ETHNOFLORENCE
INDIAN AND HIMALAYAN
FOLK AND TRIBAL ARTS
September 27, 2021
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(I)
THE MASKING TRADITION IN TRIBAL
INDIA & HIMALAYA
no 8
RAJ GOND and KOLAMS
people
DANDARI – GHUSADI
Adilabad district
TELANGANA FESTIVAL RITUAL – DANCE
गुसाडी दंडार
Continuing our investigation on the masked festivals of the Indian and Himalayan regions, we devote today our attention to the ritual tradition of the Raj Gond people in relation to the Dandari – Ghusadi Ritual Festival of Telangana state, in which beautiful headdresses -MALJAALINA BOORA – appear – as well as female -VEYLO KODAL – wooden masks and – KODAL PEN (the Saviour God) Mask.
Adivasis’ Gussadi -Dandari festival in Adilabad district of Telangana – © Photo Credit of Pillalamarri Srinivas
The Dandari-Ghusadi Telangana festival , celebrated by the tribal communities of the Raj Gond and Kolams, consists in the annual post-harvest celebration and reenactment of the wedding procession of Yetma, daughter of God of Creation and suitor of Raj Gond.
Telangana’s traditional Gusadi dance – © Photo Credit of Katyan Misra
The Gusadi Dance – in Deepavali season – is the most significant Raj Gonds festival in the Adilabad district in Telangana state – dressed in colorful costumes and decorated with ornaments the actors visit the nearby villages , singing and dancing; these dance companies are called DANDARI – the festival lasts from the first day of full moon until the fourteenth day of Deepavali’s dark fortnight.
Adivasis’ Gussadi -Dandari festival in Adilabad district of Telangana – © Photo Credit of Pillalamarri Srinivas
Among the Gond community, those who want to have children or have their wishes fulfilled can become GHUSADI dancer, which implies the religious obligation to follow and perform the ritual for a period between three and five years.
© Photo: K. Ramesh Babu
During the festival the Female Divinity “Padmalpuri” and the Male Divinities “Ravudk” are worshiped, through the use of
MASKS
as
Kodal Pen Mask
The Saviour God
© Photo Credit of konyang.in
Peacock Feathered
Headdresses
Gussadi -Dandari festival in Adilabad district of Telangana – © Photo Credit of Pillalamarri Srinivas
© Photo Credit of Pillalamarri Srinivas
Gussadi -Dandari festival in Adilabad district of Telangana –
Different kinds of Drums
© Photo Credit of https://www.thenewsminute.com/
Gussadi -Dandari festival in Adilabad district of Telangana – © Photo Credit of Pillalamarri Srinivas
Gussadi -Dandari festival in Adilabad district of Telangana – © Photo Credit of Pillalamarri Srinivas
Dance Sticks
© Photo Credit of https://www.thenewsminute.com/
The Festival begins with
BHOGI PUJA
© Photo Credit: S_HARPALSINGH
an offering of special prayers to the
DANDARI-PEN – or GOD DANDARI –
which includes the Peacock Headdress, Musical Instruments, Sticks used by Dandari dancers and the masks of the Kodal Pen (or of the savior god).
© Photo Credit of https://www.firstpost.com/
© Photo Credit of K Ramesh Babu
From Bogi day to Kolaboḍi day, Gusadi dancers called locally – GHUSARKS – & -PORIK (young men dressed as ladies) stage the festival celebrations travelling to other villages where they have given their sisters and daughters in marriage.
The GHUSARKS, wearing huge hats made of peacock feathers, called GUSSADI TOPI or MALJAALINA BOORA, personify the GOD OF CREATION.
Their role is TO ESCORT the wedding procession providing protection from wild animals as the procession goes through dense forests.
In addition to peacock feathers, the headdresses can also be decorated with a pair of ram’s horns, as well as circular mirrors piece or naturalistic representations of the peacock ( as in the photo below).
© Photo Credit of Pillalamarri Srinivas
From village to village they will be able to sit or sleep only on deer skin and not take a bath (since the Ghusarks are an incarnation of God, pure and omnipotent, they have no need to sleep or wash themselves).
© Photo Credit of Santhosh Goud Arugula
Ghusarks dances are inspired by the movement of wild animals, such as deer, peacock, rabbit, nilgai and bison.
© Photo Credit of https://www.firstpost.com/
The Dandari dance offers bachelors of the dance group visiting another village the opportunity to attract the attention of the parents of the unmarried girls (of the host village) by impressing them with their dancing skills; the girls who attend the show can choose a boy and communicate their interest in their parents.
Between one performance and another, similar to other dance festivals – comic interludes are staged.
A garland made of wild nuts – NEYPALK HAAR is carried on by the Gusadi Men
© Photo Credit of Pillalamarri Srinivas
together small GAAGRA or jingling bells.
PORIK
are instead believed to represent Yetma.
VEYLO KODAL is a FEMALE MASK
© Photo Credit of https://www.thenewsminute.com/
made of wood and worn by Porik while dancing.
Adivasis’ Gussadi -Dandari festival in Adilabad district of Telangana – © Photo Credit of Pillalamarri Srinivas
The festival will come to an end with the
KOLABODI RITUAL
in which puja at the Mahua -Ippa tree – is performed.
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FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Note the similarity between the stylistic rendering of the mouth of the Raj Gond Kodal Pen (the saviour god) mask and the Budia Gavari Mewari ones of Rajasthan.
On the Left Budia character – Gavari Mewar Mask- Rajasthan – On the Right Raj Gond Kodal Pen character – Dandari – Ghusadi – Telangana –
Photo Composition by Ethnoflorence
(2)
THE MASKING TRADITION
© Photo Credit of Pillalamarri Srinivas
IN TRIBAL INDIA AND HIMALAYA
Recent Festivals Published General Link
UTTARARAKHAND
-Hill Jatra Masks in Pithoragarh-
HillJatra Male and Female Characters – © Photo Credit of Asian Paints
-Bikhoti (बिखोती) Bhotiya Ritual Dance Mask Festival of Lata village-
Bikhoti (बिखोती) Festival – Lata Village – © Photo Credit of Mountain Shepherds
-Saloor & Dungra (twin) Villages Ramman Religious Festival and Ritual Theatre of Garhwal-
© Photo Credit of IGNCA / Ministry of Culture
RAJASTHAN
-Gavari Festival Ecstatic Theater Performance Mewar region of Rajasthan – India.-
ASSAM
-Bhari Gan Folk Masks, Rabha people – Goalpara district – Assam – India –
© Photo Credit of https://www.nezine.com/
WEST BENGAL
-Gomira Mask of Kushmandi Area – Dakshin Dinajpur District-
© Photo Credit of Lopamudra Talukdar https://www.sahapedia.org
-Raban Kata, Masked Dance – Bishnupur – Bankura District-
© Photo Credit of Rahul Bagchi
TELANGANA
-Raj Gond and Kolams Dandari – Ghusadi Telangana Festival Ritual Dance –
© Photo Credit of Katyan Misra
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ETHNOFLORENCE INDIAN AND HIMALAYAN FOLK AND TRIBAL ARTS 
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