Warli tribe

Introduction

Warli is one of the oldest art form with origin back to 2500 BC of Neolithic age when human were cave dwellers. Warli tribal community from Maharashtra used to decorate their mud houses scenes from daily life like dancing, festivals, harvesting, wedding, hunting in which simple motifs of human, animals and natural element are created in a loose rhythmic pattern.

Warli’s are said to be hunters, but over time, agriculture became an integral part of their life.

The warli is a tribe located in Thane and Palghar district of maharashtra, situated to north of Bombay and stretch upto gujarat border. The neighbouring tribes of the warlis are the Dhoḍiās and Dublin and the koṅkaņas in the north and koļīs, Thākurs, Malhar kunabis and katkar in south. Warlis are short in stature with dark, burnt complexions and broad physical features. They have straight hair. They used the Plough for cultivation and practice only one crop farming. No fertilisers were used except during crop cultivation of rāb(rice) the dired leaves and cowdung burnt to prepare the ground for sowing.

According to warlis once they used fertilisers they will always have to use it otherwise the land will become even more barren. According to them earth has their own way of fertilising herself.

All the functions relating to agriculture like reaping, threshing and sowing are accompanied by rituals. The harvesting season begins with worshipping ‘Kansari’, the goddess of Agriculture. Harvest festival is celebrated by making of toran at the village entrance, offering fresh harvest to the Lord, feeding the cattle and finally sitting together and enjoying the feast in hope of being able to enjoy a rich harvest again, next year.

THE HARVESTING FEAST

The agricultural season of warli starts from the month of May ( vaiśķha) with the preparation of rāb. With the first rain in jyestha( june) the paddy seeds are planted in a small plot. After the seeds start sprouting they are transplanted onto the main field. Before the sowing the land has to be ploughed. In this process the eldest woman of the house takes two leaves of the tumbha tree and ties it to the handle of the plough. Then some sindür is applied to the bulls and also on the plough. After the sowing is completed an onion is kept in the field. Soon after a ritual known as kavali khane (cating the tender plant) takes place. Kavali, the first plant which comes up in the rains, is cooked into a curry and eaten along with rice and dal by the family members. No transplanting can take place unless this rite is observed and if by some chance it is forgotten the household members cannot eat kavali for five years.

On the eve of transplanting a lamp is burnt in the hut and some people even dance. The ploughed fields are waterlogged and the saplings are uprooted and pushed into the soft soil.
This time the planting is done in proper rows leaving enough place in between for the weeding. The transplantation has to be completed in a short period of time, so that all the household members undertake the work. After this the water has to be properly managed so that it can flow through the field in large quantities. This obviously can only be done in those places where water flows down the hills in plenty. In other places the rain water is stored by bunding.
This is a busy period for the people. The fields have to be cleaned of weeds, the flow of water has to be controlled, the paddy loosened by the flowing water has to be made firm, the field have to be protected from rats. Apart from this, there is an abundant growth of grass at this time and cutting it to feed the cattle is a constant job.

The crop cutting period

From the month of Bhadrapada (September) the people begin harvesting. But before this, the puja of Savarī, the field goddess, has to be performed. This puja is done so that the harvest the coarse rice is ready for harvesting. Superior varieties like pankas or kolam will only be ready after Divali.
The fresh green paddy sprouts can be seen for miles around, swaying gently in the breeze. Towards the end of Bhadrapada the Warlis observe Pitr Baras or the twelfth day of the ancestors. On this night they enact ritual drinking and dancing, under the aegis of the ancestors, to encourage the paddy to grow. Through the process of sympathetic magic they believe implicitly that feasting, dancing and sex would make the plant world respond and therefore proliferate.
Thousands of Warlis from the surrounding countryside congregate at the Mahalakṣmī temple at Dahanu, to spend the night feasting. A virtual melā takes place with shops set up on either side of the temple to sell tribal jewellery, sweet-meats and other odds and ends. The eating houses opened for the occasion do a roaring business selling country liquor, for that is all the Warlis consume on this night. The men carrying large tarpās wear their best clothes, pants and shirts, but it is really the women who stand out, with their bright saris and elaborate coiffeurs decked with trinkets and flowers. While there are many Hindu pilgrims present, there is a distinctly tribal flavour to the entire gathering.

The place of worship 🙌

Mahālakşmī temple, the main place of worship for the Warlis, has been in existence for many years. Certainly no Warli present can remember when it was first erected. Perhaps the name ‘Mahālakşmī’ has been superimposed as has been the newly erected cement structure over an old site of the mother goddess. This is at the foot of the highest hill in the area which, ending in a conical peak, can be seen as a major landmark for miles around. Coincidentally, next to this triangular peak, is a smaller phallic-shaped peak which the Warlis refer to as musala (pounding stick). The two together, dominating the landscape, are known as ai-vadil (mother-father) by the Warlis. And this may have been the starting point for the legend believed by them to this day.
It is said that 500 years ago, the goddess used to reside on top of the hill. This the Warlis used to climb, to pay obeisance to the goddess installed in a natural cave near the peak. They believed that the conical peak was āī and that she bestowed children on infertile women. Once a pregnant woman yearned to visit the temple, but found that in her condition it was impossible for her to climb the peak. Seeing her devotion, the goddess decided to give her an opportunity to meet her. She appeared to a tribal in his dream and told him to bring her down and establish her at the foot of the mountain. A small temple was built for her at the foot, and ever since the tribals worship her there. The priests of the temple are from the Satvai clan of the Warlis, to one of whom the goddess had appeared in the dream. About 11 generations of Satväïs have consistently been acting as temple priests.

LBut while the priesthood remains in the hands of the tribals, the temple is managed by a Gujarati board of trustees who were also responsible for constructing the present flamboyant But while the priesthood remains in the hands of the tribals, the temple is managed by temple structure over the original site at the foot of the hill. Inside the temple the idol of Mahalaksmi is merely a round face coated with sindur. Although she is adorned with jewellery like a traditional Indian woman, her round face (unlike the Mahalaksmi at Bombay who is pale and has delicate features) retains many tribal features. The face is a mask which covers the original deity-a heap of stones with red tikkas. A sari is folded around these stones. Outside the temple are many stones splashed with red-lead powder, scattered about the compound.

The celebration follows with the preparation of “Vaghyadev” (The Tiger God), “Kansari”(The corn Goddess) and a host of other Gods and goddesses. The harvest is threshed and the new grain is brought home and store in “Kangi” (a circular rice bin which is creatively made of bamboo.

Conclusion

The Harvesting Feast of the Warli tribe stands as a vibrant expression of gratitude, community bonding, and ecological wisdom. Rooted in centuries-old traditions, this celebration marks the successful completion of the agricultural cycle and honors the natural forces—land, rain, forest, and sun—that sustain their livelihood. Through rituals, music, dance, and symbolic Warli paintings, the community reaffirms its spiritual relationship with nature, acknowledging every harvest as a blessing rather than merely a human achievement.

The feast also strengthens social unity, as families and clans gather to share food, perform Tarpa dance, and participate in collective worship. These activities not only reinforce cultural identity but also ensure the transmission of indigenous knowledge across generations. The values embedded in the festival—respect for nature, sustainable resource use, and cooperative living—carry important lessons for modern society, especially at a time when ecological imbalance is a growing concern.

In essence, the Harvesting Feast is more than a cultural event; it is a living tradition that reflects the Warli worldview of harmony between humans and the environment. Preserving such practices is vital, as they offer meaningful insights into sustainable living and remind us of the enduring bond between culture, nature, and community.

References

1. https://www.50plusvoyagers.com/events/warli-painting-senior-citizens.html
2. http://www.vayeda.in/warli.html
3. Dalmia, Y. (1988). The Painted World of the Warli. Lalit Kala Akademi.