The gods within us: How the men of a Palghar tribal village participate in the indigenous tradition of Rawaal

In this tribal village in Palghar, devotion takes an unusual form—possession. Here’s a glimpse into the indigenous tradition of Rawaal, where the men are possessed by divine spirits

The tribal villagers of Bhadangepada believe spirits reside throughout their world, dwelling in the mountains, the waters, the trees, and even the leopards that roam their land. And, once a year, these divine entities reside within them too. In this small hamlet located in Palghar, about 120 km from Mumbai, they take pride in their ability to commune directly with the gods, inviting them to possess their very bodies. 

As an elder plays the tarpa, an adivasi wind instrument, the rhythm helps the men enter a hypnotic state. Next follows an animal sacrifice. The man in the foreground (shirtless) has to sacrifice a hen, but he must first enter a trance and find the bird in the jungle. “The sacrifices are important to keep the gods happy. They believe angry gods can result in famine, illness or drought,” says Saiyad

Every year, for the six days leading up to Diwali, the men—women are not allowed to participate—take part in trance rituals as part of their indigenous festival, Rawaal. For this tribal community, which was originally a hunter-gatherer community before it turned to farming, this festival is a way to connect to the deities who give them all the bounties of nature, from water and grains to animals and wind. 

The annual festival is not just a way for the villagers to commune with the gods, but also a way to keep their indigenous culture alive. They teach the younger members how to play the tarpa, which herbs to use, how to live by tribal values. When a youth attends Rawaal for five years, he also becomes eligible for an apprenticeship with the bhagat, or village shaman

“It starts with the planting of marigold saplings. Whatever the villagers get from nature is offered to the gods in this festival, including marigold, livestock and grains,” says photo-anthropologist Aslam Saiyad, who has documented the tradition in a photographic project. Saiyad is also founder of Chhavi Bombay, a photographic community which recently exhibited the photos in Bhadangepada. 

Every single male in the village takes part in the rituals right from boyhood. Here, village boys hold up an offering of marigold, millets and corn in one hand, and a stick in the other hand. Called “devachi kathi”, this stick is usually tipped with ghungroo which tinkles when the men dance during the ritual. The cloth tied around their waist holds a small pouch of rice. At the end of the ritual, if this rice increases in quantity, then their worship is deemed successful

The day after the possession, the devotees go to the village’s sacred water body and sacrifice one hen each. The birds are then roasted over an open flame and consumed—nothing is wasted. This is the first taste of meat in the six days of festivities for the men, who take “paal” or a vow of abstinence. They can’t indulge in meat or sex, and neither can they sleep at home—instead they all sleep at the ritual ground

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