Did you know that the Budaga Jangama tribals are a nomadic community in Karnataka, among more than 3.5 lakhs of them in the rest of the country, some who are 'veshadharis' donning colourful costumes enact stories, from the epic Ramayana of only male charachters like Rama, Lakshmana and Hanuman, every year for nine days during the Dasara festival in major cities in Karnataka, to make their living?
Budaga Jangama tribals, is traditionally a religious mendicant and priestly class, a nomadic community in Karnataka's Gulbarga, Raichur, and Bidar districts; said to be population of 138,000. They are part of a larger tribal community of 3,5 lakhs people of the same name in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu; they enjoy the status of Scheduled Caste.
In Karnataka, Budaga Jangamas' are known by different synonyms such as Beda Jangam or Budga jangam and Mala Jangama. The name Budaga is derived from the word 'beda or bells' called Ganta, which they ring while seeking alms in villages and towns. It is also said their people were earlier hunters and the word 'beda' (derived from Sanskrit Vedha) meant hunting, and hence they came to be known as Beda Jangama.
Eventhough the Budaga Jangama community has come up a long way in life, as scheduled castes pursuing educaiton and modern professions, some of their tribes still pursue their ancient tradition as a religious mendicant and priestly class. This group of people called 'Veshadharis' dress up in colourfull costumes and enact stories of epic Ramayana, particularly of male charachters only such as Rama, Lakshmana and Hanuman, every year during the 10-day-long Navaratri celebrations to earn their livelyhood. Women of their community do not participate in these annual festivity as the tribal community prohibits them from doing so. They travel to places where Jatras or santhe or fairs are held where they get a farly good amount of alms. They travel in groups, pitch tents ouside the village or town limits, and moslty seek alms in the name of gods. Thier performance is called 'Hagalu Vesha' literally translates to ‘day-role’, implying that these stories are mainly performed during the day.
Traditional Budaga Jangamas also act as astrologers, divines and exorcists. They wear their hair in a knot (mudi) over their head. They also wear a steel bangle and a black thread around their arm. Their women also wear steel bangles, and armlets along with glass bangles. Women also wera nose-rings and ear-rings. They are non-vegetarian but their staple food is Jowar roti (unleavened flat bread). They are an endogamous group of patrilineal clans called 'intiperu'. Though Telugu speaking, in Karnataka the younger generation has adopted Kannada as their langauge. Generally all younger geration of Badaga Jangamas do not pursue tradtional form of earning a living, prefer to be educated and seek regular white collared or blue collared jobs in offices and industries.
Narasipur Char
