[Reader-list] aravani community in madurai

[pritham k chakravarthy]

The jamad that Priya refers to in her piece is about a regulatory body 
existing among the aravaanis both in Tamilnau and Hyderabad. Pritham

>From: "mahmood farooqui" <mahmood.farooqui at gmail.com>
>To: "priya babu" <priyababu_sudar at yahoo.co.in>
>CC: SARAI <reader-list at sarai.net>
>Subject: Re: [Reader-list] aravani community in madurai
>Date: Thu, 12 Apr 2007 11:35:38 +0530
>
>Is it possible that the word jamad, since its a Hyderabadi usage, could
>emerge from the word jamat, which means a group, especially an organised
>group...hence the jamat-e islami, tableeghi jamat etc...interesting in that
>case that the word jamat in the Indo-Muslim circles is restricted to modern
>forms of political organisations whereas here in this case it refers to the
>self organisation of a particular sect of caste/professionals implying that
>its local, small and apolitical...
>
>On 09/04/07, priya babu <priyababu_sudar at yahoo.co.in> wrote:
>>
>>Documentation of Aravaani Community in Madurai District Priyababu   The
>>presence of Draupadi temples around Madurai, Paramakudi, Kumbakonam,
>>Palayamkottai and Veeravanallur in Thirunelvelli came into existence 
>>during
>>the reign of Thirumallai Nayakar and Krishnadeva Raayar. In Madurai itself
>>the temple was established as a full-fledged place of worship in 1884.
>>Within the Saurashtra Ghetto in Madurai there are three temples for 
>>Draupadi
>>and each of these has a sanctum for Aravan. All these temples are
>>administered by the community trusts. On the Aravan of Vaikasi month the
>>festival is inaugurated and Villi Baratham is recited. The demographic 
>>count
>>of this community, according to them, is about a third of the population 
>>of
>>Madurai. As per their belief they claim that Aravaan has promised to stay
>>with the losing party so that they may recover victory. Therefore during 
>>the
>>Kurushetra war to keep Aravaan from join the Kauravas, Krishna plans his
>>killing in the name of sacrifice. But the aravaani community does not
>>patronize these temples as much as those existing in the Vanniyar belts.
>>Aravan in these temples are worshipped on an everyday as any other deity.
>>Aravaanis seem to frequent Aravaan temples around the areas like 
>>Pandikoyil,
>>Madappuram Kalli Koyil, and Thaayamangalam. Members of this community 
>>reside
>>in Munichchaalai, Avaniyapuram, Usilampatti, Thirubuvanam, Kalluppatti,
>>Karmaathur, Therkkuvaasal, Bibikullam, and Thiruparamkundram in Madurai
>>district. Most of them are involved in performing traditional folk art 
>>forms
>>like Karakaattam, Oyil Attam, Oppari and Therukuttu. Some of them are 
>>chefs.
>>Techniques that are exclusive to this community are breaking coconut on 
>>the
>>head, chopping raw banana, swirling flaming torches while doing 
>>Karakaattam
>>[dancing with a pot [karagam] on the head]. The Jamad system is very 
>>similar
>>to the one in Hyderabad, which is referred to as Bade Haveli and Chotte
>>Haveli. Jamad is almost like a regulatory body for the community, but
>>frequented by members of the community and those adopted from the 'normal'
>>society as pseudo-family members.
>>
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>>
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