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Draft:Gondhal

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Gondhal (Marathi: गोंधळ) is a folk art form from Maharashtra dedicated to the goddesses Amba or Bhavani.[1][2] The Gondhali community performs it using the sambal drum, combining music, storytelling, and dance.[3][4] The Sangeet Natak Akademi recognizes it as intangible cultural heritage under the South Central Zone Cultural Centre.[5]

Etymology

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The term derives from the Marathi word gondh (fragrance), referring to ritual incense.[6] Alternative theories link it to gan (village) or interpret it as "chaos" in Marathi.[7]

The word derives from Old Marathi goṃdhaḷa with cognates in Middle Kannada.[8] James Thomas Molesworth's A Dictionary, Marathi and English (1857) documents the term in historical Marathi usage.[9] Maxine Berntsen's A Basic Marathi-English Dictionary (1982) traces its etymology from Old Marathi goṃdhaḷa to Middle Kannada forms, demonstrating cross-regional linguistic connections.[10]

History

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Folklore attributes Gondhal's creation to Parvati after her victory over the demons Shumbh and Nishumbh.[11] Academic research traces its origins to animistic rituals later incorporated into Puranic Hinduism.[12]

Colonial ethnographers documented the practice in the early 20th century.[13] Ethnomusicological studies suggest Gondhal predates Tamasha and influenced its musical structure.[14]

Performance

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Occasions

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Gondhal is performed at weddings, births, housewarming ceremonies, and festivals including Navratri, Gudi Padwa, and Diwali.[15][16] Families commission performances to seek divine blessings.

Structure

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A troupe typically consists of four to five performers. The lead performer (Naik) sings and narrates, while an assistant provides responses. Other members play cymbals and the ekatari.[17] The repertoire includes devotional bhajans, narrative povadas, and Puranic stories, accompanied by circular dance movements. Performances feature role-playing of characters from stories about Khandoba and his consorts.[18]

Musical instruments

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The sambal is a double-sided drum made from wood and covered with goat skin. Players use two sticks: one straight and one curved (vīṇāsi or vīṇā).[19] Additional instruments include the tuntune (single-string drone lute) and cymbals (jhanj or taal). The Gondhali community considers the sambal sacred.

Cultural context

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The Gondhali community are traditional performers alongside the Vaghya-muralis (dedicated to Khandoba) and Bharadis (ballad performers). These communities historically provided music for life events and preserved oral traditions through patronage systems.[20] Gondhal differs from Lavani (entertainment-focused) and Powada (historical narratives) in its ritualistic purpose.[21]

Contemporary status

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Practitioner numbers have declined as patronage systems weakened.[22][23] Studies document how urbanization and migration affect knowledge transmission within the community.

Cultural organizations organize competitions and festivals.[24] Some artists have adapted the form for contemporary audiences.[25][26] Nandesh Umap, a Sangeet Natak Academy Awardee, has performed internationally.[27]

Organizations conduct digital archiving projects to document performances and interview practitioners.[28][29][30]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Gondhal". Intangible Cultural Heritage. Ministry of Culture, Government of India. Retrieved 29 September 2025.
  2. ^ Deshpande, Sudhanva (15 June 2024). "Gondhali folk art: what we know". The Hindu. Retrieved 29 September 2025.
  3. ^ "गोंधळ". Vishwakosh (in Marathi). Government of Maharashtra. 4 July 2019. Retrieved 29 September 2025.
  4. ^ De, Debasree (2024). "Indigeneity and Culture—Religion, Festivals, Art and Craft". Indigenous Peoples and the Politics of Indigeneity in India: A Local Perspective on a Global Movement. People, Cultures and Societies: Exploring and Documenting Diversities. Springer. pp. 89–104. doi:10.1007/978-981-96-3632-7_5. ISBN 978-981-96-3631-0. Retrieved 29 September 2025.
  5. ^ "Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) - Performing Arts". South Central Zone Cultural Centre. Government of India. Retrieved 29 September 2025.
  6. ^ देखणे, डॉ. रामचंद्र (2005). गोंधळः परंपरा, स्वरुप आणि आविष्कार [Gondhal: Tradition, Form and Expression] (in Marathi). पुणे: पद्मगंधा प्रकाशन. p. 31. ISBN 978-8190643702.
  7. ^ "In Praise of King Khandoba: The Festival of Gondhal". Sahapedia. India Foundation for the Arts. Retrieved 29 September 2025.
  8. ^ "गोंधळ". Wiktionary. 2 June 2024. Retrieved 29 September 2025. Inherited from Old Marathi गोंधळ (goṃdhaḷa), from Middle Kannada. Compare Modern Kannada ಗೊಂದಲ (gondala)
  9. ^ Molesworth, James Thomas (1857). A Dictionary, Marathi and English (2nd ed.). Bombay: Bombay Education Society's Press. Retrieved 29 September 2025.
  10. ^ Berntsen, Maxine (1982). A Basic Marathi-English Dictionary. New Delhi: American Institute of Indian Studies. ISBN 978-0944613009.
  11. ^ Kulkarni, Dhaval (24 March 2024). "In the Gondhal, an attempt to commune with the divine: Unravelling the origins of Maharashtra's folk art form". Firstpost. Retrieved 29 September 2025.
  12. ^ Pilvalkar, Malhar (2018). Documentation and Design Intervention for the Gondhal (PDF) (Report). IDC School of Design, IIT Bombay. Retrieved 29 September 2025.
  13. ^ Russell, R. V. (1916). The Tribes and Castes of the Central Provinces of India. Vol. 3. London: Macmillan and Co. pp. 145–148.
  14. ^ Patel, Madhav (June 2014). "Sacred Soundscapes: Ritual Music Traditions of Western India". Ethnomusicology. 58 (2). University of Illinois Press: 234–258. doi:10.5406/ethnomusicology.58.2.0234 (inactive 29 September 2025).{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of September 2025 (link)
  15. ^ "Navratra is a Gondhal's favourite festival". The Times of India. 15 October 2010. Retrieved 29 September 2025.
  16. ^ Ramakrishnan, Swathi (14 September 2018). "Music for all occasions". The Hindu. Retrieved 29 September 2025.
  17. ^ Dutta, Anindya (13 August 2024). "(Hi)stories in Pictures: Use of Folk and Tribal Art Forms in Two Pictorial Biographies From India". Literature Compass. 21 (8) e12768. Wiley. doi:10.1111/lic3.12768. Retrieved 29 September 2025.
  18. ^ Desai, Priya (September 2023). "Ritual Performance and Community Identity in Maharashtrian Folk Traditions". Journal of Anthropological Research. 79 (3). University of New Mexico: 412–435. doi:10.1086/724891.
  19. ^ Koshy, John E. (26 October 2018). "Sambal, the folk instrument of Maharashtra". The Hindu. Retrieved 29 September 2025.
  20. ^ "Folk Music of Maharashtra" (PDF). Sahapedia. Retrieved 29 September 2025.
  21. ^ Pilvalkar, Malhar (2018). Documentation and Design Intervention for the Gondhal (PDF) (Report). IDC School of Design, IIT Bombay. Retrieved 29 September 2025.
  22. ^ Singh, Rajesh (December 2023). "Performing Tradition: Cultural Resilience in Maharashtra's Folk Arts". Cultural Dynamics. 35 (4). SAGE Publications: 312–334. doi:10.1177/09213740231185642 (inactive 29 September 2025).{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of September 2025 (link)
  23. ^ Kulkarni, Meera (March 2024). "Sacred Performance and Social Change: Contemporary Challenges to Maharashtra's Ritual Theatre". Asian Theatre Journal. 41 (1). University of Hawai'i Press: 89–112. doi:10.1353/atj.2024.0004 (inactive 29 September 2025).{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of September 2025 (link)
  24. ^ "Jagran Gondhal Competition". Sharad Krida va Sanskrutik Pratishthan. Maharashtra Cultural Organization. 21 August 2024. Retrieved 29 September 2025.
  25. ^ Chakravorty, Pallabi (December 2012). "Folk Dance and Modern Adaptation in Indian Performance". Dance Research Journal. 44 (2). University of Illinois Press: 89–107. JSTOR 23266980.
  26. ^ Erdman, Joan L. (1992). Arts Patronage in India: Methods, Motives, and Markets. New Delhi: Manohar Publishers. pp. 234–256. ISBN 978-8173040207.
  27. ^ "Nandesh Umap: From Gondhal To Powada, Carrying Forward Maharashtra's Folk Legacy To Global Heights". Free Press Journal. 19 October 2023. Retrieved 29 September 2025.
  28. ^ "महाराष्ट्राची लोककला जाग्रत" [Maharashtra's Folk Art Awakens]. Esakal (in Marathi). 5 January 2024. Retrieved 29 September 2025.
  29. ^ Mehta, Ravi (2022). Digital Documentation of Intangible Cultural Heritage: A Case Study of Maharashtra Folk Arts (Report). New Delhi: Centre for Cultural Resources and Training. pp. 45–67.
  30. ^ Patel, Kavita (April 2024). "Digital Folkways: Technology and Traditional Performance in Contemporary India". Modern Asian Studies. 58 (2). Cambridge University Press: 445–472. doi:10.1017/S0026749X23000203.
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