HISTORY/ORIGIN
The Deccan Plateau of Western India inhabits one of India’s oldest class of people, the Marathas. Their origins trace back to the first chiefs and warriors of the area. In the 17th century, under the leadership of Shivaji, they unified against the Muslim rule of the Mughal Empire. Although, quite successful against the Muslim regime, the Marathas were not able to stand against the Afghan Invasion by Ahmed Shah Durrani. From that point on their strength and dominance began to diminish and a further series of defeats against the British Empire led to their final collapse.
After the independence of India, the state of Maharashtra was formed on the basis of their language. Today, the state of Maharashtra is the 3rd largest state of India with its unique culture, heritage and identity.
LANGUAGE
The language Marathi is derived from a form of Classical Sanskrit. There are several dialects of Marathi language, which include Konkani, Varadhi and Nagpuri. The language is written in a script known as Devanagri. In the year 1966 it became the official language of Maharashtra. The Marathi language is estimated to be 1300 years old. Unique features of Marathi culture include Marathi musical dramas.
RELIGIOUS INFLUENCE
The religion of Marathas is Hindu. Marathas worship a number of gods including Shiva, who has a unique importance. Shiva is known by the names of Khandoba, Guardian of Deccan and Bhairav, protector of the village. Shiva’ wife Parvatti is also worshipped and is considered a local mother goddess. Their beliefs in the supernatural encompass evil spirits, evil eyes, ghosts and witchcraft, which are said to cause harm to people. Mashoba is one of the evil spirits that is known to bring sickness and ill-fortune to any village amongst Marathas. Maruti is the monkey-god who protects villagers from evil spirits.
FESTIVALS
Marathas celebrate all the major festivals of Hinduism but also have their own regional events. At Divali, the Marathas sing hymns and worship cow-dung images of the demon god. The birthday of Ganesha is another major event in Bombay. In this event, images of Ganesha are worshipped for three days and are then sent into Indian Ocean. Other festivals include Nag Panchami, the snake festival, and Pola, in which bulls are decorated and paraded through villages. The national folk hero, Shivaji, has his birthday celebrated in Maharashtra, which is known as Shivaji Jayanti.
LIFESTYLE
Marathas celebrate the birth of a baby a few days after it is born. Special rituals are performed after the birth of a child since it is believed that evil spirits might attack a newborn. When a person dies, the corpse is wrapped in a white shroud and the body is burned. After being burned the ashes are tossed into the river.
On the Deccan Plateau, villages are arranged in tight clusters of houses. Smaller houses are simply a rectangular block of four walls forming a single room. Larger houses are made of several blocks arranged in a square, with a sun-court (chowk) in the middle. Rooms include a living quarters, kitchen, storerooms, and a devgarh, where images of the family gods are kept. Weaving and metalwork are considered traditional crafts amongst Marathas. Kolhapuri leather sandals are popular throughout the world and represent unique Marathi Culture.
CLOTHING
Men’s apparel usually consists of a dhoti (a long piece of white cotton cloth tied around the waist), a tight fitting coat, and sometimes a turban. Marathi women wear a traditional sari (a length of cloth wrapped around the waist, with another end over the right shoulder) and a tight fitting blouse.
MARATHI CUISINES
Flat, unleavened bread, locally termed Roti, served with pulse and vegetables is the usual diet of Marathas. In poorer families the meal may consist of millet bread with chopped chilies and lentils. Among the affluent Marathas, bread is made from wheat flour with rice and vegetables and includes fish, mutton and chicken. Amongst the poor, meat is affordable only occasionally.
ARTS AND MUSIC
Many Marathas visit local festivals and fairs to enjoy traditional folk entertainment. Nandivala is a traveling performer, who entertains people with sound effects, tricks and animal-shows. Bahrupia is a person who performs in disguise and mimics famous people. Bombay is the cultural hub of Maratha State. It is the largest center for movie making and produces films in Hindi and Marathi. Bombay also holds a number of traditional and cultural centers, such as museums, modern and classical music and film theaters and other cultural heritages.
SPORTS
Maratha children enjoy role-playing. Boys pretend to be horse-drivers or engine-drivers, while girls enjoy playing with dolls and housekeeping. Organized games include various versions of tag, blind man's bluff, and hide-and-seek. Traditional Indian games like as Gulli danda (Indian cricket) and Kabaddi (team wrestling) are very popular. Cricket is perhaps the most popular spectator sport. Field hockey, soccer, tennis, and badminton are played in cities and towns. Popular indoor games include chess, cards, and carom (a board game in which counters are used to knock an opponent's counters into pockets).
Though this page has been carefully researched, the author does not claim expertise on the Maratha Culture. Please send questions, comments, and corrections to emuseum@mnsu.edu and include the URL.If you are a Marathi, your feedback is much appreciated.
REFERENCES
Interknowledge Corporation
1997 India. Electronic document, http://www.interknowledge.com/india/, accessed July 25, 2009.
Ardley, Bridget.
1989 India. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Silver Burdett Press.
Barker, Amanda.
1996 India. Crystal Lake, Ill.: Ribgy Interactive Library
Cumming, David.
1991 India. New York: Bookwright.
Das, Prodeepta.
1990 Inside India. New York: F. Watts.
Dolcini, Donatella.
1997 India in the Islamic Era and Southeast Asia (8th to 19th century). Austin, Tex.: Raintree Steck-Vaughn,.
Kalman, Bobbie.
1990 India: The Culture. Toronto: Crabtree Publishing Co.
Pandian, Jacob.
1995 The Making of India and Indian Traditions. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice Hall,
Shalant, Phyllis.
1998 Look What We've Brought You from India: Crafts, Games, Recipes, Stories, and Other Cultural Activities from Indian Americans. Parsippany, N.J.: Julian Messner,.
IMAGES LINK:-
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/55/Marathas.GIF
http://specials.rediff.com/news/2004/sep/28sld01.jpg
sfshttp://product-image.tradeindia.com/00287129/b/0/Kolhapuri-Chappal.jpg
http://images.exoticindiaart.com/kurtapajamas/ivory_dhoti_with_zari_border_yp10.jpg
Written by
Salman Hakim, 2009