Skip to main content

A lot more than tribal festival: How Bohada’s mask magic 'transcends' generations

By Gajanan Khergamker*
  
In India's North Maharashtra, as tradition has it, Palghar District’s Mokhada taluka bears testimony to Bohada -- the 250-year-old festival that peaks in the last three days, transporting its residents into a magical realm of a mythological past.
Charged with age-old charm, the nights in this Palghar town, known for its dependence on nature and traditional local healers, come alive with flaming mashaals accompanying the vibrantly-hued masked entities dancing with wild abandon to the beats of the Sambal and the mesmerising tune of Shehnai played by Warli musicians.
Local performers adorning colourful masks of deities, over generations together are guided by revellers through one end of the road till the other. Some carrying mashaals move through the dark of the night and amidst a swiftly surging sea of the devout, bringing to life the legendary festivities once again, the day after Holi on Dhulandi, at Mokhada.
The traditional welcome to the gavdevi, Jagdamba Devi is associated with ceremonial dances of mythological characters from Ramayana, Mahabharat, etc., and include Lord Ganesha, Goddess Saraswati or Sharada, Ravana, Bheem, Tratika, etc.
The tribal mask festival called Bohada is celebrated in Mokhada roughly during the Shimga festival, as Holi is known in Konkan region, and extends from five to 15 days depending on the zone. Interestingly, each tribal partaking in the festival has been doing so for over generations and harbours fond memories of his father, even grandfather dancing all night long while adorning an age-old mask and costume that goes back into a sacred prayer area in his house, after each festival, to emerge again the next year.
This year, Mokhada resident and autorickshaw-driver thirty-year-old Prasad Patil was particularly nostalgic. Till seven years back, it was his father Yuvraj Patil who would get dressed in the costume and partake in the utsav. “My father passed away and, as is the tradition, I took his place in the festival the following year. Bohada will always be very special to me.”
So, during the Bohada festivities in Mokhada, Prasad drives an auto-rickshaw by the day, becomes Bheem by night. “I am also training Niranjan so, this year, I had him dressed up too to perform with me. After all, he will carry forward the family tradition after me.”
Curious onlookers jostled to grab a peep through windows of changing rooms in huts where young boys were being applied make-up, even dressed up as female characters by older women to recreate mythological forms like Saraswati, Hidimba and others who’d go on to perform all night long.
The highlight of the evening, a retired primary school headmaster Ramchandra Jadhav transforms thin adolescent boys into strong, vibrant characters through bright face paint, wigs and dyes to fit into roles cut out for them, and perform, year after year. “I have been doing this for 50 years and after retiring as a primary school headmaster last year, now all my time is devoted to this service only,” he maintains.
Interestingly, each family whose member transforms into a mythological character and performs to perfection is responsible for all the related activities as well. So, for example, for every procession, the family has to arrange for the torch or temba, as it is locally known, for devotees to carry with the procession. Some even light firecrackers, other use LED lights, etc., to draw public attention to ‘their’ performance.
It’s the last three days of the festival that are the main days when thousands from nearby villages flock to Mokhada to be a part of the procession and revelry. It is a ceremony laced with sagas of significance, religious compulsion and community sentiments. The villagers believe if they won’t observe Mokhada, bad things will happen to them.
Local Rushikesh Lade looks forward to this ‘favourite’ time every year. During the festival, he spends his evenings sitting with his mother Pramila outside his general store along the main road where the procession takes place. “I have been watching this since childhood, it’s one of my earliest memories and I still love to relive it in person. It’s a time when the entire village comes together to prepare for the festival,” he says. “It’s a wonderful feeling of camaraderie for us all.”
Nearby, three-year-old Durvesh clings on to his mother Bharti and hides behind her each time a ‘demon’ walks past. Bharti arrived to Mokhada after marriage a few years back and will be witnessing Bohada for the very first time. “Neither did I nor my son witness the festival earlier. Durvesh loves to see all the masked deities and demons…their dance and fights. Sometimes he gets scared as well but then soon, his curiosity overcomes his fears and he is ready for more,” she says.
Nineteen-year-old Anurag Nikam holds five-year-old Niranjan Patil playing the role of Chhota Bheem with his father Prasad Patil, who plays Bheem, during the Bohada festival at Mokhada. Anurag enacted the role of Lord Ganesha this year taking over from father Prakash Nikam, also the Palghar Zilla Parishad President, as is the local tradition. Prakash, himself a Bohada enthusiast, recalls having performed the role of Ravana and dancing with a multi-headed heavy mask during the Bohada festival in 2016.
Bohada being a performance-based festival, a lot of efforts are put towards make-up and costumes. During these three days, traditional songs and tribal music emanate from customary instruments played by Warli musicians. Masks worn are first revered in religious ceremonies and then put to use.
Prayers to Lord Ganesha, Saraswati, Maruti and Mahadev are followed by story narrations of Tratika, Hiranyakashapu, Bheem Bakasur, Agni Dev, Ravana, Narsimha, Vishnu Dev, Brahma Dev, Indra Dev and the saga of Ramayana. Men dressed as women provide the sprinkle of amusement to locals.
Mock-fights between mythological characters complete with plastic swords and papier-mâché spears performed in open areas cordoned off by the family members guarantee entertainment all night long. Warli performers play locally-made instruments, some stringed, others doling out shrill piped-music for the benefit of the revellers.
Bohada isn’t just about music or festivities. It’s about recreating the legends that hold sway on their lives, all their lives. So, some of Mokhada’s tribals will stop consuming alcohol for the three-day period; some desist from eating meat and a few mask-wearers get into trances that symbolise the entry of the deity into his body.
And, till the deity stays in his body, swaying to the beats of the night, everyone will move in sync and offer their prayers in the moment that, they believe, will deliver them from grief and trepidation.
Bohada is a lot more than merely a festival for the tribals of the zone who celebrate their mythology in person and, over generations together, for those precious nights.
---
*Editor, “The Draft”. A version of this story was first published in The Draft

Comments

TRENDING

Aurangzeb’s last will recorded by his Maulvi: Allah shouldn't make anyone emperor

By Mohan Guruswamy  Aurangzeb’s grave is a simple slab open to the sky lying along the roadside at Khuldabad near Aurangabad. I once stopped by to marvel at the tomb of an Emperor of India whose empire was as large as Ashoka the Great's. It was only post 1857 when Victoria's domain exceeded this. The epitaph reads: "Az tila o nuqreh gar saazand gumbad aghniyaa! Bar mazaar e ghareebaan gumbad e gardun bas ast." (The rich may well construct domes of gold and silver on their graves. For the poor folks like me, the sky is enough to shelter my grave) The modest tomb of Aurangzeb is perhaps the least recognised legacies of the Mughal Emperor who ruled the land for fifty eventful years. He was not a builder having expended his long tenure in war and conquest. Towards the end of his reign and life, he realised the futility of it all. He wrote: "Allah should not make anyone an emperor. The most unfortunate person is he who becomes one." Aurangzeb’s last will was re...

Beyond his riding skill, Karl Umrigar was admired for his radiance, sportsmanship, and affability

By Harsh Thakor*  Karl Umrigar's name remains etched in the annals of Indian horse racing, a testament to a talent tragically cut short. An accident on the racetrack at the tender age of nineteen robbed India of a rider on the cusp of greatness. Had he survived, there's little doubt he would have ascended to international stature, possibly becoming the greatest Indian jockey ever. Even 46 years after his death, his name shines brightly, reminiscent of an inextinguishable star. His cousin, Pesi Shroff, himself blossomed into one of the most celebrated jockeys in Indian horse racing.

PUCL files complaint with SC against Gujarat police, municipal authorities for 'unlawful' demolitions, custodial 'violence'

By A Representative   The People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) has lodged a formal complaint with the Chief Justice of India, urging the Supreme Court to initiate suo-moto contempt proceedings against the police and municipal authorities in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. The complaint alleges that these officials have engaged in unlawful demolitions and custodial violence, in direct violation of a Supreme Court order issued in November 2024.

How the slogan Jai Bhim gained momentum as movement of popularity and revolution

By Dr Kapilendra Das*  India is an incomprehensible plural country loaded with diversities of religions, castes, cultures, languages, dialects, tribes, societies, costumes, etc. The Indians have good manners/etiquette (decent social conduct, gesture, courtesy, politeness) that build healthy relationships and take them ahead to life. In many parts of India, in many situations, and on formal occasions, it is common for people of India to express and exchange respect, greetings, and salutation for which we people usually use words and phrases like- Namaskar, Namaste, Pranam, Ram Ram, Jai Ram ji, Jai Sriram, Good morning, shubha sakal, Radhe Radhe, Jai Bajarangabali, Jai Gopal, Jai Jai, Supravat, Good night, Shuvaratri, Jai Bhole, Salaam walekam, Walekam salaam, Radhaswami, Namo Buddhaya, Jai Bhim, Hello, and so on. A soft attitude always creates strong relationships. A relationship should not depend only on spoken words. They should rely on understanding the unspoken feeling too. So w...

Haven't done a good deed, inner soul is cursing me as sinner: Aurangzeb's last 'will'

Counterview Desk The Tomb of Aurangzeb, the last of the strong Mughal emperors, located in Khuldabad, Aurangabad district, Maharashtra, has this epitaph inscribed on it: "Az tila o nuqreh gar saazand gumbad aghniyaa! Bar mazaar e maa ghareebaan gumbad e gardun bas ast" (the rich may well construct domes of gold and silver on their graves. For the poor folks like me, the sky is enough to shelter my grave).

State Human Rights Commission directs authorities to uphold environmental rights in Vadodara's Vishwamitri River Project

By A Representative  The Gujarat State Human Rights Commission (GSHRC) has ordered state and Vadodara municipal authorities to strictly comply with environmental and human rights safeguards during the Vishwamitri River Rejuvenation Project, stressing that the river’s degradation disproportionately affects marginalized communities and violates citizens’ rights to a healthy environment.  The Commission mandated an immediate halt to ecologically destructive practices, rehabilitation of affected communities, transparent adherence to National Green Tribunal (NGT) orders, and public consultations with experts and residents.   The order follows the Concerned Citizens of Vadodara coalition—environmentalists, ecologists, and urban planners—submitting a detailed letter to authorities, amplifying calls for accountability. The group warned that current plans to “re-section” and “desilt” the river contradict the NGT’s 2021 Vishwamitri River Action Plan, which prioritizes floodpla...

CPM’s evaluation of BJP reflects its political character and its reluctance to take on battle against neo-fascism

By Harsh Thakor*  A controversial debate has emerged in the revolutionary camp regarding the Communist Party of India (Marxist)'s categorization of the Bharatiya Janata Party. Many Communists criticize the CPM’s reluctance to label the BJP as a fascist party and India as a fascist state. Various factors must be considered to arrive at an accurate assessment. Understanding the original meaning and historical development of fascism is essential, as well as analyzing how it manifests in the present global and national context.

How polarization between different ideological trends within the communist movement sharpened in India

By Harsh Thakor*  This article is a rejoinder to A Note on Slogans of “Left Unity,” “Unity of the Communist Revolutionaries” and “Mass Line” by Umair Ahmed, published on the Nazariya blog .

Implications of deaths of Maoist leaders G. Renuka and Ankeshwarapu Sarayya in Chhattisgarh

By Harsh Thakor*  In the wake of recent security operations in southern Chhattisgarh, two senior Maoist leaders, G. Renuka and Ankeshwarapu Sarayya, were killed. These operations, which took place amidst a historically significant Maoist presence, resulted in the deaths of 31 individuals on March 20th and 16 more three days prior.

राजस्थान, मध्यप्रदेश, पश्चिम बंगाल, झारखंड और केरल फिसड्डी: जल जीवन मिशन के लक्ष्य को पाने समन्वित प्रयास जरूरी

- राज कुमार सिन्हा*  जल संसाधन से जुड़ी स्थायी समिति ने वर्तमान लोकसभा सत्र में पेश रिपोर्ट में बताया है कि "नल से जल" मिशन में राजस्थान, मध्यप्रदेश, पश्चिम बंगाल, झारखंड और केरल फिसड्डी साबित हुए हैं। जबकि देश के 11 राज्यों में शत-प्रतिशत ग्रामीणों को नल से जल आपूर्ति शुरू कर दी गई है। रिपोर्ट में समिति ने केंद्र सरकार को सिफारिश की है कि मिशन पुरा करने में राज्य सरकारों की समस्याओं पर गौर किया जाए।