Of Pirs and Pandits Tradition of Hindu-Muslim Cultural Commonalities in Orissa Frederique Apffel-Marglin N a small village south of Puri, not Sisulata’s 13-year-old daughter, carefully decorated by their mothers Ifar from the coast, all the girls and Mahari, sat in her new sari on a swing, with bright bows in their hair, white young women sang while swinging on all decorated. She and I had gone early talcum powder on their faces, red brightly decorated dolis. It is raja that morning of the first day of raja to alata on their feet and kajal in their samkranti in June of 1990, the festival the village tank where she and all the eyes. of the menses of women, the Goddess other girls bathed. The little ones were Mahari sang a song and the earth. The village lanes are busy with groups of about Sita’s swayamvara. women on their way to visit The last line identifies the neighbours. Hardly a man is writer of the song as Hamid. to be spotted. They have left I confess I was astonished to the night before to camp in the hear the signature line. I sacred grove of Harachandi for even asked the girls if they the four days of the festival to knew who Hamid was. Was sacrifice, feast and enjoy the this a Muslim name? I tried mela. to find out whether they saw any incongruity in this. The Harachandi Mela They simply laughed. It obviously never occurred to I had come to study this them or their mothers to see festival, continuing my any incongruity in this. I inexhaustible fascination for was the incongruous one! the way the Hindu tradition in The song was printed in a Orissa represents women and small bazaar publication their bodies. Underlying my entitled Raja Doli Gita fascination lay, no doubt, my (Swing Songs of Raja) unconscious assumption of the which someone had bought vastly different and rather at the mela. negative manner in which the Semitic religions and their This incident sensitised contemporary heir, modern me to the Muslim presence medicine, approached this in the festival of the menses. reality. This is to say that I was On my next visit to the not prepared for what I heard mela, which takes place at that hot June morning in the the hill of Goddess village of Dekudi when the Harachandi, some 20 km girls were singing on their south of Puri, I checked the swings. (See also my article on vendor of books and saw this festival in Manushi that the only song pamphlet No. 82) Young girls singing Raja song on a swing on sale was the one with No. 91 (November-December 1995) 17 S.A. Hamid’s songs in it. A young our Hindu brothers. They also join us devotion, he granted this land. woman next to me bought one for two at our festivals. We keep good relations Whether something entered his heart rupees and so did I. with the Hindus, we exchange gifts or the Goddess appeared to him in a with them (dia-nia karu). Also this The mela draws a fair crowd, with dream, whatever the reason, he was place is used by our women who come men from about 60 villages very happy to grant this land... That and visit the mela. Some of our women surrounding the hill of Harachandi Muslim administrator was so strong, buy new clothes for raja and eat treats no one could move without his pitching long tents in the grove.1 like the Hindu women do. They can permission. Once the mahant of Emar Many vendors sell anything from food come here and rest.” Math in Puri wanted to have a darshan to village furniture. People come as day visitors. I noticed that several It seemed to me that Fariduddin of the Goddess. He came along the vendors as well as several visitors were was expressing concern about the coast in a palanquin. Mohammed Muslim. When my collaborator P.C. safety of Muslim women at the mela Askar heard the rhythmic panting of Mishra did a systematic survey of all so we inquired whether Muslims also the carriers and came to stop the the tents, interviewing men from each observed a separation between men palanquin saying: “Who has come tent, it appeared that in the last four and women during this festival. He without my permission in a palanquin to five years, youth clubs from responded: in my land? Stop him!” The mahant sent a message to the mahant of surrounding villages had organized “Not at all. Why should we do this? tents for the purpose of keeping law Pandita Matha who in turn sent a The Hindus say that their Goddess is message to Mohammed Askar saying: and order at the fair, not leaving this at her periods but we do not crucial task to the police. They had “Don’t insult the mahant of Emar understand this. We don’t ask about Matha. Let him go.” Askar responded done this in response to cases of rape this, it may offend them. We observe by saying: “If he is coming why did at another goddess temple. raja by stopping our ploughs. Some he not inform me? Such a holy man, I Apparently, outsiders had come and of our girls and women play on swings would have received him with all raped some women. and wear new clothes.” dignity.” He then sent a message to Muslim Participation The involvement of Muslims in the the mahant of Emar Math requesting festival of the menses was even him to wait a while. Askar then had In 1990 there were three such clubs incorporated in a song one of the flowered arches built all along the road and one of them was a Muslim one. priests of Harachandi sang for me one to the Goddess. So the mahant went People in all three clubs explained that day. The song recounts Her story and and had a darshan of the Goddess.” in the last six to seven years the several persons who gave land for the number of pilgrims, visitors, and temple are mentioned. One of them is A Shared Culture vendors to the mela had increased Mohammed Askar who gave seven substantially. These were outsiders in acres of land for the maintenance of Then the other panda who had told the sense that they did not belong to the Goddess’ worship. Hearing this, I me about the British bribing Askar the villages whose men pitch tents in asked the pandas about this Askar. with land, chimed in with the the grove. This increased the law and They explained to me that at the time following: order problems. Two of the clubs are of the arrival of the British - who “...this Muslim was such a good from one village only two kilometers conquered Orissa in 1803 - the British administrator that no law suits were from Harachandi’s temple. That gave land to a Muslim to buy his filed in Puri. Everyone was coming to village has a sizable Muslim loyalty and gain information. this Muslim to settle their disputes. population. One of the clubs is Hindu, However, according to another panda He was like a king, dispensing the other one Muslim. The Muslim this Muslim respected the Hindu gods judgements. People came to him all club house was actually a paan shop and goddesses. This Mohammed the way from Chilka, even as far as with a covered area. About the work Askar gave seven acres of land to the Ganjam, to Puri. People lived in peace of this club, Fariduddin said: temple of Harachandi. Then this under him.” second panda went on about Askar “In the last five to six years the Since Mr. Fariduddin of the and told me the following: crowd coming here has become much Muslim youth club tent at the festival larger. We try to see that everything “Although he was a Muslim, had invited me to visit his family in goes well at the mela. We join with fearing the Goddess, and with great the village I decided to visit him there 18 MANUSHI after the mela. His village is scarcely two kilometers from the grove of Harachandi. He introduced me to a farmer, Sheikh Imabul. The following conversation took place: FAM: Do you stop cultivation work during the four days of raja? S.I.: We give rest to the land, the B bullocks and to men. It is the way people go, it is a custom; we also make pithas (special cakes for raja). The people stop work. If we cultivate at that time, people will surely feel bad, so why should we do it? FAM.: But this is not a Muslim festival? S.I.: It is not a Muslim festival but Men camping at the festival site we live together. They have a festival so let us be happy and join with them. Fariduddin’s mother and was taken tank by seven married women to They also join in our festivals. If we inside the house and introduced to her. bathe; she wears new clothes and cuts do otherwise there will be quarrels. After the required pleasantries, she her nails. Then some verses from our Why should we quarrel? We work and explained to me their marriage system scriptures are read. But during the keep good relations with each other. and how come everyone in the house seven days she does not do her prayers. In this area some people create was related to everyone else.