“After Death”

 

After death is contemporary dance theater project .This project based on Indian Bhil tribes Traditional rituals, faith in spiritual powers and folk stories inspired by bhil ancestral rituals on which pursuing  PHD Scholar Miss Ruchi Kumar doctoral research work. After travailing Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat write aconcept based on Bhils Tribes folk story.  In this folk story one Bhil man have accident after accident his mother, wife and friends to save him from the death they go to Dungerdav and they do all rituals after doing all rituals man was died. After man died  his wife have  affair other man. Dead man sole disturbed every one life in the village. For his sole rest of piece they do one ritual Gathla. Gathla prath is very  old ritual in Bhils tribes almost thousands years old and advance concept.

 

After Death : The ancestral beliefs of Bhil tribe and its varying visual culture

 

As a universal phenomenon, the beliefs related with ancestors and fulfilment of their wishes after death forms an integral part of ancestral beliefs. The realisation of the wishes of the dead ancestors form core of a rich repository of intangible heritage which is realised in tangible structure by tribes throughout the geographical domains of the world. The documentation of the beliefs associated with ancestors and the approach adopted by the Bhil tribe in Madhya Pradesh, for its realisation in tangible aspects, forms focus here. An analysis of visual culture of ancestral steles of Bhil tribe in India forms core of the rediscovery and renewal of our rich tangible heritage.

 

The  journey of  the departed soul is believed to travel  in unknown domains. To ensure their peaceful journey and to garner their blessings for succeeding generations, they are acknowledged through steles alongwith dedicated rituals. These ritual practices have woven a rich fabric of intangible practices, furthermore representing it in its tangible presence, spanning across generations. These find their representation in performative rituals and equestrian steles which are locally termed as cheerabawji and maatlog in southern Rajasthan and gatlas in Madhya Pradesh.  

 

Over the years, a visible change is evident in these steles. Further corroborating this journey, the social fabric of contemporary times finds its representation in majority of these steles. This has resulted in a varied visual vocabulary of indigenous alongwith contemporary elements highlighting the aspect of diversity , renewal and rediscovery of our cultural heritage.  

 

 

Ruchi Kumar

Ph.D Research Scholar (National Museum Institute, New Delhi)