Kuregad - A Tale of Water
The abandoned Gond village of Kuregad
Kawal Tiger Reserve, Telangana
Hidden in the deep recesses of the Kawal Tiger Reserve and behind the infamous backwardness of Adilabad is a treasure trove of tribal culture waiting to be explored. The district promises enormous potential for culture tourism thanks to its Adivasi population, dominated by the Gonds and the Kolams, who continue to preserve their ancient and glorious traditions. Though the Adivasis are present throughout the district, their concentration is greater in the tribal mandals of Indervelli, Utnoor, Jainoor, Sirpur (U) and Narnoor with Utnoor being the seat of tribal administration through the Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA).
The Gond tribe of India is considered one of the largest tribal communities. This tribe lived in a widely spread forest region in Central and South Central India called Gondwana. The major source of livelihood of the Gond people is agriculture or daily wages and they also practiced shifting cultivation. The Gond tribe, was divided into many other smaller groups of people who were related to each other (clans). They constructed their houses near a hill or river which were later fortified with dense forests.
The word “Gond” is considered to be a deviation of the word Kond of Telugu language. The word Konda means a forest covered mountain in Telugu. It is also considered to translate into “Green Mountains“ as I have stated earlier when I encountered the Gladiators of Gondwana. Many Gond forts and kings are mentioned in their myths and on the basis of archaeologically found evidence, it is believed that there was a time when the Gond community ruled on this large land. Though, all the opinions differ on the origin of the tribe, some scholars are of the opinion that they come from the south of India whereas others believe that their place of origin is Amarkantak or the Narmada region. But on the basis of the Gondi dialect their arrival from the south is more or less confirmed. Gondi is a member of the Dravidian language group though the gonds of Madhya Pradesh generally don't speak gondi, instead they use the Chhatisgarhi dialect in general.
Gondwana was spread across the forests of central India from the Bastar district of Chhattisgarh, Chhindwara District of Madhya Pradesh, parts of Maharashtra, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and Odisha stretching to south-central India. With a population of over 2 million, the Gond tribe is one of the largest and most prominent tribal groups in Telangana, known for their unique cultural heritage and distinct Gondi language. They are primarily found in the districts of Adilabad, Warangal, Karimnagar, and Khammam. They have a rich cultural heritage, including a distinct language (Gondi), and are skilled in various artistic forms like painting, music, and dance. Historically, Gonds practiced shifting agriculture and hunting-gathering, but many have transitioned to settled agriculture in recent years. But despite many advancements, the Gond tribes face challenges of poverty, illiteracy, and exploitation, which the government and many NGOs are working to address through education, healthcare, and other essential services.
The Gond, Koya, Lambada, and Banjara are notable tribes in Telangana but apart from these there are numerous tribes in the area, and they have long coexisted peacefully with the environment. These tribes have distinctive traditions that have been handed down through the generations. Over the years, these tribes have encountered several difficulties, such as land acquisition, displacement, and a loss of cultural identity. However, via several government initiatives and community-based programs, efforts are being undertaken to maintain their culture and give them more authority.
In India, almost every tribe believes in the existence of a supreme power and keeping in line with this even the Gonds believe in “Bhagawan” or a greater God. There are different Gods and Goddesses according to their belief system that represent natural features. The existence of spirits is a unique feature of tribal beliefs as well, with people of the tribe believing that every river, lake, hill, and tree, etc has a spirit. They worship Janani (the mother of the creator). The Gond tribe worships different Gods and goddesses such as Pharsa Pen (protector of all clan members), Mariai (the Goddess of plague and other diseases), and Bhimsen (the Hindu God). Religion has a significant purpose and meaning to the Gond irrespective of the tribe. Though most Gonds follow nature worship, there is a significant section following Hinduism. Besides these, they also have their own religion called “Koyapunem” founded by “Pari Kupar“, which loosely translates to “the way of nature”. They also believed in a number of omens and myths. People from the Gond tribe had a firm belief in ancestor worship, life after death, and sacrificing plants and animals to make deities happy. Priests in the Gond culture are commonly called Bhagats, Pujara, and Baigas.
Today is the story of one such village of the followers of “Pandikuparlingu“ inhabiting the deep recesses of the Kawal Tiger Reserve. The village had only one well to cater to their water requirements. Unfortunately for the village, the water from the well made the villagers sick eventually leading them to abandon their village and their god and move to a different location.
I had the good fortune to be accompanied by Sidam Lakshman from the neighbouring Gond village of Gundala who narrated the story of Kuregad. Lakshman is training to be a nature guide under the guidance of HyTiCoS.
There are numerous different tribal communities in Telangana, each with its own distinctive culture, traditions, and way of life. The aboriginal Tribes of Telangana are mostly concentrated along the Godavari river basin and the hill tracts adjoining it. The Chenchus inhabit the hills north of the Krishna river in the Nallamala Hills (also known as Amrabad). The tribal communities are crucial to preserving and promoting the state's renowned rich cultural history. The tribes in Telangana, which range from the Chenchus, noted for their nomadic lifestyle, to the Gonds, one of the state's most prominent tribal communities, have a long history with and a strong bond with the land they live on. The following are some of the major/ powerful tribes of Telangana: Gond, Koya, Banjara, Lambada/ Labbayi, Kolam, Yerukula/ Yerukala, Thoti/ Thotti, Chenchu, Sugali/ Sugalis, Savara/ Sabara, Jatapus, Konda Kapus/ Konda Reddi, Valmiki Boya, Nayaka, Kammara, Bhil, Dharoji, Kisan, Yenadis/ Enugula Yerukala, Manne Dora, Medari, Koli, Gadaba, Manna Dhora, Padma Sali/Panchama Sali.
The Tribal communities of Telangana are characterized by their attachment with their geographic territories and sacred spaces, totemism, ancestral worship, and religious symbolism. Their deeply embedded belief system and rich animistic traditions echo in the culture and traditions of all indigenous communities of Telangana. Their ecosophy (a philosophy that emphasizes the importance of ecological balance and the interconnectedness of all living things) reverberates in fusion with the traditions of other communities in Telangana and enriches the culture of the State. Solidarity in terms of egalitarian system, segmentary pattern of unity, peoples assembly, customary laws and collective decision making marks harmonious co-existence in the Tribal societies. The richness of their indigenous knowledge systems like that of ethnobotanical and ethnozoological knowledge, coupled with symbiotic association with nature, encourages a sustainable style of living which is an inspiration for the modern world. The diversity of the Telangana tribes is rich with distinct forms of aesthetics and their art, music and dance, stories and songs, coupled with musical instruments, costumes and jewellery form a rich repository of culture and art.
In Telangana, the Gond community is generally divided into four main tribes: Raj Gonds, Madia Gonds, Dhurve Gonds, and Khatulwar Gonds. These subgroups are recognized for their distinct cultural practices, traditions, and languages within the larger Gond community. Gonds living in different regions are known by many sub-branches. Even if their community names are the same, there is lot of difference in their lifestyle. The Gond community is very fond of stories, idioms, riddles as well as dance and music. Karma, Saila, Rina, Dadaria and Sua are their main dance forms, which are called Swang, Gammat or Tamasha. Festivals associated with the seasons-cycle like Bidari Puja, Hardhili, Navakhani, Jawara, Madai, Chherata Bakbadhi etc are celebrated with great enthusiasm.
Read about the Gonds of Adilabad.
The ruling class among the Gonds were called Raj Gonds. The Pardhans, though themselves not Gonds and of a social status lower than that of their Gond patrons, are nevertheless the guardians of Gond tradition and religious lore. The recent deflection of their interests and energy to other enterprises will undoubtedly have an adverse effect on the preservation of Gond traditions. A role similar to that of Pardhans is being played by another and much less numerous group of bards and minstrels known as Toti. These too have hereditary ritual relations with individual Gond lineages and act as musicians and story-tellers.
Gondwana had four major kingdoms - Garha in Jabalpur, Chanda in Chandrapur, Kherla in Betul, and Deogarh in Nagpur. The Chanda kingdom, established in 807 AD, was the most significant Gond kingdom. They introduced revenue administration and focused on irrigation infrastructure. Gond rulers started building forts for defense, with later forts becoming more lavish. Rani Durgavati was a warrior queen of the Garha kingdom known for her battle against the Mughal emperor Akbar. The Mughals briefly captured the Gond kingdoms which the Gonds regained later. The weakened Gond empire was then attacked and captured by the Marathas. After the British gained control, they imposed oppressive policies. They restricted access to forest resources. In 1910, the Gond tribe rebelled against the British government and this is popularly known as the Bastar Rebellion.
The golden period of the Gondwana kingdom came after the decline of the Delhi Sultanate. The stronger and major tribal clans started to dominate minor clans and set up their own small but sustainable and powerful empire within their territorial influence. The smallest unit of administration of the Gondwana kingdoms was called Barhots. One of the most important features of the administration in the kingdoms of the Gond tribe was that it was completely centralised. The complete area inhabited by Gond tribes was divided into Garhs, which would function as small kingdoms led by a powerful tribal clan. These graphs were subdivided into Chaurasia, which is equivalent to modern-day districts. Chaurasia was again divided into the smallest units called Barhots. 84 villages came under one Chaurasia unit, whereas 12 villages came under one Barhots. Kodo and Kutki are two millets that are consumed as a staple food along with rice, but it is only during festivals or gatherings. They speak the Gondi language, which is an unwritten language from the Dravidian family. No marriage would take place between blood relatives. However, marriage between children of paternal aunts and maternal uncles was quite common. Work-life was the prerogative of men, with women doing household work. Women are treated with great respect and consulted in decision-making however, there were some rituals and customs in which women could not take part. The Gond tribe culture revolved around traditional cottage industry practices like floor painting, pottery, and basket weaving. Men from the Gond tribe also practice stonework and woodwork. This is used in carving inscriptions on pillars, memorials, and decorations in palaces and religious places. The people from the Gond tribe are known for tattoos on their bodies. One of the most striking features of their art is that it showcases and upholds their festivities.
The society of the Gond tribe was divided into four equal parts known as Sagas in Gondi. Clans (pari) have emerged from the division of the saga. The village council of the Gond tribe divides the tribe into castes such as Pardhan (board and singers), Ahir (cowherds), Agaria (blacksmith), and Dhuli (drummers), etc. Later these divided into unequal classes of the society that later eventually emerged as large states. The Gond Rajas grant lands to the Brahmanas and village priests and they become more influential people of the society. The priest of the village is given a lot of respect by the tribal people. The appointment of the village priest is done by the village council on the basis of heredity. The main duty of the priest is to perform all the ceremonies and sacrifices in the village.
Sunset at Kawal Tiger Reserve
Did you Know?
The famous story of The Jungle Book by author Rudyard Kipling featured the Gond tribe.
The society of the Gonds practices the culture of remarrying the widows so that the woman does not have to face the bad and hard circumstances of the society. Hence there are no widows in the Gond tribe.
The village houses are made from mud and thatch and contain a kitchen, outer space, shrine, and areas for women, etc. They also have guest rooms and welcome guests by presenting them tobacco leaves and fruits. The marriages in the tribe are chosen by themselves and later approved by the village council. The major language is Gondi but the people of the Gond tribe also have a good command of different Indian languages such as Hindi, Telugu, Parsi, Marathi, and many other Dravidian languages. Their dress culture is also simple and traditional. The male population of the Gonds wears a long piece of cloth wrapped around the waist passing through the legs called a Dhoti while the women wear saris mainly woven from cotton with the blouse. I have shared photos of the Gond houses on a separate blog along with a recording of the Gond language. Listen:
The famous folk art of these tribal people is painting. The tribal art of the Gonds consists of folk songs, folk dances, and paintings. The modern Gond paintings have come from their traditional painting Bhittichitra and Digna. The Digna is made on the walls and floors of the houses which can be called a traditional geometry. Bhittichitra includes images of animals, plants, and trees painted on the walls and floors of the houses. The women of the Gond tribe use natural colours to paint the walls and floors of their homes
Our blog today is from the Kawal Tiger Reserve located in the North Eastern part of Telangana (the old Adilabad district) bounded by the mighty Godavari River on one side and the Maharashtra border on the other. It lies within the Jannaram mandal of Adilabad district. The Government of India declared the Kawal Wildlife Sanctuary a Tiger Reserve in 2012 and HyTiCoS was a key influencer in this decision. At present the reserve has a low tiger density but promises tremendous potential as a source area with stepped up protection and habitat amelioration under Project Tiger. The Kawal Wildlife Sanctuary was established in 1965 and later declared as a Protected Area (PA) in 1999 under the WPA, 1972. Incidentally, when I went through my photographs over the years, I realized that a lot of the wild and birdlife I had photographed were from the areas in the Godavari River basin and its tributaries. Read about them here.
Kawal is well known for its abundant flora and fauna. The reserve is catchment for the rivers Godavari and Kadam, which flow towards the south of the sanctuary. The Kawal Tiger Reserve (KTR) is spread over a total area of 2015.44 km² of which the Core Area is 893 km² extending in the districts of Nirmal, Mancherial, Adilabad and Kumuram Bheem Asifabad. Geographically the reserve is situated in the southern-most tip of the Central Indian Tiger Landscape, having linkages with the Tadoba-Andhari (Maharashtra) and Indravati (Chhattisgarh) Tiger Reserve. Thus, the habitat has tremendous significance for tiger conservation in the region. It is also a major catchment of river Godavari and local rivulets like Peddavagu and Kadam. It is a typical central Indian Tiger Landscape having southern Tropical Dry Deciduous Forest. After being listed as a Tiger Reserve in April 2012, it was developed as a tiger habitat with the release of 150 Chital as the prey population and today it is home to Nilgai, Sambhar, Chausingha, Wild Boar, Wild Dogs, Gaur, Foxes, Wolves, Bats, Sloth Bear, Leopards and passing Tigers. The bird life too is abundant with numerous Peacocks, Bulbuls, Partridges, Quails, Flycatchers, Thrushes, Hawk-Cuckoos, Eagles & Vultures to name a few of the 242 bird species reported here. Read about some of them below.
To reduce poaching, new check-posts have been created and traditional sources of water improved. HyTiCoS is also leading from the front conducting regular threat assessments and snare removal surveys, monitoring the Tigers which are in and passing through, conducting large-scale occupancy surveys and monitoring the prey base. They map corridors, conduct Bird Walks and Biodiversity Documentation Checklists and much more.
Tiger Status
Compared to the older Tiger Reserves like Corbett or even Nagarjuna Sagar - Srisailam, Kawal is a more recent notification as a tiger reserve, with tremendous scope for consolidating the core area vis-à-vis the guidelines of Project Tiger. The important managerial thrust areas include stepped up protection through reinforced protection infrastructure in the form of patrolling camps, wireless network, foot patrolling and vehicular patrols. Further, the core area needs to be made inviolate through voluntary relocation of human settlements to foster a viable population of tiger. The buffer has a multiple use agenda to address co-occurrence of wild animals and people. The livelihood options to people are important through ecologically sustainable viable options through sectoral integration. The wildlife concerns need to be mainstreamed in forestry operations.
The Kawal Tiger Reserve has connectivity to the Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve of Maharashtra in the North, to the Indravati tiger reserve of Chhattisgarh towards its North-Eastern side and the Tipeshwar Wildlife Sanctuary to the North-West. Portions of the Bellampalli territorial division (Kukkudhatti-Ada area) borders Maharashtra. Likewise, the forests of Bijjur and Kagaznagar have connectivity towards the Chapparala Wildlife Sanctuary of Maharashtra leading to Indravati Tiger Reserve (Chhattisgarh).
Read about some of the magnificent Tigers I have documented from Central and South India.
Threats
Sand mining, poaching, destruction of teak forests, migratory cattle, vehicular disturbance, lack of water and fodder were and still are major threats in the reserve. The lack of sand in nearby villages and towns led to the main problem of sand mining within the forest range. But with help from political leaders, the unrelenting endeavors of the staff from the Forest Department and HyTiCoS and the continued support of the villagers the situation has been controlled to some extent, however it is a constant threat. The presence of teak and bamboo too is a primary threat leading to habitat destruction due to felling and smuggling. These threats have been controlled by the establishment of base camps in the interior forest areas and deploying strike forces and anti-poaching squads. All vehicular traffic is restricted between 2100 hrs and 0600 hrs on the roads passing through the tiger reserve and heavy vehicular traffic of certain categories is prohibited at all times on these roads.
Fire is another managerial issue as the entire area is fire prone and burns almost twice in the hot season. Attempts have been made to enhance the habitat by improving the status of water availability in the reserve through increasing the number of percolation tanks, check dams, by repairing old structures, and repairing the major breached tanks, maintenance of saucers and natural water holes. Though the rain fall varies between 900 mm to 1100 mm, almost the entire water from the rains drains into the River Godavari within hours due to the slope of the land. 55%-60% of area is occupied by Cassia tora (Chakunda), Hyptis suovalens (Chia) and Lantana camara (Lantana). Attempts have made to reduce the dominance to expose the ground and to improve the status of grasses/ fodder in the reserve. There are 10-12 villages inside the core area and attempts are being made to relocate them to areas adjoining the forest - a herculean task by any measure. Once the villages are relocated the issues of meadows and the fodder problem may be solved in addition to making the area inviolate.
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