The tradition of hero worship

The tradition of hero worship

Back in the day, when there were no media platforms to disseminate news, the Shahirs, Kirtankars, Vasudeos and Gondhali (folk artists) served as the bridge between raja (king/ruler) and praja (citizens). Their roles were broadly defined, but also inter-mingled and they continued to stay relevant for years and decades.

“The Shahirs taught desh bhakti (patriotism) while the Kirtankars preached dev bhakti (worshipping god). Their marg (path) differed, the approach was one, that was allegiance to the country, to swarajya,” says Shahir Hemantraje Mavale.

Mavale and his troupe will be performing on August 9, a day India observes as Kranti Din or Martyr’s day. He will be presenting Krantidinache Powade at a cultural outreach programme organised by Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan and Infosys Foundation. 

Mavale, who is a student of Shahir Kisanrao Hinge, will be presenting powade, a folk performance that glorify the valour and sacrifices of martyrs and heroes.

The Pune-based artist says, “I will be presenting two of my powade  — one on 1857 revolution, and another one which talks about the incident of Chapekar Bandhu killing British officer Rand.” The other powade include Vinayak Damodar Savarkar’s Jayostute, Maharashtracha Powada by Vasant Bapat and Afzalkhancha Vadh which was penned by Shahir Mahadev Narayan Naniwadekar. 

The folk tradition, which talks of exploits in the battlefield, is unique to Maharashtra. It is said to have flourished during Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s rule. “You will find official references of powada in the time of Shivaji Maharaj. After Shivaji Maharaj killed Afzal Khan, Jijabai summoned Shahir Adnyan Das and he was given the task of telling one and all the heroic exploits of Shivaji. Adnyan Das’s first performance was before Jijabai and Shivaji. If you ask me, if this is the first powada that was sung, I will respond with a Marathi saying, ‘Baap dakhav nahitar shraddha kar (Prove this is your father, else forget it). The official record  or documentation of this powada exists, so we can accept it. There are references in Dnyaneshwar Mauli’s (Sant Dnyaneshwar) preachings too, but there are no documents to furnish. So we go with the thought that this tradition flourished during Chhatrapati’s rule. And, with this Adnyan Das becomes the first Shahir,” says Mavale.

The role of Adnyan Das and others like him was to help the praja ask questions. “We face dilemmas all the time. Who will guide us? Not all of us have it in us to ask questions, there the Shahir steps in. He expounds on various issues, he helps us fight for our rights. Even Krishna guided Arjuna...” explains Mavale. 

When Jijabai invited Adnyan Das, who also served in Maharaj’s army, her intention was to strike fear into the enemy’s heart. “Jijabai wanted everyone to learn of Shivaji’s heroic exploits. She wanted to strengthen her son’s rule vis a vis the opponents of Hindavi Swarajya. Over the years, the rulers changed. We began telling song-stories of our heroes, of Samyukta Maharashtra movement, of Annabhau Sathe and so on,” says the Shahir, who has been studying and practising this art form for 38 years now. 

The folk artist also explains the inter-mingling between the three main social-religious traditions of Maharashtra — Sant, Pant Kavi, Sant Kavi. “The Sant literature comprises the writings of all the sants. The Pant Kavi is rooted in Kirtans and Moropant’s Aryas. They give food for thought, whereas Sant Kavi are Shahir, Gondhali and Vasudeo. They promote social awakening, by telling stories, allegories, which the common man would be able to grasp. Take for example, four families from different parts of the country come and stay in one housing society. They start bringing food to each other, a katori of sabji, a plate of Puran Poli and so on. What is this? It’s an exchange of culture. And, this is what the three traditions propagate. There is an exchange of ideas, confluence of teachings and preachings, rooted in the common soil. Their paths might differ, but the aim is one, a unifying one,” reiterates Mavale. 

ST Reader Service 

Attend Krantidinache Powade on August 9, 6 pm at Sardar Natu Sabhagruha, off SB  Road

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