Here’s Everything You Should Know About The Siddhi Tribe In Gujarat!
There is a corner of Gujarat that will be forever Africa, home to the
ebony skinned, woolly-haired Siddi tribe, who speak and dress like
Gujaratis but keep alive their ancestry in traditions like the Dhamal
dance.
The beat of the drums is now frantic, the thunder of pounding feet on the hard, sun-baked ground deafening, the wildly gesticulating hands and black-painted faces are alive with a primitive passion as the Siddi tribesmen perform their traditional dance, the Dhamal. Suddenly, and a little unnervingly, I feel I am in the jungles of East Africa.
I take a quick look at Inder, my cameraman, trying to find focus—quite literally. The movements of the dancers are quicksilver and there is no regular pattern. There are half-circles, two dancers in the center, solo star performers, handstands, and somersaults. But, as Inder perseveres, I return from being a spectator to my role of director and look around for my next sequence.
I am in a remote corner of Gujarat, shooting for a documentary on Saurashtra, one of the westernmost regions of the country. It is just 20 miles to the coast from our village, Jambur, in Talala taluka. I am told that, from the shore near Veraval, there is a direct, unbroken line across the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean all the way to the Antarctic.
Talala is home to the African tribe of the Siddis. Although there are many stories surrounding their arrival in India, it is generally believed that a little over three centuries ago the Nawab of Junagadh brought the Siddis from Ethiopia to help clear the swamps in his kingdom. Another version ascribes their presence to Portuguese traders who brought them to India as slave labor. Whatever their history, today the Siddis are well-integrated with the local population; they speak Gujarati, dress like Gujaratis and share many social customs, festivals, and celebrations with them. In appearance, however, they are utterly unlike the other villagers. Ebony-hued, with tightly curled wooly hair and brilliant smiles, they proudly flaunt their African ancestry. I am told that inter-marriage with the other villagers is frowned upon as they are keen to preserve their distinctive appearance.
The Siddis practice Islam and weddings are solemnized by a Qazi. Their pir is Baba Gor whose dargah in Ratanpur, in Bharuch district, is the venue of the annual Urs. Then the Siddis come into their own and, as part of the festivities, dance the Dhamal. The origins of the dance go back to Africa where it was traditionally performed after a successful hunting expedition. The men would dress in animal skins and paint their faces, and to the beat of the dhol, also known as mushira, celebrate with this vibrant and action-filled dance. Centuries later, this unique dance form is a major tourist attraction.
The Siddis are largely settled in the villages of Sirvan and Jambur in Talala taluka, adjoining the Gir National Park and Sanctuary, the last refuge of the Asiatic lion. Gir is unique in that it offers that rare combination of lions and an African tribe outside of Africa. By temperament the Siddis are happy-go-lucky and large-hearted and easygoing; perhaps this is why they are also referred to as ‘Siddi Badshah.’ Their hunting days are long over and the Siddis are now agriculturists. They keep buffaloes and goats that thrive on the dry scrubland of the region. Apart from growing traditional crops like bajra (millet) and jowar (sorghum, white millet), some of them also own mango orchards. Others work as forest guards, or on government projects of the Public Works Department. A few lucky ones, like Ismail, who was with us, have jobs as tourist bus drivers in Sasan. But many are content to work the land of more prosperous landowners like the Maldharis.
The Dhamal sequence over, we move to the other side of the clearing where a batch of schoolchildren had taken an impromptu break to watch our ‘shooting.’ Their lesson resumes and the sound of monotonic recitation fills the air. Eager faces greet us as we set up our camera and monitor. It is a class of both boys and girls. Our liaison officer, Jehangir Baloach, tells us that according to the last census, literacy among the Siddis is nearly 70 percent.
The single street running through the village ends at the mosque. Siddi homes are simple dwellings but, like any village in India, be it ever so humble there is always a dish antenna! We go into the home of Jamila Ben—a kitchen and a room where the family sleeps. Her son, Kabira, is in the traditional Gujarati ghoriya or cradle. Easily set up anywhere, the ghoriya is simply a piece of cloth tied at both ends to poles, trees or whatever is available.
After a couple of interviews, we begin to wrap up our shoot. As I sit down to note a few details, I am struck by the apparent simplicity of the Siddis’ lifestyle. My visit has necessarily been brief, but there is a laid-back, carefree atmosphere in the village and among the people that is palpable. If the animals are taken out to graze half-an-hour later or the fields tended the next day, the world of the Siddis still remains stable. Jamila Ben has time to gossip with her neighbour on her way to buy groceries, and she can leave the door of her home open and Kabira in his ghoriya with sanguinity. Our unit has momentarily ruffled the village’s rhythm with the immediacy of our time-bound schedules and hectic travel plans.
Back at the village clearing, our vehicles rev with a cloud of dust, drowning the chatter of the schoolchildren. Their smiling faces and shouts of “Aaojo!” follow us until we turn the corner, leaving the Siddis and their world behind us.
Air: The nearest airports are at Ahmedabad (415 km) and Rajkot (160 km).
Train: The nearest railway station is at Junagadh (60 km). The Jabalpur Express intercity and the Somnath express ply daily between ahmedabad and Junagadh.
Road: Gir is connected by roads from Ahmedabad, Rajkot and Junagadh.
Stay
The best place to stay is at Sasan Gir (15 km). there are a number of government guest houses and privately run hotels across budgets.
Do
• Go on a safari into the sanctuary and spot asiatic lions.
• Visit the Kankai Mata Temple, located in the national park.
• Savour a traditional Kathiawadi thali at any of the restaurants in and around Sasan Gir.
• Visit the natural hot springs at Tulsishyam Mandir.
• Make a day trip to Somnath, one of the 12 jyotirlingas in the country, about 50 km away.
• Drive to the town of Junagadh (76 km away from Sasan Gir) at the base of the Girnar hills, and drop by the durbar Hall museum and the over 2,000-year-old Uparkot Fort.
The beat of the drums is now frantic, the thunder of pounding feet on the hard, sun-baked ground deafening, the wildly gesticulating hands and black-painted faces are alive with a primitive passion as the Siddi tribesmen perform their traditional dance, the Dhamal. Suddenly, and a little unnervingly, I feel I am in the jungles of East Africa.
I take a quick look at Inder, my cameraman, trying to find focus—quite literally. The movements of the dancers are quicksilver and there is no regular pattern. There are half-circles, two dancers in the center, solo star performers, handstands, and somersaults. But, as Inder perseveres, I return from being a spectator to my role of director and look around for my next sequence.
I am in a remote corner of Gujarat, shooting for a documentary on Saurashtra, one of the westernmost regions of the country. It is just 20 miles to the coast from our village, Jambur, in Talala taluka. I am told that, from the shore near Veraval, there is a direct, unbroken line across the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean all the way to the Antarctic.
Talala is home to the African tribe of the Siddis. Although there are many stories surrounding their arrival in India, it is generally believed that a little over three centuries ago the Nawab of Junagadh brought the Siddis from Ethiopia to help clear the swamps in his kingdom. Another version ascribes their presence to Portuguese traders who brought them to India as slave labor. Whatever their history, today the Siddis are well-integrated with the local population; they speak Gujarati, dress like Gujaratis and share many social customs, festivals, and celebrations with them. In appearance, however, they are utterly unlike the other villagers. Ebony-hued, with tightly curled wooly hair and brilliant smiles, they proudly flaunt their African ancestry. I am told that inter-marriage with the other villagers is frowned upon as they are keen to preserve their distinctive appearance.
The Siddis practice Islam and weddings are solemnized by a Qazi. Their pir is Baba Gor whose dargah in Ratanpur, in Bharuch district, is the venue of the annual Urs. Then the Siddis come into their own and, as part of the festivities, dance the Dhamal. The origins of the dance go back to Africa where it was traditionally performed after a successful hunting expedition. The men would dress in animal skins and paint their faces, and to the beat of the dhol, also known as mushira, celebrate with this vibrant and action-filled dance. Centuries later, this unique dance form is a major tourist attraction.
The Siddis are largely settled in the villages of Sirvan and Jambur in Talala taluka, adjoining the Gir National Park and Sanctuary, the last refuge of the Asiatic lion. Gir is unique in that it offers that rare combination of lions and an African tribe outside of Africa. By temperament the Siddis are happy-go-lucky and large-hearted and easygoing; perhaps this is why they are also referred to as ‘Siddi Badshah.’ Their hunting days are long over and the Siddis are now agriculturists. They keep buffaloes and goats that thrive on the dry scrubland of the region. Apart from growing traditional crops like bajra (millet) and jowar (sorghum, white millet), some of them also own mango orchards. Others work as forest guards, or on government projects of the Public Works Department. A few lucky ones, like Ismail, who was with us, have jobs as tourist bus drivers in Sasan. But many are content to work the land of more prosperous landowners like the Maldharis.
Discover This!
This dry-deciduous hilly Gir forest was originally part of the hunting reserve of the nawabs of Junagadh and home to a wide variety of wildlife, chief among them the asiatic lions. extensive hunting had all but destroyed the lion population when the Government of Gujarat stepped in and created the Gir national park (about 260 sq km) and designated the surrounding forest area as the Gir Wildlife Sanctuary. today the national park boasts of more than 300 lions, leopards, jackals, wild boar, sambar, cheetal and others of the antelope family. the river Hiran runs through the picturesque forests of the sanctuary which is home to tribes like the Siddis and the Maldharis. Their proximity to the big cats has not been a deterrent and behind the flimsy thorny barricades of their settlements, the villagers have continued to go about their daily living, farming and sheep, goat and cattle rearing.The Dhamal sequence over, we move to the other side of the clearing where a batch of schoolchildren had taken an impromptu break to watch our ‘shooting.’ Their lesson resumes and the sound of monotonic recitation fills the air. Eager faces greet us as we set up our camera and monitor. It is a class of both boys and girls. Our liaison officer, Jehangir Baloach, tells us that according to the last census, literacy among the Siddis is nearly 70 percent.
The single street running through the village ends at the mosque. Siddi homes are simple dwellings but, like any village in India, be it ever so humble there is always a dish antenna! We go into the home of Jamila Ben—a kitchen and a room where the family sleeps. Her son, Kabira, is in the traditional Gujarati ghoriya or cradle. Easily set up anywhere, the ghoriya is simply a piece of cloth tied at both ends to poles, trees or whatever is available.
After a couple of interviews, we begin to wrap up our shoot. As I sit down to note a few details, I am struck by the apparent simplicity of the Siddis’ lifestyle. My visit has necessarily been brief, but there is a laid-back, carefree atmosphere in the village and among the people that is palpable. If the animals are taken out to graze half-an-hour later or the fields tended the next day, the world of the Siddis still remains stable. Jamila Ben has time to gossip with her neighbour on her way to buy groceries, and she can leave the door of her home open and Kabira in his ghoriya with sanguinity. Our unit has momentarily ruffled the village’s rhythm with the immediacy of our time-bound schedules and hectic travel plans.
Back at the village clearing, our vehicles rev with a cloud of dust, drowning the chatter of the schoolchildren. Their smiling faces and shouts of “Aaojo!” follow us until we turn the corner, leaving the Siddis and their world behind us.
Navigator
Getting ThereAir: The nearest airports are at Ahmedabad (415 km) and Rajkot (160 km).
Train: The nearest railway station is at Junagadh (60 km). The Jabalpur Express intercity and the Somnath express ply daily between ahmedabad and Junagadh.
Road: Gir is connected by roads from Ahmedabad, Rajkot and Junagadh.
Stay
The best place to stay is at Sasan Gir (15 km). there are a number of government guest houses and privately run hotels across budgets.
Do
• Go on a safari into the sanctuary and spot asiatic lions.
• Visit the Kankai Mata Temple, located in the national park.
• Savour a traditional Kathiawadi thali at any of the restaurants in and around Sasan Gir.
• Visit the natural hot springs at Tulsishyam Mandir.
• Make a day trip to Somnath, one of the 12 jyotirlingas in the country, about 50 km away.
• Drive to the town of Junagadh (76 km away from Sasan Gir) at the base of the Girnar hills, and drop by the durbar Hall museum and the over 2,000-year-old Uparkot Fort.
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