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Maharashtra's diversity of physical features and geography is reflected
in her people and culture. Virtually every major is represented in the
state. The Deccan Plateau in Central Maharashtra is largely populated
by tribal groups. The Bhils, Mahadeo Kolis, Gonds and Warlis are the largest
tribal communities. On the northwestern coast, the Warlis continue their
frugal, reflective existence, worshipping the mother goddess. Warli myths
reveal that death came upon the human race as a result of the humiliation
of Mother Earth. The Warlis appease this goddess of creative energy, the
corn goddess and the goddess of trees and plants. Their death songs attempt
to unravel the mysteries of life and death, revealing their simple awe
of nature in all its innocence.
The Warlis, aboriginal settlers from the foothills of
the Sahyadris, in Thane district, north of Mumbai, live in a small cluster
of huts called padas. These houses generally have one door and no windows
at all.
The Gonds, a pe ople
of central India, are spread between the forested areas of the states
of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Orissa. They have distinctive
customs and speak a Dravidian language called Gondi. Today, many Gond
youth have taken on the dominant language of their regions and cultural
variations between tribal communities is expanding. Where their forest
homes are still intact, however, their lifestyles remain unchanged and
such communities provide anthropologists with a window into a past.
Although Maharashtra has a distinctive Hindu flavour,
it has always had a tradition of secularism. Jewish communities have established
several synagogues which are still active in Mumbai, Pune, Alibag, Pen,
Thane and Revdanda. Mosques and dargahs, churches and Zoroastrian fire
temples, all find the space to function. A sprinkling of Jain and Buddhist
temple cover the region.
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