This power point was made for my presentation at a conference on "WHY and HOW of Documenting Cultural Heritage"- "A WARLI WORLD VIEW" INTACH Dahanu Chapter

1. WARLI WORLD VIEW
A DIGITAL DOCUMENTATION
INTACH – DAHANU CHAPTER
DAHANU, MAHARASHTRA
By Phiroza Tafti
Convenor, INTACH - Dahanu Chapter

2. CULTURAL HERITAGE and TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE

3. Warli Art is their language to communicate in story form
about their lives

4. Warli Art shows their relationship with life
Celebration with dance in an open circle
shows the cycle of life and death
Warli paintings always show creatures
and portray their respect for nature

5. Hunters and Gatherers Cultivators
Originally a forest community
Now do sustenance farming

6. Warli ‘padas’ built around a well at the edge of the forest

7. Warli huts made from natural materials
Original huts with fibre thatched roof
Sturdy shelters made from reeds

8. Warlis have practiced and preserved traditions of the early
agriculturists
The “rab” practice of burning leaves
kills the seeds of the weeds Ploughing with the wooden “hal”

9. A Warli Family - Janu the painter
Warli artists can afford ‘pakka’ homes
Janu at work – an inborn talent

10. Warlis working as farm labourers

11. Warlis demonstrating their traditions
The traditional TARPA dance & Rangoli
The TARPA dance today

12. “Waghiya” temples and totem poles of wood or stone to
communicate with spirits and dieties

13. Sustainable living is part of Warli philosophy
Warlis live off the land- ingenious fishing
nets built on rivers
No stream is too small to catch their
dinner- main source of protein

14. Warli paintings as murals adorning walls- telling the story of
their customs
‘Lagna Chowk’ replete with symbols Murals tell their life stories

15. Supplementary Income
Selling of Stalks
The Local Market
Mat Making
Pottery
Toddy Tapping

16. Filming on location – daily life of artists

17. Interacting with students who learn from first hand
observation
Sensitizing the students as to the background of
this unique community
Exploring the surroundings to get a
feel of the rural setting

18. Hands-on Experiential learning
Visiting villages and becoming curious
Getting the feel of local practices

19. Students documenting for project reports- a different
perspective
Thoughtful recording of events and experiences
Informal observation and asking the kids point
of view

20. Educational initiatives – digital documentation with a
broader context
Respecting the “Bhagat” or religious medium
at the sacred grove site
Interviewing the locals to their personal
feelings on changing scenarios

21. A picture explains customs in vivid detail
Women sit in groups to mourn a death
A family walk to and fro daily to the fields with
cattle and kids

22. Changing practices and transitions…..
Home deliveries with a mid wife Girls being sent to school

23. Marriage rituals rooted in tradition
The ‘bhagat’ doing the puja
Marriage procession- modern style

24. Vibrant living Traditions
The backless ‘choli’ and the
9-yard sari
Sacred Groves - worshipping
stones to communicate with
spirits via a “Bhagat”

25. Warlis are an indigenous people with their own beliefs,
customs and traditions
Warlis live in tune with nature

26. WARLI Tribal culture is a heritage too precious to be lost.
Let us Archive it!