Printed Poster |Bhil Tribe (33x43cm)

Bhil Tribe, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan

Many years ago, Bhil kings permitted many innumerable immigrants from the plains to settle in the mountainous regions, who later in return fought and rebelled against the Mughals, Marathas and the British to safeguard their rule. The name “Bhil” was derived from the word billee, which means “bow“. The men always carry their bow and arrow with them, which has been their characteristic weapon for years. Traditionally the Bhils lived by practising shifting, cultivation, hunting and gathering in the dense forests that used to cover the terrain. A week before Holi, a festival called ‘Bhagoria‘ is celebrated by the Bhils of Jhabua district in MP. It is an occasion where young unmarried men and women come exquisitely groomed in order to propose to their matrimonial preferences. They apply ‘gulal‘ (red holy powder) on the face of their beloved, in the presence of their entire village and if the latter is also mutually in love, the gesture is returned, followed by the ceremonial act of eloping. Once the boy and girl are back from their romantic adventure, the elder folk gear up to get the young couple married.

The Bhil people love their independence and often indulge themselves in drama, music, dance, festivals, etc which is a large part of their innately rich culture. Their illustrious homes are plastered every year and clay relief work, mittichitra, paintings, etc reveals their distinguished sense of aesthetic. People of Bhil tribe have been under a severe threat because of the Sardar Sarovar Dam project which is being constructed on the lands where Bhils live. Re-settlement plans have been discussed but they remain incomplete.