||Narmade Har||

||Narmade Har||

Analytical report submitted to Discover India Program Committee, FLAME for partial fulfilment

of Discover India Program six credit course.

Research Team:

Aagam Sheth

Aditya Nahar

Akshay Jain

Amit Doshi

Gopi Aravind

Kund Sapani

Nayantara MB

Nishant Shah

Siddharth Sheth

Urvi Malpani

Faculty Mentor:

Prof. Ashutosh Mishra

FLAME DIP Narmada 1

AUTHENTIFICATION CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that the work incorporated in this report

entitled „Narmade Har‟, submitted by the undersigned

research team was carried out under my mentorship. Such

material as has been obtained from other sources has been

duly acknowledged.

Research Team

Aagam Sheth (________________________)

Aditya Nahar (________________________)

Akshay Jain (________________________)

Amit Doshi (________________________)

Gopi Aravind (________________________)

Kund Sapani (________________________)

Nayantara MB (________________________)

Nishant Shah (________________________)

Siddharth Sheth (________________________)

Urvi Malpani (________________________)

Faculty Mentor: Prof. Ashutosh Mishra (________________________)

FLAME DIP Narmada 2

Acknowledgements We take this opportunity to thank everyone who has helped us through the course of this journey

towards producing this analytical report and presentation for the DIP project. We sincerely thank

the Chairman, Mr. Parag Shah and the President, Dr. Indira Parikh for granting us exposure

through this project and making it mandatory as a part of the undergraduate program at Flame.

We thank FLAME management for providing us the financial resources to meet our expenses

like travel, accommodation, etc.

We would like to express our gratitude to all the members of the DIP committee especially Prof.

Vinay Hardikar and Prof. Nandita Wagle for being a constant support and inspiration to us. Only

under their guidance, assistance and directions has our project taken on its current form.

We are especially grateful to our mentors Prof. Ashutosh Mishra and Prof. Shirisha Sathe for

their insights, criticisms and endless faith in us. They have motivated us in the most difficult

times. We thank them for every valuable advice they have provided us and we hope they

continues to be a source of inspiration to all the students who would take up this project in the

future.

Our field trip would not have been as convenient without the assistance provided by Mr. Sumit

Maheswari of Navbharat, a prominent newspaper in Madhya Pradesh. The press contacts

provided by him in the various cities that we visited helped our research to a great extent. Our

accommodation and food at Amarkantak had been very well taken care of by Kalyandas

Dharmshala. We received a great amount of help from various others including our drivers

Yashwant and Sujay who were with us throughout the journey.

FLAME DIP Narmada 3

Table of Contents Chapter 1 - Introduction .................................................................................................................. 7

1. Geographical Location and Significance: ............................................................................... 9

1.1 Physical:............................................................................................................................. 9

1.2 Climate: ............................................................................................................................. 9

2. History: .................................................................................................................................... 9

3. Focus of Work ....................................................................................................................... 10

3.1 Aim of the Project: .......................................................................................................... 10

3.2 Objectives: ....................................................................................................................... 10

3.3 Methodology .................................................................................................................... 10

Chapter 2 - Reference Material ..................................................................................................... 12

1. Myths and Fables: ................................................................................................................. 12

2. Cities...................................................................................................................................... 13

2.1 Amarkantak ..................................................................................................................... 13

2.2 Hoshangabad ................................................................................................................... 13

2.3 Jabalpur ............................................................................................................................ 14

2.4 Omkareshwar ................................................................................................................... 15

2.5 Maheshwar....................................................................................................................... 15

3. Important religious places along the course of the river ....................................................... 15

4. Festivals:................................................................................................................................ 16

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5. Parikrama .............................................................................................................................. 16

6. Types of Narmada Parikrama ................................................................................................ 17

7. Tribes ..................................................................................................................................... 18

7.1 The Baigas ....................................................................................................................... 18

7.2 The Gonds........................................................................................................................ 18

8. Occupation ............................................................................................................................ 19

Chapter 3 - Primary Data .............................................................................................................. 21

1. Rationale................................................................................................................................ 21

2. Interviews .............................................................................................................................. 21

2.1 List of Interviews ............................................................................................................. 21

2.2 Interviews ........................................................................................................................ 23

2.3 Rishis ............................................................................................................................... 40

Chapter 4 – Journeys ..................................................................................................................... 45

1. Bombay-Bhopal (via Hoshangabad) Train Journey: (The First Glimpse) ............................ 45

2. Jabalpur to Amarkantak: (29th

May) by car: ......................................................................... 46

Chapter 5 - Observations & Findings ........................................................................................... 48

1. The Religion of the River Narmada: ..................................................................................... 48

2. Myth Busters ......................................................................................................................... 54

3. Exploring Human Phenomena of “Helping Others” ............................................................. 56

3.1 Method ............................................................................................................................. 57

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3.2 Normative Data ................................................................................................................ 58

3.3 Discussion ........................................................................................................................ 58

4. Pro-environment behaviour ................................................................................................... 59

4.1 Institutions and people/ why they do what they do: ........................................................ 59

4.2 Beliefs .............................................................................................................................. 60

4.3 Tribes: .............................................................................................................................. 60

5. Occupations ........................................................................................................................... 61

5.1 Observations .................................................................................................................... 61

5.2 Occupations along the stretch of the river ....................................................................... 61

6. Tribes, the Children of Nature............................................................................................... 66

6.1 The Gonds........................................................................................................................ 66

6.2 The Baigas ....................................................................................................................... 68

7. Reflections ............................................................................................................................. 70

7.1 The idea of happiness ...................................................................................................... 71

Chapter 6 - Conclusion ................................................................................................................. 73

Appendix A – Helping Attitude Scale (Questionnaire) ................................................................ 76

Appendix B – Survey Data ........................................................................................................... 78

1. Question/Participant/Location-wise scores compilation ....................................................... 78

2. Pivot Table ............................................................................................................................ 79

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Table of Figures Figure 1-1 The Narmada ................................................................................................................. 7

Figure 2-1 the Dhuandhar Waterfall ............................................................................................. 14

Figure 2-2 Shrilal Chande ............................................................................................................. 41

Figure 2-3 Group members with Kalyandas Baba ........................................................................ 43

Figure 3-1 The Narmada Kund ..................................................................................................... 48

Figure 3-2 Shiv ling at Bhedaghat ................................................................................................ 50

Figure 3-3 The 3-word cycle......................................................................................................... 52

Figure 3-4 Malas at a store ........................................................................................................... 61

Figure 3-5 THE GONDS GOING TO THE DAILY MARKET .................................................. 66

FLAME DIP Narmada 7

Chapter 1 - Introduction

NARMADE HAR!

Narmada, one of oldest rivers of India, flows right through her centre. Emerging from the heavily

forested hills near Amarkantak continues its journey westward for 1312 kilometers before

meeting the Arabian Sea at Bharuch. The area through which the Narmada flows is diverse

starting from the evergreen forests of Amarkantak, the plains in Gujarat and eventually coastal

line near its confluence. Unlike the Ganga or the Yamuna, the Narmada originates not because of

the melting of snow, but because of the percolation and collection of water in the forests

Vindhya and Satpura mountain ranges. Amongst the six major Indian rivers namely the Ganga,

Yamuna, Brahmputra, Godavari, Krishna, Saraswati and the Narmada, we chose The Narmada.

Why then the Narmada? What was it that got us motivated? Why did we choose to travel along

her banks?

The idea of following a river was given to us by a lady whose passion in life is reading and

travelling. The more we read, the more fascinated we were. The more we spoke, the more

excited we became. What started out as a lesson in Geography, was soon developing into a sense

of adventure, restlessness for travel and a pursuit for discovery. Our priority was no longer the

destination but was the journey itself. There were many times when we doubted ourselves as a

group, questioned the idea, questioned ourselves and our beliefs.

“Maa Rewatharopaaninirmal....

Maa Rewatharopaaninirmal

FIGURE 0-1 THE NARMADA

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khalkhalbehtojaaye

Amarkanth se nikli O rewa

jannjannkarirayothaarisewa

sewa se sab pawemewa,

asovedpuranbatayo re”

“Maa Rewa” the above song was sung by the Indian Music Group called Indian Ocean. In its

literal translation and meaning, the song is addressed to the Maa Rewa or Maa Narmada. It says

that „the water of the river Narmada is extremely pure and flows constantly. Ever since You

originated from Amarkantak, everyone has been worshipping You without exception. Every

person who worships You, finds release from their troubles and this fact has been stated in the

Puranas.‟

Any doubt that we ever had about our journey was put to rest during our first interview with Mr.

Anil Dave (RajyaSabha MP) on the first day itself. He said “Not many people have the

opportunity to be able to experience the river; you definitely have done moral deeds in your

previous lives”

Following any river is a journey of self-exploration, discovery and enlightenment. The pre-

research done by the group indicated a strong sense of spirituality and religion intertwined with

each other. It was not understood by us initially, it was only with time and patience that we

understood, true realization comes only with experience. With this report and eventually our

presentation we don‟t wish to impress you or win you over, but hope to share our journey with

you.

In our travels, we covered a distance of over 1,400 kilometers and it was the most fulfilling

journey of our life. It was challenging to complete this journey without talking about and

mentioning the dam. Since the dam was a very sensitive topic, we decided to steer away from

further discussion regarding this.

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1. Geographical Location and Significance:

1.1 Physical:

The Narmada basin extends over an area of 98796 Sq.km. and lies between east longitudes 72o

32' to 81o 45' and north latitudes 21

o 20' to 23

o 45'lying on the northern extremity of the Deccan

Plateau, the basin covers large areas in the states of M.P., Gujarat and comparatively smaller

areas in Maharashtra.

The hilly regions are well forested. The upper, middle and lower plains are broad and fertile

areas well suited for cultivation. The Narmada basin consists mainly of black soils. The coastal

plains in Gujarat are composed of alluvial clays with a layer of black soils on the surface.

1.2 Climate:

The tropic of Cancer crosses the Narmada Basin in the Upper plains area. The climate of the

basin is humid and tropical, but at some places extremes of heat and cold are often encountered.

The four most important seasons are winter, summer, the South west monsoon and post

monsoon.

Nearly 90% of this rainfall is received during the five monsoon months from June to October

about 60% is received in the two months of July & August.

The rainfall is heavy in the upper hilly area and upper plains of the basin. It gradually decreases

towards the lower plains and the lower hilly areas and again increases towards the coast and

south western portions of the basin.

2. History:

Mekulsuta, Reva, Murla, Samodhbhava, Trikuta, Vanmala, Shoukatmala, Purv-Ganga, Dakshin

Ganga, Mahajva, Nandana, Chandana, Gautami, Mahanand and the Narmada or „The Giver of

Pleasure‟. These are just a few of the many names that the river is called by and given.

There have been various versions and interpretations of how and when Narmada was born and

how it originated.

One story goes that Narmada was born from the feet of Shiv while doing tandav, but she was

born and brought up in the family, in the house of Maikal, which is a mountain range in

Amarkantak and is an origin of 3 rivers, Son, Narmada and Zubida. So the story goes that she

FLAME DIP Narmada 10

grew and was ready for marriage with Son and she sent her message through Zubida so Son fell

in love with Zubida only. Narmada kept waiting and one fine day she went in the morning and

saw both of them sitting together and talking and she was upset with them and said “Now I am

not going to marry anyone” and she turned back and started moving towards west.

Son went in the direction of east and Zubida started from Amarkantak and after a journey of 40

kilometers eventually merged into Son. Because of these incidents she is a river that we call as a

kanya / avivahit. That is why people living on both sides do not go to take bath in the river

because they say – that she is unmarried (kanya) and hence people cannot enter the river to have

a bath and walk in with their feet. She is considered the Virgin River and one of the most pure.

This is just one of the many stories that inspired us to look further and deeper in the quest and

search for answers (Kalyandas Baba).

3. Focus of Work

3.1 Aim of the Project:

The aim of the project was to understand the religious and cultural importance of the river

Narmada and its relation to life at various cities/towns along the river.

3.2 Objectives:

Studying river traditions and rituals

Religious Significance

Documenting various myths attached to the river

Studying the effect of the river on the Tribes

Study of the various occupations along the river

3.3 Methodology

As our objective was to gain an insight about the lifestyle of the people living in the Narmada

valley, our research was more inclined towards being an anthropological and social one. It was

exploratory in nature. It involved less quantitative data while stressing more on qualitative data.

We had taken the ethnographic and phenomenological approach for this research. The

ethnographic approach‟s main emphasis is to study an entire culture. The phenomenological


approach tries to understand how the other person views the world. (In our topic, how the person

views the river)

Qualitative data includes any information that is not primarily numeric. Some of the types of

qualitative data that we have used are:

In depth Interviews – This includes individual as well as group interviews. We have tried to

have focus group discussions in the villages that we visit, on the bank of the river.

Questionnaires with both open and close ended questions were prepared.

The interviewer (we) asked general questions and one led to another. This helped us to get a very

broad idea of the topic.

More than one person undertook each interview, so while one asked questions which either

followed the pre prepared questionnaire or questions that were more informal and spontaneous,

the other can keep track of the information obtained either by stenography, audio or visual tapes.

Participant observation – In this method, all of us had to drop the role of being a researcher and

take on the role of being a participant. We started taking part in the activities etc that were

performed by the sample. Though becoming part of this kind of a setting takes time and

resistance, we tried wherever possible to get this sort of an experience.

Direct Observation – Going to the place of observation and living there in a different culture

and context, helped in getting the general feel of the environment. This is a more detached style

of observation, where the researcher is mainly watching. In this style of data collection, there is

no direct communication with the respondent. All the non-verbal cues were observed and taken

note of. We used this method the most as it was less time consuming as compared to participant

observation.

Written Data – This mainly includes the references drawn about the content from already

existing documents. This was our secondary data collected before we embarked on our study and

used as reference for our post research work.


Chapter 2 - Reference Material

1. Myths and Fables:

There are many fables about the origin of the Narmada. The river is also frequently mentioned in

the Ramayana, the Mahabharata and the Puranas.

1. According to one of them, Lord Shiva, the Destroyer of the Universe, meditated so hard

that he started perspiring. Shiva‟s sweat accumulated in a tank and started flowing in the

form of a river – the Narmada.

2. Another legend has it that two teardrops that fell from the eyes of Lord Brahma, the

Creator of the Universe, yielded two rivers – the Narmada and the Son (pronounced

Soan).

3. Legends also say that for Lord Shiva, the Hindu God, the river is especially sacred on

account of its origin, and it is often called Shankari, i.e., daughter of Shankar (Lord

Shiva).

4. All the pebbles in the river bed are said to take the shape of Lord Shiva‟s emblem with

the saying, "Narmada Ke Kanker utte Shankar", which means that „pebble stones of

Narmada, get a personified form of Shiva‟. These lingam shaped stones called

„Banalinga‟ and are much sought after for daily worship by the Hindus. Adi Shankara

met his guru Govinda Bhagavatpada on the banks of river Narmada.

5. Narmada is also said to have been in love with the Sonbhadra, another river flowing on

the Chota Nagpur Plateau.

The first literary reference relating to the name of the Narmada is in Raghuvamsa where it is

called – Revall (the flood). In the Matsya Purana it is said that – „all sins are purified by bathing

seven times in the Yamuna, once in the Ganges, but the simple sight of the Narmada is sufficient

to exonerate one‟s sins once and for all.‟

The Ganges is regarded as sacred only in certain areas but the Narmada is sacred everywhere it

flows, as much in a village as in a forest.

It is also mentioned in the Rewa Khand of the Skanda Purana, often called the Narmada Purana,


it says that the history of the creation of the Narmada started with a devastating flood which

occurred to end the period of Satya Yuga.

The Narmada was also renowned in the ancient world. Ptolemy, a Greek astronomer and

geographer, wrote regarding this river in the 2nd century AD – “Even the Greeks and the

Egyptians of Alexandria had heard all about the sacred river and the religious suicides of

Amarkantak: people who fasted until death, who sacrificed themselves on the banks of the

Narmada, or who drowned in its water to free themselves from the cycle of the reincarnation”.

2. Cities

2.1 Amarkantak

Majestically located in the midst of the magnificent Vindhya and Satpura ranges at an elevation

of 1065 meters, Amarkantak wraps up the beauty and charm of a typical sylvan environment.

This lovely little town is a major pilgrim centre in the entire central province and is famed as the

source of the two rivers, the Narmada and the Son.

Amarkantak is a Sanskrit word with mythological significance, which gives it the prestigious

nickname of „Theertharaja‟. The Holiness of Amarkantak is greatly associated with the holy river

Narmada. Each edifice in Amarkantak portrays diverse styles that recount the period during

which these architectural grandeurs were created. This stunning facade gently adds to the

magnificence of this legendary spot.

In Amarkantak one can feel the peace all around; the solitude one can feel by just walking

through that calm little town is astounding. There are sites which can enthral; sacred ponds,

glittering streams, snooty knolls and beautiful woods. As mentioned earlier, a typical sylvan

paradise.

2.2 Hoshangabad

Hoshangabad is situated in the central Narmada Valley and at the northern fringe of the Satpura

Plateau. It is located in the Mahakoshal region in the geographic center of India. The district

derives its name from the headquarters of Hoshangabad, founded by "Sultan Hushang Shah

Gori", the second king of Mandu (Malwa) in early 15th century. There are numerous gorges in

the rocks that surround the city with a series of lakes.


The river Narmada forms the northern boundary of the district. Across this river the district of

Raisen and Sehore are situated. The district of Betul is on the south, whereas Harda forms the

western and south-western boundaries and Narsingpur and Chhindwara districts, close to the

north-eastern and south-eastern sides of the Hoshangabad respectively.

2.3 Jabalpur

Jabalpur is a centrally located district of Madhya Pradesh and is one of the most important cities

of the state. The administrative headquarters of the state of Madhya Pradesh is located at

Jabalpur. The district lies in the 'Mahakaushal ' region of the State and derives its name from the

great 'Jabali Rishi', a renowned asetic.

FIGURE 0-1 THE DHUANDHAR WATERFALL

During medieval times, the city of Jabalpur was the capital of the erstwhile „Gond‟ rulers. It is

not only an important historical place, but is also famous for the marble rocks gorge on the

Narmada River. It is an administrative and educational centre and is the gateway to important

wildlife sanctuaries around it.


2.4 Omkareshwar

Omkareshwar is one of the major attractions for pilgrims visiting the Narmada valley. The holy

shrine here is one among the 12 enshrined „Jyotirlinga‟ shrines of Lord Shiva. Two deities are

situated here. One is the Omkareshwar which portrays the name of "OM-maker-lord" and the

other is the Amareshwar, which portrays the name describing "immortal lord" or "lord of the

immortals".

Omkareshwar lies at the meeting point of the rivers Narmada and the Kaveri. It is divided north

to south by a deep gully. Ardent followers of Lord Shiva refuse to miss this place during their

trips here.

2.5 Maheshwar

Maheshwar is a beautiful town, located approximately 90 km from the city of Indore. It is nestled

in the Vindhya ranges and lies on the north bank of the River Narmada. Maheshwara has always

been historically significant with its origins being traced back as the ancient capital of King

Kartvirajun's, which was then known as Mahishmati, placidly located on the banks of the

Narmada River.

The meaning of Maheshwar is the 'Abode of Lord Shiva' and has a special significance to

devotees of Lord Shiva. The huge fort complexes and numerous ancient temples further enhance

the grandeur of the ancient temple town of Maheshwar.

It is well known as a famous centre of handloom weaving since the 5th

century AD and even

today, the city is famous for its distinctive hand-woven saris popular all over, for the exquisite

floral patterns, introduced by the Holkar Queen Ahilya Bai, now referred to as Maheshwari saris.

3. Important religious places along the course of the river

a) Amarkantak (in Sanskrit: Neck of Shiva) or Teerathraj (the King of Pilgrimages),

b) Mandla district; the river flows on three sides of this town.

c) Omkareshwar, Maheshwar, and Mahadeo temples, Nemawar Siddeshwar Mandir in the

middle reach of the river – all named after Shiva.

c) The Chausath Yogini (sixty four yoginis) temple.

d) The Bhojpur Shiva temple and Bhrigu Rishi temple in Bharuch.


The Narmada River is also worshipped as the mother goddess by Narmadeeya Brahmins.

The importance of the Narmada is affirmed by the fact that the pilgrims perform a holy

pilgrimage or a „Parikrama‟ of the river.

4. Festivals:

„Narmada Jayanti‟ is a religious festival marking the birthday of river Narmada. It is celebrated

with spectacular extravagance in Amarkantak and also in the bathing ghats of Hoshangabad. This

great festival is observed during the month of February. The celebrations at Amarkantak

continue through the day. At Hoshangabad, the devotees float traditional oil lamps into the

waters of the Narmada, from the sprawling bathing ghats.

5. Parikrama

Narmada is the only river in the world which is circumambulated in her entire length of 1312

Km. This circumambulation, is called Narmada Parikrama. It is a special kind of river pilgrimage

popular in Central India. The age-old tradition of Narmada Parikrama involves walking

alongside the river Narmada from her origin at Amarkantak to the sea, crossing over to the other

side, and then walking back to its origin. The total journey in a properly done Parikrama involves

a riverside walking of at least 2624 Km in a period of 3 years, 3 months and 13 days.

Narmada is the perpetual flow of religious traditions and spiritual consciousness in the heart of

India. This great river, historically much older than even the great Ganges, is a hub of Indian

culture and rituals. A devotee who undertakes a Parikrama is called a „Parikramawasi‟ or

„Parkammawasi‟ in local dialects. More often than not, small groups of Parkammawasis can be

seen carrying their belongings with them while travelling along Narmada. Narmada Parikrama is

also a cultural and traditional manifestation of devotion to Narmada. Parikrama is a not a picnic

or recreation, it is an adventurous spiritual journey around the sacred river through hills, dense

forests, gorges, ravines, rocky patches, caves, plateaus and plains. It is a religious and

adventurous trek involving visits to temples, ghats, shrines and villages. It is a form of tapasya

(penance) to please the „mother‟ Narmada who takes care and looks after the hardships and

needs of all those who undertake the Parikrama. Narmada is not just a river to Parkammawasis.

She is a living deity to them with whom they interact and communicate spiritually.


It is not difficult to understand why thousands of people undertake this painstaking journey

around Narmada every year. It was believed in ancient Hindu traditions that walking around

sources of positive energy would charge one with the same positive energy. Therefore the ritual

of doing a Parikrama or Pradakshina – walking around in a clockwise circle around temples,

deities, holy mountains, holy lakes, sacred groves, saints and gurus etc. was devised and made an

integral part of their culture. Many rivers are worshiped in India as deities but tradition of a

Parikrama or complete circumambulation around a river is prescribed only for the Narmada.

Narmada Parikrama is believed to grant boons to grihastahs(residents), siddhis to sanyasis, peace

to troubled souls, worldly possessions to common people and happiness to all. „Narm-da' literally

means one that provides happiness and joy.

6. Types of Narmada Parikrama

Several variants of Narmada Parikrama have developed over the years.

Mundmal Parikrama

Jalahari Parikrama

Hanumat Parikrama

Dandwat Parikrama

Markandeya Parikrama


Vayu Parikrama

Narmada Jal Yatra (Narmada Voyage)

Panchkoshi Parikrama

7. Tribes

India has entered the 21st century; there have been spacecrafts launched, but there are people who

haven‟t even seen a railway yet. Their life is a struggle in contrast to the luxurious life of modern

urban India. Numerous tribes have inhabited this land since time immemorial, and the largest

density is in Madhya Pradesh.

The tribal population of Madhya Pradesh is the true representatives of the state. Tribal culture of

Madhya Pradesh is marked by the composite detritus of the Dravidian and Scythians culture. The

Sahariya, Gonds, Bhils, Baigas, Oraons, Korkens, and Kols are the major tribes of Madhya

Pradesh. The Abhujmarias, Korwas, Murias are other important tribes of the state. Clear

distinctions can be seen in the different tribes. Culture, hereditary and lifestyle are not the only

reason for this acumen, but linguist, economic structure and social structure too, play a vital role

in bridging the gap between these tribes. Their remoteness from the outside world has caused

these tribes to remain undeveloped.

According to the Indian census, the Gonds and Baigas are most significant tribes in the state. In

comparison to the other tribes, Gonds are well settled and economically better than any other

communities of the area.

7.1 The Baigas

The Baiga populous live in Mandla, Dindori, Balaghat, Sarguja and Bilaspar districts and the

hilly zones of Amarkantak. This area spans from eastern Satpuras till the Maikal hills covered

with dense Sal trees. The habitats of all the Baigas is on the banks of the river or by the side of

nullah, wells and ponds.

7.2 The Gonds

On the banks of Narmada, one can find the settlements of the Gond tribe, the largest tribe in

central India. Poetry has been a passion for this tribe since time immemorial. Being the

descendants of the rulers of the 14th century they have contributed at large to the heritage of the


state. The onset of the 18th century however saw the besprinkling of the tribe. Today, their

primary occupation is agriculture. They have a knack of making bamboo and cane products and

metal crafts, which form an important place in the traditional handicrafts. The official language

of the Gond tribe is Gondi, which is similar to Tamil and other Dravidian languages. The sub-

tribe of this community is the Bastar community that has created a benchmark for itself in

making traditional jewellery and ornaments for the tribes. Madai is their traditional dance.

Understanding the lifestyle, rituals, myths, architecture of these tribes should provide insights

into a culture that is so protected yet so rich.

8. Occupation

The preliminary research for understanding occupations along a river was quite a difficult task.

Apart from the usual occupations of fishing and boating, we also got a lot of information about

tour guides, tourism and sand mining. The Narmada valley is brimming with both foreign and

domestic tourists who come to pay respects to Narmada Ma. This is identified as an opportunity

for Tour Guides and Holy Men to earn an income by providing historical information, myths and

folk tales in an unprecedented entertaining manner about the Narmada. The occupation is

considered to be one of pride and honour which stems out from the relationship between the

Narmada and the people. This job is passed on from generation to generation and few people

have the privilege to become a Tour Guide. Holy men and persons who have been residing next

to the river all their lives and are devoted believers of her; perform rituals for the tourists who

come to worship the Narmada for a nominal fee or are offered alms which could be monetary or

non-monetary in form of Dakshina (offerings out of religious respects).

Tourism is a major industry in the valley. Most of the cities and towns we visited, tourism was a

dominant factor because of the sheer number of people that come there every year to worship the

river. This gives rises to many occupations such as retail shops which sell either souvenirs or

items of religious importance and significance. These shops are often sold out during the melas

(festivals).

The banks of the river are rich in minerals and sand. When the water levels are low, large

deposits of sand are found. Sand mining is one of the best and most exploitative businesses.

Many contracts are given out by the government and private organizations to acquire this natural


resource besides the illegal mining that takes place due to the lack of vigilance which provides a

lucrative earning opportunity. This leads to a large area of the river bed being destroyed.

The Narmada is a perennial river that aides the agrarian economy of the region. The crops that

are commonly grown are jowar, bajra and rice since they are most suitable to be grown in the

region too. The farming in the region along the river is not done on a large scale and most of the

farming is usually subsistence farming. The farmers get all the water that they need from the

river, but are often subject to floods and overflowing of the river.


Chapter 3 - Primary Data

The primary data collected is in the form of videos, interviews, photographs, audio and visual

recordings. The different towns, temples, towers, people, village and life were recorded in over

nine hours of video interviews, two hours of audio recordings and a thousand pictures. We have

attempted to include the most relevant of those interviews in this section.

1. Rationale

The sample of our interviews ranged from Members of the Parliament to local authorities, from

authors to Rishis to the common man. The reason behind this carefully selected sample was

simple; we wanted a truly diverse perspective on everything we wished to explore. We chose to

interview the members of parliament because they would portray a very political perspective, the

local authorities to get a much focussed local perspective. The author we chose to meet was

because he would negate any biases that we would have formed and the common man, because

he is the most important part of any project undertaken in India.

2. Interviews

2.1 List of Interviews

Government officials Locals Rishi's Other Scholar

Mr. Anil Dave - MP Ashutosh Mishra Ittalgirri Mr.Sumeet - Director Nav

Bharat

Mr. Vijay Singh - MLA NitinAvasti „mata‟elinGosawmi Dr.Vegad

Pt. GirijaShanker Sharma

- MLA

Ankush Mishra Shiv Charan Das

Yadav

Dr.Chaurasia

Pralad Patel SohrabSoni Ramaji Baba Sarpanch

MLA Amarkantak KartikNamdev Ramdev Baba - Head

Priest

PrasanaDubey


Sarpanch ShrilalChande Sitaram baba Dr. Uma Shankar Chobey

Villagers Blind man at the main

temple

Kalyandas baba

Mr LakhanRai Priest at the main

temple

Watermelon Seller Mohan mahara

Villagers

Ramesh guide

Kid Diver

Married Woman

Gambling Kid

Diver

Interview of marble

artifacfs

Fossil guide

Narmada Gramin Bank

Gond Tribe Woman

Rikshaw guy - Abdul

Boatman at rangrajghat

ShrilalChande

Manmohan Singh –

MPF


FIGURE 0-1 GROUP MEMBERS INTERVIEWING BAIGAS

2.2 Interviews

2.2.1 Anil Madhav Dave

Member of Parliament, RajyaSabha.

Themes: Parikrama, religion, and the environment.

Student: Sir, you have written a book of your travel along the river in a raft, why did you decide

to travel in a boat, what was the reason?

Dave: I used to fly a Cessna aircraft, so first I took the flight in a Cessna 173 and took an entire

round of the Narmada from Amarkantak to Bharuch. The first journey I had was just to explore,

see and feel what river is and what should happen, how to understand it and what it means. After

that I travelled in a raft and now I have started on foot as the Narmada is the only river in the

world which has parikrama (path) and there is only one path/ route, it is not a path by car or

airplane or raft. If you want to go on the path / parikrama then go on foot.

I would request all of you also to walk along the river for a couple of days (everyone laughs) and

at least sleep with Narmada for 2 days. Sleep with mother Narmada. Have two three mornings

and two three evenings sitting at the bank of Narmada. Then you will develop chemistry between

yourself and river Narmada. It is completely relative. It can happen with me and not happen with

you. It can happen with you and not happen with you (pointing at a couple of students). You


yourself have to feel it. Feel that. That is satisfying. Otherwise it is just copy, cut and paste.

Anyone can do it. If you really want to discover Narmada walk along with it, walk on foot, don‟t

worry, you will end up doing two less things, but you won‟t end up hungry, someone or the other

will come and give you food. And forget the lion even a tiger won‟t come to hurt you. There is

nothing to be scared of because river Narmada herself is present to protect you. It‟s a living

body. She is living, if you are in the right state of mind she might even talk to you. And it is said

that whoever does the journey gets direction in their life. So, this is said in mythology, I have not

got it but it must be giving because so many people say it.

During my journey in the raft at many points I used to feel that I am in some other planet. You

can feel that because there are no electricity polls, no mobile signal, and no mechanical sound. If

you switch off the engine of your raft there is no sound. There is complete silence. There is just

water, mountains, forests and you and the birds. You cannot even see another human being. So

for some time you start getting scared. This is the specialty and beauty of river Narmada, that is

why one should feel and understand it and you must have for sure done some good thing in your

life, if not this then some previous life, otherwise you would not have been involved in this

subject. You would have done something else either in Kerala or somewhere in the Himalayas

but if you are here, that you are going to discover the river Narmada it means that it is destiny,

there is something, or someone wants to give you something.

Student: Sir, the people who live on the banks of Narmada and those who do not; have you seen

any difference?

Dave: There is a difference. If I come to you in a metro city you will not offer me dinner or

anything but if you walk along the river Narmada on foot (pad yatra) you are not going to sleep

without food. This is the difference. Someone will come to you and ask „Have you eaten

something?‟ „Are you a traveller?‟ „Will you eat our handmade food?‟ If you say no we won‟t

then he will give you flour, pulses (Dal) and will say sit here and make it - that is the difference.

When I was travelling by raft, I have written in my travels that we were not getting a route, it

was a very rocky area and we had to go to Shahadganj and would not be able to reach; there we

saw a boat (Dhongi), in which there was a man and wife, their sleeping arrangements, there was

a sigadi and when we took our raft close to them, do you know the first sentence &

communication which we had? The first sentence he said was „Baatikhalosaab‟ (have some roti


sir). And we said no we need to find our way, but this you will find only there that before saying

hello they think that this is a traveller he will be hungry so give him some water and roti. And in

his boat there was one stove, one bed and few vessels and that‟s all, all that was his property.

This is the river‟s culture and it is very important/ necessary to understand this culture. You may

be high profile, page 3, a Politician, very stylish, with very advanced systems, which even I use

but I am far behind in being a human being like that society and that fisherman. Because he is

much better than I am because for me to tell someone please have some roti, I will have to think

3 -4 times but he did not even think once. And this is India. Otherwise someone from outside

will say, my daughter is coming, we have not made lunch but it is ok because she will pack a

burger for herself and come. This is the cultural difference that you asked me about- what

difference is there? But will also be there in many other places in India, but a person living along

the banks of Narmada has something called as „sadavrat‟, everyman in every village uses that

„sadavrat‟ –„Sadavrat dena hai na mia‟ (we will have to give you sadavrat) even a farmer with

only 2 acre land will keep aside little wheat and dal from his share for the travellers. He will

definitely give a part from his share, 2 handfuls of Dal and few cups of flour and say there you

can make some dal and roti and you can get up in the morning and continue on your journey.

This is the river‟s culture. This river attracts everyone, even a boy living in Kerala who after

growing up feels that he should go to Unkaleshwar, Guru Shankaracharya from Kerala came all

the way from there to study on foot. I have seen that this river attracts a lot of intellectuals. This

is the basic difference, if your thoughts are good then Narmada will attract you not if your

thoughts are bad then you do things like drinking on the banks of Narmada. I am not saying no to

drinks. I am saying no to drinking and swimming.

Student: There are a lot of tribal‟s living along the banks of Narmada, have you had any

interactions with them?

Dave: This is the only river around which 80 – 90% tribes from the mountains live. There are

maximum numbers of tribes on both its side. And every tribe looks at the river with a different

angle. Some say it‟s a small baby, some say she is a young lady, some say no she is an old lady

„bhudi mahila‟ , they call her „bhudi mai‟ , some say she is mother of million sons and daughters,

she is a mother „Ma‟.

Student: What happens in the river festival?


Dave: In the river festival those who are working on the conservation of river Narmada or any

other river, they come together, this time we had the representation of more than 30 rivers out of

that 4 were from abroad and we had a representation of 19 foreign citizens from almost 8

countries and from India we had a representation of almost 700 and something. They have a

cultural program, whole day we have a seminar. We live on the bank of the river Narmada near

Hoshangabaad. So this we do there, this was the 2nd

one, and you are invited for the 3rd

one.

Student: So you actually stay on the banks of the river?

Dave: Not only do we stay there but we also make the conference hall in such a way that whole

day one can see Narmada, it is transparent from 3 sides because it is said that is it of great

importance to have a look at Narmada. To see Narmada, that is enough, like in Ganga, it is

important to take a bath, the same way just to look at Narmada is of importance.

Student: They say that once they have had the parikrama it has quite a big impact on their life,

like their lives suddenly become positive, is it psychological or is it actual, because a lot of

people have said that once the parikrama is over they feel a positive impact.

Dave: I think it is very common with not only the parikrama but also with the rest of the world..

If you go to the mountains, if you go to the forest, if you go near the sea shore, if you go and

remain close to nature you automatically become positive. It is the natural way of happening. So,

when you keep on walking along the banks of the river for months together naturally it is going

to bring a change to your life because it is the way of life in society which makes you think

negatively.

Dave: Now if you keep a plate on the gas and put butter what will happen?

What is the impact of Narmada on the people who are living around her? What about the people,

it is their life, what is the impact of the mother on the child. It is interrelated and 100 %

dependent. I think that Narmada as what I saw and felt is more important. Because the

civilization we are talking about, they are there only, people who live in Himalaya will have an

impact there or Himalayas will have an impact on that person, he is born there and he is going to

die there, therefore it is his life and not an impact. There is an impact from the visiting professor,

which impact a father cannot have. A father is a father, it is the visiting professor who has an

impact because he comes, teaches for 2 hours and goes, and then we can see did he have a good


impact or a bad impact. I feel you should also look at how Narmada is related to the

environment, river conservation, water conservation and global warming. If you connect all this

it will be a good idea and in that how and what the people living around Narmada are doing for

her conservation. Because the river to which you pray, you put your entire garbage in that itself,

so basically you are polluting. On the banks of Ganga all those people who keep saying „Ma‟ are

the people who pollute it the most. People living around Narmada pollute it the most. This is the

picture.

The basic thing is this that the villages around Narmada and you notice, the tribes don‟t pollute

the river, the people of Jabalpur do, Bhopal, people from Indore go to Narmada for picnics, leave

bottles and wrappers. Once I told a person when I was travelling, he was having a chewing gum

which he threw in the water, I asked them if they knew that, the chewing gum which went into

the water, the fish which eats it will die, because the fish cant bite it will get stuck. But that child

who was there with me from Indore said, "I am sorry I made a mistake after today I won‟t do it

again." But if you take any tribal there and ask them to spit in the river they won‟t.

2.2.2 Vijay Singh

Member of Legislative Assembly

Theme: Government, Occupations.

Student: Sir what are the measures that the Nagarpalika has taken to ensure the protection of the

River Narmada?

MLA: The Nagarpalika has decided to divert the waste water from the city to a holding pond

where it will be filtered and treated and then released into the river. This will prevent pollution

of the river. Polythene, this country‟s biggest problem is the primary reason for the pollution of

rivers. I firmly believe that till the use of polythene is not stopped, pollution in the rivers cannot

be controlled. We have taken measures to control this, but we need the support of the public.

Student: Sir, the people living on the riverbanks, the adivasis; their lives are dependent on the

River Narmada as well?

MLA: See, all the adjoining farming sectors are dependent on the River Narmada. This directly

reaps benefits for the adivasis and the other people. The water level of the Narmada is around

150 feet so there is plenty of water for the people living on the banks and for the community too.


There are lots of rivers which are drying up and trees are being felled. And all of us are not

aware of the fact that the high temperatures which we are experiencing right now is due to

deforestation. The Government has started a project called „Hairyali Chutki‟ along the banks of

the River Narmada. In every sector at a distance of 1 or 2 kilometres, organizations will plant

trees. This is being done to ensure that there is no shortage of water. When the trees grow, their

roots hold the soil and help retain water in the soil. And when there is excess water, the trees

drain it out to the river.

Student: Sir, I would like to know what all are the occupations in Hoshangabaad which are

connected to the river?

MLA: The people of Hoshangabaad try very hard to keep the river clean. Organizations help

clean up the plastic bags and such organizations are school based, social service groups, the

Nagarpalika and so on.

Student: The water for whole village of Hoshangabaad is supplied by the River Narmada itself?

MLA: Not directly. However, the river helps keep the water level high and thus using bore wells

we use this water. The water levels are high here due to the river.

Student: In Hoshangabaad, how many people are dependent on the River Narmada for their daily

bread and butter and for their business?

MLA: Well, there will be hundreds and thousands of people, especially from the Machli

community, whose occupation is fishing. But there are certain areas where fishing is prohibited.

Due to the fishes, the pollution is kept under check as well. So, there are thousands of people

who benefit from the river. There are orchards on the bank of the river as well. The river

generates employment for lacks of people. When you will go and see, on the banks of the river

there are „wadis‟ where people plant fruits and vegetables generating more employment.

Student: What are the future plans for the River Narmada?

MLA: Right now, the general population of the city does not receive water from the River

Narmada. However, there is a project underway where in the water from the River Narmada will

be filtered and supplied to the whole city to reduce the dependency on bore wells. Due to the

excessive use of bore wells, the water table has gone down in some parts. With this project, the

bore wells will not be over used and the work on the filtration plants is already on.


2.2.3 Ramdev Baba

Head Priest of Sethani Ghat Temple

Theme: Religion, dam and environment.

Student: What are the rituals performed and what are the beliefs of the people with respect to the

River Narmada?

Priest: We have 18 „Purans‟. One of them is the Skandh Puran. There is a mention of River

Narmada in Agni Puran, Pal Puran and so on. But in Skandh Puran, there is a whole chapter

called Reva Khand. In this chapter it is mentioned how the river was born and what were the

blessings given. There are about 3000 shlokas where this is described. Narmada is the daughter

of Shiv. She resides at the Amarkantak Mountain. Now on the north banks of the river are the

Vindhyachal Mountains and on the south banks are the Satpuras Mountains. It flows between

these two ranges. Amarkantak is the birth place of the river. Now, Ganga and Yamuna are fed by

melting snow. If you visit the birth place of the River Narmada, you will see only a small stream.

Then the stream disappears. After a kilometre and a half, we come to Narmada Kund, where the

stream appears again. Then after another 6 kilometres, it falls over the mountain. Also, the River

Narmada flows during the Pralay Kal when other rivers like the Ganga and Yamuna stopped

flowing. This is written in the Puranas only. Now, I will give you some scientific information as

well. Around 25 years ago, a geological survey was done of the River Narmada when Mrs. Indira

Gandhi was the Prime Minister of India. This was done because the World Bank was funding a

dam project on the River. The survey report I have read. There they have written the Narmada

Valley is the oldest valley in the world. The Puranas say that as well. That is why the scientists

said that if these big dams are built on the River Narmada, it can lead to dangerous consequences

because of earthquakes. So, River Narmada was born from Shiva. When Shiva was meditating at

Amarkantak Mountain, on behest of the other gods when his Third Eye opened and a tear fell.

This gave rise to a beautiful woman. Then He gave her many blessings. All the rocks in the river

will be „Shiv lings‟. In Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, a lot of temples have Shiv lings from

the Narmada River. One of the blessings given to River Narmada is that she will have greater

importance than even the River Ganges or Yamuna. She is unmarried. All the rest are married.

Like the vehicle of the God Yamuna is the tortoise, the vehicle of God Narmada is the crocodile.


There are many references in the Puranas. I will tell you one more thing which I have

experienced in my life.

2.2.4 Girija Shankar Sharma

Member of Legislative Assembly, Hoshangabad

Theme: Government, Occupation

Student: Hoshangabaad is a big city. We have seen many ghats here. So I would like the impact

of these ghats on the cultural identity of the city. Is Hoshangabaad synonymous with these ghats?

MLA: These ghats are over 100 years old. Now Hoshangabaad has had its fair share of floods.

But the architecture of these ghats is still good. In 1926, 1964, 1999 we had heavy floods when

the city was inundated with water. In spite of these, the ghats are still standing. It is a marvel of

engineering. If you see the ghats built on the other big rivers, within 5 to 10 years you will see

cracks and breaks in the walls. But it is more important to note that when these ghats were built,

the inspiration behind it was the Deputy Commissioner who was here during the British Raj. It

was his idea. Devotees have been coming to Hoshangabaad for decades. Even 120 years ago

there used to be a lot of devotees who used to gather here during Amavasya and Sankranti. This

prompted the British Government and the Deputy Commissioner to build these ghats. This

clearly shows the respect and the love we have for the rivers in India. Now, if we love the river

we will respect it. If we respect it we will keep it clean. This will ensure the purity of the river.

But now-a-days industrial sewage and sewage from the city are all dumped into the river. First

we had respect for the river, so the river used to be clean. Earlier there used to be few people on

the banks of the river, but now there are cities which are located all along the banks. But the

respect for the river remains. But now the respect for the river is shown just by doing a puja,

taking a dip in the river and that‟s the end of it. People have forgotten, what comes before a puja

and after it. First we have to remember this.

Student: You spoke of industrial pollutants released into the river. Are there any initiatives or

efforts taken by the Government to curb this?

MLA: Now, our Government has started public awareness campaigns. There is the National

River Conservative Plan under which the cities situated on the banks of the River Narmada, there

will be sewage treatment and waste water treatment plans developed. This treated water can be


used again. These plans are in the pipeline. Now for industrial effluents, our Government has set

up a Pollution Control Board. But, it has not been very effective. Here in Hoshangabaad there

aren‟t many industries. The rest of the industries which are situated elsewhere, release industrial

effluents into the river through nullahs and small channels. But we do not have an effective

control over it. The machinery here is totally corrupt and thus we cannot control the pollution.

But still, the Government is very aware of the pollution problem.

Student: What about River Conservation? A lot of deforestation has occurred in Madhya

Pradesh. What about this?

MLA: Yes, this has been discussed. Now, we have taken up the concept of Hairyali Chutki. This

means that large scale planting of trees will be carried out on the river banks. Right from

Amarkantak all the way down. This is a part of the plan. This is beneficial for the health of the

river. The roots of the trees hold the soil together, thus holding water. This prevents soil erosion.

Trees help hold back rain water as well. It maintains the rainfall in the region. This is why it is

important.

Student: Do you think the Government alone can do this?

MLA: No, the Government alone cannot do this. That‟s why we have started awareness

campaigns to spread the awareness of this among the people. We are even having a River

Festival on the banks of the River Narmada. This is done basically to ensure greater interaction

among the think tank on the River Narmada.

Student: According to you around Hoshangabaad, are there any serene beautiful villages. The

ones which the general public do not visit?

MLA: There are many villages on the river bank. But these are in the interiors. There is nothing

much to see here. What you really want to see I think is the real culture of the villages here. But

now people from the cities and the villages have inter mingled a lot. There is a diffusion of

culture and behaviour now. As you see in big cities, the same is happening here too unless you

want to see the tribal villagers who have maintained their culture distinctly.

Student: Sir, what is the effect of the River Narmada on the occupation of the people of

Hoshangabaad?


MLA: Well, for all those people who come to the ghats to offer gifts to the River Narmada, the

manufacturing of the agarbattis, the sweets, the prashad is dependent on the river itself. Indirect

employment is generated in this way. Besides this there isn‟t much economic activity in

Hoshangabaad. There is one small unit called Security Paper Mills. But that is running into

losses for a long time now. We have to import more paper than it produces. There are no more

industries as such here.

Student: Is sand mining done here in Hoshangabaad? We have heard it is carried out on the River

Narmada.

MLA: Yes that is a big industry. The river has 2 banks. The one at Hoshangabaad, sand mining

is carried out. Also, there is another place called Tawa, close by where it is carried out. The

industry is worth Rs. 100 crores. The major bulk comes from Hoshangabaad.

Shri Amrit Lal Vegad

Author and Parikramawasi

Theme: Parikrama, experience and art.

Student: People say that just to see the river is to be blessed by it. I would like to know how

many times you have circumnavigated the river?

Author: I have done it once completely and the second time I did it halfway. But during the

second time I also visited the tributaries of the river. There was a „Markande Rishi‟ who when

circumnavigated the Narmada, did not ignore a single tributary. If the tributary came in the way

of his travels, he went around that river too. This took him 14 years to complete. Today, if

anyone does the same travel it is called the Markande Parikrama. There we do not cross a single

river, we go around it completely; we do not miss out on a single ghat.

Student: How many people undertake this Parikrama? The whole 14 years?

Author: I have met only 1 person who had completed 13 years out of his 14 years of travel

around the river. I met him in Hoshangabaad at PataiGhat. The next day was AkshayTritiya and

hence there were 25 communal weddings which were going to be held. The whole cost was

borne by the ashram. The ceremonies were going on and on that day I met that person


Student: The River Narmada is a beautiful river. Can you tell us any one place or any one ghat

which is the most beautiful which you like a lot?

Author: The most beautiful are the Marble Rocks on the River. When during the monsoons the

river is in full flow, the view is majestic. After that the River becomes very still and is very wide.

Here we get to see both her violent mood near the Marble Rocks and her placid mood later on.

And this we get to see very close to each other. The Marble Rocks make it even more beautiful.

Another place was on the border of Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat called Sushpat. There are sheer

cliffs through which the river flows. There is not a soul in sight. There are not even big trees. If

you go alone, you are likely to be looted by the Adivasis.

Student: Sir, what is the real story behind the Parikrama? How did it start?

Author: According to Hindu mythology, the first Parikrama was done by Markande Rishi. This is

mythology not an established fact. Even I do not know when and how this started. But according

to me, it is not more than 250 years old. The Gauri Shankar Maharaj has his final resting place

near Hoshangabaad. He and his disciples really promoted this. They used to go on the parikrama

with an entire entourage of camels and horses and over 100 people. They encouraged this. But

historical documents do not make a mention of the parikrama. That‟s why I feel it‟s around only

250 years old. But now thousands of people participate. Kalidas had a beautiful thought keeping

the rain in mind; the Meghdoot. Every one appreciated it. Another poet had a beautiful thought

of another topic. Now after the Narmada leaves Amarkantak, after a couple of kilometres

originates the Son River. Now Son flows towards the north and the Narmada flows towards the

south very close to each other. So the poet says that the Son River is considered to be a male.

There are 3 male rivers, the Brahma Putra, The Son Bhadra and the Sindhu. So the poet spins a

tale of how the 2 rivers, the Son and the Narmada, used to love each other since childhood, they

were going to get married. But eventually, Narmada was heartbroken and she started to flow

towards the south. And Son went towards the north. She is a virgin and hence she is pure. That is

why her Parikrama is done. This thought influenced the people so much that thousands of people

started following it.

Student: Why did you decide to do the Parikrama of the river?

Author: I had decided to travel from Jabalpur to Mandla on foot. I did not decide to go on the

Parikrama. The distance from Jabalpur to Mandla is 100 kilometers and when we went on the


voyage, the dam was not even built. Only its foundations were dug. We actually entered the

foundation of the dam and then proceeded ahead. That is 1977. I had decided only to go all the

way to Mandla following the river bank closely. Now, if you go by bus it takes 3 hours. We took

15 days on foot. We enjoyed the natural surroundings of the river and we moved on slowly. It

was very tranquil. And this parikrama which I undertook was not religious in nature. I have

mentioned in my book it was cultural in nature. It was done to understand the people, the art and

the daily lives of the people here. I made various sketches out of which I prepared this collage.

We enjoyed that so much that the next year in 1978, we went from Mandla to Amarkantak. Since

the journey till Mandla earlier was so enjoyable, we decided to press on and go ahead. And in

doing so, we walked all around and reached back to Jabalpur. So this parikrama was undertaken

to understand art, the people, the culture and for my own mental happiness. There was no

religious motive to this parikrama.

Student: Tell us something about the culture of the River Narmada and why is it so different

from the other rivers?

Author: The number of settlements found on the River Narmada is not found anywhere else.

There are so many indigenous tribes like the Gonds and the Baigas. This is because these tribals

prefer to stay in the forests. So we got the chance to see them. Between the 2 parikramas, 25

years had passed. So what difference did I see in 25 years? I saw that the tribal paintings on their

walls have disappeared. The folk songs and the folk dance which we could see have all but

disappeared. Their outfits are no longer traditional. So, these tribal are losing their identity. They

are losing their culture. But realize that the culture is connected to the very soul where as the

physical identity is connected to the body. This physical presence makes sure you are physically

comfortable. All the creature comforts, luxuries, medicines and so on are only for the physical

self. To ensure that you‟re physical self is hale and hearty. But for the soul, culture is important.

It is sad but it is true that modernism is slowly pushing the traditional cultures of such tribal

societies into the background and it is being destroyed. This is the change I have seen. It is truly

sad to see an entire culture being destroyed due to the onslaught of modern thoughts and

practices. At Amarkantak, during Diwali, lady had drawn rangoli in beautiful patterns in the

traditional way. Now I get to see modern patterns which do not even have a color scheme. I have

even sketched these patterns. Buhundel is a tributary of the River Narmada. It is not a broad

river, but it is very deep. So we could not enter it and cross it. There was a small boat in which


only 1 person could come and so one by one all 6 of us were transported across the river. Then

came the turn of our luggage and the boat person commented that we are taking so much luggage

along with us, but where is the real luggage? Where is your musical instrument? What he meant

is that, in all our modern glitz and glamour we have lost touch with our traditional songs and

dances and our art. This really touched our hearts. In the same way, why have you all come to

me? You did not see my house and then decided to come to me. There was something very deep

which you wanted to ask me and therefore you are here. But very few people truly are in touch

with their inner self. They restrict themselves to their physical self. People have forgotten that we

have an inner soul as well. This is called materialism which is rampant now. What comes from

outside is information and what comes from within is knowledge. All your universities can only

give you information, what comes from within is knowledge. But remember, information is not

everything. Knowledge is completely different which you will learn as and when you grow up.

Student: Now when it comes between Ganga and the Narmada, you definitely like the Narmada

more. Is there any reason for this? What is the difference?

Author: It is human nature to always have the river flowing closest to his home as his favorite. It

can be the smallest of the rivers flowing through his village. Now since we stay on the banks of

the Narmada River, it is our favourite. Now if we were staying on the banks of the Ganges, it

would be our favourite. If we were staying on the banks of the Tapi River, it would be our

favourite. One advantage which we have got is that only for the Narmada River is the parikrama

undertaken. This is an important benefit I received. And I did this parikrama in parts.

Student: Of all the rivers in the world, why the River Narmada?

Person: It is the only river in the world that has a parikrama. That is why it is unique

Guest: Of all the countries in the world, why did she choose India?

Person: A person called Suhas Limaye from Pune came here after the parikrama. And I asked

him how his experience was. He said that the forests at Nagarkot, there are 2 paths. One will lead

you to Omkareshwar in a day‟s time. The other road will take a couple of days. Now this path is

no longer there. It is submerged. He told me that he just kept walking without a sense of time

since he did not have a watch. He was lost in the jungle. So he started chanting the hymns of the

River Narmada. After a while a person dressed in the holy robes came along and started walking


with him. After another 10-15 miles, he said, “Climb on that rock and you will see the River.”

By the time he climbed on the rock, the other person had all but disappeared. I became so

emotional that tears escaped my eyes. I could not see anything in front of me, he said. A lot of

people later told him that this phenomenon happens frequently where the River Spirit guides the

people through the forest. Suhas was a Regional Manager in a Bank and he has written a book.

There is always the case when the travellers are lost and there are 2 paths in front, someone or

the other comes along to guide the person.

2.2.5 Dr.Chaurasiya

An eminent figure working for the Baiga community.

Theme: Tribes

Dr.Chaurasia: It is very beautiful. There was a dense cover of forests there. 30 years ago, they

used to see us and run away in fright. After the British Era, no one has worked with this

community. In this state, all the other communities have developed besides the Baiga. The

reason behind this is that the people from the Baiga community do not let outsiders near

themselves. They have a different world.

Student: What did you learn about them at such a close distance?

Dr.Chaurasia: They are very innocent. The biggest thing is that they would like to be the way

they are.

Student: What is their primary occupation?

Dr.Chaurasia: Fishing is one. There is no reason for them to have an occupation. They get what

they want from the forest. The clothes they wear are made by another tribal community. Every

woman has a couple of sarees and the men wear loin cloths. The only thing they need is salt, for

which they come to the market. Everything else, their crops etc. they sell if they want to. Even

their style of agriculture is different. They just spread the seeds on a patch of land and different

crops grow. Corn, Maize and so on for example. They used to clear the forest and use fire to

clear it. The reason is that they will not use the plough on Mother Earth. It is akin to injuring her.

They believe that they are the first men on the Earth; the Baigas. If you look at the different tribal

communities, then the Baigas are doctors. So the work of a Baiga is centred on health, for the

Gor it is agriculture and for the Palika is to make clothing. It is handmade cloth.


Student: After all the urbanization, do you think the Baiga tribe will still exist?

Dr.Chaurasia: For their progress there are steps being taken. But they themselves do not

understand progress. Crores of rupees have been spent on them. But I have a feeling that the

Government themselves do not want them to progress. Their number one evil is alcohol. The

Government has given them the license to manufacture alcohol. Every house is making alcohol.

To help them progress you have to help them overcome alcohol. Anyone visiting them greets

them with a drink. They do not understand good or bad.

Student: On the internet I have read an article in which it was mentioned that the Baigas were

the first to paint the aliens.

Dr.Chaurasia: There is nothing like that. They do not have any art of any kind. No paintings as

such.

Student: Sir, what is their population?

Dr.Chaurasia: Around a lakh and a half.

Student: Do they have a barter system of economy or they use normal currency?

Dr.Chaurasia: They use money. Earlier they used to have the barter system.

Student: So they are not greedy for money. They only have to buy salt and they grow their own

vegetables.

Dr.Chaurasia: They do not keep money with them. They have no need. There is one person, a

moneylender in the village with whom they keep the money. They take it from them when they

want.

Student: Do they have a particular philosophy of life?

Dr.Chaurasia: They treat the tiger as their brother. They treat him as a member of the family.

They keep water outside the village for the tigers.

Student: The Baigas have a lot of tattoos.

Dr.Chaurasia: Yes the baigas have a lot of tattoos.

Student: Do a lot of people come to meet you with respect to the tribes?


Dr.Chaurasia: Yes a lot of people come. Even Rahul Gandhi had come. V Shantaram had come.

AmolPalekar, PrakashJha, AshutoshRana all of them have come.

Student: Deforestation is happening on a large scale now. Does it have any effect on these

people?

Dr.Chaurasia: To cut these trees, they employ Baigas only.

Student: Why don‟t the medicines come out to the public?

Dr.Chaurasia: That‟s because they hardly interact with them.

Student: Do they want to meet or not?

Dr.Chaurasia: They will not give you the ingredients for their medicines. But they will give you

the medicine. Once I had to go to Delhi and my wife had an asthma problem. I had to take a

party to Delhi and I told them that I cannot come as my wife has a bad attack of asthma. They

said we will give a medicine to cure her asthma and till date she hasn‟t had a relapse of the same.

2.2.6 Ex-Sarpanch of Mandla

Theme: Mandla district, tribes and science.

Student: Do you think the nature of the people along the banks of the river is good because of the

water of the river? Like the way people help the ones who are on the parikrama of the River

Narmada?

Sarpanch: See, this is the only river in India, whose parikrama is undertaken. In the olden times

there was excess snow in northern India and travelling to Badrinath and Kedarnath and such

places was very difficult. In those times in the center of India, Amarkantak was the one place

where people used to come in religious fervour to pay their respects and used to undertake the

parikrama lasting 3 years. These people used to not even take a bath in the river. They used to

collect water in a bucket and take a bath on the shores. This is been happening for centuries.

People have gained tremendous benefits by doing this parikrama. In South India, till the time a

person does not experience the River Narmada, he was not considered to be a saint.

AdiShankaracharya who stayed in Shingeri only got the title of Shankaracharya after he was

blessed by the River Narmada. Even Dyaneshwar and all great saints have prayed and

experienced the River Narmada, after which they got their due respect.


Student: You mentioned that lightning strike from the skies gave birth to the River Narmada;

whereas some people say it was born from the sweat of Lord Shiva.

Sarpanch: See, in the Purans various stories are written. In the Mahabharata, it is written that

Lord Shiva on his own came down to Amarkantak to give birth to the river. The Baiga people

here follow the footsteps of Lord Shiva even today. They wear only one loin cloth around

themselves and spend their lives. It is said that every pebble in the river is like a Shiv Ling. Even

today, the tribal population prefers to stay in the forests around the river. They have few needs

and wants. They live of the forest and they hunt. They grow few crops and spend their lives.

They still live primitive lives.

Student: Can you tell us something about the parikramavasis and their connection with the river?

Sarpanch: They treat the river like a Goddess and like their mother. They consider the water of

the river pure and thus they stay along the river banks for this very reason.

Student: We have visited 5 or 6 places and we have noticed that wherever there is Shiv temple,

there is another one dedicated to Goddess Durga as well.

Sarpanch: If you see traditionally in India, we have had 2 kinds of devotees; one who used to

worship Lord Vishnu and the other Lord Shiva. In the south, the people used to worship Lord

Shiva and the people from North India used to worship the Lord Vishnu. This gave rise to the

Dravidian and the Aryan races in India. Lord Ram was a devotee of Lord Vishnu. He used to

worship the sun. The people south of Narmada used to worship Lord Shankar and Adi

Shankaracharya has tried to make the devotees of Lord Shiva in the south meet the devotees of

Lord Vishnu in the north. That is why Lord Ram went to Rameshwar to establish Lord Shiva and

said that, the devotees of Lord Shiva are no less than my devotees. In the same way Adi

Shankaracharya has tried to bring these two groups together and that has been the biggest

achievement of his life. He established a temple where the idols of Durga, Ganesh, Shiva and

Vishnu were present in one temple. He said that worship the God, which you want and leave the

rest. He carried out this work in the 9th

century itself. Manganmeshwar, who was a resident of

Bihar, was a learned scholar and he was devotee of Kali and of Vishnu. He used to believe in the

practice of service to others. He said that he had faith in devotion. He was one of India‟s most

learned men. Adi Shankaracharya thus started the temple with five Gods residing in it. He also

preached the concept of a single religion which had all the Gods and established the four dhams;


at Badrinath, Rameshwaram, and Dwarka and at JagannathPuri. He preached from these 4

dhams. He struggled to unite the country as one.

Student: Why do the people worship the river? Is it because it flows in the east-west direction?

Or is it because they depend on it for their livelihood? Is there any other reason?

Sarpanch: See in northern India, the Ganges Plains which are formed are recent. Earlier in

Southern India the Satpuras and the Vidhyachal were known together as the Vindhyachal and

there were settlements here. These settlements predate the settlements on the Ganges plains.

There are 3 names to the River Ganges. Till Haridwar, it is called Alaknanda. After Haridwar till

Patna, it is known as The Ganges and after Patna it is called Padmaja. At Patna, the Son River

meets the Ganges and at the point of confluence, it is wider than the Ganges. We have been

taught in Geography that the Son River meets the Ganges. In reality, it is the Ganges that meets

the Son River. The Son River has been in existence before the River Ganges. This is the reason

why Bhagirath tried a lot as his reign was around Ayodhya, he was the ruler of Suryavansh and

he saw that the water locked away in the ice is of no use. He thus channeled the melting water

and thus the Ganges met the Son River at Patna. It has been said that Maharaja Sagar tried and so

did Bhagirath. The era of Maharaja Sagar was before the time if Bhagirath by around a couple of

generations. It is said that the River Ganges was brought down from the heavens to flow on the

earth. Bhagirath tried the same thing. Haridwar literally is the Gate of Heaven and Bhagirath

tried to bring the Ganges from those gates to his kingdom. Narmada is a very old river. A lot of

sanyasis used to come here especially in the Vidhyachal range near the River Narmada where

they used to rest. The olden saints like Govind Bhagwat, Adi Shankaracharya‟s teacher have

their final resting places on the banks of the River Narmada. The Kukarna Math near Dindori is

his resting place. A lot of saints have meditated on the river banks. Entire cultures have started

here right here on the banks of the river.

2.3 Rishis

2.3.1 Shrilal Chande

Age: 74 years, Birth Place: Bhopal

1. Why have you come to Hoshangabad?


I come to visit the Narmada during Amavasya and Purnima for 15 days.

2. Did you have any external motivation towards

the river Narmada?

Yes, my father participated and completed the

Parikrama. He has attained „mukti‟ and this

inspires me to follow suit.

3. Why do you prefer Narmada over other rivers?

Let me tell you this, listen carefully. You may think this as a fable or a myth but I have

experienced it and therefore I can tell you that the Narmada grants many wishes. We all

call her our mother because she is the only river that is not married.

4. What do you feel about people cleansing themselves in the river?

Narmada is „maya‟ – when you dip yourself in Magic, you just need to close your eyes

and dip five times. There is no need of soap or any other external material. You must also

close your mouth so as not to spit into the river. You must also ensure that you do not

light lamps in the river. It is a major cause of river pollution.

5. Have you ever done the Parikrama?

Yes, in 2009 I walked 200kms from KeravGhat to Harda and from Harda – Surat –

Ankleshwar, I took a train and finally from Ankleshwar to Pedra I was on foot again. It

was a life changing experience. Everyone must, in their lifetime take part in a parikrama.

6. What does the river mean to you?

The river is what you believe it to be, what you perceive it as. For me, it is divinity.

2.3.2 „Mata‟ Elin Gosawmi

Age: 87, Birth Place: Gwalior

1. What can you tell us about the Narmada?

FIGURE 0-2 SHRILAL CHANDE


It is written in the old „Granthas‟ that it is „Pavitra.‟ I am a huge follower of the Vedas

and old religious texts. It has therefore generated my interest towards this river in

particular.

It is said and I have noticed that whoever stays next to the Narmada never goes unfed.

Narmada „mata‟ always takes care of them. The rivers will forever give you food, shelter

and clothing.

2. Have you ever seen the Narmada „mata‟?

Yes, the „mata‟ always comes to me in a white sari and gives me food. Also, if someone

loses their way during the course of the Parikrama, the „mata‟ guides them. Once, I was

in a cave during heavy rains. I realized after sometime that several snakes were also at

vicinity, however none of them harmed me and I slept in peace. It was just my confidence

in the Narmada „mata‟ that led me to continue to stay with the snakes that day.

3. Do you believe that the Narmada grants wishes?

Oh yes! All you have to do in close your eyes, hope and jump into the water. But, it is

important to jump into the water.

4. What does the Narmada mean to you?

It is God; whichever you may call it, in its purest form.

5. Which is the best form of Parikrama according to you?

I think it is important to go on foot, as you can travel with the beautiful curves of the

river. The riverside is absolutely breath taking. Just be aware of the sun.

2.3.3 Bhagwan Prasad Dev

Age – 64

Namaste Sir. We are researching about the Narmada. Can you tell us something about the

river out of your years of experience?

I retired some years ago and since then I have been literally living by the river. My wife

died some years ago and the river has been my support since them. Even before, she used


to be a life giver but after that unfortunate event, I have got solace and peace by her

banks.

Do you also bathe in the river?

Yes, in the morning I bathe and in the evening I just come and sit and look at the river. I

also chant sometimes. However I don‟t perform any poojas here on the banks.

Is there any reason for that?

(Smiles) Everybody has their businesses to keep.

It is a very good thing that you‟ll are doing. I urge you‟ll do it with all your heart and

soul. These are the kind of things that need to be given importance to.

Anything about the pollution that is now plaguing the river?

This pollution should be controlled. Or it is going to take away the beauty and the

richness of the river. It will be a great loss.

2.3.4 Shri Kalyandas baba

Head of Kalyan Ashram, Amarkantak

Theme: Religion

Kalyanjee: The narmada river has pauranik importance. In our Indian culture, three rivers have

an important place. Ganga, Yamuna and Sarawati. Like we consider the river Ganga as an

upasnarupa, Lord Shiva upasna is Ganga. In the form of Karma it is Yamunaji and in the form

of knowledge it is Saraswatiji. So in this way, the

sacrifice and meditation of Shiva has been

considered in the form of the River Narmada.

In the skand-purana, there are 10,000 shlokas

where they mention the greatness and fame of the

river Narmada. Apart from the Skand-puran,

Padampuran, Mahabharata and in Valmiki‟s

Ramanyan, there is mention of the river Narmada.

Assuming that the Skand-puran is right, when the FIGURE 0-3GROUP MEMBERS WITH

KALYANDAS BABA


Gods were churning the ocean of milk, (SagarManthan) first came out kalput (poison). It takes

the person towards death, by killing all desires.

Madhya Pradesh, is the centre of India. Shankarjee was flying over the Maikal Mountain ranges

and suddenly the burning sensation in his throat became less. He saw both Lords and Demons in

meditation there. The lords had left their life of happiness behind and were pursuing spiritual

ideas and the demons had become non-violent. People had left their identities here, and were all

praying. Shiva was surprised so he got down from the Sky and set up his Samadhi over there.

According to the Puranas, Lord Shiva stayed like that for 5,000 years and over time, the sweat

that was a result of this Samadhi taken up by Lord Shiva, is today called the Narmada.

This was the academic importance of the River.

Student: What is the effect of river on the people around it and those who are staying on the

banks?

Kalyanjee: This River is considered like the mother. It runs through Maharashtra, Gujarat and

Madhya Pradesh and is truly the giver of the life. People ask for forgiveness and enlightenment

on this river. In terms of behaviour, there is never a single drought on the river Narmada. This

river is one of the few remaining un-polluted rivers of India (on a comparative basis). This

reason can be explained with simple common sense. The rivers in the north Ganga and Yamuna

are hardly recognizable due to the severe amount of pollution because of the industries and

towns around it. The rivers in the south are also in a similar condition. Owing to the fact that the

Narmada has smaller towns along its banks so far, it has remained relatively less polluted.


Chapter 4 – Journeys

The journeys below are extracts and views of a student‟s perspective written in a very informal

format as they are personal notes and understandings about the Narmada and the work that was

carried on:

1. Bombay-Bhopal (via Hoshangabad) Train Journey: (The First Glimpse)

Our journey started from CST formerly known as Victoria Terminus in Mumbai. This might not

be symbolic for most people, but us as a group it was. We were undertaking a journey to a river

that was older than the Ganga and that had a very distinctive identity like Victoria Terminus,

now re-christened as CST.

The journey began on a high note and the entire group was excited and even thrilled with the

idea and prospect of having being able to travel with a river. There was a sense of restlessness

that was prevalent amongst us in the train, a restlessness that would only end with our first

glimpse of the Narmada. We were told that Narmada needed to be experienced and it is only then

that true learning would take place.

We were travelling by the Punjab Mail and had some prior inclination that our first glimpse

would be just before Hoshangabad. The time was around 8 a.m. and a few us who were awake


decided to get off at the next train station. We opened the door of the train we were welcomed

with a burst of hot humid air. There was something up ahead that caught our eyes when we

leaned out of the window, it was a big bridge. Our hearts were racing and throbbing; it would be

the first time we would see the river.

The river was not as satiated and enormous as we had assumed and thought it would be, because

of the season that we were visiting the river but nonetheless we could assume the size of the river

by looking at the various water marks on the banks of the rivers.

The river being empty had its consequences and advantages. The consequence was that this

would severely hamper the scenic beauty of the Narmada, and that this would not be an ideal

river. The advantage was that it jolted us back to reality and a harsh May Summer. It helped us

because our sky high expectations were right back to where they ought to have been.

We went back to our berths, not disappointed, not rejoicing but thinking about the river, and the

experiences that it would have to offer. We did not know where we were heading, what we

wished to be done or for that matter, if we would feel anything for the river. What we did have

was our faith and belief in our idea. It was this idea and belief that triggered the group to be more

focused on our project. We believe that as a group, it was the first sighting of the river that truly

bought us closer together.

2. Jabalpur to Amarkantak: (29th May) by car:

We woke up in the morning with the plan of visiting Gwari ghat, which was on the outskirts of

Jabalpur. We left at around 10:00 a.m. in the morning from our hotel at Jabalpur expecting a long

and tiring day ahead. We were planning on reaching Amarkantak before nightfall because of the

uncertainty of the road that lay ahead and travelling by night should always be avoidable.

Gwari ghat is considered one of the most beautiful areas and places of Jabalpur. This ghat has

one of the best locations and is visited frequently by tourists. Jabalpur is one area along the river

where there are factories along the river and it is a more commercial area that other parts of

Madhya Pradesh.


The ghat was like most other ones that we had seen both in Hoshangabad and on our way to

Jabalpur. After taking our photos and conducting a few interviews, we decided to leave for

Amarkantak. On our way the urge and love for Pizzas overcame and we stopped at a recently

opened Domino‟s store and had an extremely heavy lunch. Lunch became an informal group

meeting and we as a group discussed the future plans and discussed the places where we would

stop on our way to Amarkantak.

The journey to Amarkantak which ordinarily would take 3 hours to complete from Jabalpur, took

us 7 hours. The reason was simple. We stopped at all the places that came along the road that

were either directly or indirectly related to the Narmada. We stopped at a fossil park along the

road to Amarkantak and then eventually at Dr.Chaurasia‟s house who is considered as a leading

expert and negotiator with the Baiga tribe. We were invited into his office where we spoke for

about an hour and where we discussed the Baiga tribe their culture, their lifestyle and the impact

of the various social-cultural factors on them.

With a promise of taking us to the Baiga village, we left the Doctor‟s house and continued

onward with our journey towards Amarkantak. It was proving to be the popular adage where the

journey was more important than our destination. On the way we came across a village market

and stopped at the Narmada Grameen Bank. The Bank‟s name tells us how the effect of the river

extends even beyond activities directly or in-directly associated with the river.

Our drive from the village market till Amarkantak was uninterrupted as it was dark and there was

very poor visibility on the road. The journey ended when we reached Amarkantak and rested at

the Kalyan Ashram at Amarkantak.


Chapter 5 - Observations & Findings

The Narmada is the dynamic force that gives Madhya Pradesh its identity. Through our journey

across the central eastern part of the state, we have realized that the river has to a great extent,

given the people a rich cultural heritage, historical background and a proud livelihood. The

analysis has been divided into sections – The Religious Aspect, Occupations and Life of the

tribes. Our approach has been to track these segments of culture induced by a river.

1. The Religion of the River Narmada:

Life‟s rhythm is dictated by water and Hindus hold rivers in great reverence. India not only

nurtures the resources that nature has bestowed upon her but also worships them for the

prosperity they bring in their wake. Rivers are one such gift which is considered highly sacred

throughout the country. This is mainly because these mighty rivers have perennially been a

source of livelihood to millions of people living in areas lying along their courses. People see in

them a manifestation of divine female power.

FIGURE 0-1 THE NARMADA KUND


It is believed that life is constituted of five elements, Prithvi or Earth, Agni or Fire, Vayu or wind

Jal or water and Byom or Space without which life cannot be sustained. The Naramada is

worshipped because it is the direct perception of God to man. The importance of the river and its

role in supporting various life forms is realized by many and therefore the river is worshipped. It

is believed that the river can clean the body, mind and soul.

From our observations, we have noticed that the philosophy and the behaviour of the people here

are inter-linked. The river‟s culture as noticed today is a result of the beliefs that have been

around for generations, but again, culture is not a total reality and is in constant evolution.

Culture is always subject to change, be it near the river Narmada or someplace else.

The feeling that is prevalent around the river gives rise to an air of self-satisfaction for the people

who reside there as well as for visitors. It was interesting to observe and note that these people

show behaviour that is is self-rewarding and self-sustainable. Most human behaviour is said to

revolve around the following three aspects:

1. Value: The why, how and to what degree humans should value things, whether the thing

is a person, object or anything else.

2. Motivation :

Intrinsic: This refers to the motivation that is driven by an interest or enjoyment in

the task itself and exists within the individual rather than relying on any external

pressure.

Extrinsic: This comes from outside of the individual. Common extrinsic

motivations are rewards like money, grades, coercion and threat of punishment.

3. Capabilities: The ability to perform human actions.

It was noticed that the people living around the River Narmada have instilled within them

specific qualities that are prevalent only to this region such as selflessness. When on a

„Parikrama‟, the „Parikramwasis‟ start their journey without any prior thoughts about food, safety

or shelter. This is because it is a common belief which is reassured by repetitive behaviour that

people around the River Narmada are vary of the needs of the visitors and do everything in their

power to cater to those needs.


It is the value of the people residing to be helpful and selfless to the Parikramvasis. This value

has both intrinsic and extrinsic sources of motivation. Intrinsic, so as to uphold an individual‟s

personal beliefs about their own values and extrinsic in a way such that, the feedback from the

Parikramvasis to the world about the Narmada is positive in all senses. (The positive feeling

around the river, the goodness of the people, the serenity one endures during the process of the

Parikrama.)

FIGURE 0-2 SHIV LING AT BHEDAGHAT

These intrinsic and extrinsic sources of motivation help uphold the values of the people of the

river which determines the environment and therein its culture.

This created culture which is constantly in the process of evolution has an impact on the psyche

of the Parikramvasis. This is the value of the people of the Narmada, to serve its visitors in all

their glory. The motivation for living up to this value comes from the positive feedback from the

„Parikramwasis‟ about the residents of the river being giving, extremely self-less and helpful.

This causes the Parikramwasis to return to the river many a times. It is noticed that they tend to

become more positive as opposed to their behaviour before the Parikrama. This positivity in turn

could be an explanation for the Parikramvasis „doing well‟ in their lives after the Parikrama as

compared to their life before the Parikrama.

Mr. Anil Dave:


“Anyone can do it. If you really want to discover Narmada walk along with it, walk on foot, don‟t

worry, you will end up doing two less things, but you won‟t end up hungry someone or the other

will come and give you food. And forget the lion even a tiger won‟t come to hurt you”

Many explanations were given to us by various people regarding the „positive‟ feeling that is

experienced around the river. We were told that it was not only Narmada where these feelings

are felt but also other places around the world that are close to nature. Whether to the mountains,

forests or the sea shore, if one goes and remains close to nature, one automatically becomes

positive. It was noticed that the people along the river believed that a society is one that brings in

several kinds of ill feelings and contributes to negative thinking due to comparison. So, when

one leaves society and lives with nature for a long period of time, the outlook of an individual

towards life changes.

All this reinforced positivity from around the river, about people being helpful and the river

itself granting wishes for Parikramwasis encourages them in a sub-conscious way to work harder

towards their goals. The extra hard work that is put in by them itself gives rise to satisfactory

results.

However, it was not possible for us to gather information about the time period of the positivity

and the good-feeling as a result of the Parikrama.

It is seen that this process is a self-sustained and satisfactory cycle influenced by no external

factors such as money. No money is needed to complete the Parikrama, food and shelter is

provided for by the „river and people residing in its proximity.‟

The cycle is completely monitored and carried forward by the mutually rewarding and mutually

fulfilling factors of the human dynamics of positivity, satisfactory results and reinforcement of

beliefs.


FIGURE 0-3 THE 3-WORD CYCLE

The kind of joy and happiness a tedious, strenuous walk for 3 years continuously gives is

something that cannot be expressed in words but only felt. This is what we were repeatedly told.

For the people who have undertaken the challenge of the parikrama, the river is a religion by

itself. They believe that she is the giver of strength and that she is a protector.

The feeling of oneness towards the river can come only with experiencing her miracles. Being

able to touch and feel God is a feeling that can only come with nature worship.

We were told that one look at the river has the power to leave one happy, thoughtful and at

peace. The beauty emanated by the different forms the river takes in each person‟s mind is

enough to trigger one‟s imagination.

There are people who have done the parikrama only to admire the beauty of the river, to study

the dynamic rock forms in the course of the river, to indulge in the opportunity offered by the

river to practice and hone creativity and artistic skills. There are also those people who do the

parikrama in style – they are loud and vocal about their deed, they meet people at every stop,

give talks of togetherness and praise the river, create that feeling of harmony and leave an

impression such that their name will not be forgotten.

The Narmada valley is dangerous. The forests are extensive and dense. There are areas and paths

in the course of the parikrama where there are no inhabitants, there are wild animals and trees,

stretches with nothing but the water ahead. And yet, in the times when he/she feels helpless and

lost, there is somebody who saves them of whichever difficulty they are in. This is the positivity

Value

Motivation Capabilities


(people and environment) that is often talked about by people who have completed the

Parikrama.

If a person walks for 3 years believing that he is around positivity, believing that he is able to

complete the parikrama because he deserves it, it is quite obvious that his/her self-esteem, self-

worth, self-concept will grow immensely. If all needs of being needed, appreciated, wanted,

belonged are satisfied by the belief that the river is shelter, the river is home, the river is god in

itself, there is little that can stop a person from reaching the state of self-actualization.

Away from the worldly concept of progress, inequality, status, classes – during the parikrama

every individual is said to be the same. Every person comes there to take back something from

the river. They are all tied by that bond of inadequacy, the bond of extraction. There is no show

of wealth, none of prestige. Every person is bounded by the fear of the forests and by the grace

of the river. Maybe, this is the reason for people‟s change in behaviour after a parikrama. Maybe

being in touch with humility causes them to see people and situations with a new perspective as

nature teaches us to learn by ourselves. Just like the trees that stand alone, do their duty,

sometimes wither and sometimes blossom, the rivers teach us to embrace what we have. Just like

the river, that has been flowing for centuries together and is still giving, we too must learn to

share. The purpose of this parikrama is to get in touch with all these feelings of humanity – of

rediscovering the simplicity that man was originally born and bestowed with – when man was

closest to the force that created him.

The experience of touching something and being touched by something closely varies for each

person. It was noticed that the spirituality of the Parikramvasis can just be expressed through just

the twinkle in one‟s eye and the glow on one‟s face.


2. Myth Busters

Religion expects its followers to have belief in myths. A myth is a “traditional or legendary

story, usually concerning some being or hero or event, with or without a determinable basis of

fact or a natural explanation, especially one that is concerned with deities or demigods and

explains some practice, rite, or phenomenon of nature(Dictionary).Myths are stories shared by a

group, that shape the group's cultural identity. Similarly, the Narmada valley too has many such

myths ranging from the existence of the river to the miracles experienced in its proximity. The

tribes are an integral part of this valley and also believe in several fascinating mythical stories.

Many have cited scientific data and logical reasoning to support these myths and therefore

believe in their authenticity and validity. The Sarpanch of the Gond tribe in Mandla reasoned that

myths are an easier and better-suited way to explain these complex scientific occurrences and

rightly so.

Also, some of these myths have been written in the Puranas, sacred scriptures of the Hindu

religion. These myths are explained in the form of simple stories.

If one is able to look beyond these as just being mere stories or gross delusions and if one were

to dwell deeper, then one would be able to see that there is some truth and relevance in each

myth.

1) Myth: The Narmada valley is the oldest valley in the world and the Narmada is the oldest

river. It is said, “Narmada will be there till the end of time and was there at creation. It is

said that the Narmada was flowing before this world began and will continue to do so

even after the world has ended”. All of this is mentioned in the „Skandh Puran‟,

reinforcing the belief in the minds of the people about the Narmada‟s sacred nature.

Scientific Reason: Narmada valley was a part of the Gondwanaland which is the name

given to the southern supercontinent. Tectonic shifts caused it to split away from the

northern supercontinent of Laurasia around 500 million years ago. Gondwana further

split into many more parts, which comprise of most of the continents in the southern

hemisphere including the Indian sub-continent and Australia. During this split the

Vindhyachal mountain range of the Narmada valley and the Sterling Range of Western


Australia underwent two identical Lower Paleozoic deformation events. This suggests a

possible continuation of the Indian Narmada-Son lineament into South Western

Australia. There is land called as Gondwana in Mandla district of Madhya Pradesh as

well as in South Western Australia. This may in some sense prove that the Narmada

valley existed long before the formation of the earth as we know it.

2) Myth: It is said that the river Narmada is a virgin river and therefore, has two brothers,

always by her side standing guard. It is also believed that the brothers are so strong and

that they will support Narmada and make sure that she will never die.

Scientific reason: This has a specific reason because Narmada flows in between two

mountain ranges of Vindhyachal and Satpuras. They are called the brothers of the river

who protect her from the origin till she submerges into the Arabian Sea. Even during

heavy rainfall or flooding, the mountain ranges on both the sides will always counter the

effects of these natural phenomenons.

3) Myth: The people of the Narmada valley have greater faith in the river Narmada than in

the holy Ganges, which is considered throughout India as the river which cleanses the

soul. It is said that one dip in the Ganges can absolve you of your sins but one look at the

Narmada is enough. It is also said that the Ganges (Ganga) takes the form of a black cow

every year and comes to the banks of the Narmada to cleanse herself of all the sins she

has collected.

Scientific Reason: The Ganges meets the Narmada at NandakeshwarTirth,

approximately 40 kilometres ahead of Mandla district. During the summer season when

the heat is at its worst, the water level of the river rises by a foot. This is well

documented. The main reason was that on the course of the River Narmada, there are 2

big faults. One is at the Bargi Dam and the other is at Son River. During the summers,

due to the melting snow. The waters of the Ganges rises and due to that it used to flow

into the Narmada. This can be considered as some sort of cleansing for the Ganges.

4) Myth: There is a shloka in the Math Puran which says that if any tree on the banks of the

River Narmada falls under a special circumstance then it attains freedom from the circle

of life.


Scientific Reason: Normally when a piece of wood is buried in the ground it rots. But

when it falls into or is buried near the Narmada, it turns into a fossil. There are many

fossils found around the banks of Narmada because the river is full of minerals that help

in the conversion process. Myths and folktales have been used as explanations for the

concept of fossils not only in the Narmada valley but throughout the planet.

5) Myth: The water of the River Narmada is the purest water. It is said that you can drink

the water from anywhere and it will always be safe.

Scientific Reason: People have stored the waters of the 3 major holy rivers of India, The

Ganga, The Yamuna and The Narmada in containers for over 70 years. Only the water of

River Narmada was not contaminated. A comparative study was carried out on the waters

from the major rivers and it too concluded that water from the Narmada is purer than the

other rivers. This is because the river is surrounded by mountain ranges all along its path

and hence the soil from these mountains dissolves certain minerals into the water which

in a sense filters the water and keeps it clean. Besides the Ganges and the Yamuna, the

more popular rivers, have softer water and are used for heavy industrial purposes. The

wastage from these industries is polluting these rivers to a great extent, so much so that

the water has become black in certain patches, leaving the Narmada with the title of the

purest major river in India

3. Exploring Human Phenomena of “Helping Others”

“We were on a Jal Yatra on the Narmada and were lost in a very rocky area; there we saw a

boat, in which there was a man and wife their sleeping arrangements. We took our yacht close to

them…Do you know the first sentence & communication which we had?

„Baatikhalosaab‟ (have some roti, sir).

This you will find only there that before saying hello they think that this is a traveller he will be

hungry so give him some water and roti. And in his boat there was one stove, one bed and few

vessels and that were all his earthly possessions.”

-Anil Madhav Dave, MP

Every time we encountered the topic of Parikramawasis either in our pre-research or in

interviews, people living by the Narmada who provided them with food and sometimes shelter


were brought up. Farmers practiced „sadavrat‟ i.e., they kept aside some of their produce for

travellers; complete strangers to whom they gave with no expectation of returns. This intrigued

us; how does there exist, in this modern age where one does not care for more than one and one‟s

immediate family, such altruism?

We were curious to explore this human phenomenon that was much talked about. We decided to

conduct a small study to help us better understand the phenomena of helping; whether it was

indeed the Narmada that imbibed qualities of helping in people living by it. For this we used the

Helping Attitudes Scale (HAS) on two samples; one living by the river and the other living away

from it. The purpose behind selecting a place far away from the Narmada was two-fold; one, for

comparative reasons and two, so we would have a place where its people are not in contact with

parikramavasis and not expected to be helpful. Also, we chose the HAS over the Self-report

Altruism (SRA) scale because the HAS provided us with the option of measuring “beliefs,

feelings, and behaviours related to helping” (Nikell) and not just altruism.

It must be stated at the outset, that the study was designed to help us understand the phenomena

as objectively as possible and check whether our feelings were facts. It is not a study of

helpfulness; it is to merely observe the exclusivity of this helping nature by seeing whether it

exists away from it. We used the questionnaire as a tool to explore and not to assess or study or

judge.

Inferences that can be generalized require controlled groups, test-retests for reliability,

administration and correlation of HAS with Social Desirability Scale (SDS) on test subjects, and

many others that are beyond the scope of an observational tool. As the objective was to make

observations and not inferences and our test conditions ensured the same. We used a test, one

that has passed evaluations for psychometric reliability and validity measures, to ensure at least

face validity of our observations (Nikell).

3.1 Method

A self-report questionnaire designed to measure beliefs, feelings, and behaviours related to

helping was administered to thirty six participants. Eighteen people living in the town of Mandla,

by the Narmada, and eighteen people living in Bhopal, a city away from the Narmada, were

approached personally.


This data was then entered onto an Excel worksheet to generate the scores. The sheet with

calculations and pivot tables are attached as exhibits in Appendix C.

3.2 Normative Data

The average score of those living by the Narmada on the HAS was 69.50 with a Standard

Deviation of 4.90. Scores for this group ranged from 60-78. The average score for those living

away from the Narmada was 74.5 with a Standard Deviation of 4.694. Scores for those living

ranged from 68-85.

No significant sex differences were found for those living by the Narmada. Males were observed

to be more helpful than females in those living away from the Narmada.

3.3 Discussion

Our data baffled us; we had not expected those living away from the Narmada to score higher.

After some discussion, we reasoned that a number of biases that we did not account for when we

designed this study could have resulted in this predicament. A better educational and social

background for those in the city induces a need to be more socially desirable and this might have

resulted in a self-report bias, thus increasing their scores. Another possible explanation for this is

that the “phenomena of helping” is a necessitated river culture of the Narmada. That the

Narmada is sacred to those living by it is a fact. And when a faith requires certain practices,

followers all but follow. That they must be generous with food and shelter is a form of

helpfulness that is probably demanded of them, by now almost unconsciously, by the practices

and faith of their forefathers.

With regard to limitations, there is tremendous scope for improvement of this study. Partial or

complete elimination of biases such as the investigator bias – may have occurred when

instructing participants in Hindi - the self-report bias (social desirability scale), a controlled

group, bigger samples from more than the two locations this study limited itself to and a version

of the questionnaire adapted for rural India; the current questionnaire was designed in Canada.

Also, the fact that people in a city are more aware of concepts of charity and volunteering may

have been a bias against people living by the Narmada in taking this test.

While these limitations of design make this study a mere observational tool, the learning

outcomes from it have been more than satisfactory. Looking at the study with face validity, we

observe that those living by the Narmada are not more helpful than those living away from it i.e.,


this behaviour is not exclusive to those living by it. That the river culture necessitates helpfulness

in the form of generosity with food and shelter from those living by it remains a strong

possibility.

4. Pro-environment behaviour

River conservation is a much talked about phenomenon in today‟s times. The Narmada is

popular for the dam project. However, there is another part of cleanliness and pollution that plays

an important part in the conservation process. We found that this practice is rampant amongst the

people there. There were gutters in many villages and towns that emptied themselves directly

into the river. Of these, we could count no less that 6 gutters in the district of Mandla itself.

4.1 Institutions and people/ why they do what they do:

As Shri Anil Madhav Dave said „We have 2 slogans- increase the water levels in the river and

better the quality of the water. Narmada is not a river that gets water from the melted snow.

Hence, the mechanism that the rain water goes into the mountains through trees, therefore do no

cut trees, don‟t do unnecessary mining & blasting, because by doing extra blasting the natural

inner structure gets destroyed and don‟t pollute.‟

The Narmada Samagra which is pioneered by Shri Dave along with stalwarts from other fields,

organizes a river conservation festival every 3 years where more than 17 states and 8 countries

have participated and contribute for devising models that can help to benefit and sustain the

ecological health of the rivers.

The motivation to work towards the goal of conservation comes from the awareness that the river

is a giver of life and it is inevitable for the survival of the human race. This mass movement has

gained momentum in the past 3 years and the presence of the Narmada Samagra as an

organization working for this cause, is a well-known fact amongst many of the people that we

met.

Dr. Uma Shankar Choube, a forest ranger and a major contributor to the river‟s culture in

Hoshangabad district voluntarily at the age of 80 sweeps the steps of the ghat. His motivation

stems from his experience of being given a new life because of the blessings of the river. He has

without support, made possible the construction of new ghat in Hoshangabad, out of which one

is especially for women. He believes that people who bathe in the river are the major reasons for


the pollution of the river. The act of one influences another and it continues as an unstoppable

chain reaction.

Some local people bathe in the river for long hours of the day as their occupation demands this.

What is to be done then?

There is a place on the border of Gujarat where bathing in the river and leaving diyas in the river

is prohibited. Studying the impact of this decision on the belief of the people will be an

interesting study by itself.

4.2 Beliefs

While a majority believes that dipping into the river Narmada is essential to get rid of one‟s sins,

there are few who believe that looking at the Narmada from afar and praying is enough too. The

MLA of Hoshangabad mentioned that it is important to instil in the minds of the people that

seeing the river is enough for cleansing sins and giving peace. Dipping into the river is not

essential. It was observed through interviews that even though people knew that dipping in the

river, using soap and material that were used during prayers were harmful to the river; they still

continued to indulge in such activities to satiate their religious beliefs which for them were more

essential than being considerate of the environment.

4.3 Tribes:

The tribes near living near the vicinity of the river respect it in all its glory, for not only is it a

source of life but also supports various life forms and livelihoods. Tribes live in oneness with

nature and are therefore automatically pro-environment. Nature is their religion, their culture.

While we spoke to them, we observed that they lived in houses which catered to their basic

needs, while growing plantations such as banana and mango. Their activities involved very little

harm to the environment. If they cut down trees for sandalwood, they also made sure they

planted many others. Their knowledge for turning the rays of the sun to solar power tells us that

though they seem primitive, they aren‟t.

Is what all these people do really helping in raising awareness and changing behaviour of the

people? The institutions are gaining momentum and people‟s efforts are being recognized but it

is very difficult to alter the beliefs that they have followed for years together. This is the biggest

challenge that the environmentalists are facing today as there is no substitute for this.


5. Occupations

5.1 Observations

The cities and villages we visited were robust with economic activities along the banks of the

river and at the ghats. The nature of these activities was more inclined to the buying and selling

of goods that are required for religious purposes and to attract the many tourists that visit these

banks of the river. And hence, naturally, these occupations caught our eye too. The Narmada

being synonymous with „Giver of Pleasure‟ has been the reason of the economic progress,

dependence and livelihood for many thousands of people living in the villages or those living in

urban areas.

5.2 Occupations along the stretch of the river

FIGURE 0-4MALAS AT A STORE

Vendors – This category includes shops and stalls that are mainly along the ghats, outside a

tourist centric place and near temples. Mainly, these shops included religiously significant

products that can be used as offering to the river. (eg – the items included in the pooja thaali -


like diyas, flowers, incense sticks, chains and some sweets.) Some shops however, were more

tourist centric and sold pictures of the River in various sizes and profiles. There were a lot of

souvenir items also like chains, artefacts sculpted in marble, prayer and arati books and

postcards. Also, there were vendors selling food products, soft drinks and fruits extending

throughout the periphery of the area around which most tourists and local people gathered. The

names of many of the shops and restaurants had relation to the river, for example we came across

more than seven restaurants that were called „Maa Narmada‟.

Tourism – Especially the marble rocks at Jabalpur, the Dhuandhar waterfalls, Sethani ghat at

Hoshangabad, Mai ki Bagiya and the main temple at Amarkantak, the Narmada temple at the

ghat in Mandla thrived on excessive footfall of tourists and parikramawasis. These sites have

been widely spoken about and illustrated in books and have a wide showing on the internet.

There are lodges, motels, hotels and ashrams that are constructed to accommodate this large

footfall. Certain areas also have an abundance of „tour guides‟ in order to explain to the tourists

the historical, cultural and mythical significance of these areas. These tour guides estimate a

footfall of more than 5000 every day except in the four months of the monsoon. However, at the

Marble Rocks, the tour guides and boatmen could be only from those families that have already

graced the profession for more than ten years.

Divers and Other Stunts – The River induces many people to jump in it, perform certain stunts

and catch the eye of the public. The Narmada has been widely written about as a calm river and

the people who live there are aware of her moods, currents and tides. These are the people, many

of whom have learnt to swim in the river itself, have now taken to becoming divers or jumpers

for entertainment purposes. Some divers who collected coins that the tourists threw in the river

did this to earn their livelihood and some as a leisure activity. In Hoshangabad, the divers were

of a higher age group as compared to the marble rocks at Jabalpur. At both places, on an average

they earned at least Rs. 150 per day. The stunt men, who jump from the top of the marble cliff or

plunge right into the waterfall, do not quote a sum of money directly, but expect to be paid Rs. 5

– Rs. 20 per stunt performed.

The divers also play substitute for the life guards along the ghats and have saved many a lives in

the course of time. As they spend most of their day in the river, they also try to keep a control on

the litter and waste that is dumped inside the river.


We observed that children from the age of 10yrs to 14 yrs, at the Marble Rocks in Jabalpur, after

diving and jumping for one quarter of the day (till 1300 hrs), were seen indulging in gambling

activities with the money that they had collected, but not in a very open, free manner.

Fishing – A large population of the people living along the Narmada Banks indulge in fishing

activities as the basin is rich in flora and fauna. Due to the mineral rich water, the quality of fish

is good. There are crocodiles found in the river also. Along with this they also use their fish net

to gather any waste that comes in their way. The waste from the pooja‟s undertaken by the saints

are cleared considerably especially from the ghats in this fashion.

Agriculture – We found that the draw-down farming is the most popular part in agricultural

activities. This form of agriculture is for those farmers who know that the river shrinks and

truncated in size due to the summer season. The months when the river bed is exposed, it is very

well suited for fast growing crops like watermelons. They thrive on moisture and hence are ideal

during this time.

We encountered distress among the people with respect to agriculture getting affected due to the

construction of the dams as the water level has risen to make the river unpredictable and difficult

for these farmers to gauge. But, we did not probe into the aspect of the dam mentioned

previously.

Hand pumps have also been installed by the government at various places and are assisting the

living style of these people and many other villagers.

Traditional Occupations of the Tribes – The tribals we came across said that though fishing is

an important occupation for the tribes, especially the Gonds, there is no such reason for them to

have an occupation. They get what they want from the forest. The clothes they wear are made by

another tribal community. Every woman has a couple of sarees and the men wear loin cloths.

The only need they have, for which they come to the market is salt. Everything else, their crops

etc. they sell if they want to. Even their style of agriculture is different. They just spread the

seeds on a patch of land and different crops grow for eg Corn, Maize and others.

Baigas - They used to clear the forest and use fire to clear it. The reason is that they will not use

the plough on Mother Earth. For them it is akin to injuring her. They believe that they are the

first men on the Earth; the Baigas. If we look at the different tribal communities, then the Baigas


are doctors. In the court of Ravan, there was a doctor called Sushain, he was a Baiga as well. So

the work of a Baiga is centered on health

Begging - Many people take advantage of the belief that people who come to pay their tribute to

the Narmada, will in turn indulge in charity either through money or food. On days like

Amavasya large scores of people gather and sit on the steps of the ghaats. When interviewed

some of these people said that they go from ghaat to ghaat and beg. There is no real profession

that they practice other than this.

Priests - Common to many other places as well, even the priests at the various locales along the

river are praying and doing pooja‟s to support themselves and their monetary needs. The priests

ask for any sum of their choice depending on their need, the person(s) doing the pooja, and his

mood.

Sand Mining – Sand from the river bed of the Narmada is mined extensively and further used

for industrialization. In the summer season, large parts of the river are dry and the bed is

exposed.

Distribution of the occupations -

Towards the source of the river, where there is a majority of religious places and temples, most

people there are either self-employed and catering to the need of the religious travellers or are a

part of ashrams, temples etc.

The condition in Jabalpur was however much different as compared to Amarkantak. Jabalpur is

one of the bigger towns of Madhya Pradesh and is just off the banks of the Narmada. When we

interviewed the people about their occupations and jobs, very few of them were linked to the

river. The only jobs that were linked to the Narmada were that of the tourist guides at the Marble

rocks and that of the Boatmen at the same place. The marble rocks are located a little away from

the city and are a world famous tourist site. There are divers, sculptors and guides who have been

in the occupation for 4-5 generations. The shops that were on the banks of the marble rocks and

were selling sculptures and souvenirs to tourists have also been in the same trade again for a few

generations.


At Mandla, the occupation of sand mining was done more than any occupation that has a

religious backing or background, in spite of it being a city that is surrounded by the river by three

sides. This town has more tribal areas than any other.

At Hoshangabad, the occupations revolved around religiously significant one‟s like vendors

outside the ghats, beggars, priests, divers. It is not an industrial centric town. As the MLA of

Hoshangabad mentioned, sand mining is a big industry there worth Rs. 100 crores. There aren‟t

other small industries in Hoshangabad except a small paper mill.

Reflections

It is seen from the data collected that there are three categories of occupations that people

broadly fall into –

Occupations dependent on the river due to religious practices

Occupations dependent on the river but not linked to the religious practices.

Occupations not dependent on the river or the religious practices.

The most interesting part of the various occupations along the river is that, any occupation that is

linked to the river has utmost respect even today. Along with respect there is also an appreciable

amount of esteem in the social status that is linked to riverside occupations.

Gambling and other branches of these activities is a commonly prevalent phenomenon amongst

the masses – urban and rural. Different reasons trigger this in different dynamics of people. The

availability of the resource created this avenue for the children along the Narmada. Similarly, the

presence of the river has generated livelihood for the people living around it and their belief

makes them loyal to their services even today. We can infer that if the belief was not as

inviolable then these occupations may have languished and conventional industries, trade and

commerce would flourish largely.

Example

An example can be taken of the city of Pune through which two rivers – the Mulariver and the

Mutha river flow. On the banks of these rivers, there are no vendors, divers or tourist guides. All

rivers do not induce these occupations but it is largely the faith that is attached to the river

Narmada that is resulting in revenue generation for the state of Madhya Pradesh. These


occupations are highly territorial and may result in displacement and lack of other skills if the

religious practices are curtailed.

We might come across occupations that have a firm basis in the „belief‟ that is associated with its

ideology. But, only after studying this closely in Madhya Pradesh we realized that we still are

unable to gauge the magnanimity of the commercial nature of today‟s fast paced, ever evolving

lifestyle and world.

6. Tribes, the Children of Nature.

Studying the dependence of the tribes on the river, especially as Madhya Pradesh is festooned

with both in abundance, almost giving the state its character, was a vital part of our research. The

areas we visited and the observations made while crossing from town to town, has given us

insights and made us experience for a little while, the life of a tribal. The following observations

are from the Gondi village of Khamda near Hoshangabad and the Baiga village of Panchgaon

near Dindori.

6.1 The Gonds

These are the basic observations about a typical ‘Gondi’ on a typical day.

FIGURE 0-5 THE GONDS GOING TO THE DAILY MARKET


Dressing – The men usually wear a dhoti. This is a piece of thin, long white cloth that is drawn

from between both legs and tied at the waist. Women wear a half saree, usually of cotton with a

tight fitting, short blouse. There was no real emphasis that they attached to „colours‟. Most of the

men wore white dhotis.

Architecture and Houses – A typical Gond settlement consists of small huts or hamlets that are

made of mud and have thatched roofs. They arrange a khat (a small cot) outside the house and

use mats for sitting comfortably and relaxing. They have a small living room, a bedroom, a

kitchen and most houses have a verandah. They enjoy spending the evenings as well as the hot

afternoons in the verandah. The layout of the house is not pre decided and the walls are

constructed in a random fashion. After this, they allocate rooms according to which size suits the

purpose better. The doors are small as compared to the height of the Gond‟s. There are no

windows and hence the inside of the house gets extremely dark. A special room is segregated

and assigned to the women during menstruation.

Religion – The Gond people do not believe that they are Hindu. They also have Ramayana as

one of their epics and the characters and story is similar to the one written by Sant Valmiki.

However, the language in which it is written is different. They worship „Bahadeo‟ that is Lord

Shankar.

Marriage –The Gond‟s choose their own partners, preferably outside of their clan. Widow re-

marriage is allowed to the brother of the deceased. Dowry system is prevalent but it is of the type

that the father of the son has to pay a price to the bride. They too walk around a post seven times

and this is the most significant part of their marriage. Divorces are allowed and sometimes

encouraged. They may elope but after time passes are expected to take the consent of the village

council.

Death – When there is a death in the community, the body is usually cremated. The entire night

following the person‟s death, all the villagers spend time singing songs and playing music. Music

is an integral part of their lives.

These are some of the observations that we made. The men were open and friendly and exhibited

a readiness to talk. The women were comparatively shyer and did not give answers even after

much persuading and pleading.


6.2 The Baigas

1. Appearance – Due to long hours in the Sun and outdoors, the skin of the Baigas is dark. The

men and women get their hair cut once in a life time. If a Baiga is asked why he does not clip

his hair, his instant response with immense pride is that it is a Baiga tradition. This tribe

wears very few clothes. The men usually wear a „fatka‟ to cover their private parts. This

„fatka‟ is very similar to the loin cloth used for the dhoti of the Gonds. Women wear a sari

which covers their body but their blouses are short and chest hugging. It is evident from this

that their style of clothing is simple and hassle free. Some of the Baigas tie a cloth around

their head which looks similar to a turban.

2. Dwellings - Baigas create their hamlets on the hilly portion of the forests. A village consists

of around 8 to 10 houses. However modern ways have brought a lot of changes in their lives.

The Baigas construct their own huts with a unique mixture of mud where wet mud is mixed

with dry grass. Men and women contribute equally in this activity. There are no windows in

the house just like the Gondi houses.

3. Men and Women - At the break of dawn all the Baiga men and women immediately start

with their work. Women manage the household along with helping the men almost equally.

Women join hands equally during social activities too.

4. Daily Activities - Cows and buffaloes are their main animals and their main activities are

poultry and pig rearing. They also collect honey from the bee hives. They live in harmony

and give things without expecting cash or anything in kind in return. They use leaves which

are smooth and sticky to clean the vessels. These leaves are dried and stored carefully. They

clear the forest for agriculture by cutting and burning down the trees.

5. Tattoo Culture - There are different tattoos for different parts of the body and these tattoos

are also inked at different times of their lives. „Chati Godai‟ means tattooing on the chest

which can be done any time after marriage. The tattoos extend from the elbows to the finger

tips. It takes 20 to 25 years for the completion of all the tattoos prescribed. In the whole

process of stretching the identity of their tribes on their bodies, the most attractive items are

the 10 to 12 long pointed needles which pierce the skin. The process involves the use of a

prominent grape of this area. It gives out carbon which is collected when the seeds are burnt.


This is collected in small boxes. And after liquidation it is ready to be used as the ink to draw

the pictures with a thin bamboo stick. After the outlining, the inking starts.

TheGodhna (the tattoos) prepares the girl of the pains of becoming a mother. This pain gives

her the strength to face all the different challenges in her life. Second, it is their clan identity.

And thirdly they consider Godhna to be the only earthly impression to accompany them in

the life after death.

6. Family – The Baiga tribe respects the rules laid down by a man as prestigious. House hold

decisions, decisions regarding justice and other societal issues are all taken only with the

consent of the man. Disrespect to a woman is considered as disrespectful to the entire set of

Baigas.

7. Religion -The Ramayana is completely different. In their story Rama, Sita, Lakshman and

Bhim are all together in the same story.

8. Marriage - The Baiga women are promiscuous in nature. A Baiga can marry more than one

person. He will run away with his suitor from the village and he will only inform his friends

about this. In the mean while the friends will create uproar and tell the other villagers where

they are to be found. Then the girl and boy return and put forth their wish for marriage.

If he is already married and he is smitten by a girl or vice versa, the girl will directly enter the

boy‟s house. The first wife will beat up this new girl and she has to take the beating. The

husbands will not say a thing. This is their test. This is their custom

6.2.1 Other significant facts about the Baigas

Every tribe looks at the river with a different angle. Some say it‟s a small baby child, some say

she is a young lady, some say „bhudi mahila‟ or „BhudhiMaai‟ (old woman), some say she is a

mother „Ma‟.

The parikramawasis say that there has been a considerable change in the visibility of these tribes

as years ago they got to see a lot of the tribal dances and their arts. They stayed in their homes.

But now city influences are slowly killing the traditional ways. The good effect of this is that

now there are Primary Schools at such places and children are receiving education. Electricity

too has reached all these places and hand pumps are available. This is a stark progress from the


time when staying in dharamshalas which are usually constructed at a height compelled the

people to go back and forth, up and down just to fill water.

All their festivals are connected with nature. For example a good harvest is a cause to celebrate.

We celebrate Dusshera. The meaning behind this word is that after the monsoon, there is

greenery everywhere in all the 10 directions making it a reason to be happy and sing

„Dombulias‟ (songs)

They do not keep money with them as they do not see the need to do so. There is one person, a

moneylender in the village with whom all the money is kept. They take it from him as and when

required.

They treat the tiger as their brother. They treat him as a member of the family. They keep water

outside the village for the tigers.

The Baigas treat their own people. They do not go to a doctor. They have family planning

measures as well. They have medicines for birth control and infertility. They will not give an

outsider the ingredients for their medicines. But they will give him/her the medicine.

These tribal communities live in and around the forest. They prefer staying in the hills and

forests and distancing themselves from the mainstream society. They have their own language,

culture and traditions. They have their own problems too.

The Baiga is very simple. They have a lot of love and respect for others. But if you harm them

or cause trouble for them then they are merciless. They are very protective of their own people.

Unfortunately, they are used as labourers now. They are employed to fell the trees that they

actually worship.

7. Reflections

From the people we met who have worked closely with the tribes and after seeing the settlements

of these tribes, it has become clear that for these people true happiness is in simplicity

The Gond village had other villages nearby whereas the Baiga village was all by itself with

houses far apart from one another. There is more exposure and awareness of scientific

inventions, technology among the Gond, the system of money and businesses amongst these

people. Their language keeps them from mingling with modern folk, who they shy away from,


clearly indicating the desire to protect themselves. This is one of the main things that the Baigas

too have in common. However, the Baigas live in remote forest areas thus making it difficult to

interact with them or even see them in remotely crowded spaces. After death of a member, they

leave the house and make another one. They are wanderers, living like the forest is their

untouched world.

7.1 The idea of happiness

Their lifestyle is opposite of Aristotle‟s eudaemonist principle that talks about happiness because

of leading a meaningful life. They are more hedonistic in their approach in a way that seeking

pleasure is innate for them. They do not desire anything from the world outside, in spite of being

aware of some of the goods available there. Had they not been displaced due to the deforestation

and urbanization, they would have continued to survive in perfect harmony with nature. As

Dr.Chaurasiya said the materialistic world influences negatively. Our inner voice tells us to give

(soul) while our body compels us to take. Thus, these tribes are closer to themselves in this way.

The Baiga does not share his knowledge of medicine with a common man even though it could

fetch him an exorbitant sum of money. In this field, however, the government can intervene and

enrich the lifestyles of the Baigas while providing the rest of the country with an enriching

solution. The powder devised by the Baiga for asthama, a commonly occurring respiratory

illness, was tried by one of our members. It subsided to an extent greater than ever after

consuming this powder.

These tribals have now become accustomed to the inflow of tourists and others and they have

been so elevated that they demand money, alcohol and other materialistic things even for quick

snap of a photograph.

The Baiga is allowed to produce alcohol in his house. The ruling party has encouraged this

practice. Is this protection in the name of development? The parties in power are spreading their

wings to incorporate the votes of these tame, uneducated, ill informed, ignorant tribals. They

have made the tribal people realize that they are worth a lot to the society outside by tempting

them monetarily and materialistically. The simplicity and humility of these children of nature is

being taken away by us lesser mortals trying our failing hand at apparently achieving oneness

and equality.


While we look for meaning, growth and purpose in life, believing that happiness and sadness

complement one another, these tribals live contently with barely anything.

Through the interviews and observations, we found that there was no real mention of the river‟s

importance apart from the use of the river in their daily life. They considered the Narmada to be

as significant and as much an essential, everyday part of their lives as the forests or even lesser

than the forests.

But of the 5 rivers flowing in this region, only Narmada is considered as the „maa‟. The tribes

believe that their mother and father are both nature. This could indicate several possibilities – the

river is as much a habit and taken for granted as other things. As long as the need for their

occupation and consumption is met with, in some way or another they are satisfied.


Chapter 6 - Conclusion

Rivers have always been the foundation around which some of the greatest, most historically rich

civilizations have flourished. Rivers have been the epicenter of India‟s throbbing, pulsating,

ancient civilization also. The Narmada, cutting across the center of India amalgamates style,

colour, devotion, romance, prosperity, culture, knowledge, belief, solitude, wonder, along with

the priceless, irreplaceable spiritual heritage that is inherent in the people of India.

The river is a mini cosmos in itself. She has immortalized herself in the form of a mother deity

who has engendered mythology, rituals, dance, songs, history and spirituality. The Narmada and

the people living at her banks and in her vicinity, distinctly display in their devotion and

attachment, their history and pride, their spirit and outlook a positivity that emerges from the

energy of the river. Indians have worshipped the sacred rivers crisscrossing through the part of

the country that they reside in – either at the sprawling plains or watering the misty mountain and

plush forests.

The diverse human communities that come together for the parikrama, experience absorbing and

subtle differences in meaning, attitude and belief because of the undertaking of this ritual. They

come back in ways, almost reinventing themselves. These parikramawasis live with humility and

simplicity, sacrificing the pleasures of the material world for long stretches of time. This leads us

to understanding the „Vairagya‟ (surrender) quality of the Narmada that she transfers to the

parikramawasi‟s also.

The appearance and the character of the Narmada have so much of a remarkable influence on the

Indian psyche, that it manifests its impact even in songs, movies, plays, history and identity of

the local people. The common people living in the villages and the tribes wandering in the deep

forests find themselves coming together for the festivals and occasions that grace the river. In

their daily lives, there is mention of the river as if it is a part of them. It is the factor that binds

these diverse people together, allowing them to stay in harmony. People from all over the

country and abroad undertake this parikrama and reap benefits from the „Giver Of Pleasure‟.

This quality speaks of the pride and security that the river brings for her people, letting them


share and giving them an opportunity to explore professionally and socially, to reap the

maximum benefits of her presence.

The tribal belt that extends in the Narmada basin is in transition due to urbanization. But these

tribes are trying hard to protect their culture and have become more open towards the

commoners who are interested in knowing them. Their rituals and traditions are different from

what is considered „permissible‟ and „acceptable‟ in the Hindu culture. They are self-sustained

but are now learning to survive the odds. The commoners have in a way „corrupted‟ their

peaceful, secluded lifestyle.

From the different parameters like occupations, urbanization, industrialization, historical

background and sociology, the common linking factor that emerged strongly throughout our

project was that of spirituality. All the living and non-living things of the Narmada valley have a

spiritual explanation and value.

Whether or not one offers anything to Narmada Maa, she blesses with a serene, kind, scintillating

look that is good enough to confuse him/her which is the real world - the Narmada banks

espousing mythological magic or the modern world where we are trying to dam the most ancient

river of the world.

Along the way we also learned to cope with the „Navtapah‟ (the hottest nine days of the year in

Madhya Pradesh – the hotter it is the better the rainfall) with loin cloths on our heads like the

tribal people, grappling with the nuances of a new territory, failing to comprehend some of the

issues that human kind still faces, walking through tribal villages taking with us modern dressing

and educated thoughts, toying with the idea of doing the parikrama and questioning the very

myth of Indian spirituality.

----------------

Stay in touch – www.DiscoverNarmada.info

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Appendix A – Helping Attitude Scale

(Questionnaire)

Your Sex (check one): ____ Male ____ Female Form 20

What is your age?: ____

INSTRUCTIONS: This instrument is designed to measure your feelings, beliefs and behaviors

concerning your interactions with others. It is not a test, so there are no right or wrong

answers. Please answer the questions as honestly as possible. Using the scale below, indicate

your level of agreement or disagreement in the space which is next to each statement.

1 2 3 4 5

Strongly Disagree Disagree Undecided Agree Strongly Agree

___ 1. Helping others is usually a waste of time.

___ 2. When given the opportunity, I enjoy aiding others who are in need.

___ 3. If possible, I would return lost money to the rightful owner.

___ 4. Helping friends and family is one of the great joys in life.

___ 5. I would avoid aiding someone in a medical emergency if I could.

___ 6. It feels wonderful to assist others in need.

___ 7. Volunteering to help someone is very rewarding.

___ 8. I dislike giving directions to strangers who are lost.

___ 9. Doing volunteer work makes me feel happy.

___10. I donate time or money to charities every month.

___11. Unless they are part of my family, helping the elderly isn‟t my responsibility.

___12. Children should be taught about the importance of helping others.


___13. I plan to donate my organs when I die with the hope that they will help someone else

live.

___14. I try to offer my help with any activities my community or school groups are carrying

out.

___15. I feel at peace with myself when I have helped others.

___16. If the person in front of me at a tapri was a few paise short, I would pay the difference.

___17. I feel proud when I know that my generosity has benefited a needy person.

___18. Helping people does more harm than good because they come to rely on others and not

themselves.

___19. I rarely contribute money to a worthy cause.

___20. Giving aid to the poor is the right thing to do.


Appendix B – Survey Data

1. Question/Participant/Location-wise scores compilation

Location 1 - Mandla

Location 2 – Bhopal

Participant Sex Location 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 Total

A M 1 3 5 2 5 3 3 5 2 3 4 2 5 2 4 4 2 5 5 3 4 71

B M 1 2 4 2 3 5 3 4 4 4 5 3 4 5 5 4 5 2 2 4 4 74

C M 1 4 3 4 4 3 2 5 4 4 2 2 5 4 2 5 4 4 4 5 4 74

D M 1 4 2 5 4 5 2 5 2 5 4 3 5 4 4 2 3 3 3 3 2 70

E M 1 5 3 2 2 2 3 4 3 5 3 2 5 3 5 2 4 4 3 2 5 67

F M 1 2 4 5 3 5 2 5 5 2 3 3 3 3 4 3 4 5 2 4 4 71

G M 1 5 5 2 3 3 2 5 4 2 2 2 2 3 4 4 2 2 5 3 4 64

H M 1 4 3 4 4 4 3 2 2 5 4 5 3 3 5 2 2 2 2 3 3 65

I M 1 5 3 5 3 4 4 5 3 2 3 3 2 3 5 3 3 3 5 2 3 69

J M 1 2 4 3 5 3 4 3 3 3 3 5 3 4 3 2 3 5 4 3 2 67

K M 1 2 5 5 5 3 3 3 2 3 3 4 2 4 5 4 3 2 3 2 3 66

L M 1 4 2 3 2 5 2 4 3 5 5 5 3 2 4 3 4 4 3 5 5 73

M M 1 4 3 3 5 2 5 5 3 4 4 4 2 5 3 5 2 4 2 5 3 73

N M 1 2 4 2 4 2 3 2 3 2 4 2 3 3 4 3 5 2 5 2 5 62

O M 1 4 4 3 4 5 2 3 5 4 5 4 5 5 3 3 5 3 2 3 4 76

P F 1 4 2 5 5 3 3 4 5 5 3 4 2 3 5 3 3 3 2 2 5 71

Q F 1 5 3 3 4 2 2 4 2 3 2 2 2 5 2 3 3 4 2 5 2 60

R F 1 5 4 5 3 5 2 5 5 5 2 4 5 3 5 2 5 3 2 5 3 78

S M 2 5 3 3 2 3 5 3 4 3 4 3 5 5 5 3 2 5 3 2 5 73

T M 2 4 5 4 3 4 4 4 5 2 3 4 5 5 5 3 2 5 3 3 3 76

U M 2 3 4 5 4 4 5 4 4 5 4 4 5 4 4 3 4 4 5 5 5 85

V M 2 4 3 2 3 5 4 3 5 4 3 4 5 2 3 2 4 3 3 3 3 68

W M 2 3 3 3 3 4 4 5 3 4 4 3 3 4 3 3 4 2 3 4 4 69

X M 2 5 3 4 3 5 4 4 3 4 2 3 5 5 5 4 5 5 2 5 4 80

Y M 2 4 3 5 5 3 5 4 3 4 3 3 3 5 4 3 3 5 3 3 4 75

Z M 2 4 2 3 4 4 5 5 4 5 5 5 3 4 3 4 5 2 3 4 2 76

AA M 2 3 4 3 5 3 4 5 5 4 3 3 4 3 4 4 3 2 3 4 4 73

AB M 2 5 5 4 3 5 4 3 4 3 3 4 4 5 3 3 5 5 5 4 5 82

AC F 2 5 5 5 2 5 2 5 2 5 2 5 4 5 2 3 5 4 2 3 3 74

AD F 2 3 4 5 5 3 5 5 2 4 3 5 3 3 3 2 4 4 4 5 3 75

AE F 2 5 2 5 2 2 5 5 4 4 4 2 2 3 2 5 5 5 2 4 3 71

AF F 2 5 3 2 3 2 4 2 5 4 5 4 5 3 4 2 2 4 2 4 3 68

AG F 2 2 2 4 4 2 5 5 4 4 3 5 4 3 2 4 3 2 5 3 4 70

AH F 2 3 5 3 3 3 4 5 4 4 2 5 3 3 2 5 3 4 3 5 3 72

AI F 2 4 5 5 4 4 5 5 2 4 4 3 2 4 4 3 4 5 4 2 5 78

AJ F 2 4 5 5 2 3 3 3 5 3 3 4 4 5 4 5 4 3 4 3 4 76


2. Pivot Table

Location Female Male Grand Total

Mandla (1) 69.67 69.46 69.5

Bhopal (2) 73 75.7 74.5

Grand Total 72.09090909 71.96 72

Appendix C – Questionnaire for Pro-Environmental

Exploration

Q) Do you take bath in river Narmada?

1) Yes 2) No

Q) Do you use soap/shampoo while bathing in the river Narmada?

1) Yes 2) No

Q) While doing „puja‟ do you leave back any kind of offering like flowers, etc in the river?

1) Yes 2) No

Q) Before having a dip in the river, do you have bath at home?

1) Yes 2) No

Q) Do you pollute the in Narmada in spite of having faith in the river?

1) Yes 2) No


Questions\ People Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q5

1 1 1 1 0 1 1 – Yes

2 0 0 1 1 0 0 – No

3 0 0 0 1 0

4 0 0 1 1 0

5 1 1 1 0 1

6 1 1 1 0 1

7 1 1 1 0 1

8 1 1 1 0 1

9 1 1 1 1 1

10 0 0 1 1 0

11 1 1 1 0 1

12 1 1 1 0 1

13 1 1 1 0 1

14 0 0 1 1 0

15 0 0 0 1 0

16 0 0 1 1 0

17 1 0 1 0 0

18 1 1 1 0 0

19 1 1 1 0 1

20 1 1 1 0 1


21 1 1 1 0 1

22 1 1 1 0 1

23 0 0 1 1 0

24 1 1 0 0 1

25 1 1 1 1 1

TOTAL 17 16 22 10 15


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