Marbat…!!!
A 135-year-old tradition and festival specific to Nagpur happens today. Let me take you through the story of Marbat and its connection with Britishers and epidemics. The black and yellow effigies are called piwli (yellow) and kaali (black) marbat. These effigies are taken on a 10-km procession through the lanes of Itwari and East Nagpur and then burnt. It is believed that with the burning of these effigies, all negativity is burnt away. The chant that accompanies the procession – ‘Ida, pida gheun jaa ge Marbat’ (Take away social evils and human miseries).
The yellow marbat is made by the Tarhane Teli community while the kaali marbat is made by shopkeepers near Nehru Putla square. At the, the marbats are set on fire – a culmination of a process that begins in May with the marbats being made of only bamboo and paper.
If you attend a marbat procession, you can witness songs and dance on this informal holiday in Nagpur. What started as a procession of dolls in 1880s to protest against the British is now a special Nagpur social festival
While the procession of Kali Marbat started in 1881, Pili Marbat celebrations date back to 1885. It was started by Tanhane Teli Samaj to oppose the bizarre rules and regulations of the British, which were considered to be social evils by them in those days.
Prakash Gaurkar, President, Marbat Nagoba Devasthan, Tanhane Teli Samaj, had earlier told Nation Next, “We are carrying forward the legacy of our ancestors by symbolically protesting against various evils prominent in the society today. As a part of the celebrations, a Pili marbat (yellow statue) and a Kali marbat (black statue) are made at the Pili Marbat temple at Jagnath Budhwari.”
He added, “Then these two statues are taken through the streets of the entire Itwari market before they are put on fire at Naik Talao in the evening. It’s believed that these statues absorb the negativity and social evils when they are taken through the streets. And then the negativity and social evils are burnt along with the statues.”
After the procession, which goes on for several kilometres, the yellow and black statues meet at Nehru Putla Square before they are put on fire. People also celebrate this meeting of statues as they dance and shower flower petals on the statues.
The statues at the celebrations are made by Shende family, which has been making them for three generations now. Ganpatrao Shende, after whom his son Bhimaji Shende took over, prepared the statues in 1885.
During the celebration, people gather to address various social problems. Few locals, speaking about the occasion, once told ANI, Kali and Pivli are believed to be sisters who are made to meet each other on this day. While some believe that the festival has some historical value others consider Kali and Pivli as deities.
Locals raise a famous slogan during this festival Rograi gheun ja ge marbat, which means rid us of diseases. A lot of people believe that the Kali and Pilvi marbat will make their wishes come true during this festival. It also related to history during the British Raj.
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