Nagoba Jathara - The Tribal Carnival

Nagoba Jathara - The Tribal Carnival In the midst of the lush green forest, undisturbed by civilization, lives an ancient tribe whose existence is built beneath a canopy of ancestral myths, ancient rituals and fables. They are Gonds, one of the ancient tribes of South Asia or perhaps the world. Their Ceremonies and rituals have long played a vital and essential role in the Gondi culture, their beliefs and practices form a integral and seamless part of their very being. Like other aboriginal people around the world, their beliefs were heavily influenced by their methods of acquiring food, - from hunting to agriculture. They also embraced ceremonies and rituals that provided power to conquer the difficulties of life, as wells as events and milestones, one such important event is the nagoba jatra, the annual religious pilgrimage of Gond and Pardhan communities in Adilabad district, Telangana (India). The Mesram clan of Gond and Pardhan communities make their annual worship and offerings to their Serpent clan god 'Nagoba', whose shrine is located in Keslapur village. The Nagoba Jatara is the second biggest tribal gathering in the state of Telangana and has pilgrims coming from all over central India. Folklore is one of the traditions which the aboriginal tribes in Adilabad seem to look forward every year, especially to the Pardhans recite lores which connects unique history and culture of the Gond tribe.. which was once ruled Central India between the 16th and mid-eighteenth centuries. Nagoba Jatara provides insights into the social customs and traditions of the Mesram Raj Gonds and Pardhans. Clad in spotless white, walking in a straight line, they have unflinchingly continued along the paths taken by their ancestors centuries ago, with great earnestness till date.