During Diwali and Durga Puja, many parts of India demand huge idols of Devi and Devatas. Considering Gorakhpur is rich in raw material recourses many Bengali people came here and started their idol making business. Labour working under them also got skilful in making idols and now in Gorakhpur many Dom/ Bansfore /Paswan practice as a seasonal business.

Ramesh (28yr) is a Bansfore (Dom). He practises idol making since 10- 15 years. Price of the idols depends according to the height (5ft-10 ft and above) of the idol and the life of these idols ranges1-3 months. The skeleton is made up of bamboo, the volumes of body is given by Puara (grain husks).

Husk is used to save clay material and for lighter weight. Husk is tied tightly so that volume doesn’t increase by the moisture again. Once the contour is complete, it is coated with clay (pond- Pokhar clay / Chikani mitti prepared over 1-2 nights). Clay preparation needs well grinded, no contamination and wet for 1-2 days. After one coat of Pokhar clay the coating of sand (sand soil) is done. The finishing of surface occurs. After that a slurry of Pokhar mitti/Chikani mitti, then comes the polishing of the idol by a cloth /brush.

When the body is ready they add the face (moulded), they have to buy the face from Bengali/ moulding people.

When there are 8-10 days left it’s the time to colour and decorate the idol.

Then the buyer books the idol and only has to decide on the clothing, decoration items and jewellery. Either he has to get it or ask Dom to get it.

Uually the Dom suggests about the outlook and helps him in selecting items as - Yellow colour clothing for lord Ganesha, Green for Mata Saraswati and Red for laxmi - assembling all the decorative items and place in respective place.

In India, brick making is typically a manual process. The most common type of brick kiln in use is Bull’s Trench Kiln (BTK), based on a design developed by British engineer W. Bull in the late 1800s.

Thousands of labourers work in the brick-kilns of India. For as much as 80 rs/ day, men, women and children work endlessly in the heated and dust-choked atmosphere of the kiln. For every 1000 bricks carried, a worker is paid Rs. 80.

According to the owner of one of the kilns, the average number of bricks

(235) Bansfore dom preparation of idol makinfg, Minathapa.

carried by a worker each week is around 12000.

In West Bengal’s kilns, most of the labourers are usually from Gorakhpur but it lags behind the other Indian states in human, economic development terms.

Thousands of impoverished individuals migrate to other states, to work in the brick kilns, where production goes on in full-swing from October to June.

From 10 years children to 70year old worker work in the brick kiln. This job, this is off season occupation of Doms and Musahar lives in rural Gorakhpur.

As the brick factory required lots of human labour so it’s always easy to get work there. These people are strong and cheap labour. While not restricted to just unclean castes, goes largely to the Untouchables; their low status condemning them to the most menial work. With mothers, fathers and elder siblings labour under the sun, hours pass as slowly as drifting dust for the younger children who loiter

around in the dusty kilns, dressed in tattered clothes and covered thickly in dust. These zones are not only accident prone, but also hazardous to health.

In typical modern brickworks, clay is taken from the quarry, and then carried by conveyor belt or truck/lorry to the main factory, although it may be stockpiled outside before entering the machinery.

When the clay enters the preparation plant (Clay Prep) it is crushed, and mixed with water and other additives which may include breeze, very fine anthracite that aids firing. This process, which is also known as pug milling, improves the consistency, firing qualities, texture, and colour of the brick. From here, the processed clay can be extruded into a continuous strip and cut with wires, or put into moulds or presses (also referred to as forming) to form the clay into its final shape. After the forming or cutting, the bricks must be dried, either in the open air, in drying sheds, or in special drying kilns. When the bricks have been dried,

they must then be fired or ‘burnt’ in a kiln, to give them their final hardness and appearance.

Men working in the yard of brickworks in Gorakhpur, the tall chimney of the kiln visible in1890.

The brick manufacturing process was revolutionized in the mid nineteenth century with the development of automated brick making machines.

But these areas are still untouched by technology and conventional method of making bricks is on till today.

A belief- Ganesha is lord of wisdom, Saraswati is goddess of knowledge and Laxmi is goddess of prosperity.

A myth - none of the self made idols will be used for home worshiping one has to buy it from someone else.

A myth- the idol will be veiled after ornamentation and will be unveiled at the time of worshiping.

(238) Brick kiln

(236)Idol drawing rampur padaw CRAFT DOCUMENTATION / 15,000 HECTARE / SUNEEL KUSHWAHA

(237) Prepared idol ready to dispach, Motiram adda

(239) A labour going to kiln

(240) Loading of bricks on tractors CRAFT DOCUMENTATION / 15,000 HECTARE / SUNEEL KUSHWAHA

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The Forest Villages Utenciles

KItchen tools

Very less number of kitchen tools are seen in their huts.

Cooking vessels: vessels are soil coated at bottom to washing point of view. The coating of ashes and clay bottom of batuli and Pathuki works as a saparator between the fire fire and vessel and the all burnig marks come over the layer of the clay and during washing it just need to wipe the clay the vessel will be cleaned.use of ashes helps vessel to absorbe more heat.Pathuki is a vessel to make rice whereas batuli is a vessel to make dal traditionally. Roti are handmade without the help of Chauki and Belan.

Eating vessel: however due to poverty they offer the first food bite to chulha mata (to keep it burning every day). Their children eat food in their hands (a vegetable and roti roll) they use Madh (the starch water of rice) to eat.

Seelh and Lodha are for grinding salt crystal (available in market) use channi to clean the flour and food grains.

Kitchen tools have discipline in terms of keeping place, handling and maintenance. They are daily use tools. There is datia Hasua which has a saw toothed edge for cutting hard material or used in rough works, for example crop cutting is done by Datia Hasua. The Datia Hasua is classified according to their application of cutting.* towards body and *away to body (push action and pull action). It’s just the difference of angle of direction of saw teeth.

Hausa is sharp edge hook shape knife. According to the wooden handle positioning the Hasua first holds and then cut the things.

Actually for cutting vegetable Pahshul is traditionally famous. It has a very ornamented design. Actually cutting things into pieces required three actions of control one is to hold the cutting tool in firm position while cutting - second is to guide the cutting action at exact point, holding the cutting material while cutting -third one is to control the free cut end of cutting material. It is also important to control the pieces which have been cut. Pahshul is the tool which involves the leg (one) and both hands for cutting in sitting position. And best for cutting the sag (vegetable leaves) the pedestal of Pahshul is little raised so the weight of the body exerts on the Pahshul and Pahshul stands firmly.

Next is Sadasi a Metal Pliers to hold hot things- this engages two hands to operate. A Chimata it a flat jaw tool to deal with the heat in roti making, this is one hand tool operated by thumb and index finger. There is Fukani for igniting the fire by blowing air. It is a hollow metal cylinder. This tool is seldom used because the blowing may be done without Fukani also.

@Pathuki

(241) Pathuki

(242) Batuli

Myth: Eating in cooking vessel will cause a ruin in one’s marriage.

They keep them is in the hut nearby chulha. The working position is sitting and usually a Pidhah / Beedah is required to sit on. It’s a little raised platform (more convenient and comfortable) to sit on during cooking.

(246) Pahsul (243) Channi CRAFT DOCUMENTATION / 15,000 HECTARE / SUNEEL KUSHWAHA

(244) Sheel Lorha

(245) Karchuli and Chanauta

(2)

(1)

(3)

(247) (crop cutting) Datia hasua (2), (248) (vegetable cutting) hasua (1) , (249) (nonvegitable cutting) hasua (3).

(250) Sadashi

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Tools

Keeping places

Khurpi & Kudal are the space cleaning tools. Khurpi cleans at the layer of grass on the ground without disturbing the ground plain. Sitting in the working position and keeping a safe place is to keep it in Chanhi sealing while Kudal dig out the ground along the grass and bushes. Working in a standing position (bend position) it is mainly a digging tool it also uses as gathering tool. Gadasi is the tool to cut fire woods and use as the safety purpose, usually kept just beside the main gate.

The Kharhara (the broom) can be any brush used for cleaning dust

and dirt from the ground. This is a totally forest based produc - dhecha is also a cleaning tool but it works as a wiper used to remove cow dung. Paina is not exactly a tool but a safety weapon for the locals. As a tool it helps in cleaning the grass root dust. They beat the grass on the cot with Paina so that the dust goes down through the gaps between the interlacement of the cot weaves.

A conversation with Nebulal (a Musahar)I asked –“what about the keeping place for tools”.

(His face was like; I asked for coffee in tea stall.)Nebulal- “No, particular space for keeping tools in a small hut, 4-5 family members, there is history of space scarcity.

And asking of the keeping place was not a valid question. Usually we keep the tools in the chhanhi (the hut ceiling) so its at eye level to access and does not mingle with the other items on the floor.

Me -do you use Takha (a small

(258) The keeping place for items with in the Chhanhi (hut ceiling)

(251) Gadasi

(252) Dheka

(254) Kharhara CRAFT DOCUMENTATION / 15,000 HECTARE / SUNEEL KUSHWAHA

wall engraved cavity made for keeping stuff) or space behind the door for keeping tools.

Nebulal- no Takha is not a good design to keep tools its good for keeping Diya/Dhebari/ lamp, because of less space in Takha.

These all were small tools but what about the elephant - the Laggi it can’t fit inside the hut.

Laggi is kept over the hut roof / outside parallel to the hut wall and behind the door there are only tools which can be used for safety purposes.

(255) Khurpi

(253) Paina

(256) Kudari

(257) Utencile keeping place

(259) Inserting in the space between the Badeda (middle beam) and ceiling CRAFT DOCUMENTATION / 15,000 HECTARE / SUNEEL KUSHWAHA

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Huts

Forest Habitate

All the Dom / Musahar live in their huts. Usually old homes have clay walls, the clay was from Pokhar. The unfired bricks were also used in making of walls. Wall thickness lies between 2 ft to 3 ft. these walls has the temperature control properties. Main entrance never has any gate.

The blocks are engraved the designs, called Takha (a place to keep Diya / Dhebari.) the mirrors used to stick in the walls just beside the Takha.

Takha also has enough space to keep Kajal / Kajrautta , Kakahi/comb etc. Takha was the most visible space in the hut.

The hut was divided into three parts –Duaar (unsheltered area/open area in front of the hut), Oshara (first room/kitchen room), and Dalani (innermost room/storage room).

From the iInside it’s very dark because of no window and the gate is the only source of sun light. These walls are coated with Puta (a cow dung coating) which keeps the wall safe from erosion. Some times Gameccine (an insecticide medicine) is also sprayed on the wall in every house by government. Gameccine is insecticide medicine, wall absorbs the liquid and effect remains for long.

There is one log on wall to hang the clothes called “Medvani/Argani’’. There is hardly two cots with Machhardani (mosquito net) hanging over it. One Dehari (a grain storage bin made up of clay) at inner most place (Dalani). One corner of Oshara is busy with kitchen equipments.

Generally the ground level of floor is little raised from that of outside of the hut, and floor is not plastered so some time rats and insects damage

Forest communities across India, whose lives have been inseparable are tied to forests for centuries, are being removed from their homes, livelihoods and their rights over resources through policing and policy. It has thus been a continuous fight for existence for about 500 million of the poorest of the poor. Through a range of ‘suggested areas to focus’, the fellowships attempted to raise and eventually- answer some critical questions: What are forest for?

To whom they belong - people/ wildlife/ government?

Who has the right to live in and look after them?

Who degrades them?

What is the future of forests in India?

the floor.

The roof is a compact bushe slab in the tapered position (angle =30degree to 45degree from horizontal plane). The bush is usually sugarcane leave as a property sugar pulp is use for paper making. These leaves also do the same thing after one to two rains they become harder (start behaving like paper). The leaves are laid, arranged side by side on the bamboo (commonly) stripe / cane (thin branches of bamboo) and tied very tightly up side to down side through.

People gather and mount the Chhanhi on walls the centre peak has more weight. So one Badeda (middle Log balanced at tip of the wall inside the hut) is used. It is very important to match the middle of chhanhi exact on the Badeda because only the Badeda holds the whole chhanhi. The chhanhi from inside is the keeping place for many tools and things.

The outer wall is protected by Tati (a plane vertically placed over the wall. it protects the wall from erosion by direct rain in case of no clay wall these Tati work as the wall for the purpose of separator for additional strength Thunnhi (a long stump ground to the height of Tati.) have to place these Thunnhies holds the sides of chhanhi. and for Badeda the longer stumps is to stand. The creepers are planted outside close to the wall other than the vegetation the creeper follows the outer contour of the hut and holds the chhanhi during fast wind.

Dhebari

Thunhi kanna

Badeda

(260)Town hut

These areas of focus were: * Conflict between government forest policies, industries and community. * Interplay of market forces and local forest economies.

(261) Village hut

*forest management models that resource rights to communities.

Taati

Badeda Thunhi

Beeda

Thunhi

Charpai / Khatia

Creeper

*Minor forest produce: potential versus policy. *Community strategies for survival and control over the resources.

Hand pumps and washing area is behind the huts.

Front open area is called Duar. These people usually use the hut for sleeping in an unfriendly weather.

(467) Sketch: the forest hut

*interface between forest management practices and science in India impact of forest degradation on woman.

(262) Road side hut CRAFT DOCUMENTATION / 15,000 HECTARE / SUNEEL KUSHWAHA

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The Cow Dung

Cow dung Cakes: Each season these forests don’t give dry fire wood. So cow dung is an optional fuel for cooking. Dung Cakes, made from the by-products of animal husbandry, are traditionally used as fuel in India for making food in a domestic hearth called a Chulha. They are made by hand.the village women make cow dung cake as a tradition. Nowadays it is available for trade.

The consumption pattern for energy and fuel-mix also vary considerably across

different agro-climatic zones. For example, firewood, crop residue, and dung cake consumption is reported from the Western India at the rate of 1.95 kg, 0.14 kg and 0.22 kg per capita per day, respectively; whereas in the East Coast Plains , the consumption rate of these fuels is 0.60 kg, 0.08 kg and 0.13 kg per capita per day, respectively (PC, 1992). Biomass is primarily used as fuel for cooking, space heating and animal feed preparation.

(263) Chipari huts, for “protecting cowdung cake from man and rain”.

(264) Chipari CRAFT DOCUMENTATION / 15,000 HECTARE / SUNEEL KUSHWAHA

Gohara, Chipari and Kanda these are three different cakes of cow dung. Chipari and kanda takes 2 weeks to 3 months to dry as per season and used on a regular basis except on rainy days. In rainy days Gohara used for cooking because no other cooking fuel option is available in the rain. It costs 4-6 rs for each Gohara, and chipari: 1-2 rs in the market.

Anti-septic property of cow dung: Anti-septic property is also the attribute of cow dung or Gobar which is mixed with clay to form a plastering medium for mud huts. It is a proven fact that mud huts plastered with Gobar keeps insects and reptiles away. This is the reason why people in the countryside still store grain in huge earthen pots “Dehari” plastered with Gobar and Gaumutra to keep it free from insect infestations.

Dried cakes that fuel kitchen fires: “Two cow dung =1/2 kanda =4-5 Chipari =one time meal of one family (4-5 member)” Gobar and Gaumutra are also mixed with mud and straw to make dried cakes that fuel kitchen fires. Traditional wisdom says that in burning these cow dung cakes, the temperature never rises beyond a certain point, ensuring the nutrients in the food are not destroyed by overheating.

Besides, the smoke of Gobar clears the

(268) Measuring Gohala

(269) Gohara second layer alignment

(270) Gohara third layer alignment

air of germs!

Excellent manure and a natural pesticide: And of course, Gobar mixed with Gaumutra makes for excellent manure and a natural pesticide. Modern day ecologists are saying that as compared to chemical fertilizer which damages the land in the long run, Gobar actually improves the health of the soil.

Even in dying: Cow dung used in dyeing also. The cow also gives its horns and bones and other parts of the body like intestines which have various uses.

(265) Gohara, (266) Kanda, (267) Chipari

The Gohara It is a cuboids shape cow dung cake (dimension length(1-11/2 Hanth) 20” and height (6 Angul) 4”. One dung cake of an average Gohara size gives 2100 kJ worth of energy. Firstly cow dung mix it with water and Bhusa (for strength). and then make long bricks of Gohara - four Gohara is laid than next four will be laid over it with the help of a stick (so that it doesn’t break), but in a difference of 90o from the axis of the previous Gohara. Thus 11 layers are mounted one over another this construction now takes 5.5 to 6.5 months to dry and is used (from October to April/ march.) and during this the Chipri and kanda are the cow dung fuel. In rainy day these Gohara help a lot as no other fuel material is available.

(271) Gohara storing CRAFT DOCUMENTATION / 15,000 HECTARE / SUNEEL KUSHWAHA

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Chulha

(272) Two brick Chulha

(273) Thana Chulha

(274) Borasi and one head Chulha

(275) Double feed two head Chulha

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Chulha (hearth) is an earthen structure which helps to cook food with the help of fuel. Chulha has the following properties - cooking pot can be mounted / remove easily from the chulha.

-the fire wood /fuel inlet should be easy to operate along with cooking.

- As much as possible fire focused to cooking pot so that less loss of heat energy.

-Ashes bin should be big enough to contain more ash during cooking.

-the height of pot bottom to chulha ground should be appropriate so that the amount of air can help in burning.

-chulha wall should be insulated.

Chulha should always be planted at the corner of the interior of the huts. Nomads’ habitats have explored different ways of making Chulha. It started with two brick Chulhas (see image); this type of Chulha is totally nomads’ chulha. The pot is balanced between two bricks and fire wood fed directly between the bricks. Such Chulha creates more waste of heat. From the point of saving fuel a back wall is added and becomes three brick chulha. These relative positions of three bricks can’t remain same all the time, so for getting best results, a clay chulha is introduced. It is made in an inverted U shape structure. For saving time at least two items should be cooked together i.e., cooking dal and bhat (rice) / making sabji(vegetable) on one side and making roti on the other one. Here the problem arises because only one item can be cooked at one time, and having two different chulha requires two different firewood feeding arrangements. So a design of chulha which cover all the problems is made and it is very popular in the villages. It gives heat more/less/equal heat two both heads. Chimta (Chapati pliers), Hasua (vegetable cutting tool), Sadasi (hot utensil pliers) are kept aside.

There is Borasi (bowl shape Chulha and the only fuel used in is cow dung cake) for room heating/roasting vegetable/ keeping food hot.

Chulha (Thana chulha), which is used in the eve of banquette is made by the combination of bricks and fixed in position with clay.

(468) Illustration: making of the chulha

Chulha Making

1.Slap

The clay prepared by mixing the hay (Bhusasmall cut husks of food grains,) as a binder, a little amount of cow dung is mixed for make the chulha lighter weight, and mixed properly with water.

(1)

2.Slap converted in to wall of the Chulha

(2)

3.Head of the Chulha (3)

4.Chulha (4)

*The chulha is made in two parts-first one is a flat long slap. (1) *Second is the face slab with two holes matched with the bottom of the cooking utensils. (3) *First slab is placed vertically as shown in the image. (2) *The face slabs is led over it and joined with clay. (4) *After regular use the corners and edges get rounded. (5)

(5)

(276) Single feed two head Chulha

The space between the two fire holes is called “Puta”. The Puta is the platform to keep matchbox and Karchul (cooking spoon). The Puta is the altar to woship the Chulha Mata.

Proverb- “chulhi me rahe la”- doing nothing other than staying at home.

Cuisine of Gorakhpur We find lots of varieties of cuisine in India.

Gorakhpur cuisine is the confluence of cuisine of Jharkhand, Bihar, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh.

As a part of Uttar Pradesh the Gorakhpur is the confluence of Uttar Pradeshi Thali, Ajodhya’s Awadhi Thali, and Lucknow’s Awadhi Thali.

Uttar Pradeshi Thali (platter) is composed with Naan, Daal, Raita, Shahi Paneer, and Salad.

Traditionally, Uttar Pradeshi cuisine consists of Awadhi and Mughlai cuisine, though a vast majority of the state is vegetarian, preferring Dal, Roti, Sabzi, and rice. Pooris and kachoris are eaten on special occasions. Chaat, Samosa and Pakora, are the most popular fast food originate from Uttar Pradesh cusine. Famous dishes include kebabs, Dum Biryani, and various mutton recipes. Sheer Qorma, Ghewar, Gulab Jamun, Kheer, Ras Malai are some of the popular desserts of this region. Awadhi cuisine is taken from the city of Lucknow; the cuisine consists of both vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes. Awadh has been greatly influenced

by Mughal cooking techniques, and the cuisine of Lucknow bears similarities to those of Persia, Kashmir, Punjab and Hyderabad; .The bawarchis and rakabdars of Awadh gave birth to the dum style of cooking or the art of cooking over a slow fire, which has become synonymous with Gorakhpur today. Their spread consisted of elaborate dishes like kebabs, kormas, biryani, kaliya, nahari-kulchas, zarda, sheermal, roomali rotis, and warqi parathas.

The richness of Awadh cuisine lies not only in the variety of cuisine but also in the ingredients used like Mutton, Paneer, and rich spices including cardamom and saffron.

Mughlai cuisine is a style of cooking developed in the Indian subcontinent by

the imperial kitchens of the Mughal Empire.

It represents the cooking styles used in North India (especially Uttar Pradesh). The cuisine is strongly influenced by the Persian cuisine of Iran, and has similarities to the regional cuisines of Kashmir and the Punjab region. The tastes of Mughlai cuisine varied from extremely mild to spicy, and is often associated with a distinctive aroma and the taste of ground and whole spices. Saag is a popular dish is made from green leaves vegetables like radish leaves/ Chaurai leaves.

A high protein diet is that makes heavy use of pulses, soybeans and vegetables. Traditionally it is cooked over wood /charcoal/cow dung fire mostly in iron/aluminium utensils. Palak Paneer, a dish made from spinach and Paneer (cottage cheese).

Gorakhpuri cuisine is wholesome and simple.

It is mainly influenced by their neighbours. Litti -Chokha, a baked salted wheat flour cake filled with Sattu (baked chickpea flour) and some special spices, is famous among the forest families. Among meat dishes, Meat saalan is a popular dish made of mutton or goat curry in garam masala and cubed potatoes. Dalpuri is another popular dish in Gorakhpur. It is salted wheatflour bread, filled with boiled, crushed and fried gram pulses.

Malpua is a popular sweet dish of Gorakhpur, prepared by a mixture of maida, milk, banana, grated coconut, cashew nut, raisin, sugar, water and green cardamom. Another famous sweet dish of Gorakhpur is Balushahi which is prepared by a specially treated combination of Maida and sugar along with ghee. During the festival of Chathi, thekua, a sweet dish made of ghee, jiggery, whole-meal flour, flavored with aniseed, is made.

(469) The taste of india http://wikitravel.org/ upload/shared/e/e1/India_food.jpeg

Taste of Gorakhpur Cusine

Sweets

Snaks

Prasad

Puri-Lapsi Recovach Dali me ka dulha Litti chokha Machali bhat Chura-dahi Rab / Ras

Bheli / Gud Khurama Gatta Lakhta Patti Gulgula

Bhuja Beli Makai /Kerai Ghughuni Sattu

Khilauna Batasa Laiya / Bhuja Lachidana Tulsi leaves Fruits.

Panjiri

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Litti- Chokha

Chaurai ka shag

Litti Chokha is very famous Cuisine of Gorakhpur because of good test and simplest cooking recipe made it very popular. It is cooked in open space. Chokha is the mashe of roasted brinjal, potatoes, tomato and other ingredients.

And the Litti is simple sphere of flour baked in Angithi (an arrangement for cooking Litti Chokha).

The forest based foods are - Chaurai ka shag, Ganji (Sakar kanda / sweet patato), Arui(yam), Suran, Oal, Mahua ka puri and Gulgule and Mahua ka oil, and Sakhua ka Aata(Flour).

Banda (yam) is a kanda (root) use as an eatable and its leaves are also use to make Rikavach (Pattra). The buses of Arui and Banda very similar and can’t be distinguish until they root out. The Banda has bigger root than that of The Arui.Litti (bati)Chokha is also considered as a forest food/ nomads food. It doesn’t need chulha.Chura and Dahi is usually a banquet food of marriages, and very famous among Gorakhpurian.

Rikavach

Chaurai is a seasonal green leafy forest vegetable. It is usually from spinach / mustard leaves.

Gorakhpur sweets

Dahi Chura

Rikavach (Pattra) is a forest based food item and it’s very complicated. The Banda leaves (Viscum hepalensis) are collected from forest coated with Besan and firstly boiled in vapour and fried with oil.

India is a nation with a penchant for sweets. This is not a new phenomenon but one which dates back to Vedic times. The actual word ‘sugar/ shakkar/chinni’ comes from the Sanskrit ‘Sharkara’. The living art of preparing sumptuous sweets, puddings and desserts has been preserved largely by successive generations of temple cooks, and professional

A combination of curd and Chura (beaten rice) with sugar is the food of marriages in Gorakhpur.

sweet makers known as Halwai.

Traditionally Bheli, Bheli ka Gatta, Bheli ka Patti, Bheli ka Ras, Raab ka Ras, Bheli ka Sirka, Bheli ka Lapsi, Gudachara, Bheli ka Bhauri( Bhauri is stuffed Litti), Bheli Bhuja, Chura Bheli, Dahi (curd) Bheli, and Bheli Roti etc. are Bheli based cuisine items of gorakhpur. Whenever it’s a meeting or a gathering accommodate during lifting of chhanhi (many people gather

always around it. Peda is also famous originated from Agra.

Today, even as in centuries past, presenting sweets conveys gratitude, affection, respect, joy or reward.

Even an unexpected visitor is welcomed with a sweet beverage, fruit or confection.

Gorakhpur village is famous for its hospitality. People do mind each and every detail of hospitality and manner.

Prasad Making Diwali is not complete without sugar toys. A number of forest animals are made up of sugar.

Sugar is melted by heating with oil.

When the viscosity loosens pour it in to the wooden moulds after some time remove the sugar moulds from mounding case. The playfulness of sugar toys can be when kids demand for specific animal (of sugar like hanthi, ghoda, hiran etc).

Batasa are the dried drops of sugar (semi liquid).

(277) Baking vegetable (288) Khilauna

(280) Chaurai leaves (284) Dahi (curd)

(282) Banda plant

(278) Baking Litti

(289) Khilauna moulding

(279) Litti-Chokha

(281) Chaurai saag

(283) Rikavach

(290) Batasa

(285) Chura (beaten rice) (286) Making of Gatta

CRAFT DOCUMENTATION / 15,000 HECTARE / SUNEEL KUSHWAHA

for chhanhi lifting and setting on the walls or pillars). People are offered Ras made up of Raab (a semi-liquid Bheli)and Bhuja for their help and labour.

Gatta, lakhta, khurma, jalebi are the sweets of rural Gorakhpur. The ratio of sugar is generally is put excessively.

Grandparents never return from Hat (bazaar/ market) without Gatta (a sweet) for children. These all are open sweets, bees and flies are

(287) Making of khaja CRAFT DOCUMENTATION / 15,000 HECTARE / SUNEEL KUSHWAHA

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Bhuja- Bheli

(293) Bhadbhujwa

(291) Bhuja stall

Bhuja Bheli is a most famous snack of the Eastern Uttar Pradesh. It’s a prasad, it’s a sweet, and it’s food. It is dry and easily portable. Gorakhpur people travel a lot so this kind of snack is best eatable that one can carry for the journey.

Roasted rice with the desi gud is the most preferred combination locally named “Bheli & Bhuja”. During the Diwali period people use Laia (roasted rice) as a traditional prasad. In Perchawan (name of one tradition of giving farewell to groom from his home) the Laia is offered to the groom. Laia mixed with namkeen/ chana gives mix taste. The Laia -Chana is one of

the spiciest junk food. High demands of the Laia in different purposes is fulfilled by the Bhadbujwa/Bhad.

The Bhad has same origin that of Netua.

The Pattarbinnah were the people whose occupation was to collect dry leaves and give it to Bhadbujwa for feeding to the fire. The furnace used to be in the forest.

Bhadbujwa’s life lies over the forests and its resourses.

The Bhad is the connecting link between Dom and Musahar. The Bhad is a furnace which usually has 16 heads for roasting.

Each head has hot sand and the snacks

(292) Bheli

Prajapati Khaderu (65yr) (a Bhadbujwa) has Bhad (furnace) in Khuda ghat market for 40 yrs. he source the dry leaves from forests to burn. He lives under a small chhanhi (canopy) with his wife and a son. The chhanhi is his work place, and his living place and selling place. He makes all kinds of Bhuja like Makai (pop corn), Mamfali (peanuts), Kerai (pea) and Laia (roasted rice) and sells it then & there. The charge is 6rs/Kg for all snacks.

are roasted in the hot sand. There is one mouth to feed to the fire (leaves, wood and wood scraps). Earlier the payment of service of the Bhad was to give him some amount of the snacks prepared.

The Bheli is an ultimate snack of Gorakhpur and use in many occasions.

In the Bheli making, Bhad has to maintain the furnace department. Either dry leaves or wood scraps or fire wood or sugarcane husks are fed in the furnace. Today in some places Bhad still does this work, but major part of sugarcane goes to sugar mill today.

employed in these Factories in 1974 was 964 and 1,044 respectively.

Crystal sugar worth Rs 9, 77, 87,354, was produced in 1973 by five units, with an investment of Rs 2, 76, 07,284 and strength of 6,815 workers in the industry most of them employed from forest villages.

The Saraya Sugar Mills Private Ltd. was established at Sardarnagar in 1919. It employed 2,661 persons in 1974. The Punjab Sugar Mills Company Ltd. which was established at Ghughli in 1920 had 1,115 persons on in its wage-roll in 1974.

The Mahabir Sugar Mills Ltd. was established at Siswa Bazar in 1931 and it provided employment to 1,031 persons in 1974.

The Ganesh Mills, Anandnagar and the Diamond Sugar Mills Ltd. Pipraich were established in 1932. The number of persons

Sugar producing industry being a seasonal industry the mills generally operate between the months of November and March. Each unit has its own diesel sets for generating electricity and it is also fed by the U.P.grid. Sugar-cane, coal and chemicals are the raw materials used in the industry. In 1971-72, area under sugar-cane cultivation in the district was 22,659 hectares which yielded 9, 14,172m.

(296) Bhadbhujwa feeding to the furnace fire

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Factory Total Value of raw Production of investment materials used sugar (value (in Rs) (in Rs) (in Rs) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------The Sugar Mills,Private,Ltd., 56,61,410 1,99,22,598 2,77,53,011 Sardarnagar The Punjab Sugar Mills,Company 81,16,000 1,31,80,952 1,79,10,233 Ltd.,Ghughli The Mahabir Sugar Mills, 11,00,000 10,22,132 1,76,36,411 (Private),Ltd.,Siswabazar Gorakhpur The Ganesh Sugar Mills Ltd., 1,11,29,874 88,74,895 1,60,50,277 Anandnagar The Diamond Sugar Mills,Ltd., 10,00,000 63,00,000 1,24,37,422 Pipraich Gorakhpur -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(299) Hot boiling sugarcane juice

(294) Working Bhadbhujwa

(295) The bhad (furnace) CRAFT DOCUMENTATION / 15,000 HECTARE / SUNEEL KUSHWAHA

Sugar mill

(297) Worker with sugar squeezer machine

(298) Four ponds for filtering the waste from sugarcane juice

(300) People making Bheli CRAFT DOCUMENTATION / 15,000 HECTARE / SUNEEL KUSHWAHA

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The Frugality-

(470) Sketch: Dhebari making

Sense of utilisation

1. Metal cap of a bottle

Indian Jugaad is another term for frugal innovation and Low Cost Survival & Coping Strategy. The locally made low-cost vehicles used as a means of transportation in the rural Gorakhpur, is a result of the lack of resources and unhealthy financial conditions. The vehicle does not need any registration and is thus, also free from paying any road tax.

Contrary to this, in the business and management literature, the term has much more added to its context. The paper discusses Indian Jugaad as not only a way of “making do” but a methodology that has emerged as a way of survival for the people at the bottom of the pyramids. The lack of capital and resources causing the unaffordability of the basic amenities motivates the option of Jugaad in the Gorakhpur. There are some remarkable reuse /unconventional use of materials bloom the major innovations that have lifted the

lives of these people up. Such as a KATCCHA house, the cooking hearth such as CHULHA, “LAGGI” a leaf cutting tool used by Musahar tribes, Pattarbinnah’ DHELWASH e.t.c.The children makes dagga of used slippers(chappals), use bicycle tube for making Gulail (catapult)

3. Putting cloth wick through the holed in the cap.

4. Bottle filled with cerocene oil.

2. Peace of cotton cloth

Container reuse: * Dalda (vegetable ghee) container / distemper box is a bucket. Creativity never stops here (see images). * Container for food grain in plastic container of products. * Cold drinks plastic bottle at the mouth of the Nal (hand pump)/Tab (for controlling the flow).

5. Putting the wick in the Bottle

6. Dhebari/Diya(lamp)

*half cut cold drink bottle replaces the drinking glass.

(301) Handmade diyalies (diya) for worshiping in Diwali festival, it is used without baking.

(302) Container reuse as a funnel CRAFT DOCUMENTATION / 15,000 HECTARE / SUNEEL KUSHWAHA

(303) Plastic bottle reuse as a Glass

(304) Dhebari/Diya(lamp) CRAFT DOCUMENTATION / 15,000 HECTARE / SUNEEL KUSHWAHA

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Textile reuse

(471) Illustration: Kathari / Gudari making

The Frugality in local material culture is the spirit, also known as the “pioneer spirit,” was once common in Gorakhpur as well, atleast until their economies matured. A textile material can be*a tying material, *used as a bandage, *use as filter net, *stuffing of the cushions, * Sari reuse in making “Kathari”.

Kathari (92”L x 84”W) is a complete

Jewellery

reuse of textile material. It’s a pile stitch of the sari. Three or four saris are laid together than wrapped with another sari and usually house women stitch it with hand. It is said if there is “a relax sleep, that is only to sleeping in mother‘s lap”. The sari used in Kathari is maintaining the attachment of women to everyone; sari gives a decorative and no requirement of bed sheets. Some women do Kathari making in Gorakhpur as occupation.

1. Layering the saries

It is the matter of surprise - to know that the history of Indian jewellery goes back to almost 5000 years. Since pre-historic times, people in India have had a penchant for adorning themselves with jewellery. Gold, silver, stones, gems, etc., were the defining aspects of Indian jewellery.

2. Covering the free edges

The significance of jewellery in the life of women in India, they are gifted jewellery in different phases of life such as, at birth, at coming of age, in marriage, on becoming a mother, etc. Certain ornaments, such as Mangalsutra, Nath (nose ring) and Bichia (toe rings), quit essential for married Indian women. From the practice of generations, these gifts are still continuing without any abruption. Jewellery gifted to women at the time of her marriage is called ‘stridhan’ i.e. wealth of women, which in short is symbol of wealth, power and femininity.

3. Village women stiching Kathari (305) Textile reuse as bandage

“Jewelry has not only been considered for the purpose of adoration, but also as a security in times of contingency”.

(306) Textile reuse as a filter

(307) Textile reuse as tying material CRAFT DOCUMENTATION / 15,000 HECTARE / SUNEEL KUSHWAHA

4. Ready to use Kathari

(308) Kathari on cot

(309) Hasuli, a necklace

Jewellery has been used for a number of reasons: *Functionality such as to fix clothing or hair etc. *As a marker of social status and personal status, as with a wedding ring. *As a signifier of some form of affiliation, whether ethnic, religious or social. *Protection (in the form of amulets) *Artistic display *keeping large amounts of wealth stored in the form of jewellery. *jewellery, such as brooches and buckles, originated as purely functional items, but evolved into decorative items as their functional requirement diminished. *Jewellery can also be symbolic of group membership.

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Attiers: The woman

Jewellery: Sindoor

Ghoonghat (veil)

Bindi Nathuni (nose ring)

Basuli

Blouse

Godna (body tattoo) Kada

Not only in Gorakhpur in the whole of India, women are considered as the “laxmi of the house”. Laxmi is the goddess of wealth and prosperity. No can deny the amount of work they do. But genuinely, traditionally and emotionally they are fond of jewellery and ornamentation.

In primitive period it was bones necklace, then flowers and today it is silver and gold jewels.

Jewellery and ornamentation was intended to highlight the active and resourceful parts of the body (usually done at exposed part of body) and also give a feeling of completeness. Use of colour was also an option to do so but with the jewellery the tactile feel of material and sounds produced by collision of jewellery /by body movement, creates a divine feeling around the women.

Little vice versa for the village, the tribal jewellery are heavy, simple, creates less sound and stronger as the women have to go through rough jobs. As well as there in no place to put them, while village women have jewellery for normal days or jewellery for some ceremonial days. Their ornaments are the same as that of tribal women, but comparatively more complex for function and intricate in design.

Kada is a signal bangle for the hand. Women are appreciated for their thin wrists. Scientifically it is said having a kada in the hand controls the thickness of the wrist.

As people thought - the thicker will be the kada the wrist will be thinner. It’s a very basic shape of a bangle made of silver. Legs have chhada generally two in number for one leg. A stiff,

Clothes: perfect circle and with no drape no flexibility in the payal. The tow rings are called bichiya (worn only after marriage). The hasuli is a necklace around 200- 500 grams of silver. This is a sign that the woman belongs to the lower caste to wear Chandi (silver) jewellery. This is used by all womenn either from the villages or from the forests. A widow is not allowed to wear hasuli. It is the Magalsutra only. Many of the other ornamentats is to justify the marital status i.e. like mang mein sindoor, Nathuni in nose, and Bali in ears. A girl gets her nose and ears pierced before 5 years in these villages. The piercing is done by Netua tribes. They do it with thorns. They do godana (body tattoo) also.

The clothes are very vibrant so that they can be seen in vast forests. Mainly cotton clothes are popular.

the body movement. The blouse of women is very close to the design of shirts and it used to have pockets and collars.

Sari:

Parda Pratha:

There is a minor difference between village women and tribal women that is the fall of the sari, sari is a little higher in case of forest working tribal women. It is convenient to go through the bushes in the forests. The sari wrapped in “pichhe pallu style”(end drop at back) - the pallu end for tribal women comes front from back and fixed at the waist so that it won’t fall off and keeps close to the body.

Loose clothes in forest/ going through bushes may tear / can attact forest insects. A knot in the sari pallu was the meant as a reminder for something later. Not only that it may have eatables either money or Surti.

“laj hi aurat k sabse bada gahana hola” -the shyness is the biggest (most costly) ornament. However, the work involves both the hands. In their whole working period you will not be able to see their faces.

The saris cover the face from head although sari has a free end and lots of chances to fall off but they keep their veil held in their teeth. Is that by nature the tribes not show their faces?

In the villages the veil length was very low and you cannot see the women. It is parda pratha which govern all the villages of Gorakhpur. A married woman is not allowed to unveil in front of any elders (especially male).

Launa (fire wood)

Godna (body tattoo) Nathuni (nose ring)

Bida Bindi

Bali

Basuli

Blouse

Hasuli (sickle)

Kada

Blouse: Blouse for tribal women is snug fit as to cover

Sari Sari

Chada Bichiaa (tow ring) Bichiaa (tow ring)

Chada

Chappal (slipper) (472) Village woman attire

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(310) Chhada in legs

(311) Kada in hands

(312) Village women in sari

(313) House wife in parda(veil)

(473) Tribal woman attire

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The Widow system: In the famous epic Mahabharata, Draupadi the wife of the Pandavas wipes off her sindoor in disgust and despair at the happenings in Hastinapur.

Sindoor is one of the 16 adornments (solah shringar) in Hinduism stated for married women. All she has to leave if husband died. Which results- The Hindu widows are not allowed to wear sindoor, signifying that their husband is no longer alive. It is interesting to note that the application of sindoor by married women carries physiological significance too.

This is so because Sindoor is prepared by mixing turmeric-lime and the metal mercury. Due to its intrinsic properties,

The Sindoor:

mercury, besides controlling blood pressure also activates sexual drive. This also explains why Sindoor is prohibited for the widows. For best results, Sindoor should be applied right up to the pituitary gland where all our feelings are centered. They can’t have lali (the colour ornamentation of body),have to put off hasuli (a necklace). And most of the ornamentation is gien up after the husband’s death. People say- “what is the worth of ornamentation if husband is no more.”

Unlike other parts of India, the widow can wear colorful saris here in Gorakhpur.

Wearing chada and kada also are worn without objection in tribal groups.

(314) Singhora(sindoor box) Sindoor

Legends say that Radha, the consort of Lord Krishna, turned the Kumkum into a flame like design on her forehead. One more story- in Satyug once in Ayodhya maa Sita (w/o lord Rama) had sindoor in her mang (parting-line of hair) the hanuman asked her the reason. Sita said it is for her swami (Ram). Women have sindoor in their mang to show the dedication and love for their husbands.

And hanuman covered himself in sindoor for lord Rama. Since then all the idols of lord hanuman are painted with sindoor.

People do have that tika as a faith in hanuman and to gain the blessings of hanuman.

Sindoor is traditionally applied at the beginning or completely along the parting-line of a woman’s hair (called “Maang”) or as a dot on the forehead.

Sindoor is the mark of a married woman in Hinduism. Single women wear the dot CRAFT DOCUMENTATION / 15,000 HECTARE / SUNEEL KUSHWAHA

in different colours (“Bindi” in Hindi) but do not apply sindoor in their Maang.

The sindoor is first applied to the woman by her husband on the day of her wedding and is called as Sindoor Dana ceremony. The sindoor container is made up of wood called “Singhora”.

The cap and the body of Singhora should not be separated ever during wearing sindoor as depiction of their relationships.

Why “Red”?

According to the Hindu astrology, Mesha Rashi or the House of Aries is on the forehead. The Lord of Mesha is Mars and his color is red. It is believed to be auspicious. This is why red sindoor is applied to the forehead and at the parting of the hair. Both are signs of Saubhagya (good fortune). Sindoor is also considered to be the symbol of the female energy of Parvati and Sati.

Bindi Kajrautta Sari

Hothlali

Jhumka

Basuli

(315) Sindoor sale

(474) Married woman attire

(316) A village lady(widow) CRAFT DOCUMENTATION / 15,000 HECTARE / SUNEEL KUSHWAHA

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Hair style:

Body Piercings and Tattoos Body modification is the deliberate alteration of the body for non-medical reasons such as writes of passage, aesthetic reasons, religious reasons, and to show self expression. Body modification is a term that is generally associated with tattooing and piercing Tattoos are part of an ancient and universal tradition of human selfdecoration and expression,” They convey their messages without words and sometimes even long after death.

“Diamonds may be lost or stolen—it’s a tattoo that is forever”.

In rural Gorakhpur, the tattoos and piercings is a part of their superstition and conservative beliefs. A lot of people, especially from the tribal groups, believe that having a particular shape of Indian tattoo drawn would get rid of bad omens and would bring in luck. A lot of them get either their loved ones names or the name of god on their body to show the affections or devotions, they possess for them.

Indian women generally have symbols

of fertility or health.

The majority of the people-Netua (Dom) who decorated the villagers with this extreme “needle work” do so out of pure creativity, imagination, and individual self-expression. The Netua is a nomadic tribe of Gorakhpur who visit the villages once in 2-3 months (approximately). They use to do the piercing with cactus thorns. In tattooing also the use of thorns was used and for pigments they use ashes/Bhabhooti (burnt Agarbatti). *tattoo on women shows the skills of cooking. Traditionally done at the age of 6 yrs (girl) in Gorakhpur it’s also of a method of segregation. The motif of tattoo says the caste of the women, to which, she belongs.

Specific jewellery and dressing always referred to for the segregation process as 1st hand is for former and the motif is of some grains i.e. field crops. The second one it’s a tree so it depicts forest people. Last one is for Netua people because Netua people are involved in animal trading.

(318) Tattoo for farmer /village

Kajara: Face powder, decorative

Mehandi and Lali : No doubt Alta - (nail polish), came later, it was “Lali” (the red Color liquid use for body Ornamentations. Linining the legs with red and red dots (represent the “Sakti”) in the palm was divine decoration of body usually done during marriages or religious functions. When there was no Bindi, women used to have a small circle on forehead of “Lali” (or sindoor).

Mehandi was an alternative of Lali. Mehandi gives long last water proof pigment on body. It is believe the darker will be Mehandi the love between couple will be stronger. Mehandi is a Rasm during marriages and has lots of meaning and stories i.e.

Mehandi design contains the name of husband. The new bride will work In-low family only if the Mehandi erased.

Earlier these tribal women go out bare feet. But as per increase of accessibility

of every product they also are building the fond of slippers and sandals. Dark complexion, sharp features and shyness are visual beauty of these tribal women. And loud voice, sort tempered and self confident are inner beauty.

Language: Hindi, The second language of the city of Gorakhpur is Bhojpuri. There are numerous dialects of Bhojpuri especially in the Uttar Pradesh region. Bhojpuri blends the vocabulary of Sanskrit, Hindi, Urdu, as well as other Indo- Aryan type of languages consistent in northern India. The language of Bhojpuri is related to Bihari languages. The language of Bhojpuri is spoken frequently in Gorakhpur. Mahua is a bhojpuri channel on television ranged everywhere.

(319) Tattoo for forest people

(317) Koiri(farmer) women hand CRAFT DOCUMENTATION / 15,000 HECTARE / SUNEEL KUSHWAHA

Usually they do tree braid choti and process of making choti is called “choti poorna”, long back. The use of false choti was also there, These Choties (false) were looking natural and seamless, women used to braid their hair to get thickness. Some village women are still using this as an extension. Choties (false) is simple to attach, no salon or nobody’s help is required to attach, and it is a cheap extension in Gorakhpur. Tying Ribbon was for girls. Girl’s hair style has two ponytails with ribbon tied (in butterfly form/ loop/knot) to both. If it’s one choti the ribbon also goes along and end bunched with a flower of ribbon. The Chimti (a hair clip) was very famous it keeps the hair grouped and set.

bindi, malas, chimati is of today’s stuff. Earlier simplicity was admired with some underlining the eyes (kajal in eyes). Kajal is the (ideal black) tar/ash mixed with oil (Sarso oil). it is domestic product. During Diwali there is tradition- of making Kajal by keeping a diya lighten for whole night and one unfire diya over it upside down, the tar collectes in to the unfired, then transferred in to Kajrauta (special type of box to keep Kajal). The Kajal produced that time will be used till next Diwali. The eyes are the most striking part of the face, because it is the combination a very high contrast colour i.e. black and white. It plays a major role in the face expressions. Kajal has been started for refining the detail of the eyes. In Indian mythologyMaa Kali (a demon hunter) was described as having Kajal all over the body.

(320) Tattoo for netua/ animal traders

(321) Lali ornamentation

(322) Solah sringar

English sentence/Bhojpuri translation What is your name?/Tohaar naav (/naam) kaa ha?

Come here./ Hiyan aava. (yehar aava) What are you doing?/Tu kaa karat hava?

That man is going./Ooh marda jaat haan/ Ooh marda jaat aa.

How are you?/Kaa haal-chaal ba?/Kaisan bada?

I’m fine./Hum theek haiin.

I don’t know./Hum naikhi jaanat./ Hamke naikhe maalum/Humra Naikhe Maaloom He is my son./Eeh hamaar chhaura(/laika) ha.

She is my daughter./Eeh hamaar chhauri(/laiki) hiya.

What should i do?/Hum kaa kari?/ Hamke kaa kare ke chahi?

He is eating an apple./Ooh ago sev khaat haan/ Ooh ago sev khaat aa.

I saw the film last week./Hum pichhla hafta filim dekhle haiin.

They went to the mosque./ Ooh sabhe mahjid gaile haan.

She slept the whole night./ Ooh bhar raat suttal rahe.

I go./Hum jaat haiin./ Hum jaat aiin.

He has eaten./Ooh khailas haan./ Ooh khaa lehlas.

He will eat./Ooh khayi.

He will go./Ooh jaayi.

Why did you tell him to go?/ Tu ohke kaahe jaaye ke kahle hava?

Why is here crowded?/Hiyan (yehar) maye aalam kaahe juttal ha?/ Hiyan (yehar) hetna hujum kaahe ha?

I have to leave for Varanasi, next early morning./Humke kaal fajire Banaras khatir nikle la haan.

Which is best Hindi newspaper./Sabse badhiya Hindi akhbar kawan howe la.

Where should i go?/Hum kahaan jaai?

It is a book./Ee ago kitab ha.

Will you give me your pen?/ Tu hamke aapan kalam

deba?

Yes, of course./ Why not.

Haan, jarur./ Kaahe na.

Which village, you hail from? Tu kawan gaon se talluk rakhe la?/ Tahaar gaon kahaan ha?

Did he call you?/Kaa ooh tahraa bulavale haan?

This is our area./Ee sabh apne jageer ha.

What’s going on?/Kaa chalat haan?/ Kaa chal rahal ba?

Please say that again./Tani phir se kaha.

Pleased to meet you./Tohse mil ke badhiya lagal haan./ Tohse mil ke khusi bhayil haan.

Is everything alright?/Sab khairiyat se ha na?

How was your exam?/Tahaar itihaan kaisan rahe?

Are you married?/Tahaar biyah bhail ha?/ Tu shadishuda hava?

She doesn’t understand anything./Ohke jari na samajh me aave./ Oke tanko na bujhaa la.

Please speak more slowly/ Jari aahista bola/ Tani aahista bola You are very beautiful./Tu badi suhnar (/khapsoorat) hava. (to male)/ Tu badi suhnar (/khapsoorat) hau. (to female) He is looking at you./Ooh tohka taakat haan.

My life is full of problems./ Hamar jinigi khalsa pareshani se bharal ba.

Come with me./Hamra saathe aava./ Hamra sange aava.

One language is never enough./Ago juban kabho kafi na hove la/ Ek bhakha kab’ho jada na hokhe la.

I’ll come after you./Hum taharaa paachhe aaib.

Go there/Hunva jaa.

I can do anything for you./ Hum tahraa vaaste kuchhu kar sakat haiin./ Hum tahraa khaatir kuchhuwo kar saki na.

(323) Mahua TV channel logo CRAFT DOCUMENTATION / 15,000 HECTARE / SUNEEL KUSHWAHA

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Attires: The man Pagadi

Makkhi / Patingi

Gamcha

Gorakhpur has been the land of patriots. As in the tertiary of these forests once in February 4, 1922 a crowd of 2,000 people burnt down the Chauri-Chaura, police station, killing nineteen policemen. As being the natives of forests many people escaped on the other hand Britishers also feared the tribal groups living in the forest. Ram Prasad Bismil was a great revolutionary and believed in armed struggle against the British rulers. From the gallows of Gorakhpur jail he spoke his last will – “I wish the downfall of the British Empire “which came true after 20 years. His martyrdom at a prime age inspired the people of Gorakhpur particularly and the nation to advance the freedom struggle to its logical end. His last rites were performed at Rajghat on the bank of Rapti River

where about 1.5 lacks of people were present.

These stories support the build up of behaviour of tribal groups living in Gorakhpur. These people used to live bare bodied as it’s easy to climb on trees but the appearance to the society was in Kurata or Baniyan (a round neck t-shirt with pocket on belly) locally stitched. Dhotis usually are worn by village men while tribes used to wear it on special occasions.

They found it inconvenient during cycling or climbing trees so Tehmat( a cloth peace to wrapping at waste) is very famous in tribal groups and it can change in full drape or half wrap as per requirements. Gamcha for the solder helps them a lot in different uses like- protection from sun, wiping face towel, flying the bugs away,

Panahi (a black colour shoe) was a seldom used product for the tribes - only used when there was a wedding in the family, otherwise considered as only the rich only used it. As being blessed with Kanpur leather production (the raw material sourced from Gorakhpur) but plastic industry always resolved the price distinction, and with plastic Panahi got a huge response from the poor. It was washable, water proof and also had colour options. Later plastic sandals became famous.

covering the body, as a waist belt, as holding things, tying things and making Beeda. Beeda is the round coiling of Gamcha used to keep over the head (to protect head) while carrying the heavy items on the head.

Makkhi was the only jewelery worn by married men and it was the significance of being married. It is a locket gifted by the bride’s family.

Believing in the deities of the forest the man tribes used to have god lockets/ taeejs either on arms / in neck made up of metal and the Kalewa/Rakchha on wrist, was the significance of following religions - it’s a colored cotton string for tying on the wrists.

(327) Om arm tatto

Kurta

Dhoti

Yet while working the tribes were comfortable barefeet. Little insect bites/ thorn pinches in their legs never stopped work. The Chuna & Surti will be with most of the males in Gorakhpur. If you catch a cold, you just need to inhale the smell of Surti, if it’s any wound just apply Chuna over it. But lack of proper footwear results in feet diseases like flat foot and the distorted anatomy of feet (the big toe is curved away from the foot of many tribes) may happen.

Body tattoo was for lower castes

only usually Netua and Kewat used to have. The motif is usually Om or Hanuman; who were considering the strong deities (male power) of nature. Tattoo on men’s arm is the depiction of power. Birth marks and mole marks determine as the past life signs.

Pagdi

There is Netua and Bajania Dom in the village who entertain the villagers during marriages or religious ceremonies. So they used to have vibrant makeup with Kajal, Tikka, and Bead Mala. The extreme evolution of these Dom communities is the Nachaniya Dom they are the male dancers for marriage occasions. They dressed as women to perform women dances. Other than performance they always kept long hair. Some times when a boy keeps long hair, the villagers ask (teasing) him as “nachniya bhail ba ka re?”- are you becoming a Nachaniya?

Kurta

Tahmat Panhi

Plastic Chappat

(475) Village man CRAFT DOCUMENTATION / 15,000 HECTARE / SUNEEL KUSHWAHA

(324)Makhi/patingi(gold)

(325) A married man

(326) A saint

(328) Hanuman arm tattoo

(329) Bare feets distortion

(476) Pictogram for male nachaniya

(330) Tribal man CRAFT DOCUMENTATION / 15,000 HECTARE / SUNEEL KUSHWAHA

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Attaires: The Youths Youth attire(before): Moustaches were the sign of higher post/ caste. Male tribes used to have small moustaches, the whole village considered the moustache as only to be shaved when one’s father passed away.

On the death of the father all the males of the family had to go bald and shave the face.

The funeral activity at the Ghat was governed by the Chandal Dom. There is one more person introduced as “Mohpatar” just at the time of Mundan(the process of getting bald) he is the messenger of the dead body. He will demand the necessary items/any left items of the dead person to be given back. Mohpatar is from the Dom origin.

He also gets bald along with all the

Youth Attire(after): people traditionally and burries the items in Ghat to the Kul-Devi / Kul-Dewata tree (to Pipal tree outside of r yvillage/in the forest).

The Tilak on the forehead is a marriage tradition, which is a thumb mark made with Kumkum, Haldi, Chuna and Rice - some local deity (Kali, Shiva) blessings - ashes Tilak. During “Bhoot Utharana” (exorcism) process the victim has a black Tilak.

In the village all the kids are marked with Kajal every day by their mother (for escaping from evil eye). The kids wear “Hai” to avoid Buri Najar (evil eyes). The kids of the village are massaged with Saraso bukanoo for good health. It is a tradition to put Kajal once in the eyes during a marriage to prevent Buri Najar

(evil eyes). But the same Kajal may be used as a punishment for a woman’s insult - the accused is coloured black with Karikkha (dry Kajal) and a shoe mala in the neck and mounted on ass back and made to visit all the villages. It’s a famous local punishment in Gorakhpur villages.

The male domination in these villages was a lot. The traditions during marriages are also male dominated accept Nachaniya groups where they are ashamed to be addressed as a woman.

The males get special care in low class families and are treated as god.

Youngsters (tribal) are not able to concentrate on studies and leave it very early, the average studying in these

tribes is till the 10th standard. First reason is adolescent distraction and lack of resources. Second reason is the occupation of the parents and their fate. I.e. a Koiri (farmer) never thinks of leaving his fields empty and neither wants his son to do that because of the love for his land (fields), so, he keeps him with him while working. Less pressure of study is produces more labourers.

This caste system still says the (black smith) Lohar’s son should be a Lohar and not a doctor. Earlier people were hard working and the youngsters were very focused in gathering livelihood along with their parents. But times have changed today and these people too.

It is said the movies are ‘the mirror of the society. And film reflects the people.”

But here it is observer, the young of Gorakhpur try to reflect the movies.(TV at home 33.3 %, Mobile Phone ownership 39.4 %) After 2007 when the WOW FILM STUDIO (it was active since long) establishment, the whole culture of keeping a pony tail was abandoned by the girls and Boys has left the bare body

living style of forest.

There were only radios to connect with the outer world. People were good listeners. But the 20th century brought the techno-development in terms of visuals, earlier people never saw such things, which inspired youngsters.

As soon as the television came to the villages, the boys started imitating the stars on TV with their hair style and by

their attire. This attitude is because of the fast growing local film industry. Some film (local) stars not only got national but international recognition also.

Manoj Tiwari, Pawan Kumar, Guddu Rangila and Kalpana sing are some Bhojpuri singers. The songs are usually fast and the lyrics hide the different meanings (multiple meaning).

Today the lads try to skip their

conventional work and stay away from the work. They have a lot to explore in terms of career.

Social internet network is still new to them and all constructive educational movies come later, after watching the movies of their favourite. Attire of today’s young is the desire of betterment life for Tomorrow, than they had in childhood days. May be because of that they want a different identity.

(489) Gorakhpur film city logo

(490) Vow films and news logo

(331) Kid with Kajal makeups CRAFT DOCUMENTATION / 15,000 HECTARE / SUNEEL KUSHWAHA

(332) Tribal boy

(333) Chuttiya

(491) Vow film Acadamy logo

(334) The wow city entrance

(335) The film crew, Vow, Gorakhpur CRAFT DOCUMENTATION / 15,000 HECTARE / SUNEEL KUSHWAHA

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Services:

Barter is the exchange of goods and services, the history of bartering can be traced back to 6000 BC. It is believed that the barter system was introduced by the tribes of Mesopotamia.

oftentimes has become a necessary means of survival. Through bartering, people foster bond and relationship and in most cultures, barter system was used before money was created and immensely popular in trading. Explorers, merchants, pilgrims, and traders will bargain for specific items that they want.

It is also traditionally common among the people of Gorakhpur (no access to a cash economy), in societies where no monetary system exists, or in economies suffering from a very unstable currency (as when very high rates of inflation hit) or a lack of currency (because of isolation from city). In these societies, bartering

In Gorakhpur villages usually the barter follows the giving of food grains in return of goods /services.

“Ser/Shei/sher/pasheri” is a container (consider to have volume of 1kg weight) unit for barter system. The volume system of measuring the food grain is running. Now a day’s weight barter

Barter Systerm

system also got ground.

“Paua”is use for measuring the liquid items but use as “ser” (contain volume of 1/4kg).

The limitations of barter

*Absence of common measure of value: In a monetary economy, money plays the role of a measure of value of all goods, so their values can be measured against each other; this role may be absent in a barter economy. *Indivisibility of certain goods: If a person wants to buy a certain amount of another’s goods, but only has for payment one indivisible unit of another

good which is worth more than what the person wants to obtain, a barter transaction cannot occur. *Lack of standards for deferred payments: This is related to the absence of a common measure of value, although if the debt is denominated in units of the good that will eventually be used in payment, it is not a problem. *Difficulty in storing wealth: If a society relies exclusively on perishable goods, storing wealth for the future may be impractical. However, some barter economies rely on durable goods like pigs or cattle for this purpose.

The bicycle sellers “Indian village works on bicycle” In village market there is very less barter system, so there are some people sitting (at the being of the village markets) to exchange your grains in to money. Barter system still on with bicycle seller.

All the daily use items are sold door to door in the villages of Gorakhpur. These are the bicycle sellers who sell in the streets of villages. The bicycle seller has some advantages like no competitor around and liberty to go away in case of bad service.The very interesting

thing about these Bicycle sellers is the customisation of the bicycle. You can easily recognise the milk man cycle even without the milk cans, the modification of the cycle crosses the limit when it’s the knife sharpener. He uses the cycle to rotate the grinding wheel and the working position is like cycling.

Bicycles are a common mode of travel in much of India.

More people can now afford to own a cycle than ever before. In 2005, more than 40% of Indian households owned a bicycle, with ownership rates ranging from around 30% to 70% at the state level. Along with walking, cycling accounts for 50 to 75% of the commuter trips for those in the informal sector in urban areas.

(342)

The Sari seller Housewives are not allowed to go out for shopping. They buy everything from the bicycle seller same as the sari seller only then they come out of their four walls.

(340) Knife blade shrpener

(338) Kirana (Grocery) seller

(339) Murga seller (336) Sher/Sei/Paseri CRAFT DOCUMENTATION / 15,000 HECTARE / SUNEEL KUSHWAHA

(337) Pav/ pauwa

(341) Tadi seller

Mahendra Yadav - a sari seller (28yr) (Baghagadha to BashGav Road) sells sari in these areas he buys the sarees from Kudaghat, Golghar and Minathapa. All the trading is done on the bicycle and the showcasing of the sarees is also well planned. Some sarees (in transparent envelopes) are on the handle, some at the back on the carrier along with the Godown (the sari bag).

(343) Sari at the handle of bicycle

(344) Sari at the carrier of the bicycle

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132 Direct barter does not require payment in money (when money is in short supply) hence will be utilized when there is little information about the credit worthiness of trade partners or there is a lack of trust. The poor cannot afford to store their small supply of wealth in money,

especially in situations where money devalues quickly.

Barber service: Services like hair cutting / saving also is

a door to door service. The barber visits the village weekly. His bag is contains the whole saloon with the help of the cycle this walking saloon is accessible to everybody. In return people give him vegetables/food grains as per availability.

Tradition of getting bald when a death

of any family member is very common in all of Uttar Pradesh. In this region of Gorakhpur this tradition is followed very strictly and getting bald is a deal. The barber in return gets clothes and food items.

The god Vishwakarma is considered by followers of the Hindu faith to be the divine architect or engineer of the universe. He has five children - Manu, Maya, Tvastar, Shilpi and Visvajna - and these are believed by the Vishwakarma community to have been the forebears of their five sub-groups, being respectively the Gotras (clans) of blacksmiths, carpenters, bell metalworkers (metal casters), stone, masons and goldsmiths. It is not known whether these five subgroups historically practiced endogamy, which is a frequentlyfound feature of the Indian caste system.

Blacksmith (Lohar):

(346) Lohar

Among the village the black smith (Lohar) is the first person who has good relations with the tribal groups. People often visit the blacksmith to shop for buying iron tools, or sharpening the edges.

He puts the coal in the fire for Bhatthi (manual stove), held with Sadasi (a long pliers) from an evil. And hammer it. Lohar is usually the muscular man of society.

(349) Pattharkatta

Pattharkatta:

(347) Lohar tools

(345) Village Barber CRAFT DOCUMENTATION / 15,000 HECTARE / SUNEEL KUSHWAHA

(348) Putting metal Shue to cattle

The Pisan/Aata (flour) is a hand grinder in Jata (Chakki/ grain milling m/c). Seel and lodha is a domestic tool to grind and mix the spices.

The grain comes between the two dynamic surfaces, breaks into very small particles in the relative motion of chakka - one chakka is stationary and has small pit to hold the grain. While the other one is revolves over it by the revolution and gravity together the grains turn in to flour. With time these grains (of chakka) get crushed or become flat, so it is necessary to recover the grany texture for better work. A Pattharkatta makes the texture with the help of chisel and hammer. They make the design also along with the pits(texture) arrangement. By experience he knows how much should the depth be of the pits. Which place needs which kind of pits? Pits should be against the relative movements. The small pieces of bricks are used to strengthen the foundation of a house. He breaks the bricks for constructing the floors of houses.

(350) Seel and Lodha

(351) Jata / chakki (flour milling machine CRAFT DOCUMENTATION / 15,000 HECTARE / SUNEEL KUSHWAHA

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134 (358) On foot walker in forest

(352) in Train

(353) in Bus

(354) Animal in Bus

(355) People on a jeep

(359) on bike rider in forest

(360) on cycle puller in forest

(356) Rikshaw

Mode of Transportation City is crowded. The migration rate for Gorakhpur is very high. People travel a lot.

All the vehicles are usually over loaded with people and luggage yet people do not complain. The transportation facility of this city is as follows*One seat is shared by three people. *lots of luggage. *no proper information of the bus stops. *people travel standing. *people get the honour of traveling with animals. *roof of the vehicle is also an option for sitting. *people listen to songs a lot which interferes with their comfort, and can cost you a little. * travelling with the vehicle on another vehicle is also possible here. *people eat during travelling, it can smell. * don’t get your bike parallel to the fast riding youngster. *Rikshawman may consider you Kuber (god), if you are looking polished.

City is so busy usually bus dippos and railway station because of the village is always visite these place for work and business. For the city and for the village the main markets are the same. And this traveling hub opens up a lot of opportunities of business so everybody fights for a place. Cycle is the most commonly used vehicle.

CRAFT DOCUMENTATION / 15,000 HECTARE / SUNEEL KUSHWAHA

But the scenario of the forest is opposite to that of the city. Inside the forest you will find a few people walking with fire wood on their heads, a bike running with dust flying behind, one cycle man balancing with his long Lungi on a topsy- turvy road. *it’s very tiring when you walk a path of endless road. *a native of the forest wants to stay away from any danger; noone is there to help you in the middle of the forest. *forests are a little unsafe because of the animals (including human beings).

Air Force Station This place is far from the noise of city and pollution. In this forest there is one radar system (hidden) other than minathapa radar station, Gorakhpur.

The air force area is also in the forest area. An air force station in Gorakhpur was established in 1963 as Gorakhpur Airport, with a variety of planes and services, most notably Jaguar fighter planes and the second oldest helicopter unit of Indian Air Force (No. 105 Helicopter Unit). It is one of the biggest air force stations in Asia.

(357) Market traffic CRAFT DOCUMENTATION / 15,000 HECTARE / SUNEEL KUSHWAHA

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Ojha and Sokha

Jadu / Tona / Black magic India is the country of diversity. Lots of physical, cultural and geological distinctions created a complex web of classifications. According to Indian mythology there are 33 crores of gods.

As the geographical distinction made the native to believe in some super power, and the hierarchy of god, beliefs, faith and stories kept collecting. It’s natural that people seek something to believe in and rely on, this positive power which does good for humans are considered good. For balancing there are evils the negative power which is bad for humans.

All old stories of forests are balanced by these positive and negative powers.

“In India Kundali matching still matters a lot for marriages.”

People had grown listening to these stories. People believe their faith is so deep and in the existence of such power.

And they are bound to lots of rituals and dos’ and don’ts, any ignorance of any rule makes one guilty of disrespecting the gods and people are strictly punished for breaking any rule. Most negative power in tribal groups is Bhoot and Chudail. Bhoot is male devil and Chudail is female devil. Tona is negative power of wish (revenge).Hai is (jealousy) curse especially for children. For adults it’s “Najar Lagana”. Every year around 70% to 90% cases come to light of Bhoot Lagna, Chudail Chadhana, Hai Lagna or Najar

Lagna. Usually the new science has all the answers to all the reasons but people honestly believe to not let technology interfere. People go to Tantric, Ojha, Sokha or to the Vaidh for a cure from any disease.

People in India *offer “gyarah rupaye(11rs) ka prasad” to god because its shubh(good luck). *never cross the road if “billi rasta kat gai” (a cat passed the path before you) it is said if you go ahead some wrong may happen with you. *every vehicle has “nimboo mirchi latakana” (hanging lemon and chilli) for

avoiding evil eyes.

But such rules are more in the forest villages. Like*it’s prohibited to go out or travel during “kharwas” (for some days). *cover the head if one is getting a Tilak. *a Rakchhas face prevents the evil eye. *Kajal ka Tika saves the child from an evil eye. *rain in the sun means the wild animals are marrying. *suar (the pig)/ kuda(litter)/ Dom(people) are the representatives of goddess Laxmi.

(363) Tona utarawan process,sokha baba with victim(tona) sorsopar

(364) Chauthi prasad (75yr)-a baba/sokha,sorsopar

There were Ojha, Sokha, Palm Reader, Kundli matcher, Vashi karan Vidhi baba, Tantrik baba, Aghori baba, Tona, Tootaka and Siddhi baba in these villages.

There are always some bad things with good things.

Being too religious these people believe in demons with gods. People can’t be away from them. Sometimes people got so sick and not are able to cure and only god can do a miracle. Here the mediator between humans and god/ Demon takes place- Vaidh. It’s said about Mr. Chauthi Prasad Gaud (75yrs), a Sokha and Ojha, sorsopar, Gorakhpur many serious victims (even exiled from hospital) got cured. People have strong beliefs in Sokha and Ojha. No doctor was needed. Baba Chauthi Prasad does jhad and fook. He is in this profession since 45 years. He got tree temples-in Kaudiram, in Bichia, in Pandipar all in Gorakhpur. His earning is the amount given by victim’s family. He got these temples made by begging and by chanda (parchi kat kar/ by donation) only. His father used to do the Dih/Di Isthapana- tying of the Dih/Di (a village god) from holy Pipal tree. That time there was only one hospital in Gorakhpur village and the cases of Bhoot, Pret were more. It is the only Ojha who declares either it’s a Bhoot Pret case or a normal sickness he talks to the Sakti (unknown power) and asks him/her to release the body of the victim. He is a critic of new babas, medical professor of the hospital. And is a good admirer of old day’s food, people health.

Mitti nearby is a shop to wash the utensils or washing hands. People use to brush their teeth with sand. The baba also use to give holy mitti prepared by a process to the victim. For normal cuts and bites of insects he use to give doob (a grass) to apply over the wounds. This medication process indeed is a psychological treatment of mind but stunning is what when a person at his last breath stands up straight with these medications. Tantric and Aghori behave very violent and aggressive during treatment to create the aroma.

(361) Rakchhash face (The devil) CRAFT DOCUMENTATION / 15,000 HECTARE / SUNEEL KUSHWAHA

(362) Tona (black magic)

(365) Sokhai writing by baba/sokha,sorsopar

(366) Ajay verma (35yr)-a herbs seller,telnapar,sardar nagar

(367) Vaidh clinic board

Vaidh(kharberahia doctor)

(368) Collected Herbs

Herbal medication was one of the famous ways to cure diseases.

The person who practices this is called Vaidh.

Mr. Ajay Verma, 38 years old is running a Vaidh clinic in Telnapar, Sardar Nagar Gorakhpur for 20 years. He imports some herbs from the forests like- Giloh (a creeper) used in fever, -bamboo/Neem used as an insecticide (good in recovering of wounds), Ashok is very good with women medications as well and work effectively in heart diseases. He has done a classification of herbs on the basis of Tashir -cold Tasir and hot Tasir- the Tasir refers to the effect of herbs on/in body.

Earlier Hanthi Dant (elephant teeth) was used in Mastiska Rog (mental treatments) thus many other animals were used in the medicine of the Vaidh.

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Religion & Rituals:

The people of Gorakhpur district, Uttar Pradesh, believe that each community is guarded and protected by a local Gram Devata, a tutelary deity who is the actual spirit of each place. Although these deities are known by many names and identities, they are most commonly known as Di-Baba and Kali-ma, male and female respectively. in most cases neither is represented by an image, rather they are worshipped at sacred spots, Devthana or Devithana, often associated with a venerable tree and marked by a trident(Trishula) and one to seven small clay cones Pindas. They are never worshipped in the same shrine, but often their shirenes may be situated near one another. Terracotta is given to Di- baba and Kali-ma once each year at special festivals associated with each deity.

The timing of these festivals depends upon each locality’s individual traditions.

Horses and occasionally tigers are given to Di-baba, while elephants are given to Kali-ma, most figure standing between 30 cm to 80 cm high. These sculptures are made only by potters, usually on commission, and while some may be made entirely by hand, most are composed of elements thrown on the wheel and later assembled into the requisite forms.

(370) The godess and god of gorakhpur,Gorakhnath temple

Festivals

praying,bathing in the Ganges, and fasting.

*Chhathi, Chhath Parv, Chhath Puja,Dala Chhath, Dala Puja,Surya Shashthi

Khichadi

Observed by: Hindu,tribes and Jain time:octumber- november Significance: To thank Surya for bestowing the bounties of life on earth and fulfilling particular wishes Observances: Prayers and religious rituals, including puja and prasad, bathing in the Ganges, and fasting Gobardhan puja

(371) Chat puja

Observed by: the gorakhpur hindu tribes time:octumber- november Significance: to pray for long life of son and brother Observances: fasting, Prayers and religious rituals, including puja of cowdung sculpting.

Diwali / Dipawali

(372) Diwali Puja

Observed by: the Hindu, the tribes time:octumber- november Significance: to wlelcoming the prosperity and wisdom. welcoming thr lord rama Observances: Prayers and religious rituals, including puja of godess laxmi and lord ganesha and distributing prasad, Fagua / Holi

(369) The stone as a Shiva CRAFT DOCUMENTATION / 15,000 HECTARE / SUNEEL KUSHWAHA

(373) Tarkulhadevi puja

Observed by: Hindu time:febrevary Significance: To fill colour in lifr and celebrate the harvest season.

Observances: coloring to each other,having pakwans,

Observed by: Hindu forest tribes time :January Significance : To welcoming the harvest season Observances: eating sweets of foodgrains. eating khichadi, worshiping cattle, feed them.

Jutiya

Observed by: Hindu forest tribes time:september Significance: To pray for long life of son.

Observances: having fast by the mothers, praying baryal bushe,puja of river godess.

Ganga mela

Observed by: Hindu and forest tribes time:febraury Significance: To continue the fagua(holi for 7 days Observances: play color .

Laura Bahura

Observed by: Hindu forest tribes time:march Significance: To pray for brother.

Observances: worshiping tree and bushes ,having fast Bada Itewar

Observed by: Hindu forest tribes time: september-octomber Significance: To pray for Observances: worshiping cattle, feed them

(374)Village god and godess temple

(375) Kali mai ka thana,Deoria

(376) Holy Pindies,kalimai ka thana,deoria

(377) Home temple

Offering to God They follow a ritual for suffering and danger as well. If it’s a Mannat (to please the god/ goddess for fulfil the wish) they walk to the temple bare feet, covering the distances by rolling on the ground, piercing tongue and cheeks with tridents etc.

They offer Ghanta (bell), Trishul (Trident), Chunni, coconut (as a replacement of offering Bali), fruits, herbs and other eatables, light agarbatties and dhoop. Offering is the sacrifices of goats also. A Thana named Doodhnath baba ka Thana (Deoria) here the offering is only milk. And everyday hundred litres of milk is offered. Outside of the temple the outlet of the offered milk is use for bathing.

(378) Animal head offering

(379) Bell offering

In return they got Tika/Tilak, prasad as a blessing rom god/ goddess. They tie Kalewa on the wrist as a sign that god will help and stay with the person. Nebu Mirchi is hung at the main door of the house /working place to prevent evil eye.

(380) Animal sacrifices CRAFT DOCUMENTATION / 15,000 HECTARE / SUNEEL KUSHWAHA

141 (385) Pottor store

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Terracota Local dieties

Traditional Utenciles

The terracotta idols of god goddess are the identity of Gorakhpur. Until a few decades ago, Gorakhpur sculptures were simple, somewhat abstract interpretations of the animals they were depicting, with minimal decorations. Many potters still perpetuate that style.

There are some traditional utensils for special uses as terracotta Kahtari. The Kahtari is a flat vassal use for curd making (Dahi Jamana).

Terracotta Kathauti is the big bowl for keeping Rotis/ Chapaties.

Mataka Kulhad is the small size Mataka shaped Kulhad use to give Panchamrit (a liquid Prasad) after worships. There is one special tradition to keep a Ghant for KulDevi / Kul-Dewata when anyone of the family died. The Ghant is a simple Ghada tied with neck and hanged to a Pipal tree. The unforgettable railways tea it the traditionally given in Kulhad of all India.

(381) Di-baba horse

District is known for black pottery the clay is obtained from the Pokhar (pond).

It is made of special kind of clay found locally. The wares are only dried up under the sun and never baked unlike other terracotta materials. The sun gives it natural black colour. It is sometimes decorated by engraving it and filling with mercury.

(382) Kali mai elephant

The Terracotta work of Gorakhpur is an example of traditional art form surviving over centuries, where the potters make various animal figures like, horses, elephants, camel, goat, ox etc with handapplied ornamentation. Some of the major product of craftsmanship include Hauda elephants, Mahawatdar horse, Deer, Camel, Five-faced Ganesha, singledfaced Ganesha, elephant Table, Musical troupe of humans & Ganesha, camel cart, bullock-cart, horse-cart, camel-lamp, lantern, chandeliers, Hanging bells etc.

The entire work is done with bare hands and they use natural color, which stays fast for long time. There are more than 1000 varieties of designs of terracotta works crafted by the local craftsmen.

Local Deities Village shrine dedicated to local deities, Recent Sculpture is well-patronized from village of Nauranga; these highly stylized sculptures of Kalima on her elephant and Di-baba on his horse stand together in nearby shrine. Local village believe that once these figures have been placed in the shrine and hate energy of the corresponding deity invoked into them, they will be transformed into real magical beings in the spirit world for the goddess and god to ride in their Mighty battles against demons and evil. In tarkulaha and budhi mai Thana the sacrificing the he goat is a way to please the goddess. The head of the dead is offered to Mata and rest body becomes the part of Prasad.

Worshiping flora and fauna is highly rooted in their culture. The cow and the ox are most worshiping animals.

They earned lots of respect because of their social nature. Ox is symbol of labour and some time relate to Nandi- lord Shiva’s bull. Elephant is alike Ganesha, wired myth is that the pig represent the laxmi Mata (the goddess of money and prosperity).

Worshiping of Tulsi and Pipal in flora is also a part of culture. Tulsi considered as holy plant. From the story of Ramayana there is one accident that a Rishi Gautam suspected on holiness of his wife. And curse her to become a Tulsi bush (Ocimum tenuiflorum). His wife Ahilya turned in to Tulsi which was proof of pure Ahilya. Since then people started keeping the Tulsi in their courtyard. It also considers that it protects the home from evil eye, it referred as home deities.

When a person dies, there is one custom of keeping his remains in a Ghada and hang it far away on a Pipal tree. This (Pipal tree) is Kul Dewata who keeps eye on the family every time. And this custom is called as Ghant Chadana. It is considered that the Pipal tree is the oldest and experienced tree of the area. The Ghant of many people has been hung on the Pipal tree. Because of the hanging roots, high nets of its branches makes it look scary, on the other hand these stories about Pipal tree get people emotionaly attached. These type of local stories are stuffed in the minds of the people. Many cases of Bhoot prêt and Chudail also appear often. Victims(Bhoot) appear with the fear of some natural powers that controls his action and compels him to behave unsocial. Person call it “Bhoot ke was me hona”.

People do talk about these things and keep these spirits alive in their minds even today. The baptism is the oldest method to relate and to keep remember the things (places. i.e.; Bansgav(a place)-bans (basketry row material)-Bansfore(Dom).

Person naming on the basis of the behaviour/ on the basis of incident is also a part of baptism. But sometimes forcefully these names are stuck with the person and people start considering the person by that identity.

For women it is very horrible that they spend their lives without any name- in their childhood they are called-Babuni, Bitia, after marriage Falane-Bo(“Bo” is refer as the wife of someone , for example “Mrs. Nebulal= Nebulal Bo”) and after children they are called mother- Falane ki Amma/Mai.so this way there was no name required. They spend their whole life without a name; first fathers, then husbands and then children.

(384) Kulhad

(386) Tulsi puja

(387) Ghant chadhana

(383) Decorative sugga(chhat) CRAFT DOCUMENTATION / 15,000 HECTARE / SUNEEL KUSHWAHA

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Measurement units

Day clock

A very surprising fact about the villagers and tribes of Gorakhpur is- that they have their own calculation and measurement units. If it is the matter of measuring the field dimension they will measure it in the unit of “Lathi”. Lathi is 6 feet straight bamboo stick. If it is the matter of measuring the height, below the height of the stick (Lathi) they will measure it in Hanth(consider 1 foot adult ).smaller than one hand then Balista (15cm /half foot).

Balista is flat stretched distance of thumb to middle finger/ index finger(sometimes) tip to tip. Yet smaller will be measure in Angul (the no of finger thickness). Not at all any scale was required.

If we talk about date of some accident as they never follow the calender system.

The will tell something like - my daughter was born when Rapti got flooded. By that you can only calculate the period not the exact date and time. This Lagbhag (approximate value) system is for us only because we follow different patterns of measurements. If they convey the same measurement among themselves the result is surprisingly correct. This is called the sensibility and experiences they practise regularly.

Time, season and weather forecast all is dependent on the nature signal. Growing in and with the nature these people are masters of guessing the directions, rain, wind and storms. Nature play major role in their spiritual value. “Dai garjat hawa” -the sky is thundering means the sky with the clouds is some god if it’s thundering means he is angry on them. Purwa hawa will be the which is destructive -(tree may fall, flowering of trees may destroyed) and Pachua hawa(west wind) means constructive( sign of new flowering , or ground under some fruit tree will be full with ripen fruits).

Myth- never count the roti measure it by the thickness of the roti. - Like Nebulal’s father used to eat 4 Angul Roti.

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They calculate the day only as its working hours / activity hours. For night it’s just rat (6 hours, 6 pm to 12am) and Adhi rat (12am to 4pm) only.

Month Cycle At night the movement of the moon helps them to calculate the months. One month is divided into two parts Andheria and Ujeria. Usually both are of 15 days according to English calendar and locally named as “pakh”. Sometimes the periods of Andheria and Ujeria fluctuate 14 to 16 days so that the month starts with both, it is predicted by a method as shown in image. By matching the moon curve by the hand curve if it’s right then it’s Ujeria.

Sun movement tells them time in the day.

By the angle of shadow falls on ground they get the idea of time. Here also the units (time) are different.

Because of following the month by moon’s movement it goes off beats to English calendar.

There are 12 months (Hindi Panchang) Magh, Fagun, Chait, Vaishakhi, Jaisth, Asandh, Savan, Bhado, Kuaar, Kartik, Agahan, Poosh. In relation to English calendar the January is from half Magh (the first month of Hindi Panchang) to half of Fagun. And so on....

The months have all planning of year working cycle.

They never break the despline. Chait (before 15th of month) is marriage season. Then there is 15th of Chait is “Karavash’’. Karavash mean people are not allowed to marry, not to travel, not to organize any big religious activity. The 15 days of Vaisakh is called Satuan Utaran. This is celebrated as a festival by the villagers and by the tribes. People eats Satua / Sattu, it is four of Chana,Kerai,etc) these days.

mountain. Some of the places the com is worshiped as that mountain were of cow-dung.

A myth- if any girl will eat the Govardhan prasad she ll get moustaches on her face.

Again in Poosh is followed by second Kharwas.

“The season is the festival”. Fagun is the name of festival (Holi),is a moth of year(Hindi Panchang), is a season(winter), is song full of slangs mainly dedicated to the men from in-low family.

There are three seasons - Sardi, Barish/Barsat, Garami and each season is divided in to two sub category *Sardi (WINTER)- Sarad and Shishir *Barish (RAIN)- Hemant and Basant *Garmi (SUMMER)- Grisma and Pawash.

Kartik and Agahan in which Govardhan (a festival) lies. It is a famous tribal festival. In this women of the family gather and make the caricature of the men of family with cow dung. The male representation by cow dung is little exaggerated. They offer different thrones bushes to lord “Gobardhan”to protect their men. “Cursing the own men will bring a long life for their men”. They curse the caricature of cow dung assuming the man member of family. Each male is representing by separate caricature. They beat them with Musal (A wooden tool to beat the grains) and take Parikrama. in some part this festival is derived from the story of Krishna. Once it rained for long and everything had gone in to flood. Than lord Krishna lift the Govardhan parvat. And people survived under the

8 Ghari= 4 Pahar =14 hours* =1 day**.

Bhinshara / Bhor= 4 am to 6 pm.

1Ghari= 1 1/2 hours= 450 of sun angle.

1 Pahar= 2 Ghari = 3hours= 900 of sun angle.

1st Ghari= Bhinaha, Bihan.

2nd Ghari -5th Ghari = 1/2 1st Pahar+ 2nd Pahar + 1/2 3rd Pahar = Dopaharia.

6th Ghari - 8th Ghari =1/2 3rd Pahar+ 4th Pahar = Sanjh / Sanjhiya.

(477) Day clock

(478) Month Cycle CRAFT DOCUMENTATION / 15,000 HECTARE / SUNEEL KUSHWAHA

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Musahar - Working Day Clock

Dom - Working Day Clock

(479)

(480)

* House keeping * Cattle care * Cooking food

* House keeping * Cattle care * Cooking food

* Preparing Stiching Stick * Cow dung cake making

* Preparation moonj ( for basketry) * Cow dung cake making

* Pattal making

* Fire wood /

* Leaves collection from Forest. * Tadi Drinking * Paid labour work (cline)

kanda (stitching

stick) collection * Cattle grazing (goat)

* Cooking dinner * Cleaning utensils

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* Intoxication

* Basketry

* Fire wood collection * Cattle grazing (pig)

* Cooking dinner * Cleaning utensils

* Bamboo buying from market * Tadi Drinking

* Basketry * Paid labour work (cline)

* Intoxication

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Entertainments The means of entertainment are songs, stories and dances. They sing Kaharawa during Diwali time, some rainy day songs are -Alha, Kajari, Barahmari and sing in the for winter nights also. During Holi they sing Poang and Fagua.

They keep telling old stories to their young. For the intention of checking the intelligence Bujhouni (riddle), Muhaware, Doha, Soratha, Kahawate and forests stories were told/asked. The young sleep here while counting stars and listening to stories.

Ram, Ramayana, Mahabharata are favourite stories of these people. Gita also spreads lots of beliefs in India. Either Ramlila (a stage performance of Ramayan) or Ramayan of Ramanand Sagar (an old television show doordarshan), people gather and believe deeply that they watch the programme in Namaskar pose. Today old stories are not being told, they are being watched on television.

(389) Cock fight

People used to bet money on animal fights like - Titar fights, Bater fight, cock fight, as a way of male entertainment.

Monkey dance and snake shows are still running. Such shows are usually done by the Netua (Dom). Parrot forecasting, ox (Nandi) prediction this was taken as a part of amusements.

Before television got popularity the ultimate entertainment was Nach (the stage performance during marriages.). The craze of watching Nach was so high that all the work would come to a halt. Girls were not allowed to watch the Nach. Nachaniya is a male performer (disguised as female), in Randi Nachi, girls used to dance and perform. People (old/ young) used to throw money over them when they enjoyed the performance.

(392) Clay toys

People used to hunt in the forests very long back. These people belong to the forest from the day of reserve forest declaration. Any hunting is prohibited. The quality of a forest man is deteriorating by these restrictions.

A good chaser, sharp shooting skill, good climber every skill are going in vain. Sports are the only medium to

(481) Gulail(ketapult) boy

(390) Monkey show

keep that spirit alive. In children the use of catapult is very common, even it is a part of game or just get the mango down, the catapult is the ultimate weapon. Some tribes use it to kill birds and animal for food. Lakhani is the game of good climbers played on tree (not ground). In this one is to touch one another by running from tree to tree.

(391) Snake charmer

Risky but these children are experts in doing so.

Dagga is a toy made up of used and broken chappals (slippers) little children use it and run along with this.

Little girls play with earthen toys, Jata, Chulha, Gudda and Gudiya everything made of clay. Girls prefer making house hold products.

(482) Dagga boy

People gathered to also discuss their mutual problems and take advice from elder people. Either happens at the well of the village/the hat (market) of the village/around bonfire during winter nights.

The Panchayats worked together to solve the local disputes usually held at Pradhan’s house or in the hat (local market). That was the time when letters were distributed/ read by post man in the hat only.

So social gathering was so strong that everybody used to know everybody.

(388) Musahar gathering, Rampur padaw CRAFT DOCUMENTATION / 15,000 HECTARE / SUNEEL KUSHWAHA

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(393) Tadi utarana:motiram adda,Goralhpur

Intoxication: Tadi The Tadi (sap) is extracted and collected by a tapper. Typically the sap is collected from the cut flower of the Tadi (in summer) / Khajoor (in winter) tree. A container is fastened to the flower stump to collect the sap.

The white liquid that initially collects tends to be very sweet and non-alcoholic before it is fermented. Tadi is usually drunk soon after fermentation by the end of day, as it becomes more sour and acidic day by day. The drink, like vinegar in taste, is considered to have a short shelf life. Surdev chaudhary (35yr) Motiram Adda-a Tadi climber is an expert climber of Tadi tree and collects Tadi from tad/ date tree every morning. The Tadi goes to Vinod kumar’s shop to sell.

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Alcohol / Tadi trading

Mahua daru

Rectified spirit is produced in the Saraya Distillery, Sardarnagar, which was established in 1951. The factory’s total investment amounted to Rs 50,000 in 1973-74 when alcohol Worth Rs 25, 00,000 was produced consuming molasses and coal worth Rs 8, 63,000 Coal of imported from Bihar and molasses are obtained from the local sugar mills. About 250 persons were working in the unit in 1973-74.Tadi is not so popular in commercial market .Vinod kumar (37yr)-a Tadi seller, Motiram adda, sells tadi 15rs/ltr. This Tadi is usable for 2-3 days and gets spoilt soon.

After working all day they really need some alcohol, work is pain killer and good for good sleep. With different types of liquors this one was unique. It’s made with a flower called MAHUA. Tribal people pluck these flowers in autumn and save the stock for the rest of the year. It’s pretty similar the way RICE BEER is made but the taste differs when MAHUA is added to the flame. Drink it within 12 hours of manufacturing time.

Tribal people love MAHUA and they spend their savings on it religiously. WARNINGSome confessed mixing urea chemical in the drink and there are reports of immediate deaths after consuming it!

Dom has to go inside the river to clean the city they can’t go inside without being intoxicated. It loses the olfactory senses and lets you go in. People may consume it in the morning many of them die with dehydration and the mood is spoiled for the entire evening. The best time to taste and cherish the unique MAHUA is winter.

Honestly having - 3 glasses.

The selling of this Daru is done very quietly, as it is illegal. One gallon Daru costs 300-400 Rs (mixed with water).

Generally one glass costs 8-10 rs and other chakhna also is available.

(394) Vinod kumar(37yr)-a tadi seller, motiram adda

Process of daru making Recipe: (for 20 kg Daru) Required items20kg- dry Mahua flower 20kg-1 gallon (20ltrs) water 40kg-Desi Bheli 2kg -Fitkari (alum) Process* mix all carefully with the proportion mentioned. *leave it in the pit for 10 days for fermentation. *take out fermented mixture give vapour heating. * put into the vessel (Daru making). *the mixture boils and makes the vapour. *collect the vapor into small can.

(398) Drying the Mahua

(399) Water soaking Mahua

(400) Fermentation of Mahua

(395) Surdev chaudhary(35yr) motiram adda-a tadi climber

(396) Climbing on a date tree.

(397) Pouring Tadi

(483) Selling of Daru

(484) Detail of furnace

(401) Daru making in Furnaces CRAFT DOCUMENTATION / 15,000 HECTARE / SUNEEL KUSHWAHA

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Surti

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(406) Jack fruit tree,deoria

Every human being is God in a state of divine intoxication.

Mesmerised by his own thoughts compelled by his desire to experience he totters from pillar to post in search of Himself.

(403) The Surti leaves

(404) Chuna

Ganja / Bhang

using hemp drugs in this district use Charas.

It is also found the Ojha (the person who catches the spirits) Sokha (the person who does the ritual to protect from evil eye) they also use Ganja and bhang during their sokhai (the process). The Ganja is the medium to talk to them (evil spirits).

Yes, certainly, and for obvious reasons; specially the class of religious mendicants, etc. Universal prohibition would be attended by serious dissatisfaction. Ganja is said to be the poor man’s only luxury in this country”.

With ganja, dried tobacco leaf and Otto of roses, with bhang, aniseed, pepper, cucumber seed, sugar, milk, rosewater, and kasni. The above is the bhang masala in use in these parts. Dhatura is not ordinarily used. The object of bhang masala is to reduce the strength of the intoxicant and to make it more palatable, improve the flavour, etc.

Smokers use ganja more in company.

But these drugs are used both in solitude and in company. Smokers usually begin at the age of 15, much as European children begin the use of tobacco, much as with other intoxicants, nothing special in this respect. Use of these drugs not included in the Hindu ritual. Ganja smokers invoke Siva.

(402) Surti store

Once upon a time in “samudra manthan” a vish (poison) bowl came out. Lord Shiva had that vish (poison) and held it in his kantha (neck) and did not let it go down to the stomach. His neck turned blue and Shiva got synonims as “neelkanthah”. This mythical story was taken as - surti is poison (harmfull)it is the responsibility of the elder ones to have it and not allow it to go down in to stomach and hold at neck.

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(405) Chuna over a wound

Surti is the most common intoxication of Gorakhpur. People keep chinauti (a box which opens from both ends and in the middle and there is one separator between both the openings one side is surti and another side chuna all the time.

Whenever they need it they just rub the surti with chuna. Well mixed surti is held below the tongue. Not suppose to gulp because the use of such things brings lots of problems to the health and home disputes, these people never live the life and let intoxication stop.

Crimes Gorakhpur, which is in the eastern part of Uttar Pradesh, was called as the land of gang wars, and was even given the title of ‘Chicago of the East’ by BBC Radio. These gang wars were usually conducted between Virendra Pratap Shahi and Harishanker Tiwari but after Shahi was killed in Lucknow, there was some respite from crime in Gorakhpur.

But given how things are getting back to the bad old days in the city, Gorakhpur is again getting a bad name.

These forest areas are considered as little unsafe for visitors.

Bhang is considered more beneficial than harmful and is used by those moving in good society, while ganja-smoking is held in disrepute and associated with bad habits.

Ganja-smokers seem to increase in number, but the amount used per annum seems lessening, owing probably to rise in duty and price. Use is becoming moderate. For bhang nothing can be said, as it is used as prepared privately from the wild plant. Only 1% of those

Betterment of Forest Villages The Gorakhpur government is focusing on the health care of these forest villages since very long. But still some issues of the village are left out.

Some positive results are as follows(492) Crime cycle in the Forest

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Gav ki Asha in Gorakhpur) for each delivery and 75 rs/day in polio Abhiyan.

More than 43 percent of girls are married off before reaching the age of 18. The use of sterilization is very low (especially among males at 0.3 percent) and there is a high unmet need for limiting methods among the urban poor.

For village development the government appoints the “Gav ki Asha” Abhiyan. This are some volunteer women also. They work as helpers to spread knowledge about mother and child health care. Tika (polio, hepatitis-b, etc) lagwana, keep reminding about checking time, instruct the mother about child caring.

The work area distribution is based on the number of families in the village.

(407) House of Badami devi.

(408) Badami devi(35yr) W/O ram sewak-gav ki asha,Ledaha Deoria CRAFT DOCUMENTATION / 15,000 HECTARE / SUNEEL KUSHWAHA

Badami Devi(35yr) W/O Ram SewakGav ki Asha, Ledaha, Deoriais working since 2006 as a Gav ki Asha.

Every month 2-3 cases of deliveries come to her and her she immediately informs the hospitals and she arranges convenience for the victim.

She gets 700-900rs (The Total Fertility Rate among urban poor is 3.74 children per woman, which is much higher than the urban average of 2.88

Health Status in the Forest Villages There is no primary health service or vaccination in these villages except the polio vaccination which is covered in the pulse polio campaign. Health status in these villages is as given below: Complete Vaccination [up to Measles] - 4.4%

(409) kid drinking Polio drops

Partial Vaccination [DPT/Polio] - 5.3% Deliveries by Trained Birth Attendant at homes - 0% Deliveries by trained people - 1.3% Infant Mortality Rate - 166 per 1000 live births Vaccination of Pregnant women 1.6% [by Private Doctors]

Pulse Polio Programme Polio affects the central nervous system and causes temporary or permanent paralysis, that is, loss of control or feeling in most parts of the body. Pulse Polio is a Programme established by the government of India in 1994 to eradicate poliomyelitis (polio) in India by vaccinating annually all children under age five against poliovirus.

(411) Children:Gorakhpur

(412) School going kids vs kids going for garbage collection(Dom caste)

Gorakhpur Literacy Rate

The Caste Distributions

Women Education

Gorakhpur Sex Ratio

Average literacy rate of Gorakhpur in 2011 was 70.83 compared to 58.49 of 2001. If things are looked at gender wise, male and female literacy was 81.80 and 59.36 respectively. For 2001 census, same figures stood at 73.57 and 42.88 in Gorakhpur District. Total literacy in Gorakhpur District was 2,700,328 of which male and female were 1,593,890 and 1,106,438 respectively. In 2001, Gorakhpur District had 1,798,769.

Schedule Tribe – 03.3% Schedule Caste – 63.8% Backward Caste – 32.6% General – 0.3% Education Level of These Families Illiterate - 55.1% Primary - 28.6% Jr. High School - 9.7% High School - 4.8% Intermediate - 2.4% Graduate & above - 0.4%

Illiterate - 92.2% Primary - 4.3% Jr. High School - 2.4% High School - 0.8% Intermediate - 0.3% Graduate & above - 0.0

With regards to the sex ratio in Gorakhpur, it stood at 950 per 1000 male compared to 2001 census figure of 960. The average national sex ratio in India is 940 as per latest reports of Census 2011 Directorate. In 2011 census, child sex ratio is 909 girls per 1000 boys compared to figure of 934 girls per 1000 boys of 2001 census data.

(410) Kids(< 5years) visited by gav ki asha: Gorakhpur

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Power CARD TYPE CARD COLOUR Rural connections Urban connections Gehu (rs/kg) Chawal(rs/kg) Mitti ka Tel(rs/ltr/ distance) Chini(rs/kg)

ANTYODAYA PINK 113102 13832

Ramjan Ali(50yr) is a Rashan wala(Rashan distributor) in Kerwani, Rampur Padaw, Gorakhpur. The government record and reality don’t match in these areas, for example while a conversation with Ramjan Ali. Me: how to decide the amount of Rashan to be given.

Ramjan: “here unit system doesn’t work.

The Rasan is predecided to each family (either big /small) equally.”

Me: it’s little higher than the prize decided by the government.

Ramjan: “the prize of Kirasan ka Tel/Mitti ka Tel (Kerosene oil) is 17rs/ltr (while govt rate is 13.50 rs/ltr) only other records are lying.Ramjan ali is distributing the Rasan science 1992.

Reservation

Ration distribution still considers caste basis instead of income basis. The initial conditions of reservations was acceptable since at the time of independence these SC/ST communities were weaker and exploited.

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APL

WHITE 181165 22804

YELLOW 391149 148480

The first power house in the district was established in 1928, followed by another a few years after, both managed by the Jhansi electricity company. The U.P. State electricity board took over the management of powerhouses from the Jhansi electricity company, in 1948.

In 1969-70, the total consumption of power in the district was 26, 68, 52,387 units. The percentage consumption of energy in the various sectors of the economy in that year is given below:

2.00 (20KG) 4.65(20KG) 6.60(20KG) 3.00 (15KG) 6.15(15KG) 8.45(15KG) 13.50(3LTR) 13.50(3LTR) 13.50(3LTR) 13.50 (700GRMS/UNIT) 13.50(700GRMS/UNIT) (414) Rasan cards

(413) Ramjan ali(50yr)-a rasanwala,kerwani, Rampur.

Rasan System

BPL

Rural Electrification

But after so many years of Independence the same criteria of cast do not make sense.

Other Backward Class (OBC)-27% Scheduled Castes (SC)-15% Scheduled Tribes (ST)-7.5% Physically Disabled (PD)-3% Total Reservation Percentage 52.5%

Among the 4,086 villages of the district 304 had received power by the end of 1969. The number of electrified villages rose to 594 in 1970. There is a scheme to lay 400 km. of transmission lines if 11,000 volts in areas situated in Dhani and Partawal development blocks. On its implementation another 980 villages will have electricity.

The consumption of electricity is quite high in the district.

The per capita consumption was 86 units in 1969-70, while the U.P., average was 36.8 units and all-India 63.60 units’ in167-68. According to a survey in 1969-70, it was estimated that the industries in the district consumed 94 percent of the total power consumed in the district, however the supply of electricity at present is erratic and it is one serious set-back for the industrial expansion of the district.

(485) Reservation %

Inspite of reservation schemes the forest villages have no ration cards hence ration cards are not being provided to them and thus their access to any of the Government welfare scheme has been denied. Their names are not included in the Kutumb (Family) Register and therefore their address and identity can not be certified and without any proof of residence they cannot apply for any Government or Non-government jobs. Their land is now in the hands of the Forest department and this state owned contractor of the forest continuously harasses exploits these poor communities.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------Sector Percentage consumption of power ----------------------------------------------------------------------------Industries 94.0 Agriculture 2.7 Domestic 2.2 Commerce 0.6 Others 0.5 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------100.0 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------(415) Distribution of Cerocine oil(mitti ka tel)

It is only positive part of power supply. no doubt electricity goes even till to the forest village by the wiring done on tree logs and Forest villages are distributed here and there at the middle of forest/ field in isolation so the way of wire reaches to home is very unsafe and cause many accident during rain /storms. Huts are of dry leaves can catch fire by a small short circuit, wet log can cause fatal death to the cattle if it’s touched or falls off. An average, electricity is approximately available for 14 hours in the Urban Agglomeration (UA) and 8-10 hours in the rural areas.

(416) Laltern:chitahi bazar, Deoria CRAFT DOCUMENTATION / 15,000 HECTARE / SUNEEL KUSHWAHA

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INDUSTRIES

Industrial Estate

Old-time Industries The weavers of the district have been producing cloth since ancient times, and the textile industry had its own guild rules and regulations, which were recognised by the law of the land. Sometimes head of the guild was an important personage of the court. The other, less important industries of theDistrict included dry leaves products, basketry, ceramics, metal casting and forging, and footwear.

In the medieval period, with the emergence of the middlemen as financiers, the industrial guilds disappeared. Much of the returns from a bargain were pocketed by the middlemen leaving the artisan in a state of poverty.The British encouraged the cultivation of indigo, which yielded a blue dye. By 1888 its plantation had no doubt, spread all over the district but the peasants preferred to grow sugar-cane and opium.

-An industrial estate was established at Nathmalpur on the Gorakhpur - Nautanwa road in 1965. It covers an area of 8.48 ha.

In 1973-74 as many as 17 industrial units were operating in the estate, which produced aluminium utensils, pipes and varnishes, electrical wire, and cattle feed worth about Rs 7, 80.000. About 130 Forest people were employed in these industries in that year.

After 1947, a number of small-scale industries cropped up at Gorakhpur, which had a large railway workshop. The following statement depicts the state of industries in the district in 1956: The census of 1961 indicated that the district had 3,568 workshop and factories which fall below the State average of 4,460 per district. Of these 2,125 were located in the rural areas and 1,443 in the urban centers. However the district gained a significant place on the industrial map of the State with the opening of a fertilizer factory at Gorakhpur in 1969. Another large-scale industry, the Saraya Steel Complex, Ltd., has been established at Sardarnagar in 1947 with an installed capacity of 10,000 tons of plain carbon steel ingots per year.

The factory employs 170 persons from forests.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Total number of industrial units 16,000 Total investment in the industrial units Rs 2,45,30,000 Total number of persons employed in the industries 41,000 Total value of production and job-work Rs 8,47,70,000 Total value of raw materials used in industrial production Rs 4,78,75,000 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Fertilizer Corporation of India, Ltd. was established at Gorakhpur near Nakha jungle railway station in April, 1963. However it commenced the production of urea on January 1, 1969, the factory is owned and managed by the Fertilizer Corporation of India, Bombay.

The total investment in the factory was Rs 37, 88, 25,000 in 1973. The factory is being expanded with an additional capital of Rs 7, 22, 00,000. It is estimated that the revised project will require a total investment of an amount of Rs 18 crores.

The annual production of urea will increase by 1, 11, 00 tons, in addition to the processing of 36,000 tons other fertilizers. Urea Worth an amount of Rs 11, 34, 18,000 was produced in 1973-1974, consuming naphtha and coal worth Rs 2, 69, 58,000. The total number of persons employed in the factory in this year was 2,250.

Agro-based Industries Oil from oil-seeds, flour from wheat and Dal from Arahar are produced in 38 units which are located at Gorakhpur, Bansgaon, Maharajganj, Pharenda, Nautanwa and Sahjanwa. The units are either operated by electricity or diesel-oil.

Saraya Steel Complex, Ltd. Sardarnagar:- This factory has been established in 1974,with a total investment of Rs 53,10,000, and a capacity of 10,000 tons of plain carbon steel ingots per year.

About 170 persons are employed in 1974. Steel is being manufactured from the iron-scrap available from the North Eastern Railway workshop Gorakhpur. The factory is equipped with an electric arc steel melting furnace.

Other Industries-- Cabinets (form wood), rice(form paddy), Venetian blinds, footwear, bricks, lime, soap, chewing tobacco, bread and biscuits, ice, and sports goods for children are produced in 217 units, which are located at Gorakhpur, Mahrajganj, Pharenda and Bansgaon.

The following statement gives the total investment, value of production and number of persons employed in the small-scale industries of the district in 1974:

Large scale Industries Sugar, gunnies, jute strings, oil-coke, and produced in large-scale units, which are located at Sardarnagar, Anandnagar, Siswa Bazar, Ghughli and Sahjanwa. There were 7 large-scale units in 1956, when the total investment was Rs 1,24,78,000, value of production amounted to Rs 4,93,46,288 and persons employed numbered 5,886 in 1973, the same number of units of produced goods worth Rs 11,61,20,786 with a total investment of Rs 3,84,75,365, employing 8,090 persons.

Agricultural Implements Agricultural implements, ploughs-crushers buckets and pans (for making jiggery) are produced in 59 units majority of which are situated in Gorakhpur city, The units are operated by electricity and use iron as raw materials.

Insecticides Insecticides are manufactured in 21 units, which are located at Gorakhpur. Oil and chemicals are used as raw materials.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Industries Total investment Total production Number of (in Rs) (in Rs) persons employed ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Agro-based industries 54,00,000 18,10,000 220 Agricultural implements 21,50,000 8,26,000 212 Insecticides 30,00,000 6,60,000 219 Electroplating 3,80,000 70,000 19 Mechanical engineering 62,59,000 16,50,000 508 Automobile repairs 9,89,000 11,00,000 91 Other industries 46,91,000 87,35,000 2,491 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

(417) Weights:Minathapa CRAFT DOCUMENTATION / 15,000 HECTARE / SUNEEL KUSHWAHA

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Small-scale Industries

Animal trading

Animal Sacrifice

Oils, wheat flour, Dal, rice, biscuit, tobacco, engineering goods, chemicals, furniture, soap, bricks, bidis, tanned leather, metal ware, sports goods, etc, are produced in a large number of small-scale units, which are mainly located in the tins.The following statement gives comparative figures of progress of small-scale industries in the district in 1956 and 1974:

Despite the Wildlife Protection Act, which bans the trade and trapping of all indigenous birds, and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, which restricts the trade in foreign birds, a black market in birds thrives openly; involving many of the country’s estimated 1,200 species. Laws designed to protect India’s birds are well intentioned but rarely enforced.

The trades of animals and birds are still not successful in Gorakhpur forest. Many nomads’ tribes beg and earn on behalf of the animal performances and villagers respond and take out money very easily. A monkey is considered as Lord Hanuman and he does comedy in public for claps. An elephant- Lord Ganesha (the god of prosperity) begs in front of people. Their religious beliefs have always opened doors for earning.

At Thana in forests (he-goats and cocks) animal sacrifice is widely practised as a means of getting rid of sins. However, no recognised and respected religion teaches violence or orders the death of any living creature. The purpose of a sacrifice is to give of oneself – to sacrifice something one desires or covets. Yet, as religious scholars point out, when an animal is sacrificed, it is the animal who sacrifices, not the human. Specific laws prohibiting animal sacrifice have already been passed in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Gujarat, Kerala, Rajasthan and Pondicherry.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------1956 1974 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Total number of units 474 472 Total number of persons employed 3,219 2,491 Total investment (in Rs) 66,69,600 2,35,51,000 Total production (in Rs) 83,46,990 87,35,000 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The investment and production of goods in the small-scale industries sector has gone up since 1956, but the number of persons employed in the industries has decreased, it is apparent that the industries in 1973 were more capital-intensive and labourintensive. The small-scale industries may be locally classified as agro-based unit’s agricultural implements producing units, chemicals manufacturing units, electroplating units, steel goods units, automobile units, and mechanical engineering units, Besides there are a number of other industries.

Village and Cottage Industries The village and cottage industries include mostly the handicrafts handed down from generation to generation. Cotton textiles, pottery, edible and non-edible oils, metal ware, carpentry pieces, footwear, baskets, blankets etc, are the goods falling under this group of industries, which are manned and owned by particular section of the village community. Textiles provide employment to the largest number of workers (as compared to other handicrafts). However the trade is not exclusively, in the hands of Muslim weavers as generally understood. A large number of Hindus are also engaged in spinning and weaving operations. But Kumhar monopolise pottery, Chamar leather trade, Gudari blanket making, and kaser as metal works. All these trades were confined to 314 villages of the district in 1961.A survey if the village and cottage industries in 1956 revealed the following facts: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------Total number of units 15,638 Total number of persons employed 31,806 Total investment Rs 16,48,250 Total value of raw materials used Rs 1,23,84,614 Total value of goods produced Rs 2,37,63,968 Total value of goods sold in the markets Rs 2,27,74,638

Zoos claim to educate people and save endangered species, but visitors often leave without having learned anything meaningful about the animals’ natural behavior, intelligence or beauty.

Furthermore, most animals in the zoos are not endangered species.

Cotton

Woolen Blankets

Handloom Industry - Dhotis, bed covers, tablecloths towels etc, are produced in - There are 350 units in 6,600 units using flythe district which produce shuttle looms. Trade footwear from leather. is mainly located at Footwear worth an amount Gorakhpur, Piprauli, Oil of about Rs 34,000 was Barhalganj and produced in 1973.

Rigauli Bazar. Efforts -There are 3,500 oil-crushers Tanned leather is are being made to in the district manned by an bought from tanners at introduce powerequal number of families.

Kauriram, Adhiyaribagh There crushers are operated and Nautanwa. Skins are looms and about half of the numbers of by bullocks. About 12,000 tanned using the vegetable units in this industry quintals of oil and 24,000 tanning process. The have been organized quintals oil-cake were process does not give as co-operative produced in 1973. Mustard satisfactory results and societies. and linseed are main oilthe leather produced, is of seeds used as raw materials. inferior quality.

Footwear

Some trades going on areMonkey dance, Begging elephants, Bullock ox, Snake charmer, Circus, Aquatic parks, Zoo, Cock fight, titar fight, Animal sacrifices, Pet cattle, Exotic pets.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-Artisans, adept in the craft of weaving blankets from wool, produce blankets at Gorakhpur and Pandepar in tahsil Bansgaon. Wool, which is procured from the sheep of the district, is used as raw material, Sometimes wool of finer quality is imported from the hill districts of the state.

Blankets which are coarse, are sold to the Villagers of the district. Training in the craft of Weaving blankets was imparted to a large number of persons at Jafra Bazar in the First and second Five-year plan periods. The training centre was closed in 1962.

Wool is carded in three units at Gorakhpur which are equipped with machinery operated by electricity.

-Yarn is the main raw material used in the trade. Its scarce in recent years caused some sort of a setback to the industry. The government has taken steps to overcome the shortage.

The state advisory committee on institutional finance set up a working group to go into the various problems Other Industries of the weavers in the state in 197172. On the Recommendations of this - Gur (jaggery),combs group, cotton-yarn is being made (of animal available by the U.P. handloom horns),carpentry and development corporation at controlled smithy goods, utensils, prices. Each weaver has a ration card tin goods, pottery, for this purpose. stonework, bidis, About Rs 1,260 to Rs 1,500 are Ayurvedic and Unani invested in each loom and cloth worth medicines, baskets, Rs 1,800 to 2,300 can be produced mats, strings, bangles each month. A weaver can earn Rs 8 (of Lakh), fireworks, to 12 per day. The earnings of weavers kites, are produced in producing dhotis, gauze and bandages a large number of units are higher to those preparing of those in the district. Each unit preparing garha and bad sheets. There comprises one to two is one calendar units at Gorakhpur, persons and on the where handloom cloth is treated. The average Rs 2 to Rs 4 machines are operated by steam which is earned each day an is generated in a boiler heated by coal artisan. or wood. Job-work worth an amount Ayurvedic and Unani of Rs 50.000 was performed in 1973.

Medicines --The Handloom cloth is mainly dyed and industries are located printed at Gorakhpur, Barhalganj, Gola in the Bazar.

Villages but Ayurvedic Cotton-yarn is also spun in villages and Unani medicines by women of the district who are are prepared by medical provided with training facilities.

Practitioners who They get cotton and the Khadi Gram generally reside in Udyog commission buys the yarn the urban centres. Raw spinners. But the cotton-yarn produced material for these by the rural spinners is generally not of standard counts and the quantity of yarn produced annually is also low.

(418) Kid with his pet dog,Rampur padaw CRAFT DOCUMENTATION / 15,000 HECTARE / SUNEEL KUSHWAHA

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160 contains 5bits of forests- Subba Bazar, Ramgadh, Rajahi, and Tilkoniya. Forest department is very active in these forests.

Yet smuggling of woods is normal.

There are 10 watchmen in Ramgadh village. The network of forest department is governed by the Gorakhpur forest department, Golghar, Gorakhpur. as per rule in 1988 when Tangia (filing was over, and no trades were allowed in the forest only some forest department affairs are allowed in the forest.)

(420) Dipti Ranger (Gorakhpur forest diptt.)- Baqaullah khan with Forest range officer(Panadi bazar,Tilkoniya forest range)-Jairam suman

Government: Gorakhpur has a fast growing economy. Government also forces these people towards the industrialisation and getting all possible benefits of human labour by them as they are good workers, cheap labour and strong and efficient in skills.

Changes were tried but did not last long. These people also consider the growth of industries in the city will bring them lots of opportunities of labour.

Earlier the untouchables were to stay away from society, results - till now most of them do not have their own house. Narmda Yadav, Gram Pradhan (Vishnathrampur) provided the place to them near to Tilkoniya forest.

Gram Pradhan (Moti Ram Adda)Raju Pashwan still waiting for

Chakbandi (it’s a government plan to group the scattered fields) and if there is any place left, it will be given to the Dom. It is said by these groups -”government looks at them when they need votes. Otherwise our past and present are the same.”

In some areas near Rampur padaw Mr. Ravindra Nayak (police commissioner- Gorakhpur) has opened a primary school but there is no teacher ,no students and no care taker and this school is in ruins of Haarppas(abandoned place).

Gorakhpur is one of the industrially developed districts of Uttar Pradesh.

The number of industrial sheds and chimneys is going up as technical knowledge, financial assistance and local facilities for power, water and location are being made available.

It’s always been the bitter truth of every industrial city that it will be full of mob of labour, slums, poverty and illiteracy. These people, sometime

Forest Management Department:

in the race of minting money, people forgot to grow mentally. Like an ox work all day all night but no care goes towards own broken hut, bare children and struggling wife.

Small scale industries, fertiliser factories, sugar mill wherever is the labour required these all are there.

Government runs some unsuccessful plans for them still (like Chakbandi yojana, primary schools,

Forest Management is found more concentrating on the timber wood than the tribes employed growth. Since 1988 when the clear filling stopped the rest Tangia strength reached to 200 in whole 15,000 hectare area of Gorakhpur. Now some of the dome known as the labourer work in different segments of works.

These Sal areas though well stocked were deficient in establishment of natural regeneration.

etc). And promoting the industries based on field and forest material highly.

The State Bank of India has estimated that a total amount of Rs 6,65,75,000 is required for investment in the small-scale and village and cottage industries of the district.

* Silviculture systems applied in these area is mainly shelter wood system and selection system sometimes improvement felling were also taken. * Due to paucity of funds, despite the working plan prescriptions works suffered in sal areas.

(419) Narmda Yadav, Gram Pradhan(Vishnathrampur)

Covering 15,000 hectare of Gorakhpur

Marking: The forest department has all the details about each Sal tree like age, height, diameter (trunk) and volume. When any tree got infected by termite, or woud fall by some natural reason, all old enough and dry as well it is been marked in records and on the tree also.

The process called marking. The trading of timber starts from the marking. They decide the date to cut it down they hire paid labour of Tangia or tribal groups. The process as the prediction of tree fall is uncertain. And it may take more time to pass from the head office.

Cutting: The forest labourer (Dom and Musahar mainly) comes and cuts it in too many pieces for easy transportation. These pieces call “Bota”. Bota (local name) is a straight (without branches) cylindrical wood piece of 6 meters in length(very specific about length. This labour is available at all time around the forests (as they live near the forests). These trees in the forest are placed at the distance of 10-15feet this is the one of key reason of these Tangia people still

employed in the forest. Due to less space between trees while cutting the falling tree can damage the neighbouring tree.

Small gap does allow easy access to the crane machines though. In the forest, these tribal groups are experts in cutting work (Tangi is the local name for an axe (kulhadi) and having an identity of a wood cutter with the axe they have been known as the Tangia. Tangia Paddhati (system) referred to cutting the tree with tangi. As per work divided among these Tangia groups (mainly Musahar, Pattarbinnah) used to only cut down the tree. Rest is done by Dippo (trade place) labour (mainly domes).

Auctions:

Royalty fixing:

Regeneration status in Sal area is found to increase from 25% to 44 % in two to three years. The bio diversity plant performed well with the help of local tribes employments.

If it’s more than that there are extra charges applied as per unit length rate.

Gorakhpur cabinet has approved the fixation of 40 per cent royalty on timber and other forest products in the state i.e. one third of the Royalty generated from Sal forests will be deposited in the forest deposit and money will be utilized for natural regeneration and development of the Sal forests. The remaining two third royalties will be deposited in the forest Revenue. The royalty rate has been revised after 5-7 years, as per the cost inflation. As being a good timber wood the rated of “Bota” rages from (dia 0”-10”=) 206 rs to (dia 70”- above=) 47937rs. The Bota system is also for other trees in different rates. Area selected for ANR should have a standing volume of more than 100 cubic meters and at least 6.5 cubic meter volume of timber should come from felling. In case of taking fire wood is charging 100 rs and taking leaves ranges from 20 -30rs per day from these groups.

Till the time it reaches the van Dippo for auction of the Bot the main Dippo are Subba van Dippo and Saktivan Dippo.

Subba van Dippo is under van Vibhag (forest departments). According to timber market the rate increases as per the middle man involved. There is no part of money gained in trading. The honey, firewood, fruits, herbs are some trades done by the tribal groups. They know it very well, it comes under forest crime.

But none of the forest people bother or interference in the matter of the small ant taking the particle of sugar.

Every year lots of Sal seeds fall on the ground and get mixed in it. Forest department is ignoring the opportunity of Sal seed products and concentrating on timber wood. And the seeds are being used by the local tribes in different ways, apart from domestic use these people sell it in to the local market in cheap prize.

(421) Auction wood CRAFT DOCUMENTATION / 15,000 HECTARE / SUNEEL KUSHWAHA

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Market

Market-Money- Musahar

(422) Harihar prasad(45yr)-Dona and Pattal seller, Minathapa

Market of Dona / Pattal Harihar Prasad (45yr), he is running the Kirana shop in Minathapa, Gorakhpur.

During the market research when i met him and ask him- “show me some Pattal.” he showed me the three types of Thermocol Pattal plain round, sectional round and sectional square shape, i asked- “show me some leaf Pattal.” he got heat set Pattal.

Again i said show me some handmade Pattal. He took 10 minutes to search the handmade Pattal.

This incident shows clearly- The market itself does not believe in the product of Musahar.

Customer Feedback

* Its unfinished, * It leaks during use, * It’s dirty, *shape distortion, *can’t hold liquid food, *no section for different food items, *colour is uneven (not evenly dried), *edge are weak, the stitch sticks sometimes comes out has chances of getting mixed with (423) Pattals comparision food * Last and most important its out 100 Rs charge for firewood in the forest. 25rs/ dated person/day for Sal leaves. 90 rs/person/month (Kusamhi jungle) for Sal leaves. As its all one visit *out of fashion, it can’t make the standard. charge for one day, the shorting and separating leaves and sticks all are done in the forest only. So The prising of the Pattals in the market is as follows: that no extra material to transport. The frequency of visiting forest for leaves is in four days intervals. *thermocol (plain) 80-85 rs/50peace, On 7th days all leaves Pattal (fully dried) will be ready to sell. Usually when Musahar sell directly to *thermocol (sectional) 100rs/25the customer, it costs 10-20rs/100 pieces. During 30 peace, festival times it is 40-50-rs/100pieces. An average *heat set Sal pattal3035rs/100peace, a skilled Pattal maker makes 500-600 Pattal/day. *handmade Sal leaves Pattal The work/day worth ranges 50-120Rs/day and 50rs/100 peace. excluding forest charge its 25-95rs/day.

Poor Marketing Skills Since history of Gorakhpur forest is always been the hub of trades. In old days hats (vegetable markets) use to happen in forest. The forest area was govt. property so village’s primary schools were also in the forests. The staying of Barat used to happen in village’s primary schools in these forests in old days. A very interesting ideology of the small trader of timber furniture is that their shops will be just beside the forest so, that people may think the timber belongs to the forest and the reliability gets stronger with shops. Same as for mango seller, they sell mango beside the mango garden and feel the freshness is achieved.

Musahar and Dom had never bothered about the market researches, customer relationship and commitment. The isolation from the society is become dangerous for their crafts. What they are preserving from their forefather.

Failure happens when it comes to advertisements, the consistency of

shop opening and the showcasing of products.

No-doubt they work hard but loose the passion while selling it. There is no proper pricing for these products.

Bargaining is always a war to get good money. Here only they cut their customers. Clever customers are happy because of their gift of gab.

Everybody knows somehow these Dona and Pattals are from reserve forests. “Nothing is grown just taken from government property”- this thought usually comes in mind of buyer while giving money for Dona and Pattal. And it results in the bargaining conversation which takes long.

Same as the past science, no new innovation happened in last 30-40 years in the history of Musahar. Heat set Pattal came they were making handmade Pattal, then thermocol Pattal approximately finished all the scope of leaves product, they are still busy in their work.

(424) Kusamhi Forest, Gorakhpur CRAFT DOCUMENTATION / 15,000 HECTARE / SUNEEL KUSHWAHA

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164 (427) Pattal

Dom Marketing skills/ opportunity: Dom are found little innovative in terms of marketing skills. The upcoming generations have some soft corner for bamboo products and admire the versatility of bamboo and basketry products. It has scope of decoration.

Bamboo furniture to bamboo basketry everything is rich in modern interior design. New products like lamps, flower basket are high sale products many other products are also in the way.

Musahar still stuck in Sal leaves. It’s a dying craft not because the market demand is less, these people themselves do not take interest in their own craft. The Dona & Pattal making is done by the old / by the women of family. The man and the boy of the family prefer to go for paid labour either on kiln or to construction. These people are migrating towards cities highly.

“Pattal making of Musahar is same as the dog of a drunk “ (431) Banana leaves bowl

If we talk about of Gorakhpur Dom they never stops with one product, the journey from basketry work to making idol of god / goddess. What makes them so is only the market. The moment they got touch with Bengal people they started making their own idol. They absorbed the market demands. in these all journey they kept their basketry on. In some phase the innovation in terms of raw material was also a discovery. Nothing stopped them.

Just one they are now not at all a part of forest. They fully migrated in to city area, where there is market where there is opportunity.

(428) Pattal making by machine

(429) Sal leaves bowl,nepal (425)Decorative basket CRAFT DOCUMENTATION / 15,000 HECTARE / SUNEEL KUSHWAHA

(430) A roll wrapping

Musahar marketing skills/ opportunity:

(426) Dom selling baskets, tarkulhadevi, Gorakhpur

Some where the poverty, isolation and uneducation are the reasons and solution also could be any reason. The education always a medium of upliftment as - training (Dona/ Pattal) may click new ways of doing crafts.

Involvement of male of the family is a must. The leaves product have lots of opportunities of new products / new design, if we look at the Dona, made in Nepal with finished edges or some decoration innovations (see images) there are some reference ideas that are suggested. As per training there are Pattal making machines which are common and it’s very simple to operate. The eco friendly sustainable products are in high demand. Similarly a little effort to follow the image product may change all the definition of leaves product running in Gorakhpur villages. Not in terms of simple design but in complexity it reaches high show casing items. People do promote natural packaging as it ensures the freshness of the eatables.

(432) Pan packaging

(434) Covering cone

(433) Packing container

(435) Packaging of rice

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Journey

Scope in Decoration Items

(436) Coaster of leaves

If we take leaves ornamentation and decoration it has a higher scope with the flowers. Nowadays in marriages and festivals the use of flowers, buds, and leaves has a strong market. I explored the leaves property and tried to come up with some results with minimum efforts. The leaves lamp was an idea to play with the see through property of leaves. The tree has different types of colour while drying so arranging them in colour gradation may be a beautiful hanging. As the time will pass the gradation scale will grow (the green level will sift as leaves will dry by the time). Such explorations are bringing the hopes for new creation.

The next question would be how to get the new product down in to market. The simple answer is advertising it. Showcase it along the shop, or use it in your decorations, spread it mouth to mouth, talk to people make customer relations. i am sure these all things help the Musahar to stand straight in your tertiary of “15,000 hectare.

Hi, I, Suneel Kushawaha (25 yrs old), spent 20 days (November 2012) in the fields (Kusamhi Jungle, Gorakhpur) for documenting the crafts of the local tribes the Dom and Musahar. I went to the village by train, one of my mates Miss Ankita Gupta wished to visit the village so she also came along with her mother to Gorakhpur.

On reaching I got my Bua’s (Aunt) son Kanhiya (24 years old) as a guide. He was well versed and knowledgeable about all the places in the forests. We stayed at my aunt’s place. We got bikes to travel within the forests / other places.

My Bhojpuri language proved worthwhile in understanding and communicating with the forest and village people. Direct approach with cameras and books was becoming a hurdleas it was taking time to make a conversation. The area was very vast and covers 15,000 hectares which was very difficult for mapping. The preparation done before

(437) Leaves decoration

coming to the craft field also helped a lot. And according to that our every day schedule was divided with minor change because in the forest you can predict but can never be sure so we always had an alternative plan.

We definitely faced lots of problems, as tribes and forest villagers were very shy. This happens as they sometimes consider us from the forest department and then we cannot get any information out of them. The worse was winter mornings at 4 /4:30 am when the previous day ride would make it difficult to wake up early. Somehow we managed to be in the forest before 6-7:30am (as needed).

Travelling, collecting information, clicking photos was our routine and then returning and transferring the data onto the laptop and again looking at the pictures.The information gathered and the discussions would happen in the evening. As it was a requirement for some Pattal Bhoj images, my Bua arranged

a Pattal Bhoj for the local children. Some random encounter also helped a lot and gave us more give time in the forest – we got to know more about it. Some mishaps like opposition on clicking cremation photos, some chasing by the tribes, lots of insect bites and lots of small fights also happened during the visit.

The setup of visiting places was planned so that it we didn’t miss anything and covered it in one visit. I travelled from Bansgave to Sardarnagar to Deoria and lots of places in Gorakhpur villages for collecting information.

I approached the forest department; I talked with approximately more than 5 gram pradhans of the forest villages. Faced a lot of problems while choosing the Musahar crafts man. As a daily approach and too much questioning was strictly prohibited. Mr. .Nebulal was very co-operative. My siblings from Gorakhpur helped me document the

Daru making and the goat’s sacrificing, it was totally impossible to approach it in any other way.

Talk with Mr. Ravindra Nayak was a great experience. Visiting Deen dyal Upadhyay University was also very helpful and going through some thesis on castes and tribal groups of Gorakhpur. Mrs. Vipula Dubey from old history and Puratatwa department helped me and admires this ideology of NID to document the crafts. At the end of the day my laptop was filled with 16GB memorie and lots of scattered information sketches. I have also kept contecting them for the left / missed informations by phone after coming back.

(440) Journey photo, Kusamhi Forest (438) Leaves lamp CRAFT DOCUMENTATION / 15,000 HECTARE / SUNEEL KUSHWAHA

(439) Leaves decoration CRAFT DOCUMENTATION / 15,000 HECTARE / SUNEEL KUSHWAHA

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Acknowledgment Thanks to I am highly indebted to everyone who has supported me in documenting this craft.

I am grateful to NID for introducing this course and thankfull to Swasthi Singh Ghai for her valued support, cooperation during the documentation project, for guiding me and suggesting reading material for the craft documentation. I would also like to thank V. Sakthivel for helping me to analyse the flora of Kusmhi forest.

I am heartly thankful to Miss.

Ankita gupta, ceramic design, UGDPD, National institute of Design in helping me a lot on the field and for suggesting and giving her inputs to carry out research for documenting the craft.

I would like to thank my relatives for helping me in locating the villages where FOREST BASED craft is practiced and my heartfelt gratitude to all the craftsmen for sharing their valuable time and hospitality.

CRAFT DOCUMENTATION / 15,000 HECTARE / SUNEEL KUSHWAHA

My special thanks to the forest department Gorakhpur for briefing me about the present scenario of the 15,000 hectares of the forests and to Deen Dayal University (old history and archaeology and theses library).

Thanks to Mr. Ravindra Nayak (Police Commisioner - Gorakhpur) for giving his precious time and valuable thoughts and lastly thanks to Gram Pradhan (Vishnathrampur) -Narmda Yadav, Gram Pradhan(BansaptiChauri)- Mahendra Pashwan, Gram Pradhan(Moti ram Adda)- Raju Pashwan for giving important knowledge about villages.

*Babu (dept.-old history and puratatwa) pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyay University -Sanjay *Bhad community- Prajapati Khaderu (65yr) (kuda ghat) *Dipti ranger (Gorakhpur forest dept.)Baqaullah Khan *Divisional forest officer (Gorakhpur forest diptt)-M.K.Tripathi *Dom community- Nandalal (80yr) and his wife-Genia (73yr)( Motiram adda), Gopi Kumar Chaudhary(21yr) (Jhanghwa,Gauri Ghat) *Forest club (guard)-Dayashankar Chaudhary *Forest guard (Tilkoniya forest range)Kanhaiya *Forest local (trikoniya range) - Raja Ram Yadav *Forest range officer (Tilkoniya forest range)- Jairam Suman *Helper ranger (ram gadh forest range) â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Satendra Verma *Librarian (dept. - PhD theses) pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyay University - Mukesh Kumar Pandey. *Musahar community- Nebulal (50yr) (vishwanathpur) *Policeman (khorabazar)-Mahendra Chauhan

*Professor (dept.-old history and puratatwa) pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyay University-Bipula Dubey *Ranger (ramgadh forest range)-Santram Verma *Van rakchak (ramgadh forest range) Jitendra Kumar Others*Ajay Verma (35yr)-an herbs seller, telnapar, sardar nagar *Badami Devi (35yr) W/O ram sewak-gav ki asha, ledaha deoria *Chauthi Prasad (75yr)-a baba/ sokha, sorsopar *Hakim-a chiken seller, Motiram Adda *Harihar Prasad (45yr)-Dona and Pattal seller, minathapa *Harinath (19yr)-a sugar sweet maker, Motiram Adda *Jai Prakash Verma (40yr)-an herbs seller, telnapar *Lohari jaiswal (60yr)-a pattharkatta, Motiram Adda *Mahendra Yadav-a sari seller (28yr) (baghagadha to bash gav road) *Rajendra-a fisherman, Motiram Adda *Ramjan Ali (50yr)-a rasanwala, kerwani, Rampur. *Smt. Nirmala Devi (35yr)-a cow dung cake maker, Rampur padaw *Surdev Chaudhary (35yr) Motiram

Adda-a tadi seller *Vinod Kumar (37yr)-a tadi seller, Motiram Adda Thanks to*Aishwarya Dixit *Akash Verma *Amardeep *Archana Kushwaha *Divya Prakash Gupta *Ghanshyam Maurya *Gualiacha Devi *Gulab maurya *Gulasan Maurya *Harihar Prasad *Hichal paresh shah *Himansu Tyagi *Jyoti Kushwaha *Kalpana Kushwaha *Kishan Maurya *Nirmla Devi *Pratush Das *Ram Kewal Kushwaha *Ram Murat Singh *Sheetal Kushwaha *Sitanshu *Ugrasen Maurya *Vidya Devi *Vimala Devi *Visvesh Konkar

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GLOSSORY

A

1 gallon - (20ltrs) water Adahul – Hibiscus flower Ahir – Yadav caste Aloo dum – Boil potato cuisine Andheria – New moon Angul – Length measuring by finger width Ann – Food grain Antim parikrama – Cremation of dead body Arahar - Dal Arahar Rahittha – canjanus cajan Arui / Banda – A root vegetable Ashok - A tree

IN QUEST OF THE DOM AND MUSAHAR Going into the fields, interacting with people, collecting information and making an observation, sharing the information with the students and giving them a feel of the craft, observing the life of a craftsman and to understand his livelihood, to analyse the cultural value of the craft and to mind the social and political aspects of the craft.

(441) Dom basket CRAFT DOCUMENTATION / 15,000 HECTARE / SUNEEL KUSHWAHA

The Dona and Pattal making is fast disappearing and it is now becoming difficult to locate it. In my endeavour to study tribes of Gorakhpur, I went to several villages before I found one practicing the craft. I began my search for in the villages of Gorakhpur district - Motiram Adda, Telna par, Sardar Nagar, Sarsopar, Ledaha; Deoria, Rampur padaw, Minathapa, An elderly Musahar a Dona Pattal

maker- Nebulal (50years) (Vishwanathpur), Dom community- Nandalal (80yr) and his wife-Genia (73yr) (Motiram adda), Gopi Kumar Chaudhary (21yr) (Jhanghwa, Gauri Ghat) told their life stories and all the details how the past turned into the present. How conditions got bad to worse. How people have forgotten them. They are lagged behind in the market.

B

Baba Bhairawa – Demon god Baba Thana – God temple Bada Itewar – Celebrating Sunday Badeda – Middle log of a hut Bagula -Little egret Bait - Cane Bali – Animal sacrifices Balishta – Distance by thumb and index figure expand Balusahi – A sweet made up of maida and sugar Banar/hanuman banar - Monkey Baniyan – Innerwear Bans - Bamboo Bansuri - A flute Bari – A forest/ a garden and a tribes name Basaha bail - A malnourished ox with an extra leg on the back Basuli – A necklace Baswari – The bamboo bushes Batasa – An offering sweet Batail - Bater Batuli – Dal making utensil Bawarchis – A cook Baya – Weaver bird Beeda – a pack of betel Beeda – Cushion for head.

Beenwa – A Dom caste Beldardharikar – A Dom caste

Bena – Hand fan Bengoli – The Bengal Bhad – A Furnace Bhahaurah – a Fasting festival.

Bhang - Marijuana Bhangi – The cleaner caste Bhat – Cooked rice Bhattha – A furnace Bhatwasi - Clerodendrum viscosum Bheli – Sugarcane cake Bhinsahara /Bhor – Early morning Bhoj - Banquet Bhoot - Ghoste bhoot utarana - Exorcism Bhuja – Roasted rice Bhunana / Bhujana - Roasting Bichia – Toe ring Bihan - Morning Bijali - Electricity Borsi - Hearth Bota – Auction timbre Bukua - Body wax (mustard)

C

Chakotara - Forest Lemon Chamar – A schedule caste Chanauta – Cooking spoon Charas – Malana cream Chaurai – A type of leaves vegetable Chhada – An anklet Chhanhi – Hut covering Chhath Puja - A festival Chinauti – Tobacco and Chuna keeping box Chipri – Flate cow dung cake Chokha – A mashes of roasted vegetable Chttia – Hair breads Chudail - Witch Chulha - Hearth Chuna – Eatable lime Chura – Beaten rice Chutkail - Squirrel

D

Dagga – Wheel toy Dahi - Curd Dala – A chhat puja basket Dali me ka dulha – A cuisine Damroo – A small percussion instrument.

Daru - Wine Datia hasua – Saw toothed knife Datuan – Brushing teeth Desi Bheli – A sugarcane cake Dewaka - Termites Dhaka/Dhecha – Goat/Hen keeping basket Dhan kutna - Beating the rice seed Dhebari - Lamp Dhelwas – A Langar Di- baba – local deities Diwali,dipawali – Lamp festival Domat – Mold clay Dona - Give Doob - Cynodon dactylon Durga Puja – A festival

F

Fagua – Holi festival Faldan – Marriage custom Farguddi – Sparrow Fitkari - Alum

G

Gadasi – A chopping tool Gamcha – A turban Gameccene – An insecticide Ganaja - Marijuana Ganesh – A God Ganga mela – A festival Gatta – Type of sweet Gaumutra – Cow urine Gehuan shap - Cobra Ghada - Spherical earthen pot CRAFT DOCUMENTATION / 15,000 HECTARE / SUNEEL KUSHWAHA

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Ghant – A bell ghant chadhana – Tying Ghada with Pipal tree Ghat – Bank of water bodies Ghee - A type of clarified butter Ghewara - Gourd Ghughani – Boiled peas Giloh - A creeper, use in fever Girgitan - Chameleon Gobar – Cow dung Gobardhan – Mountain of Cow dung gobardhan puja - A festival of Cow dung Godana – Body tattoo Godna lagana - Body tattooing Goh - Monitor lizard Gohara – A type of cow dung cake Gon wari – Leg side of cot Gorakhnath – A saint Gram devata – Village deities Gulab Jamun – A sweet Gulail - Catapult Gulchup – Panipuri (a spicy dish) Gulgula – A sweet cuisine

H

Hai/ hay – Evil eyes Hanthi dant – Elephant teeth Hanuman – A god Hasua - A knife Hasua – Cutting tool Hasuli – A small knife Hat - Market Heldar – A Dom caste Hiran - Indian deer Hoth Lali - Lipstick

I

Inar - Well

J

Jalmurgi – Moorhen CRAFT DOCUMENTATION / 15,000 HECTARE / SUNEEL KUSHWAHA

Janeu – A ritual of purification of soul Jata – Flour grinder Jata pisana- Milling Flour Jati - Caste Jhpoli – Portable basket Jolaha/jahaj/helicopter - Dragon fly Joon - Time Jugaad – The frugality Juthan – Slop / eaten leavings Jutiya – A festival

K

Kachoris – A cuisine Kada - Bracelet Kah tari – A curd pot (earthen) Kahaar – Person who carry the doli of bride Kajal – Eye liner Kajrauta – Eye liner Kalbhillah - A wood cutter Kali mai – A goddess Kaliya - Black kanchi/koiri - Farmer Kand – Eatable roots Kanda – Stitching stick / a type of cow dung cake Kans grass - Saccharum spontaneum Karait - Bengarus caeruleus Karchul – Cooking spoon Karikka banar - Languor Karikkha - Coal Kathari - Beddings Kharvash – Time period when travelling is not allowed.

Khatia – A cot Kheer – A sweet dish Khichadi – A cuisine and a festival Khilauna – A sweet Khilauna – A toy Khunta - A stump for tying the cattle Khuramav – A sweet Khurpi - Trowel Kirana – Grocery Kudali – Digging hoe

kul devi/devata – Kin deities Kulhad – Earthen glass

L

Labadhatth/Labda/Labadwa – left handed Lachidana – A Prasad Lagbhag – Approximate value Laggi – Leaf plucking tool Laggi – Leaf plucking tool laiya/Bhuja – Roasted rice Lakhta – A sweet Lali – Body colour Lapsi – A cuisine Lathi – a long length measuring stick Lauki - Calabash Laura Bahura – Fasting festival Laxman –Brother of lord Ram Laxmi – A goddess Leaves soil – The soil which is made by leaves fermentation.

Lepteuaa – A creeper “urena labata” Litti – A cuisine (roasted sphere of flour) Lomad - Indian fox

M

Machari - Fish Madhukar – A Dom caste (honey seller) Mahokha - Coucal Mahua flower – A wine making flower Makai/kerai - Corn Makara - Spider Makkhi - Fly / married man jewellery Mali - Gardner Malpua – A sweet Mang – Partition line of hair Mas -Forest mosquito Mata -Red ant Maur – Groom head gear Mochi - Cobbler Mohpatar – A Dom caste Mokoichha – Forest tomato

Mor - Peacock Motia bind - Cataract Mus - Mouse Mush – Mouse/Rat Mushal - Grain beating/crusing wooden log

N

Naak-Kaan chedana - Piercing Naal - Shoe Nachnia – Male dancer Najar – Evil eyes Nanchi – Dance performance Nandi – Bull of Shiva Narkat – Cane bush Neelgai -Blue bull Neema – An insecticide leaves tree Neura -Mongoose Nikantha -King fisher

P

Pahheri – Betel seller Pahsul - A knife Paina – A stick Pakh – time duration Paneer - cheese Panjiri – A Prasad Pasi- A caste Pathuki – Rice cooking utensil Pati/Antardesi - Latter Pattal - leaves plate Patti – A snack Pindi – Holy points Pipal – A tree Pokhar mitti – Pond clay Prasad – Offering to god Puara –Dry stem of grain Puta - The platform on chulha

Pan - Betel

R

Raab – Concentrated sugarcane juice Ras - Sugarcane shake Rahaittha – Basketry cane of Arahar (Dal) Rajaji ki Ghodi/ Lilli godi – Forest reptiles Rama – Lord ram Ramgadh tal – A huge pond of Gorakhpur Ras Malai – A sweet Rasm – A tradition Rikavach - A forest based food Rohina -Mollotus phillipensis Rohu – A fish Roomali rotis – Huge roties Roti – Flour baked bread

S

Saag – Leaves vegetable Sabji – Cooked vegetable Sakhua - Sal Samosa – A fast food Samshitosna- Temperate Region Sarso - Mustard Sattu – Pea flour Seel lorha- Spice grinding tool Shajhi - Evening Shayar – A god Sher/Paseri/Sei- A measuring container Shiva – A demon god Sindoor - Vermillion Singha – Blow horn Singhora – Vermillion box Solah sringar – 16 ornaments Sonchiraiya – A bride trading tribes Soratha / Lokgeet - Tribal songs Sugga - Parrot

Suja– A needle Supa – One type of grain basket Surti - Tobacco Surya- Sun Swami- Saint

T

Tadi – A type of intoxicating drink Tahmat – Wrapping cloth Takhat - Wooden bed Tangi - An axe Tangia – A group of people work for forest department.

Tashir - Effect Tati - A flat slap of chhanhi Tel- Oil Thakur – A higher caste Thali – Eating plate with cuisine Thana - Temple Thinning - Making fine sticks Thunnies – Hut supporting pillars Tola - Village segregated area Tarkulha devi – A goddess Tulsi - Basil

U

Ujoria - Full moon Unkh/Inkh/Ganna - Sugar cane Viswakarmav - A god of all engineering

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

• Rosemary crill , “Textile from India”, the global trade paper presented at a conference on the Indian textile trade, Kolkata.12-14 oct 2003 • Rudolf arhelim, The way of craft source design issues, vol. 10 (spring, 1944) pp. 29-35 published by mit press url:http://www.jstor.org/stable/1511652 • Stephen p.huyler Clay, Sacred and sublime terracotta in India pg no. 206,210,211,216 • Jyotindra jain The implicit and the manifest in Indian folk art and mythology pg no. 47,48 • Jyotindra jain Other masters, five contemporary folk and tribal artists of India publisher crafts museum and handicraft and Handlooms export corporation of India ltd. new delhi.pg no. 8,912 • Sandra Harding, Chapter 38 from feminist empiricism to feminist stand point epistemologies, • Coomaraswamy, Ananda.k The Indian craftsman, , publisher: new Delhi munshiram manoharlal • Aditi ranjan and m.p. ranjan Handmade in India, publisher new York: Abbeville press,2009 • Pye, devid Nature and art workmanship, publisher Herbert press: London, 1995 • Pattanaik,devdutt The goddess in India: the five faces of the eternal feminine,2000 • Nain jyotindra Painted myth of creation, art and ritual of Indian tribes, 1980 • Maker and meaning: craft and society by madras craft foundation2000 • M.P. ranjan Bamboo and cane craft of northeast India 1990 • Emma,tarlo Clothing matters. Dress and identity in India 2000 • Gorakhpur region forest department, Gorakhpur CRAFT DOCUMENTATION / 15,000 HECTARE / SUNEEL KUSHWAHA

forest guide book, 2010 • Hindus of the Himalayas - Gerald Duane Berreman - Google Books_files • Natural Swing Handle Bamboo Basket - Large The Lucky Clover Trading Co._files • WWF India - Buzz Latest news on illegal wildlife trade in India_files • Shabnam khatoon,Phd management. “Ansuchit jatiyo me samajic gati shilta aur rajnitik sahbhagita” Guide- sri shafeek ahamad( prof. sociology, D.D.U university) Gorakhpur.)

• INDIAN FOREST MANAGEMENT HANDBOOK Volume 9 Silviculture gorakhpur regien • Sanjay Vijayvergiya based on the Primary Research Conducted by Dr. Jitendra Chaturvedi, Bahraich, Discrimination with the forest villagers,6752 families of forest villages: without rasan card

papers Physiochemical characteristics of soil in tropical sal,(Shorea robusta Gaertn.) forests in eastern Nepal • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musahar 29/3/2014 12:26 am • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basketry 29/3/2014 12:16 am http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gorakhpur_ district 29/3/2014 12:35am • www.uhi-india.org - Gorakhpur City Profile – February 2010 • http://www.cohands.in/handmadepages/ pdf/161.pdf • http://books.google.co.in/books?id=gj0u3Cmpp 2AC&pg=PA123&lpg=PA123&dq=moonja+basketry+pa ttern&source=bl&ots=tSEZEnkJ7Z&sig=K8tpduwDFzXy PhFpUoBQyGKhLeM&hl=en&sa=X&ei=ACM2U6GZEo SGrQfB2IHICQ&ved=0CFQQ6AEwBQ#v=onepage&q= moonja%20basketry%20pattern&f=false

• A review eassay Food in india r.s. khare(ed.), the eternal food,gastrpnomic ideas and experiences of hindus and buddists NY:state university, new york press, 1992 • S. Louise Gould, Baskets for the Mathematics Classroom, Department of Mathematical Sciences,Central Connecticut State University,1615 Stanley Street,New Britain, CT, 06050, USA,E-mail: goulds@ccsu.edu •

Shishir Paudel†* and Jay P Sah‡ Research

(442) Bullock cart, Rampur padaw (P.T.O.) CRAFT DOCUMENTATION / 15,000 HECTARE / SUNEEL KUSHWAHA

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176

Image 1.

NID, by- viswesh konkar 2.

Saint Gorakhnath, link- http://www.indianetzone.com/38/nath_siddha_gorakhnath.htm 3.

Gorakhpur railway station, link- http://photogoroda.com/photo-goroda-Gorakxpur-photo-city-1639. html#.UzYSs_mSxBk 4.

Kusamhi forest 5.

Gorakhpur up map, link- http://gorakhpur.nic.in/ gorakhpur3.gif 6.

Gorakhpur map, link- http://www.gfauk. org/NR/rdonlyres/EBFE8CD0-7967-441B-89E11178F98EA69D/0/gorakhpuruttarpradeshregionjpg.jpg 7.

Kusamhi jungle Google map image (edited) 8.

National highway,-28, Kusamhi Forest 9.

Ramgadh tal, Gorakhpur 10.

Gorakhnath temple 11.

Budhi mai Thana (temple) 12.

Vishnu mandir 13.

Vinod van 14.

Tarkulaha mela 15.

Village bullock cart, Gorakhpur 16.

Kalimai ka Thana, Deoria.

17.

Dom, Gol ghar, Gorakhpur.

18.

Kusamhi forest 19.

Map by Forest guide book, Tilkoniya 20.

Chath puja, Rapti River.

21.

Jhanghahawa, boat conveyance, Rapti River 22.

Cremation, Gauri ghat, Rapti River 23.

Tarkulaha Devi pond, Gorakhpur 24.

Dhobi (washer man) in turra nala 25.

Rohini nala 26.

Kewat (fisherman) in turra nala 27.

Kumhar (pottor),sardar nagar.

28.

Tarai and Gangatic area, Gorakhpur 29.

Soil, Tilkoniya forest, Gorakhpur 30.

Kusamhi forest 31.

Doob (cynodon dactylon) 32.

Lepteuaa (urena labata) 33.

Chakotara (forest lemon) CRAFT DOCUMENTATION / 15,000 HECTARE / SUNEEL KUSHWAHA

34.

Sal tree plantation, Kusamhi forest 35. Cone 36.

Cone Frame 37.

Leave’s soil 38.

Working place 39.

Worker picking plant 40.

Worker sowing plant 41.

Pressing the root in the soil 42.

Transferred in to poly-bags 43.

Kusamhi forest 44.

Mas (forest mosquito) 45.

Makara (spider) 46.

Mata (red ant) 47.

Dewaka (termites) 48.

Jolaha / jahaj / helicopter (dragon fly) 49.

Chutkail (squirrel) 50.

Neura (mongoose) 51.

Neelgai (blue bull) 52.

Gehuan shap (cobra) 53.

Girgitan (chameleon) 54.

Goh (Monitor lizard) 55.

Sugga (parrot) 56.

Nikantha (king fisher) 57.

Mahokha (coucal) 58.

Bagula (little egret) 59.

Jalmurgi (moorhen) 60.

Mor (peacock) 61.

Vinod van main gate 62.

Karikka banar / langoor 63.

Lomad (Indian fox) 64.

Hiran (Indian deer) 65.

Banar / hanuman banar(monkey) 66.

Vinod van front view 67.

Fisher men, Budhi mai ka Thana, Tilkoniya forest 68.

Fish basket 69. Rohu 70. Mangoor 71. Saury

72.

Kewat thown net over a pond.

73.

Raghvendra clearing the net 74.

Sewing the torn net 75.

Net sewing needle 76.

Boy (Bhad Dom), Kudaghat, Gorakhpur 77.

Bansfore, Minathapa 78.

Musahar, Kusamhi forest 79.

Pattarbinnah, Kusamhi forest 80.

Bhadbujwa, Minathapa 81.

Netua, Gorakhpur 82.

Kumhra, Sardar nagar 83.

Dhobi, Kusamhi forest 84.

Chandal Dom, Jhangahwa,Gauri ghat 85.

Kewata, Kusamhi forest 86.

Singhahawa Dom, Motiram adda 87.

Bansfore, Motiram adda 88.

Bansfore, Minathapa 89.

Taduan, Motiram adda 90.

Lohara, Viswanathpur 91.

Barber, Rampur padaw 92.

Taduan, Motiram adda 93.

Mallah Kewat, jhangaha, Gauri ghat 94.

Pattharkatta, Motiram adda 95.

Musahar, Rampur padaw 96.

Catching field mouse 97. Roasting 98.

Baking from inside 99.

Fire for cooking 100. Cutting and filling salt 101. Eating mouse 102. Pattal 103. Two leaves Dona 104. One leaves Dona 105. Banana bowl 106. Sakhua (Sal) tree, Kusamhi forest 107. Flowering (Sakhua) 108. Sakhua 109. Roasted Sakhua 110. Plucked Sal leaves, Kusamhi forest

111. Musahar prepared for forest 112. Musahar going in to the forest 113. Laggi 114. Laggi hanging from the tree 115. Man with Dhelwash, Tilkoniya forest 116. Dhelwash 117. Women pulling the branch down 118. Peeling the Kans leaves 119. The Kans bushes 120. Plucking the Kanda stick 121. Hasua 122. Kanda storage 123. Kanda cleaning 124. Thinning 125. Prepared Kanda sticks 126. Making of one leaf bowl 127. Pattal drying 128. Use: Image Pattar Bhoj 129. Pattal eating 130. Pattal washing 131. Layered Pattal 132. Gulchup (panipuri) bowl 133. Dona bowl in use 134. The Pattarbinnah 135. Shorted leaves 136. Bundles of leaves 137. Samosa plate 138. Plate in use 139. Pan packing 140. Dhelwash throwing man 141. The Dhelwash 142. Man carrying Laggi 143. The Laggi 144. The Hasua using woman 145. The Hasua 146. Nebulal (a Musahar) with his grandson Ajit.

147. Nebulal house 148. Nebulal working 149. Fire wood collecting women(tribal)

150. Women as a housewife 151. Women as a cook 152. Women as a mother 153. Women as a craftsman 154. Woman as a labour 155. Woman as a forest sourcing gatherer 156. Dakchhina (a ritual while “janeu”)-the dan is given from supa. dan is taken in to Pattal.

157. Dog eating left food -metaphor for Dom as a dog : motiram adda, Gorakhpur 158. Slum children bathing with the pig and the cock arround 159. Dom-Gopi kumar chaudhary(21yr)(jhanghwa, gauri ghat) 160. Hut of Dom (-Gopi kumar chaudhary (21yr)) jhanghwa, Gauri ghat.

161. Dom-Gopi kumar chaudhary (21yr) doing cremation of a dead body :jhanghwa, Gauri ghat 162. Broom 163. Blowing singha (Dom): Motiram adda 164. Singha instrument 165. Singha (Dom) house 166. Singha (Dom) 167. Singha: mouth 168. Singha: head 169. Dom community, Golghar market, Gorakhpur 170. Dom- Genia(73yr) w/o nandalal(80yr) ,minathapa, Gorakhpur 171. Flower baskets: Gorakhpur 172. Dove in the basket nest 173. Bamboo transportation: Gorakhpur to Deoria highway. Kusamhi 174. Bamboo (jhanghwa, gauri ghat) 175. Bamboo bushes: rampur padaw, motiram, Gorakhpur 176. Dom preparing bamboo stalks, minathapa, Gorakhpur 177. Dom- Nandalal(80yr) preparing bamboo stalks, minathapa, Gorakhpur

178. Process of basket making 179. Dom community: golghar market, Gorakhpur 180. Arahar plants: Deoria, Gorakhpur 181. Bhatwasi bushes: Kusamhi forest, Gorakhpur 182. Dal 183. Guy brushing teeth with Bhatwasi stick 184. Drying of Moonj: Motiram 185. Drying of Kans: Motiram 186. Broom (Kans) 187. Mashe of cane 188. Cane bushes, Kusamhi forest: Rapti river bank, Gorakhpur.

189. Diamond pattern 190. Stripes diamond pattern 191. Motif pattern 192. Weave pattern 193. Bunching 194. Neck / mouth 195. Hexagonal interlacing 196. Check pattern 197. Triangle pattern 198. Khanchi / Cow dung Basket 199. Jhapoli / Fish Basket 200. Khanchi / Vegitable Basket 201. Supa / Food grain Cleaner 202. Chita / Food grain Basket 203. Dhaka / Dryleaves Basket 204. Parda / Screen Curtain 205. Khancha / Big Basket 206. Tokara / Snake Basket 207. Dauri / Flour Basket 208. Bena / Hand Fan 209. Mauni / Snacks Basket 210. Sidhi /climbing Ladder 211. Chatai / Mat 212. Jhadu /Broom 213. Beeda / Setting 214. Janeu vidhi: Gorakhpur 215. Chathi dala: Gorakhpur CRAFT DOCUMENTATION / 15,000 HECTARE / SUNEEL KUSHWAHA

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178

216. Fera rasm, throughing flowers: Gorakhpur 217. Mour chadhana: Gorakhpur 218. Mour (Mour means- flowering) 219. Mukut 220. Mour mat 221. Mour supa 222. Mour, Mor / Maur peacock 223. Mour Adahul( gudahal flower-Hibiscus Flower) 224. Tangi-a cutting tool: Gorakhpur 225. Ganasi-a cutting tool: Gorakhpur 226. Coloured moonj, link- http://www.dsource.in/ resource/moonj_craft_allahabad/dyeing/178/07.jpg 227. Moonj colouring, link- http://www.dsource.in/ gallery/gallery-0368/pictures/6.jpg 228. Hasuliya price-100rs: Gorakhpur 229. Chotka hasua, price-140rs: Gorakhpur 230. Hasua, price-180rs: Gorakhpur 231. Badka Hasua, price-200rs: Gorakhpur 232. Suja / kuchi, prise-60-100rs:Gorakhpur 233. Dom-cot weaving: kerwani,rampur, Gorakhpur 234. Jaggu-50yrs (Dom):kerwani,rampur, Gorakhpur 235. Bansfore Dom preparation of idol making, Minathapa.

236. Idol drawing Rampur padaw 237. Prepared idol ready to dispatch, Motiram adda 238. Brick kiln 239. A labour going to kiln 240. Loading of bricks on tractors 241. Pathuki 242. Batuli 243. Channi 244. Sheel Lorha 245. Karchuli and Chanauta 246. Pahshul 247. Datia Hasua (2) (crop cutting) 248. Hasua (1) (vegetable cutting) 249. Hasua (3) (nonveg item cutting) CRAFT DOCUMENTATION / 15,000 HECTARE / SUNEEL KUSHWAHA

250. Sadashi 251. Gadasi 252. Dheka 253. Paina 254. Kharhara 255. Khurpi 256. Kudari 257. Utensil keeping place 258. The keeping place for items with in the Chhanhi (hut ceiling) 259. Inserting in the space between the Badeda (middle beam) and ceiling 260. Town hut 261. Village hut 262. Road side hut 263. Chipari hut, for â&#x20AC;&#x153;protecting cow dung cake from man and rainâ&#x20AC;?.

264. Chipari 265. Gohara, 266. Kanda, 267. Chipari 268. Measuring Gohara 269. Gohara second layer alignment 270. Gohara third layer alignment 271. Gohara storing 272. Two brick Chulha 273. Thana Chulha 274. Borasi and one head Chulha 275. Double feed two head Chulha 276. Single feed two head Chulha 277. Baking vegetable, Link- http://i1.ytimg.com/vi/ T4auZlu81K4/maxresdefault.jpg 278. Baking Litti 279. Litti-Chokha 280. Chaurai leaves 281. Chaurai saag 282. Banda plant

283. Rikavach, Link- http://chezshuchi.com/images/ patra%20(11).JPG 284. Dahi(curd) 285. Chura (beaten rice) 286. Making of Gatta 287. Making of khaja 288. Khilauna 289. Khilauna moulding 290. Batasa 291. Bhuja stall 292. Bheli 293. Bhadbujwa 294. Working Bhadbujwa 295. The Bhad (furnace) 296. Bhadbujwa feeding to the furnace fire 297. Worker with sugar squeezer machine 298. Four ponds for filtering the waste from sugarcane juice 299. Hot boiling sugarcane juice 300. People making Bheli 301. Handmade diyalis (diya) for worshiping in Diwali festival, it is used without baking.

302. Container reuse as a funnel 303. Plastic bottle reuse as a Glass 304. Dhebari/Diya(lamp) 305. Textile reuse as bandage 306. Textile reuse as a filter 307. Textile reuse as tying material 308. Kathari on cot 309. Hasuli, a necklace 310. Chhada in legs 311. Kada in hands 312. Village women in sari 313. House wife in parda(veil) 314. Singhora (sindoor box) 315. Sindoor sale 316. A village lady (widow)

317. Koiri (farmer) women hand 318. Tattoo for farmer /village 319. Tattoo for forest people 320. Tattoo for Netua/ animal traders 321. Lali ornamentation 322. Solah sringar, link- http://www.vedicvaani.com/ image/cache/data/PujaItems-PujaEssentials/Mata%20 Ka%20shringar-450x450.jpg 323. Mahua TV channel logo, link- http://bhojpurika. com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/mahuaa-logo.jpg 324. Makhi / patingi(gold) 325. A married man 326. A saint 327. Om arm tattoo 328. Hanuman arm tattoo 329. Bare feet distortion 330. Tribal man 331. Kid with Kajal makeup 332. Tribal boy 333. chuttiya 334. The wow city entrance 335. The film crew, Vow, Gorakhpur 336. Sher / Sei / Paseri 337. Pav / pauwa 338. Kirana (Grocery) seller 339. Murga seller 340. Knife blade sharpener 341. Tadi seller 342. Sari seller 343. Sari at the handle of bicycle 344. Sari at the carrier of the bicycle 345. Village Barber 346. Lohar 347. Lohar tools 348. Putting metal Shoe to cattle 349. Pattharkatta 350. Seel and Lodha

351. Jata / chakki (flour milling m/c) 352. In Train 353. In Bus 354. Animal in Bus 355. People on a jeep 356. Rickshaw 357. Market traffic 358. On foot walker in forest 359. On bike rider in forest 360. On cycle puller in forest 361. Rakchhash face (The devil) 362. Tona (black magic) 363. Tona utarawan process, Sokha baba with victim (Tona), sorsopar 364. Chauthi prasad (75yr)-a baba/sokha, sorsopar 365. Sokhai writing by baba/Sokha, sorsopar 366. Ajay vermin (35yr)-a herbs seller, telnapar, sardar nagar 367. Vaidh clinic board 368. Collected Herbs 369. The stone as a Shiva 370. The goddess and god of Gorakhpur, Gorakhnath temple 371. Chat puja 372. Diwali Puja 373. Tarkulha devi puja 374. Village god and goddess temple 375. Kali mai ka Thana, Deoria 376. Holy Pindies, kali mai ka Thana, Deoria 377. Home temple 378. Animal head offering 379. Bell offering 380. Animal sacrifices 381. Di-baba horse 382. Kali mai elephant 383. Decorative sugga (chat puja bird) 384. Kulhad

385. Potter store 386. Tulsi puja 387. Ghant chadhana 388. Musahar gathering, Rampur padaw 389. Cock fight 390. Monkey show 391. Snake charmer 392. Clay toys 393. Tadi utarana: motiram adda, Gorakhpur.

394. Vinod kumar (37yr)-a Tadi seller, motiram adda 395. Surdev chaudhary (35yr)-a Tadi climber, motiram adda 396. Climbing on a date tree.

397. Pouring Tadi 398. Drying the Mahua 399. Water soaking Mahua 400. Fermentation of Mahua 401. Daru making in Furnaces 402. Surti store 403. The Surti leaves 404. Chuna 405. Chuna over a wound 406. Jack fruit tree, Deoria 407. House of Badami devi.

408. Badami devi(35yr) W/O ram sewak- gav ki asha, Ledaha Deoria 409. Kid having Polio drops 410. Kids (< 5years) visited by gav ki asha: Gorakhpur 411. Children: Gorakhpur 412. School going kids vs. kids going for garbage collection (Dom caste) 413. Ramjan ali(50yr)-a rasanwala, kerwani, Rampur.

414. Rasan cards 415. Distribution of kerosene oil (mitti ka tel) 416. Lantern: chitahi bazar, Deoria CRAFT DOCUMENTATION / 15,000 HECTARE / SUNEEL KUSHWAHA

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417. Weights: Minathapa 418. A Kid with his pet dog, Rampur padaw 419. Narmda Yadav, Gram Pradhan (Vishnathrampur) 420. dipti ranger (Gorakhpur forest department)Baqaullah khan with forest range officer (Panadi bazaar, Tilkoniya forest range)-Jairam suman 421. Auction wood 422. Harihar prasad(45yr)-Dona and Pattal seller, Minathapa 423. Pattals comparision 424. Kusamhi Forest, Gorakhpur 425. Decorative basket 426. Dom selling baskets, tarkulaha Devi, Gorakhpur 427. Pattal 428. Pattal making by machine 429. Sal leaves bowl, Nepal, link- http://desigrub. com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Lapate_Leaf_Plate_ Bowl.jpg 430. A roll wrapping, link- http://www.igreenspot. com/wp-content/uploads/banana-leaf-packaging1.jpg 431. Banana leaves bowl, link- http://assets.inhabitat.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2010/12/GreenPackaging-banana-leaves.jpg 432. pan packaging ,link- http://3.bp.blogspot. com/-IoUAKQaiSvg/UKZGjbYpEVI/AAAAAAAAEig/ jQGu7zlKwQY/s1600/richard-nebesky-food-wrappedin-banana-leaf-at-open-air-market-bangkok-thailandsoutheast-asia-asia_i-G-26-2613-F3RVD00Z.jpg 433. Packing container 434. Covering cone 435. Packaging of rice 436. Coaster of leaves http://www.saffronmarigold. com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/banana-leafcoasters.jpeg 437. Leaves decoration CRAFT DOCUMENTATION / 15,000 HECTARE / SUNEEL KUSHWAHA

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439.

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442.

Leaves lamp Leaves decoration Journey photo, by kishan maurya Dom basket Bullock cart, Rampur padaw

Graphics 443. Illustration: caste system 444. Illustration: untouchable?

445. Illustration: a tale the crow and the sparrow 446. Illustration: village housing system 447. Illustration: the Kusamhi tale 448. Illustration: reserved forest, Gorakhpur green area 449. Illustration: silvicuture 450. Illustration: tribe the native of the forest 451. Illustration: other coordinating castes 452. Sketch: craftsmanship 453. Illustration: non vegetarian sign 454. Illustration: a tale the Musahar 455. Illustration: farmer and Musahar 456. Illustration: Dona 457. Illustration: Sal Detail http://plantgenera.org/ ILLUSTRATIONS_thumbnails/61423.jpg 458. Sketch: Pattal making- [1], [2], [3], [4], and [5] 459. Sketch: making of two leaves bowl- [1], [2], [3], and [4] 460. Illustration: role of woman 461. Illustration: classification of the Dom caste 462. Sketch: a Netua family 463. Illustration: basket tale 464. Sketch: basket [1], [2], [3] and [4] 465. Sketch: moonj basketry pattern 466. Sketch: rope spinning 467. Sketch: the forest hut 468. Illustration: making of the chulha 469. Illustration: The taste of India, link- http:// wikitravel.org/upload/shared/e/e1/India_food.jpeg,linkhttp://i1.ytimg.com/vi/T4auZlu81K4/maxresdefault.jpg ,link- http://chezshuchi.com/images/patra%20(11).JPG (veg. symbol) 470. sketch: Dhebari making- 1.Metal cap of a bottle,

2.peace of cotton cloth, 3.putting cloth wick through the holed in the cap, 4.Bottle filled with kerosene oil, @putting the wick in the Bottle, 5.Dhebari / Diya (lamp) 471. Illustration: Kathari / Gudari making 1.layering the saris 2. covering the free edges 3.village women stitching Kathari, ready to use Kathari 472. Sketch: village woman attire 473. Sketch: Tribal woman attire 474. Sketch: Married woman attire 475. Sketch: Village man 476. Illustration: Pictogram for male Nachaniya 477. Illustration: day clock 478. Sketch: month clock 479. Illustration: Musahar- working day clock 480. Illustration: Dom- working day clock 481. Sketch: Gulail (catapult) boy 482. Sketch: Dagga running boy 483. Sketch: selling of Daru 484. Sketch: Detail of furnace 485. Illustration: percentage of reservation 486. Illustration: forest natives (Gorakhpur) 487. Illustration: Gorakhpur Time line 488. Illustration: Kusamhi Time line 489.

Gorakhpur film city logo, linkhttp://static.panoramio.com/photos/ large/69491922.jpg 490. Vow films and news logo, linkhttp://www.gorakhpurfilmcity.com/vow. php 491. Vow film Acadamy logo, link-

http://www.gorakhpurfilmcity.com/acting. jpg 492. Crime cycle, link-http://www. gspscp.ca/en/citizens/resources/crimetriangle.gif

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