KHANDOBA - JEJURI

The vaghes wear a distinctive dress, indicative of their profession. It consists of a leather bag containing halad, a bowl, a whip, an oil can, a small drum and a yellow scarf These vaghes can and do marry amongst the castes from which they come and their children are not necessarily treated as vaghes. They can -return to the normal social and professional fold. The profession of these vaghes isministering in the performance of various rites at the temple, singing devotional songs or bhajans and above all begging. In the case of the female offsprings thus given away, the story is entirely different although it does not differ much from what has happened in similar circumstances in all civilizations and at all times They are turned into prostitutes. They may carry on the profession at that particular place or elsewhere in the name of the god, but they have no other alternative than leading the not very happy or honourable life of public women. Many of them with the necessary qualities, take to singing, or bhajan parties or straight-away join tamasha parties, a sort of rustic dramatic club. The offsprings of these muralis, in the nature of things, are illegitimate in the accepted sense of the term; and commonly are not accepted by the caste to which their mothers belonged or to the caste-professions. The male off-springs either turn into vaghes or take to beg Sing or join tamashas and try to eke wit a living this way or the other. The fate of the female issues cannot be expected to be any different than that of their mothers. This practice is not quite dissimilar to the practice of 'Deva-dasis’ prevalent in the Gomantak area. However, it is not so widespread nor is it observed in the case of any other deity except Khandoba. Though at present very few people give away their children like this, those already doomed to that fate pose one of the many social problems facing the new State.

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