Marathi Version Of Navratri Brings Back Memories, Draws in Youth
By Rinky Kumar/TNN
Mumbai: For the Gujarati community, Navratri might mean donning new outfits, wearing funky jewellery and displaying one’s dancing skills. But these nine nights of revelry are also significant for Maharashtrians.
A festival, popular as Bhondla in Mumbai and Pune, used to witness women coming together and narrating daily life experiences in form of songs during Navratri. But with social changes over the years, Bhondla is no longer the same.
However, a group of six women have now decided to save the dying tradition. Calling themselves the Sai group—meaning girl friend in Marathi—they visit Navratri utsav mandals for performing the Bhondla.
Sai’s founder, Shibani Joshi said, “We have been performing Bhondla since childhood. The songs are not written, but have been passed down for generations as a cultural legacy.’’ Explaining the origins of the tradition, she said, “In earlier days, when girls were not educated and did not lead an active social life, they would celebrate Navratri by calling their friends over.’’
Apart from using Bhondla as a platform for displaying singing talent, the girls would draw an elephant in the courtyard, and decorate it with fruits and flowers. The elephant symbolised the Hath Nakshatra—a constellation visible in the sky during Navratri.
“While humourous songs about the relationship women had with their inlaws dominated traditional Bhondla, it also had games and puzzles, including one where they would drop hints for identifying food items,’’ added Joshi.
Unlike the garba or dandiya, Bhondla has women going round the elephant picture. The programme lasts for an hour with the girls singing 30-40 songs— beginning with an invocation to Lord Ganesha and rounding off with a ballad to commemorate the achievements of Chhatrapati Shivaji. The Sai group that was formed in 2002 has added contemporary nuances, so that the present generation of Maharashtrian girls can identify with it. While in earlier times, girls sang of how their in-laws were trying to woo them with jewellery, today’s songs find mention of modern-day appliances.
In another attempt to make Bhondla more interesting, the group also performs traditional Marathi folk dances, like jhimma and phugdi. The group are invited by Navratri utsav mandals in Maharashtrian localities to perform the Bhondla. “We have also performed in Jamshedpur, Raipur and Ajmer,’’ said Joshi.
Hoping the younger generation is able to carry forward the tradition, Joshi said, “Our events bring back memories of yesteryears to the
older generation of Maharashtrians. They also draw in younger people who enjoy the foot-tapping music and rhythm.’’
The Times of India, October 10, 2005
