Banjara Culture

DRESS AND ORNAMENTS


The traditional dress for men is Dhoti, white shirt and a red or white turban. The men also have the traditional ornaments such as Marki (earrings), Veenti (finger ring), Kanadoro (silver strands tied around the waist) which are usually worn nowadays by the old and elderly people. The young men have changed the style of wearing traditional dress and ornaments. The women wear distinctive colourful dress and ornaments, which vary according to the marital status. The clothes of the married womenfolk are Phetia (loose skirt containing heavy embroidery), Kanchli (blouse with bareback) Chantya or Tookari (apron) and Ghungato (veil attached to Chantya or Tookari). The unmarried girls wear the dress such as Phetia (skirt without much embroidery) which is also attached with Dor or Jalaro (a woven with small seashells), Kanchli (simple blouse without bareback and embroidery) and Tookari, which is usually red, yellow or green in colour. The main ornaments worn by married women are Ghoogri (an adornment tied to the hair over the temples), Topli (ornaments attached to hair in front of the ear), Balia (plastic bangles), Choodo. Balia (bangles made of plastic or wood worn in the upper arm). Kasvankdi (a kind of anklet), Matli (brass bangles). Bhuria (nose ring), RupairHar (a type of necklace made of old Rupee coins), Hasli (a type of neck ring), Moonga (necklace of red beads), Laidi (necklace made of coloured beads), Veenti (finger ring with a coin), Phoola (a kind of ornament used in the finger). Chataki (ring worn in the last finger of the leg), Angootha (ring worn in the thumb of the leg). The unmarried girls wear the ornaments like Ghorgri , Balia , Garatani (anklet made of black beads), Teeki (ornament used on the forehead), Ghoogra (bunches of brass bells tied to the leg).

FOOD


The traditional food of Banjara people were Daliya (mixed cereal), Bati (roti), Saloi (made from goat or sheep or pork blood and intestines), and Ghuggari (boiled cowpea, red gram, land gram etc.) and occasionally rice is used. ‘Patali baati’ was made from quality wheat or bazra or ragi and eat with chicken curry or boiled green leaves. They were found of non-vegetarian food except beef.

ART AND DANCE


Banjara people have a unique cultural life and practices that differentiate them from others. The language, food, dress and ornaments, art and dance, body tattooing and ceremonies formed the cultural world of Banjara people.on many occasions they gather,sing and dance. Lambadi dance is a special kind of dance.In this form.of dance,mainly the female dancers dance in tune with the Male drummers to offer homage to their lord for a good harvest. At anupu village near nagarjunakonda,lambadi dance originated.