On three sides of Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) are some of
Mumbai's most rapidly-urbanised suburbs but within its forests are
hamlets that continue an ancient practice that despite being rooted in
pre-modern times may be playing a role in maintaining a balance between
urban expansion and ecological conservation.
Members of the Warli and Malhar Koli tribes who live in the forests
within SNGP continue the tradition of tiger worship, which has its own
rituals and shrines. Locals say that the Waghoba shrines in the area,
the practise has been going on for “hundreds of years, may be even
more”.
A TIGER TEMPLE IN AAREY COLONY OF MUMBAI CITY [SANJAY GANDHI NATIONAL PARK]
A group of researchers studying Sanjay Gandhi National Park
recently discovered this practice and have begun documenting it as part
of their research. There are plans to release a report on the same.
According to their as yet unpublished research, at least six hamlets in
SGNP and its surrounding areas have Waghoba shrines. This is the first
official study to record the existence of this ancient practice in
Mumbai in recent times.
The Warli tribe is known for worshipping
its own pantheon, which includes deities like Hirva, the peacock god of
the household and Narayandev, the supreme among the divine.
Gaondevi
is the local village deity. Waghoba, who is one of the more important
gods, is depicted as a tiger and is the protector of cattle.
This
reporter visited the hamlets in SGNP where Waghoba worship has a
committed following. Keltipada is one of them and here, the shrines for
the local deities are simple and instead of conventional idols, stones
signifying the different gods are worshipped. Thus, the larger stone
represents the Gaondevi and a smaller one is Waghoba. However, locals
say that the shrines have been in use for generations. In Chinchpada and
Rajnipada, two other villages inside SGNP, beautifully-carved idols can
be seen in the temples. In Chinchpada, there are stone idols that are
believed to be ancient and Rajnipada has wooden idols that are
comparatively newer but well-worshipped. Another temple, larger than the
others, is in Aarey Milk colony and has a painting of a tiger that is
regularly garlanded and continues to be worshipped.
THE RED DOTS SHOWS THE PLACES WHERE 'TIGER TEMPLES 'ARE LOCATED IN SANJAY GANDHI NATIONAL PARK
Manik Sapte
lives in Navapada, a hamlet of less than 100 homes in the SGNP, and is a
“god-man”. Apart from conducting private religious ceremonies, Sapte
also looks after the temple located not far from the lion and tiger
safari zones of the park. According to him, prayers are held every
Tuesday at the Waghoba temple that he looks after. “More important is
the yearly ritual that happens in the second week of January when we
sacrifice chicken and goats to appease the gods,” said Sapte. “Chicken
for the Gaondevi and Jarimari devi (another local deity), and goat for
the tiger god. This practise was taken up more earnestly after
2004-2005,” explained Sapte. Between the years of 2001 and 2005, there
as an increase in the number of leopard attacks, which since then have
reduced.
In the Waghoba shrine in Keltipada, a tribal hamlet of about
85 homes in Aarey Colony, the practice has a longer history according
to locals. The temples here are visited by devotees from Keltipada as
well as two nearby hamlets, Damupada and Chapyachapada.
Keltipada-resident Ankush Bhoir's home is near the shrine. “During
Diwali and Holi celebrations, we worship our five gods: Hirva, Himay,
Narayandev, Gaondevi and Waghaya,” said Bhoir, who belongs to the Malhar
Koli community. “Whenever there is any auspicious occasion, family
members gather around the temple with incense sticks, coconut and
garlands and worship the god. This is an ancient practice which has been
going on since the time of our forefathers,” he said.
Anthropologist
Sunetro Ghosal, who is one of the researchers working in SGNP, “Animism
does not equate with idol worship. In this case, the institution of
Waghoba is more important than the physical symbolism through an idol.
For instance, you could have an idol dedicated to a tiger, but have no
other thoughts or beliefs that encourage tolerance.”
However,
ecologist Vidya Athreya, who has been working on leopard-human conflict,
thinks otherwise. “I first ran into a Waghoba shrine in August 2011
when we were searching for appropriate spots to place camera traps for
the project,” she said.
“I had found similar temples during my
work in [Maharashtra's] Ahmednagar district. Later, Zeeshan Mirza and
Sunetro found the rest of them. These are important cultural symbols
which help in conservation as they increase tolerance and understanding
about the issue.”
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