REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE Kalelkar Govind Mangesh, Mumbai Elakhyatil Jati 1928 (First Edition), Shri Laxminarayan Press, Mumbai. The writer has described the social life of Nandiwale. They are religious beggars and beg at various parts of Maharashtra with their decorated oxen. Chavan Ramnath, Bhatakya Vimuktanche Antarang, May, 2003, (Second Edition), Manovikas Prakashan, Mumbai (pp. 32 to 34). The writer has described the life-style of Dhawale Nandiwala. They wander throughout Maharashtra by showing the tricks of their Nandibaill. Dhawala is a proper noun of their ox. So they are called as Dhawala Nandiwala. They give special training to their oxen. Their mother tongue is very similar to Telagu language in which there is a mixture of Marathi and Hindi words. There was a tradition of child-marriages. They dowry system is compulsory and dowry is taken from bridegrooms. The widow-marriages are not allowed in this tribe but the men are allowed for re-marriages. The Jatpanchayat plays vital role in this tribe. The rules are compulsory and punishments are given, who break the rules. The people are religious and follow the blind beliefs. They abandon their houses in the month of Shravan and go for Vanwas. Because of their wandering they are away from eduation. Dhere Ramchandra Chintaman, Loksanskrutiche Upasak, Padmagandha Prakashan, Pune (pp. 164-167). The writer describes the social and cultural life of Nandiwale tribe. Nandiwale come with Nandibaill at vacant places before the temples or chawadies. They play their Gubgubies people gather around them. They show different tricks with their Nandies. They forecast about the villages and Nandies give answers to their questions by nodding their necks. The Nandiwale are also called as Tirmalas. They gather together in monsoon and wander in remaining seasons. They are called Gangeddu in Telagu region. Their origional language
is Telagu. They are vaishnavpathies. They take dikshas from Bramhanas. The tirupati mountain is called as Tirumalle so they are called as Tirmalas. Mande Prabhakar, Gavgadyabaher, 1983, Parimal Prakashan, Aurangabad (pp. 205-211) The writer has studied the social and cultural life of Nandiwale tribe. These people are good at hunting. They train their dogs for hunting. They talk in telagu language. In the course of time certain changes occur in their language. They speak in a code language among themselves. Some of the words from the code language are Manashi (man), adi (woman), pilgadu (boy) etc. They were related to crimes in the past. They originally belong to Telagu community. Their surnames are Fulmali, Ingale, Dhangar, Hatkar, Wasadi, Shinde, Gaikwad, Pawar etc. They are considered as from Kashyap Gotras. The Tirmali caste is formed from various communities. There is a gradation system in different lineages of Tirmalas. Fulmali and Ingale are considered as of the superior lineage. They are given prestige at the time of marriages. They buried their deads. They observe mourning for three days. The same is observed for their dead oxen. Tirmalas belong to the Shiva sect. God Shankar is their main deity. They also worship Amba Bhavani, Durga and Balaji. They are the devotees of Goddess Mammadevi. Atre T.N. Gavgada, Varada Books, Pune (p. 121) Nandiwale live in a tent. Outside the villages. Nearly 5 to 10 families live together. They keep bufellows, oxen, goats and dogs. Tirmalas forecast about future with the help of their Nandibaills. They play on Gubugudi. They beg for grains and clothes. The women knit coverlets and sell needles and packing needles. At one village, there were 30 tirmalas, 1 Nandibeils, 7 ponies, 2 bebuffelows, 4 buffelows, 10 oxen, 5 goats, 8 dogs and some hens according to the
observation of the writer. Some of these people forecast with panchang to the farmers. Joshi Tarkatirtha Laxmanshastri, Marathi Vishwakosha, Vol. 8 (p. 266). Nandiwale alias Tirmala is one of the specific tribes of Maharashtra. It was said that they could have come to Maharashtra 800 years ago. They are the devotees of Tirupati Venkatesha so they are called as Tirmalas. The main person of their tribe maybe Tirmal Nandiwala. They also worship Lord Shiva. Their population was around 2800 according to the survey of 1969 to 1972. they wander at various places. One of their Nandies died at Vadapuri in Indapur Taluka of Pune district. So they come over there once a year in the months of Ashad and Shravana. But they used to gather there after every three years since last 20-25 years. They fulfill their oaths, offer preys, perform marriages and solve their disputes. They wear common shirts, tie shela at vaisa due red handkerchips to head. They are still popular among villages. Dr. Vyavahare Sharad, Lokranjanachi Paramparik Madhyame, June 2002 (First Edition), Swaroop Prakashan, Aurangabad, (pp. 111-117). The writer speaks of social and traditional life of Nandiwale. Nandiwala entertains the people by showing the tricks of his Nandibaill. They sing their traditional songs. He presented one song, Dohoni Shinganchi bail hass bail chari payanchi bail shal chari payanchi bail! Guba guba. Asali Beilala shikshan deti ha shikshan deti Beilat beil nawajleli beil gubu gubu Shetakaryala asatu char ha char Nandiwalyala asatu ek hass dada ek! Bagaya kamal zaliya dhamal ha dada! Hatatlya mudhya dilyat ha dada
Sheticha pav, khishatala rupaya, khandatal bakaru, Bailachya kamalwar dilyat ha dada dilyat gubu gubu Joshi Madevshashtri, Ed. Bharatiya Sanskuti Kosh Vol. 4, (pp. 652-653). Saint Eknath compused an allegory on Nandiwale. He himself became a nandiwala in this allegory and made a god as nandi. Some of the lines are as follows- Nandi ala, Nandi ala Gugu Gubu Konya sadeivachya wadyat, Nandi chalala sangawaya mat Nar-nari kautuke pahat gubu gubu gubu Daha avatar gharati kari kashi ayodhya mathuret firi Nachato haridasache dwari Shiv harhar bola Vishvantis ala dindirachna To nijsakha pundalik aha Tayachi awad dekhoni mana Bhimatati Khed tase Shel khelala paripurna Shramoni dharole katikar charan Sharan eka janardan Mi tu pan Tyajoni This interesting story occurs in the book Yogdwarsutra. It is related with Pandurang. The people of this sect put on bhasma and keep Nandibaill and train their nandi to how to salute the prestigious people. They wander with their nandies and beg everywhere. 17 Pandharinath Patil, Bhatake Bhaibandh, publisher Gulabrao Marutrao Karle, December, 1990, (First Edition), Suresh Agencies, 205, Shukrawar Peth, Pune (pp. 45-53). Nandiwala society is one of the nomadic tribes of Maharashtra. There are four divisions of this society named Patil, Cougale, Kameti and Dawandiwale. There is no sub-division of divisions and they tale that all of them belong to the single gotra i.e. the clan Kashyap. But there is system of grade. Their main occupation is to entertain the people by the play of Nandibaill i.e. a trained bull and they aims moreover, they also forecast past and future of the people. 18
Marriage system in Nandiwala society is very special event. In the past there was a child marriage system. But now it is outdated. Generally, the marriages take place on Friday of Shravan month. But they don t believe in muhurta in auspicious time. Dowry system is observed in this society. Marriage continuous for three days. The marriage is generally take place in the home of the bride. After marriage at the parting time, there is ritual of common rhythmic cring. In the evening the bride begs alms in the five homes of their community and then only she is called as a real wife. Community court is very dominant in this society. Decision of the community court is abiding. All the issues related to finance, judgement and marriage are decide by the advice of the community court. The person who defies the laws of community court is punished. 19 General Editor Kumar Siresh Singh, People of India Maharashtra, Vol. III, Popular Prakashan Pvt. Ltd., Tardev, Mumbai (pp. 1532-1537). Both these groups of Nandiwale migrated from Andhra Pradesh. The Tirmal Nandiwale appear to have migrated some 800 years back and the Fulmali Nandiwale some 250 years ago. The Nandi is trained to perform tricks. The womenfolk of these people sell trinkets and indigenous medicines. The Nandiwale are found in the Ahmednagar, Pune, Sangli, Satara, Kolhapur, Aurangabad, Jalgaon and Beed districts of Maharashtra. They are found mostly in valley and plateau areas. Grasslands cover most of the areas which are required for their buls and buffaloes. This region is pastoral, warm and moderate in rainfall. The forest cover is thin. They keep their family at a single place where old people and women look after the children and household activities. 20 Since they have migrated from Andhara Pradesh their mother tongue is Telugu, while in Maharashtra, they speak Marathi fluently. Their children take education in Marathi, Some of them can understand and speak Hindi.