Rajasthan State Assembly Elections 2008

The polling for Rajasthan State Assembly Elections was held yesterday-4th December 2008- in Barmer. The district recorded polling of over 60 percent. The Political pundits are predicting a close fight between the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress in all the 8 seats with an independent candidate playing a crucial role in one of the constituency.

The polling started at 8 am in the morning and there were long queues in most of the polling booths- in some booth the long queue was also due to the problems in the electronic voting machines. The polling ended by 5 pm and overall the polling process was peaceful in Barmer.

Thursday's polling will decide the fate of the BJP government of Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje. It will also affect the fortunes of the sitting minister Mr. Amra Ram Choudhary and the leader of Opposition Mr. Hemaram Choudhary. Besides these there are few other political stalwarts whose fate is locked in the voting machines- prominent among those being Col. Sonaram Choudhary, Mewaram Jain, Jalam Singh and Amin Khan.

The Congress & the BJP is contesting in all the 8 seats and in all the seats there is more of less direct fight between their candidates; with one independent candidate in Balotara may have a significant impact on the voters. Besides the congress and the BJP there are candidates from the Bahujan Samaj Party, CPI and the Lok Janshakti Party.

During the election campaign, while the BJP focused on its development initiatives and failure of Congress to deal with terrorism, the Congress was raising the issues of corruption in the present Government.

Though the political analyst are divided over the likely outcome but the likely mood seems in favour of the Congress party in majority of the constituencies in Barmer. While the Congress leaders are very sure of their win in Barmer, Shiv, Gudamalani, Pachpadra and Baitu constituency the BJP is equally confident in Chohtan, Siwana, Guda and Shiv.

The results would be declared on 8th. The fate of the contestants and the political parties would be decided that day. But the entire election process which generated lots of heat, undercurrent and interest among the people from various quarter is coming to an end and would stop by 8th. Elections are truly a vital event in our democracy which makes people wake from inertia, participate- in various capacities and at the same time it generates lots of hope for the future. Off course, there is some negative aspects including the clear caste distinction and practices adapted by several candidates which are not fair!
Lets hope whoever comes to power keeps alive the aspirations of the people and further strengthens our vibrant democratic.

Shankar

Manganhaars

I read this article on net a few days back. It is an interesting report and i am copying the entire content as published in the newspaper-Daily Times, Lahore. Barmer is known for Manganhaars- artists with international fame but sadly often in poor economic state. Hope you would like the article.

Sunday, November 09, 2008
Desert delight
KARACHI: The courtyard of a local hotel located on the edge of the Arabian Sea was a sight to behold, with men and women attired in traditional Thari dresses dancing to the rhythm of Thari or desert music. The occasion was the fourth annual Manghaar festival, organised by the Folklore Society of Pakistan, in collaboration with the European Union. The festival aims to highlight the neglected folk music of Pakistan and the aim was duly fulfilled, with more than a dozen folk singers and Manganhaars from Sindh and Punjab, including dholak player Muhammad Yaqoob from Rahim Yar Khan, banjo player Ghulam Hussain, harmonium player Ghulam Sabbir and other folk singers from Umerkot, Chhachro, Hyderabad and Rahim Yar Khan, churning out entrancing beats till after midnight. The literal meaning of the word Manganhaar is a ‘beggar’ but it also refers to a cohesive ethnic community that has a rich

heritage of traditional folk music and resides on both sides of the Indo-Pak border. While in India, the community concentrates in Jaisalmer, Barmer and Jalore, this side of the border, most of the Manganhaars live in the Thar desert, located in northern Sindh and the south of Punjab. “The colours and essence of Sufism and traditional Thari music are in the air tonight,” said Kirshan Lal Bheel of Rahim Yar Khan, Punjab, “Manganhaars are above religions and have devoted their lives to the survival of folk music.” Bheel further reveals that, while their patrons were the Rajput Hindus, many of them have converted to Islam. The Manganhaars, whose inspirations include the Sufi poetry of Mirabai, Bhagat Kabir, Surdas, Bulleh Shah, Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai, Sachal Sarmast and Baba Farid, were an important part of their patron’s lives of their patrons, performing at all important occasions such as childbirth, marriage and death.



(as published in The Daily Times, November 9 2008)

Drought and Barmer

Barmer district, which is situated in the Thar Desert, has suffered drought for around 46 of India's 60 years of independence. The average annual rainfall here is less than 250 mm. In highly drought-prone, water-scarce areas, relief and development programmes are generally planned for entire rural communities, as all suffer some form of weather/climate-related stress. In Barmer, there has been a significant effort to identify the most vulnerable groups, the poorest sections whose needs need to be specially understood and addressed. Otherwise, under the prevailing socio-economic conditions, these people remain neglected.
The following article was written by Bharat Dogra- an eminent Journalist 5 years back – during the acute drought of 2003. But the article is still very relevant today. Hope it would give you all a picture of what Barmer looks like during drought. Bharat Dogra ji emphasises that Careful planning, adequate budgeting and close cooperation of government and NGOs are essential to fight drought.

April 2003 (IPS) - These days the only visible activity in Bhilon ka Tala village in arid Rajasthan is the digging of a small reservoir that the villagers are trying to complete before June when the monsoons, they hope, will bring some rain. But that hope is a forlorn one. The last four monsoons have failed Barmer district, which borders Pakistan, and the work on the reservoir digging is going on at a half-hearted pace and then only because it is part of a government scheme to provide employment and grain to the villagers.
In distant New Delhi, scientists including Rajendra Pachauri, who happens to head the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), have pronounced that the repeated failure of the monsoons in these parts is due to global warming.
"Last year's experience was the worst," recalls Amiya, a middle-aged woman of this village, her face emaciated and parched. "There was an early indication of good rains so we used all our resources and even borrowed to plant the crop. But the rains never came and we now have nothing -- no grain, no fodder and no seed for the next crop," she says.
Many families have started migrating to distant places in search of an uncertain livelihood from hard labor rather than gamble yet again on wayward monsoons. For those who stayed back, the central government has provided some employment under the head of 'relief work' visible mostly in the building the reservoir that looks small and helpless in the middle of a vast, parched desert. The work is undertaken by rotation so that all the families get a go. One group is employed for nine days and followed by another group for the next nine days, until every family gets a share of what seems to be a desultory enterprise. Theoretically, a nine-day rotation should fetch each worker 90 kg of grain and about three dollars in cash. But already the villagers are so weak and malnourished that few reach that target and the average is something earning is closer to 50 kg of wheat and a dollar after a nine-day stint.
And now the central government is thinking in terms of reducing by half the grain component of the "food-for-work" relief package. Says Shankar Kumar, an activist of Lok Adhikar Network (LAN) or People's Rights Network, which works in several of Barmer's drought-affected villages: "Access to food will be reduced greatly if the central government goes ahead with its proposal to reduce the grain contribution."
At a time when the need is clearly to increase relief effort ahead of the blistering summer months, any move that reduces employment and food-grain availability can be disastrous. Kumar and other activists wonder why when the central government's granaries are bursting with a 60 million tonne stock of surplus grain, a reduction in the quota is even being considered. The Supreme Court has reprimanded the government time and again for mismanaging food distribution in the country, but somehow the system contrives to ensure that marginalised villagers like those in drought-ridden Barmer district stay deprived. Everybody in Bhilon ka Tila village is sure that the "food-for-work" programme has been hijacked by a contractor-politician nexus, but are too scared or too weary to speak out and anyway there is no one around these parts to even listen.
In Rajasthan, a state of 57 million people, health surveys have shown that half of all children below three are undernourished and half of all adult women suffer form anaemia - though this is not apparent in the capital city of Jaipur, a major tourist destination that boasts of palaces converted into luxury hotels.
"The fodder shortage is an even more serious problem. Our surveys revealed large scale animal deaths last year and the situation is bound to worsen this is summer," says Adil Bhai an activist with the Mahila Mandal women's forum, another voluntary group. The government provides grant for cattle camps, but at 25 cents a cow there is not much hope for such livestock as have survived. Sitaram, who is supervising several cattle camps on behalf of the non-government Society for Upliftment of Rural Economy (SURE) says, "Quite often the fodder supply by traders is of poor quality and adulterated with sand."
What is more, the camps shelter only cows and bullocks. Manas Ranjan, a senior activist of LAN, says, "There is a clear need to provide additional fodder for other animals including sheep, goats, camels and donkeys. All these animals are important for the livelihood of the villagers." Weakened camels and donkeys are to be seen everywhere foraging in vain for some stray green fodder in the desert many dropping in their tracks. As for drinking water, even the human beings do not get enough.
Starting this March, the number of villages that will need to be supplied water by the government's motorized tankers will start increasing rapidly. But the villagers point out the jeeps and tractors generally reach only the main settlements accessible by road. After that, camel carts are supposed take over and carry water to the scattered settlements or 'dhanis'. Says Manas Ranjan, "Past experience has been that only a very small part of water needs are satisfied by tankers. Now that there is talk of reducing the per capita norms further the villagers are apprehensive and worry about sheer survival."
Fodder and water shortage, even more than food shortage, is likely to cause extreme distress right up to late June when hopefully, the monsoon rain will, at least this year, bring relief. "This will be one of the most difficult of summers in Barmer and other neighboring areas of Thar Desert," says Magraj Jain, director of SURE. Very careful planning, adequate budgeting and close cooperation of government and NGOs will be needed to cope with the coming cruel summer -- and so far this has remained elusive, the villagers aver.
Bharat Dogra- Writer is eminent journalist and social activist

Barmer Police is blogger too!

The Barmer till now has often been in news for reasons that cannot be termed as very positive if not wrong reason. But the recent years have seen a lot of changes. Now Barmer is not only in news because of drought but also due to the fact that it has brought the state of Rajasthan in the oil map of the world, upcoming thermal power plant and the increasing economic opportunity in the area. There has been one development near a year back which I feel has a news value. This development came as a pleasant surprise for me and in many ways is not a sort of thing you expect to originate from a place like Barmer.

The district Police of Barmer hosted their blog on the net. By the name of Barmer Police this blog was started nearly a year back and is being updated and used regularly by the police department. The SP who initiated it last year claimed that he ‘intends to improve relation of the police with the community’ and ‘blog would be helpful in that’. How much has the relation improved may be debatable but at least this blog provides an online update related to new cases, arrests, investigation etc
The blog has separate sections dedicated for helpline/crime prevention along with the important phone numbers of the department. No doubt that the district has a very low literacy rate and a very few proportaion of people would be using it now but it doesn’t takes away the credit from the Police Department to start the initiative and be among one of the proactive districts among the country to have a blog of their own.

Heat of Assembly Elections in Barmer!

The people of Barmer have not yet recovered from the scratchy heat of summer months and the district is in grip of yet another heat- of a different kind. This is the heat of the upcoming state assembly elections which is due this October. The permutations and combinations within the various political parties are at its peak. The leaders along with their well wishers are making frequent trips to Jaipur and Delhi to ‘secure’ their ‘tickets’. Some of the sitting MLAs are facing this heat to a larger degree due to increasing list of ‘possible contenders’ within the party. The reconstitution of the electorate in some areas and reserving some seats for the SC/ST has further agonised a few MLAs.
The workers of the Congress are in jubilant mood- thanks to the confidence motion. But political observers of the district feel that the party is facing infighting within its cadre. Similarly for the BJP-another major party- affairs are ‘not so smooth’ says a journalist. Despite over a dozen trips of the CM over last few years the party is trying hard to maintain the status-quo of the last elections. Other parties have also started preparing for the mega event, even those who have not yet opened their account from the district yet. Bahujan Samaj Party is using loudspeakers to make its presence visible in the area-

The coming months would see an increment in the activities of the political circle and a simultaneous increase in interest of the general public on the latest ‘updates’ and ‘rumours’. As people have been surviving every summer this heat would also pass! Summer months often give way to monsoon-even in desert Barmer. Would these elections have similar impact!

Water Scarcity In Barmer!

Barmer is an arid, drought prone area with acute water shortage. Several times The drought continues for year after year sometimes upto four years in a row. During my stay here even I have witnessed several droughts. “Kaal padyo hai” -that’s what people say( “a” of akaal is silent) whenever there is a tough season. Drinking water become scarce and food insecurity is not only for human but also cattle (often called as trikaal- shortage of water, food and fodder). People start migrating to bigger cities. Many reports claim loss of thousands of cattle during drought.

The biggest challenge during drought and even non drought years is availability of fresh drinking water. The situation deteriorates so much during drought that water has to be transported in tankers even in villages. And you have to pay for getting these tankers- unless it is free by government of some other NGOS.

The situation is no better in the district headquarters too. The district has only two prominent towns- Barmer and Balotra. And daily in the newspapers- particularly during summer- you would find a report or two on the water crisis in the town. There are news of protests by housewives, municipal members, politicians and NGOs – all demanding adequate drinking water.

I live in ‘a posh area’ of Barmer- Mahaveer Nagar. This colony is supposed to have less power cuts,good water supply better facilities and best infrastructure in the district. Let me narrate what good water supply means. It means getting water once in three days- if one is fortunate. Else the waiting can prolong as much as a week. During peak summer the water supply can wait for even more than 10 days. And the option left for the people is to purchase water from private vendors. In one tanker you get around a 2500-3000 liters. The private water suppliers in Barmer town fetch water from village Gehun- 5 kms from the headquarters. The rate of such tankers appreciates to more than 30-40% during summer. And as they are ‘private’ they work on their own terms!

And the most ironic yet interesting part is that a majority of these private water suppliers have contact points outside the government PHED office!

The fact remains that Barmer has an average rainfall of only 277 milimetres. The status of ground water is equally dismal. Most of the areas of the district is classified as the dark zone. And in places where the ground water is available, it is contaminated with high fluoride content.

Even within the town, the administration fulfills only the 70% of the water demand. The remaining 30% is managed by private tanker suppliers.
Today is 24th of June. In many of the districts monsoon came few weeks back. Some districts are even flooded. But here in Barmer people are still waiting for 'बरखा रानी “. And let me tell you, the reception that the first rains of the season are going to get here would be unprecedented. You can guess, why so!

Anwesha

Indians NOT ALLOWED in Barmer

Even Indian nationals need permits to enter certain areas in Barmer! Surprised! Never heard! well..iits true. And this is because there is a government notification through a circular issues in March 1996 that which declares 22 police stations of four border districts as 'notified area'. This circular makes it mandatory for anyone-even born locally and resident of Barmer- to seek permission from the authorities before entering those areas. So if a girl's maternal house is in teh notified area she has to get 'permit' from the SDM before she plans a trip to her parents.
Though people- particularly locals hardly abide by this rule but there is always a danger of arrest if caught. And the process of getting this permtit is not as simple. Whatever the district officials claim, it takes a minimum of 3 days to a week to get the permission. And worse you have to get the verification done every time if you wish to enter the notified area.

Find enclosed a well written aricle on the subject by Bhanu Pratap Singh- a journalist (Published
in DNA June 17th).






Shankar

Water Harvesting in Barmer - tanka

Barmer has become synonymous with the drought. Every other year faces drought in one part of the district or the other. The areas bordering Pakistan are generally the worst affected as they are marked by huge sand dunes and characterized by lack of vegetation. Drought symbolizes food insecurity, water crisis, fodder deficiency and large scale migration, besides other negative impact on the life of people, cattle and vegetation.

Whenever one tries to visualize image of thar desert- there emerges picture of sand dunes, a man with turban and big mustache walking with a camel, a women carrying a pot of water on her head etc. In a way these symbols reflects life of this place. Camels- the most convenient way to commute in the dunes are rightly referred to as the ship of the desert. Scarcity of drinking water is a major challenge and the burden of fetching it lies on the shoulders of women and girl children. There are villages where women have to walk for 5-7 kilometers to fetch potable water. The situation worsens during drought.

When one walks across villages in Barmer, there are places where the government (PHED) water tanks are visible. In government records also a number of villages are categorized under ‘connected with water supply’ category. But it would be misleading to go by these figures. This is because villages here are spread over 5-15 kilometers and people live in dhanis- scattered hamlets. This makes water supply limited to the ‘village headquarter’. There is no doubt that it is equally challenging for government authorities too to make water available to every household/ village

Harvesting rain water for drinking purposes has been the traditional way people have used for serving their water needs. There are various forms of water harvesting structures common throughout the western Rajasthan. Some caters to a group of families, some are individual and some are meant to serve the entire village community. The most common form of the water harvesting structure is the tanka. Tanka is a concrete underground water tank with a catchments area. In several places there are kuchcha tankas also-meaning underground wells without proper concrete and cover. Tanka generally caters to drinking needs of one family and is used both for harvesting and storing rain water. The most common size of a tanka is 10-12 feet deep with a diameter of 10 feet. In the desert economy it is considered as an asset of a family.

During my stay here over all these years I have realized that tankas do not merely help in harvesting and storing water. They have a larger impact on the overall quality of life of the people. The structure gets full in two-three good rainfall and once filled it can cater to drinking needs of a average family for 6-8 months. If we calculate the monetary benefit, the amount which would have otherwise been spent on procuring same volume of water would have been somewhere around 2000-3000 rupees. So indirectly money saved is money earned by these rural household. Secondly, there is problem of excess fluoride content in the ground water. Rain water is free from any such contamination and is comparatively healthier. These are the immediate benefit one sees from tankas. The more vital impacts are on the quality of life of people. As the burden of fetching water is on the shoulders of women and girl children, the time saved not only reduces the drudgery but also positively impacts their life. It has been observed that the drop out rates of girl children is less in areas where access to drinking water if easier then those where one has to fetch water from far sources. The time saved by women are utilized in other productive purposes- more time for children and some taking up alternative employment like handicrafts etc (unfortunately, no additional time for rest!). It is not uncommon to see women even in their 7th-8th month of pregnancy queuing up near a water source. The availability of water harvesting structure near their home definitely reduces the ordeal.

Tankas are generally located near the dhani of a family. There is a smaller version of tankas known as tanklis. These are more of a water storing structures and are made within the household or just outside the house fence.

It is interesting that people in rural area don’t pay much attention to lock their houses but one would hardly find any tanka unlocked.

पानी है अनमोल ..... क्योंकि .....बिन पानी सब सून……

Tilwada Cattle Fair

तिल तिल तिरोहित तिलवाडा का मेला

ये राजस्थान में ग्रामीण मेलों के शिखरों में से एक पर बदलते परिवेश की ग्रहण -छाया की कहानी है . लूनी नदी के सूखे पात में बारमेर के तिलवाडा गाँव में हर साल सजने वाला मल्लिनाथ मेला साल -दर -साल मुरझाने लगा है.
रंग-बिरंगे परिधान ओढे ग्रामीणों का रेला , कथा -क्लासिक के पन्नो से निकल जीवंत हुवे हो ऐसे हस्त -पुष्ट मवेशियों के झुंड और कोने -कोने बिखर रहा लोक -संगीत का सुर ....ये सब महसूस करना हो तो आपको तिलवाडा ग्रामीण मेले की पुराने पन्ने पलटने होंगे . तब से लूनी के सूखे पात में पानी तो ज्यादा नही बहा , परन्तु ग्रामीण जीवन के देसी रंगों में टेक्नोलॉजी के रंग जरूर घुलने लगे हैं . इस साल यहाँ मेला तो लगा पर लोगों की कम होती रूचि ने कई माथो पर चिंता की लकीरें छोड़ दी.
ज़मीनी हकुईकत पर पहुचने से पहले आइये थोड़ा इतिहास और आंकडो में झाँक लें . मीडिया और पर्यटन पुस्तिकाओ में आप तिलवाडा पशु मेले का ज़िक्र मरू प्रदेश के सबसे बड़े मेले के रूप में पायेंगे . भले ही ऊँटो के ब्यूटी पार्लर के चर्चे हो , भारी -भरकम बोली के साथ बिकने वाले मालानी नस्ल के घोडों की बात हो या की असली थारपारकर नस्ल की गाय के दर्शन हो ... तिलवाडा ने हमे कई कहानिया दी हैं .
ग्रामीणों के अनुसार , इस मेले की शुरुआत १३७४ इस्स्वी में लोक -नायक का दर्जा पा चुके राओ मल्लिनाथ द्वारा हुयी . उन दिनों मर्वर और आस -पास की रियासतों के उम्दा नस्ल के पशुओं की खरीद -बेचान का ये सबसे जाना -माना केन्द्र बन गया . हर वर्ष चैत्र सुदी एकादशी से शुरू होने वाला ये मेला १५ दिनों तक लगता हेई . पर हकीकत में अब छाते दिन से ही मेला सिमटना शुरू हो जाता है . मेले के सातवें दिन कुल जामा १५ -२० ऊँटो की तरफ़ इशारा करते हुवे स्थानीय निवासी मान सिंघ कहते हैं , “आज -कल तक ये भी अपने गावो का रुख कर लेंगे .”रोचक पहलु तो ये हेई की मान सिंघ और दूसरे ग्रामीण मेले की मंद होती ‘मादकता ’ के लिए ‘मोबाइल ’ फ़ोन के बढ़ते इस्तेमाल को जिम्मेदार ठहराते हैं . उनके अनुसार , “वो ज़माना और था जब आपको घोड़ा , गाय या ऊँट बेचना हो तो आप मेले तक इंतज़ार करते थे और सैकडो किलोमीटर से पशुवो को तिलवाडा तक ले कर आते थे . अब तो सरकार ने छोटे छोटे गाँव में भी हर हाथ में ये खिलौना ( मोबाइल ) पकड़ा दिया है. पशु-पलक आपस में संपर्क में रहते हैं और सौदा patne पर गाँव में बैठे बैठे ही तय कर लेते हैं .”
मेला -स्थल के पास चारे की दूकान पर हो रहे झगडे और लाठी -बाज़ी की तरफ़ इशारा करते हुवे हरी सिंघ कहते हैं की राजे -रजवाडों के समय में राजपूतों द्वारा मेले की सुरक्षा का ज़िम्मा उठाया जाता था . अब सामाजिक व्यवस्था के ताने -बाने उतने मजबूत नही रहे और मेले मैं खरीददारी के लिए आने -वालों को यहाँ या फिर रास्ते में लुटने का दर भी रहता है .
ग्रामीण प्रकृति के संकेतो को अक्सर अपने आस -पास घटने वाली असामान्य घटनाओ से जोरकर देखते हैं . आम दिनों में कई मीटर तक सूखी रहने वाली लूनी नदी मेले के दौरान ग्रामीणों के कोतुहल का विषय बन जाती है . लगभग ७ फीट गहरे ताजे -खुदे घद्धे में से मवेशियों के लिए पानी निकलते जगदीश इस कौतुहल को स्पष्ट करते हैं . “मेले के दिनों में आप को यहाँ थोड़ा -सा खोदने पर ही मीठा पानी मिल जाता है . ये सब मल्लिनाथ जी की कृपा है .”
हालाँकि अब ग्रामीण थोड़े दुखी भी हैं क्योंकि पास ही स्थित टेक्सटाइल नगरी बालोतरा से निकलने वाले प्रदूषित पानी का रेला लूनी नदी की सुखी छाती पर मेला स्थल से हो कर ही निकालता है और कई बार तो कुछ हाथ गहरे उन ‘चमत्कारी गड्ढों में भी मिल पानी निकल आता है .”
अपनी मुछो के किनारों को उमेठते हुवे भाले सी नुलीली बनते मान सिंघ कहते हैं , “फोटो खीच लो गाँव के इस मेले से अब आपको मुछे भी गायब होती नज़र आएँगी । मुछो की ज़गह मोबाइल आ गए , मल्लिनाथ -मेले के कुवो में मैल आने लगा है और थोड़े दिनों में मेले की जगह मॉल आ जायेंगे .” .... बात में दम है !

- अयोध्या प्रसाद (लेखक वरिष्ठ पत्रकार और सामाजिक मामलों के जानकार हैं )

Thar Mahotsava -When Barmer turns colorful!

Barmer is a desert district. Barren land and lack of vegetation marks this border district. If one drives away from the barmer town towards the more interior parts of the district, huge and barren sand dunes resemble like a vast silent sea.

Over the centuries people here have devised their own way to add colours to this otherwise desolate place. Those colours are reflected in the attire of the people here; be it the colourful ghagra choli of women or the bright and vivid turban of the men.

There is an equally colourful event which is held once every year in Barmer. Known as the Thar Mahaotsava, it is organised by the district administration, generally in the month of February. One gets to see and hear all the traditional art and music of the area in this mahotsava. Marwari folk songs and dance performed by some of the best artists of the area attract even the local Barmeris.
Thar Mahotsav starts in form of a big colourful procession marching throughout the town to the stadium. It is led by dignitaries of the town and government authorities besides the artists and common people. After the formal inauguration various games and competitions are organised. Turban tying competition remains the most popular one, in which the winner is person who can tie his turban in least possible time.

The first evening is a bhajan sandhya- where singers throughout the district and other parts of western Rajasthan sing devotional songs. The next two evenings are meant for folk dance and music.

The main attraction is the second evening when the event is held at Mahavaar- sand dune located 5 km away from the town. It’s a scene worth seeing -thousands of people sitting on the dune and enjoying the performances. The famous gair and fire dance are the major attraction.

Gair is a folk dance performed by men in western Rajasthan during holi. Based on the dancers' proficiency, the dance can build up to a series on intricate patters. The striking of sticks gives the dance a vigorous character. Men wear long pleated tunic that open out into full length skirts as they move in both clockwise and anti clockwise direction. It is said be a dance of Bhil community.
Scarcity of water is portrayed through the Chari Dance. Women have to travel long distances to fetch water in desert in pots. The dancers in this particular dance form while balancing pots on their heads perform various steps to gain a perfect pattern of movement. The flames from cotton seeds are set alight on pot to make the dance more attractive.
Ghoomar, Kathputli and kalbelia are other popular dance performed by various artist groups.

In the last few years the event has started attracting even tourists. The officials claim that this year more than two dozen foreign tourists attended.
The district administration has plans to make it as popular as the similar event held in Jaisalmer every year. Lets hope this colorful event continue adding on more colors to Barmer and its people.

Turbans too have meanings in Barmer…

The turbans (called as the safa, paag, pagdi) represent the culture of the Barmer and Marwar. These turbans have given the people of Rajasthan a distinct identity. Turbans due to its distinctive style and colors are one of the major tourist attractions to this land of Rajas.

Apart from giving the majestic and colorful look to men, turban also acts as a protection shield from the sun. Foreigners love the traditional way of welcome with a traditional turban accompanied by garland and kumkum. It somehow makes them feel very special. And why only foreigners, even Indians love it. It is the perfect example of treating our guests as gods (atithi devo bhavah)

The turbans are a long unstitched scarf which is wore as a head dress by men and are a symbol of prestige and social status. The style and length of rajasthani turban keeps on changing with every 20 kilometers. In some areas the size of turban also represents the social prestige. The length of the turban can vary between 5 feet to 82 feet, but normally it is 9 feet long. In ancient times the Rajas used to have specially trained courtesans to tie their turbans. Today, ‘turban tying’ has emerged as a popular event in festive gatherings and fairs- be it the famous “pushkar mela” or any other local social gathering.

Each color has a meaning! And each style says something! The distinct style of the turban has a special significance in Rajasthan. Saffron or orange colored turban is generally worn at weddings, though in past it used to represent chivalry. Turbans of specific colours are worn on specific occasions. A white turban is usually worn at the funeral process .Whereas blue, dark maroon and Khaki colored are for condolence and sombreness

The presence of the caste as dividing and discriminating factor is evident in deciding the colour of turbans also. Each major caste has its own distinct colour of turban. Shephards in the region wear red turbans whereas bishnois wear white turbans. Some other nomadic tribes of the region wear printed turbans.

Apart from the different colors allotted to different castes, turbans of different colors are also categorized for different occasions/festivals. The red and black tie and dyed turban is generally worn at diwali time and the falgunia turban is worn in the month of march (Hindu month of phalgun) .Yellow colored turban is for basant (spring)and a bright orange is for the dussehara. There are occasions when silk turbans are also worn by the rajputs.

Turbans add colors to the life in the same way as the colorful attire of women to this otherwise barren environment.

Anwesha

Protesting in a Traditional Way!

The MP from Barmer, Mr. Manevendra Singh, would no longer be seen in his patent clourful kesaria (saffron) turban. He has switched over to khakhi one to mourn the deaths in the ongoing gujjar agitation. The MP who is camping in his home constituency said that the symbolic mourning would continue for 12 days.

Manvendra Singh is always seen in a traditional marwari attire even in the Parliament. Political analysts in Barmer believe that the MP,off late, has been quite vocal in criticizing many of the decisions and policies of the ruling BJP government. This gesture of his is also seen by many to indirectly protest against the state government for its 'alleged' failure to handle the ongoing gujjar agitation.

Manvendra, son of the BJP stalwart Mr. Jaswant Singh, is among those young child prodigies who carried a lot of attention after winning in the last lok sabha polls. Let’s see what people of Barmer have in store for him in the next elections!

Anwesha

7 not out in Barmer!

I have completed 7 years of my stay in Barmer. Barmer has been my working place, my home for over 84 months. I still remember the day when I was entering Barmer for the first time- in a bus- from Jodhpur. I was coming here to report for my first job. I was exited! And I was making a promise to myself, ' whatever be the circumstances, how difficult be my job, I would stay here for at least 1 year'. One year! Seven years have gone. I have been a witness to a lot of change in the area-both in this small sleepy town and the other interior parts of the district.

Let me confess that I had never heard about Barmer before I was suggested by my interviewers to join in a small NGO based at Barmer. As it was going to be my first job, the excitement to join was too much to care about the place. In any case I had not expected it to be a grand placeThe truth is, that in my imagination the town was much smaller than what it actually was when I first saw it.

Barmer is a border district neighbouring Pakistan. It is a small town located at a distance of about 150 kilometres from Jaisalmer, and 200 km from Jodhpur.

Barmer has a history of about 800-900 years old. It is believed that the city was named after Bar Rao who ruled sometimes in the 13th century. The word is derived from: Bar+ meru= Barmer. Meru means fortress in Marwari. The place is famous for its dance and the music traditions. In the recent years it has found a prominent place in the export market on basis of its rich tradition in art and handicrafts. And very recently it has found a place in the Oil and Mineral map of the country and the world!

Through this blog I intend to take myself and all of you through the life, history and current affairs of Barmer. Documenting things that I have heard, learned and experienced during my stay here. I am not a 'writer' and hence I apologize here itself for all the grammatical, and literary errors/mistakes I am going to commit throughout the life span of this blog. A few lines from you would make the blog lively.

Shankar