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Source: The post is based on the article “As part of Banjara community outreach, Union government to mark Sant Sevalal Maharaj Jayanti” published in The Hindu on 27th February 2023
What is the News?
The Government of India is celebrating the birth anniversary of Banjara community icon Santh Sevalal Maharaj Jayanti for the first time at a national level.
Who is Sevalal Maharaj?
Santh Sevalal Maharaj was born on 15 February 1739 at Surgondankoppa in Shivamogga district of Karnataka.
He is considered a social reformer and spiritual teacher of the Banjara community.
His final resting place or Samadhi is situated at Pohradevi in Maharashtra’s Washim district, also known as Banjara Kashi.
Who are Banjaras?
The Banjara (also known as Lambadi, Gour Rajput, Labana) are a historically nomadic trading tribe who may have origins in Rajasthan.
They have settled across the country with different names and have permanently abandoned their nomadic lifestyle and settled in their settlements called Tandas.
They are now mainly distributed in Maharastra, Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and West Bengal States and living in all the other States except the North-Eastern States and Union Territories.
They speak Gor Boli also called Lambadi which belongs to the Indo-Aryan Group of Languages.
Banjara people celebrate the festival of Teej during Shravanam (in the month of august). In this festival young unmarried Banjara girls pray for a good groom.
Fire dance and Chari are the traditional dance forms of the banjara people.
