Stock Photo: Unique Nomadic Tribes Of India - The Potraj-Worship Tribe & Self-Flagellation (Kadak Laxmi)
ID 58010604 © Euriico | Megapixl.com
Hailing from Maharashtra, members of the nomadic tribe of Potraj worship a goddess called ‘Kadak Lakshmi’. Their profession traditionally leads them to travel and ask for alms in a manner that is literally back-breaking. While the women perch a small platform on their heads upon which they mount their deity, and play the dhol, the men dance and twirl to the beats and flagellate themselves with heavy, knotted whips made of jute, leather or woven coir. The whips generally weigh about 10kg each. Children are often initiated into this ritual at a young age so as to build their tolerance for pain, with the weight of the whips increasing in relation to their age. The Potraj community wanders from city to city, and members often lead a hand-to-mouth existence from their negligible earnings and their exposure to harsh conditions over the course of their travels.
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10kg age alms ask back beats breaking build children city coir community conditions course dance deity dhol each earnings existence exposure flagellate flagellation generally goddess hailing hand harsh heads heavy increasing india initiated jute kadak knotted lakshmi laxmi lead leather literally made maharashtra manner members men mount mouth negligible nomadic often over pain perch platform play potraj profession relation ritual small them themselves tolerance traditionally travel travels tribe tribes twirl unique wanders weigh weight which whips women worship woven young
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