Marathi people
मराठी लोक | |
---|---|
2011)[2] | |
United States | 127,630[3] |
Israel | 60,000 (Bene Israel)[4] |
Australia | 13,055[5] |
Canada | 9,755[6] |
Pakistan | 500[7] |
Morocco | 490[citation needed] |
Languages | |
Marathi | |
Religion | |
Majority: Hinduism Minority:
| |
Related ethnic groups | |
Other Indo-Aryan peoples |
The Marathi people (Marathi: मराठी लोक, romanized: Marāṭhī lōk) or Marathis (Marathi: मराठी, romanized: Marāṭhī) are an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group who are indigenous to Maharashtra in western India. They natively speak Marathi, an Indo-Aryan language. Maharashtra was formed as a Marathi-speaking state of India in 1960, as part of a nationwide linguistic reorganisation of the Indian states. The term "Maratha" is generally used by historians to refer to all Marathi-speaking peoples, irrespective of their caste;[8] however, now it may refer to a Maharashtrian caste known as the Maratha.[9]
The Marathi community came into political prominence in the 17th century, when the Maratha Empire was established under Shivaji; the Marathas are credited to a large extent for reducing the Mughal emperor to a mere figurehead.[10][11][12]
History
Ancient to medieval period
During the ancient period, around 230 BC,
From the early 11th century to the 12th century, the Deccan Plateau was dominated by the Western Chalukya Empire and the Chola dynasty.[17]
The
The early period of Islamic rule saw the imposition of a
Islamic rule also led to Persian vocabulary entering the Marathi language. Per Kulkarni, for the elites of the era using Persian words was a status symbol. Surnames derived from service during that period such as Fadnis, Chitnis, Mirasdar, etc. are still in use today.[22]
Most of the Marathi
The decline of Islamic rule in Deccan started when Shivaji (1630–1680) founded the Maratha Empire by annexing a portion of the Bijapur Sultanate. Shivaji later led rebellions against Mughal rule, thus becoming a symbol of Hindu resistance and self-rule.[26] The Maratha Empire contributed greatly to the end of Mughal rule and went on to rule over a vast empire stretching from Attock to Cuttack.[citation needed]
Early modern period (1650–1818)
Political history
In the mid-17th century,
The Maratha Empire also developed a potent coastal navy around the 1660s. At its peak under Maratha
Social history
Before British rule, the Maharashtra region was divided into many revenue divisions. The medieval equivalent of a county or district was the
In exchange for their services, the balutedars were granted complex sets of hereditary rights (watan) to a share in the village harvest.[44]
British colonial rule
The British rule of more than a century in the present-day Maharashtra region saw huge changes for the Marathi people in every aspect of their lives. Areas that correspond to present-day Maharashtra were under direct or indirect British rule, first under the
The British colonial period saw standardisation of Marathi grammar through the efforts of the Christian missionary William Carey. Carey also published the first dictionary of Marathi in Devanagari script. The most comprehensive Marathi-English dictionary was compiled by Captain James Thomas Molesworth and Major Thomas Candy in 1831. The book is still in print nearly two centuries after its publication.[46] Molesworth also worked on standardising Marathi. He used Brahmins of Pune for this task and adopted the Sanskrit-dominated dialect spoken by this caste in the city as the standard dialect for Marathi.[47][48] The introduction of printing, standardisation of Marathi, and establishment of modern schools and colleges during the early colonial era led to the spread of literacy and knowledge to many different sections of society such as women, the dalits and the cultivator classes.[49]
The Marathi community played an important part in the social and religious reform movements, as well as the Indian nationalist movement of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Notable
The non-Brahmin Hindu castes started organising at the beginning of the 20th century with the blessing of Shahu, the ruler of the princely state of Kolhapur. The campaign took off in the early 1920s under the leadership of Keshavrao Jedhe and Baburao Javalkar. Both belonged to the non-Brahmin party. Capturing the Ganpati and Shivaji festivals from Brahmin domination were their early goals.[54] They combined nationalism with anti-casteism as the party's aims.[55] Later on in the 1930s, Jedhe merged the non-Brahmin party with the Congress party and changed that party from an upper-caste-dominated body to a more broadly based but also Maratha-dominated party.[56] The early 20th century also saw the rise of B. R. Ambedkar, who led the campaign for the rights of the dalits caste that included his own Mahar caste.
The Hindu nationalist organisation Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (
Although the British originally regarded India as a place for the supply of raw materials for the factories of England, by the end of the 19th century a modern manufacturing industry was developing in the city of Mumbai.
During the period of 1835–1907, a large number of Indians, including Marathi people, were taken to the island of Mauritius as indentured labourers to work on sugarcane plantations. The Marathi people on the island form the oldest diaspora of Marathi people outside India.[68]
Since Indian independence in 1947
After India gained independence from Britain in 1947, all princely states lying within the borders of the Bombay Presidency acceded to the Indian Union and were integrated into the newly created Bombay State in 1950.[69]
The small community of Marathi Jews (Bene Israel – Sons of Israel) started emigrating to the newly created country of Israel in the late 1940s and early 1950s.[70][71] The number of Bene Israel remaining in India was estimated to be around 4,000–5,000 in 1988.[72]
In 1956, the
At the same time, the
For the first time, the creation of Maharashtra brought most Marathi people under one state with the mainly rural Kunbi-Maratha community as the largest social group. This group has dominated the rural economy and politics of the state since 1960.[79][80] The community accounts for 31% of the population of Maharashtra. They dominate the cooperative institutions and with the resultant economic power control politics from the village level up to the Assembly and Lok Sabha seats.[81] Since the 1980s,[82] this group has also been active in setting up private educational institutions.[83][84][85] Major past political figures of Maharashtra have been from this group. The rise of the Hindu nationalist Shiv Sena and the Bharatiya Janata Party in recent years have not dented Maratha caste representation in the Maharashtra Legislative assembly.[81]
After the Maratha-Kunbi cluster, the scheduled caste (SC) Mahars are numerically the second-largest community among the Marathi people in Maharashtra. Most of them embraced
The Portuguese-occupied enclave of
The 1960s also saw the establishment by Bal Thackeray of Shiv Sena, a populist sectarian party advocating the rights of Marathi people in the heterogeneous city of Mumbai. Early campaigns by Shiv Sena advocated for more opportunities for Marathi people in government jobs. The party also led a campaign against the city's South Indian population. By the 1980s the party had captured power in the Mumbai Corporation, and in the 1990s it led the government of Maharashtra's coalition with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). During this transition from founding to capturing power, the party toned down its rhetoric against non-Marathi people and adopted a more Hindu nationalist stance.
Castes and communities
The Marathi people form an ethnolinguistic group that is distinct from others in terms of its language, history, cultural and religious practices, social structure, literature, and art.[87]
The traditional caste hierarchy was headed by the Brahmin castes-the
Hindu castes in Maharashtra
Majority of Marathi Hindu belong either to the cultivator caste cluster of
- Agri – A community from coastal region of Mumbai, Thane and Raigad districts. The community has become quite prosperous in recent decades by taking advantage of opportunities offered by rapid industrialisation of this region.[94]
- Banjara – Formerly a nomadic group
- Bhandari – Traditional extractors of Tadifrom palm trees
- Bhoi – Traditionally a people carrier community employed by the rulers
- Brahmin– These are divided into many sub-castes
- Dhangar – Traditionally a nomadic shepherd caste
- Leva Patil
- Lonari
- Pathare Prabhu
- Ramoshi – Soldiers and watchman under Peshwa
- Somvanshi Kshatriya Pathare
- Twashta Kasar – Artisan caste who traditionally worked with brass.[95]
- Vaishya Vani – A trader caste
Non-Hindu communities
- Marathi Muslims
- Ahmadnagar district.
- Konkani Muslims
- Sikhs
- Marathi Jains
- Bene Israel (Marathi Jews)
Marathi diaspora
In other Indian states
As the Maratha Empire expanded across India, the Marathi population started migrating out of Maharashtra alongside their rulers. Peshwa,
Other people have migrated in modern times in search of jobs outside Maharashtra. These people have also settled in almost all parts of the country. They have set up community organisations called Maharashtra Mandals in many cities across the country. A national level central organisation, the Brihan Maharashtra Mandal was formed in 1958[99] to promote Marathi culture outside Maharashtra. Several sister organisations of the Brihan Maharashtra Mandal have also been formed outside India.[100]
Population in India by state
Source:[101]
State | Marathi speakers(2011) | Percentage-2011 |
---|---|---|
India | 83,026,680 | 6.86% ( Third most spoken in India ) |
Maharashtra | 77,461,172 | 69.93% |
Karnataka | 2,064,906 | 5.38% |
Tamil Nadu | 85,454 | 0.12% |
Andhra Pradesh/Telangana | 674,928 | 2.80% |
Chhattisgarh | 144,035 | 0.56% |
Orissa |
8,617 | 0.02% |
West Bengal | 14,815 | 0.02% |
Gujarat | 920,345 | 3.52% |
Puducherry | 890 | 0.07% |
Kerala | 31,642 | 0.09% |
Andaman and Nicobar Islands | 639 | 0.17% |
Jharkhand | 8,481 | 0.03% |
Delhi | 27,239 | 0.16% |
Assam | 11,641 | 0.04% |
Madhya Pradesh | 1,231,285 | 2.70% |
Goa | 158,787 | 12.89% |
Rajasthan | 23,240 | 0.03% |
Punjab | 20,392 | 0.07% |
Jammu and Kashmir | 23,006 | 0.18% |
Haryana | 12,806 | 0.05% |
Tripura | 1,412 | 0.04% |
Uttarakhand | 6,028 | 0.06% |
Arunachal Pradesh | 2,297 | 0.17% |
Nagaland | 2,659 | 0.13% |
Chandigarh | 1,252 | 0.12% |
Himachal Pradesh | 3,438 | 0.05% |
Manipur | 1,583 | 0.06% |
Dadra and Nagar Haveli | 24,105 | 7.01% |
Meghalaya | 20,751 | 0.70% |
Sikkim | 1,138 | 0.19% |
Daman and Diu | 11,008 | 4.53% |
Mizoram | 408 | 0.04% |
Lakshadweep | 26 | 0.04% |
Bihar | 1,975 | 0.001% |
Uttar Pradesh | 24,280 | 0.01% |
International diaspora
In the mid-1800s, a large number of
Since the state of Israel was established in 1948, around 25,000–30,000 Indian Jews have emigrated there, of which around 20,000 were from the Marathi speaking Bene Israel community of Konkan.[104]
Indians, including Marathi People, have migrated to Europe and particularly Great Britain for more than a century. or India.
Large-scale immigration of Indians into the United States started when the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 came into effect. Most of the Marathi immigrants who came after 1965 were professionals such as doctors, engineers or scientists. The second wave of immigration took place during the I.T. boom of the 1990s and later.
Since the 1990s due to the I.T. boom and because of the general ease of travel, Marathi people are now found in greater numbers in all corners of the world including the United States, Australia,[111] Canada,[112] the Gulf countries, European countries, Iran, and Pakistan.
After the third battle of Panipat, Marathi people settled in Sindh and Balochisthan region (modern day Pakistan). After partition of India, many Marathi Hindus came to India. But, 500–1000 Marathi Hindus also lives in Karachi city of Sindh province.[citation needed]
Culture
Religion
The majority of Marathi people are
Marathi Hindu customs
The main life ceremonies in Hindu culture include those related to birth, weddings, initiation ceremonies, as well as death rituals. Other ceremonies for different occasions in Hindu life include Vastushanti and "Satyanarayan" which is performed before a family formally establishes residence in a new house. Satyanarayana Puja is a ceremony performed before commencing any new endeavour or for no particular reason. Invoking the name of the family's gotra and the kuladevata are important aspects of these ceremonies for many communities.
Like most other Hindu communities, the Marathi people have a household shrine called a devaghar with idols, symbols, and pictures of various deities for daily worship. Ritual reading of religious texts known as pothi is also popular in some communities.
In some traditional families, food is first offered to the preferred deity in the household shrine, as
Many Marathi people trace their paternal ancestors to one of the seven or eight sages, the saptarshi. They classify themselves as gotras, named after the ancestor rishi. Intra-marriage within gotras (Sagotra Vivaha) was uncommon until recently, being discouraged as it was likened to incest.
Most Marathi families have their own family patron or protective deity or the kuladevata. This deity is common to a lineage or a clan of several families who are connected to each other through a common ancestor.
Ceremonies and rituals
At birth, a child is initiated into the family ritually. The child's naming ceremony may happen many weeks or even months later, and it is called the bārsa. In many Indian Hindu communities, the naming is most often done by consulting the child's horoscope, which suggests various names depending on the child's lunar sign (called rashi). However, in Marathi Hindu families, the name that the child inevitably uses in secular functions is the one decided by their parents. If a name is chosen on the basis of the horoscope, then that is kept a secret to ward off the casting of a spell on the child during their life. During the naming ceremony, the child's
In Brahman, CKP and Gaud Saraswat Brahman communities when a male child[
Marathi Hindu people are historically
While arranging a marriage, gana, gotra, pravara, devaka are all kept in mind. Horoscopes are matched.[121] The marriage ceremony is described as follows: 'The groom, along with the bride's party goes to the bride's house. A ritual named Akshata is performed in which people around the groom and bride throw haldi (turmeric) and kunku (vermilion) coloured rice grains on the couple. After the kanyadana ceremony, there is an exchange of garlands between the bride and the groom. Then, the groom ties the Mangalsutra around the neck of the bride. This is followed by granthibandhan in which the end of the bride's sādi/sāri is tied to the end of the groom's dhoti, and a feast is arranged at the groom's place.'[121]
Elements of a traditional Marathi Hindu wedding ceremony include seemant poojan on the wedding eve. The dharmic wedding includes the antarpat ceremony followed by the Vedic ceremony which involves the bridegroom and the bride walking around the sacred fire seven times to complete the marriage. Modern urban wedding ceremonies conclude with an evening reception. A Marathi Hindu woman becomes part of her husband's family after marriage and adopts the gotra as well as the traditions of her husband's family.[note 1]
After weddings and after thread ceremonies, many Maratha, Deshastha Brahmin and Dhangar families arrange a traditional religious singing performance by a Gondhali group.[125]
Decades ago, girls married the groom of their parents' choice by their early teens or before. Even today, girls are married off in their late teens by rural and orthodox educated people. Urban women may choose to remain unmarried until the late 20s or even early 30s.
Marathi Hindu people dispose their dead by cremation.[126] The deceased's son carries the corpse to the cremation ground atop a bier. The eldest son lights the fire for the corpse at the head for males and at the feet for females. The ashes are gathered in an earthen pitcher and immersed in a river on the third day after death. This is a 13-day ritual with the pinda being offered to the dead soul on the 11th and a Śrāddha (Shrāddha) ceremony followed by a funeral feast on the 13th. Cremation is performed according to Vedic rites, usually within a day of the individual's death. Like all other Hindus, the preference is for the ashes to be immersed in a river. Holy rivers such as the Ganges river or Godavari have increasingly become popular for this ritual as travelling has become easier in modern times. Śrāddha becomes an annual ritual in which all forefathers of the family who have passed on are remembered. These rituals are expected to be performed only by male descendants, preferably the eldest son of the deceased. The annual Śrāddha for all the ancestors is usually performed during the Pitru Paksha, the dark fortnight of the Hindu month of Bhadrapada.[127]
Hindu calendar and festivals
The Marathi,
- Gudhi Padwa: A victory pole or Gudi is erected outside homes on the day. This day is considered one of the three-and-a-half most auspicious days of the Hindu calendar and many new ventures and activities such as opening a new business etc. are started on this day. The leaves of Neem or and shrikhand are a part of the day's cuisine. The day is also known as Ugadi, the Kannada and Telugu New Year.[131][132][133]
- Pournima (full moon day of the Jyeshtha month in the Hindu calendar), around June. On this day, women fast and worship the banyantree to pray for the growth and strength of their families, like the sprawling tree which lives for centuries. Married women visit a nearby tree and worship it by tying red threads of love around it. They pray for well-being and long life for their husband.
- Kartik) according to the Hindu calendar. This is one of the most important fasting days for Marathi Hindu people.
- Guru Pournima: The full moon day of the month of Ashadh is celebrated as Guru Pournima. For Hindus Guru-Shishya (teacher-student) tradition is very important, be it educational or spiritual. Gurus are often equated with God and always regarded as a link between the individual and the immortal. On this day spiritual aspirants and devotees worship Maharshi Vyasa, who is regarded as Guru of Gurus.
- Divyanchi Amavasya: The new moon day/last day of the month of Ashadh/आषाढ (falls between June and July of Gregorian Calendar) is celebrated as Divyanchi Amavasya. This new moon signifies the end of the month of Ashadh, and the arrival of the month of Shravan, which is considered the most pious month of the Hindu calendar. On this day, all the traditional lamps of the house are cleaned and fresh wicks are put in. The lamps are then lit and worshiped. People cook a specific item called diva (literally lamp), prepared by steaming sweet wheat dough batter and shaping it like little lamps. They are eaten warm with ghee.
- Battis Shirala in Maharashtra a big snake festival is held which attracts thousands of tourists from all over the world. In other parts of Maharashtra, snake charmers are seen sitting by the roadsides or moving from one place to another with their baskets holding snakes. While playing the lingering melodious notes on their pungi, they beckon devotees with their calls—Nagoba-la dudh de Mayi ('Give milk to the cobra oh mother!'). Women offer sweetened milk, popcorn (lahya in Marathi) made out of jwari/dhan/corns to the snakes and pray. Cash and old clothes are also given to the snake-charmers. In BarshiTown in the Solapur district, a big jatra (carnival) is held at Nagoba Mandir in Tilak chowk.
- sacred thread(Janve; Marathi: जानवे) at a common gathering ceremony called Shraavani (Marathi:श्रावणी).
- dahi handi. This is a reenactment of Krishna's efforts to steal butter from a matka (earthen pot) suspended from the ceiling. Large earthen pots filled with milk, curds, butter, honey, fruits, etc. are suspended at a height of between 20 and 40 feet (6.1 and 12.2 m) in the streets. Teams of young men and boys come forward to claim this prize. They construct a human pyramid by standing on each other's shoulders until the pyramid is tall enough to enable the topmost person to reach the pot and claim the contents after breaking it. Currency notes are often tied to the rope by which the pot is suspended. The prize money is distributed among those who participate in the pyramid building. The dahi-handi draws a huge crowd and they support the teams trying to grab these pots by chanting 'Govinda ala re ala'.
- Mangala Gaur: Pahili Mangala Gaur (first Mangala Gaur) is one of the most important celebrations for the new brides amongst Marathi Brahmins. On the Tuesday of the month of the Shravan falling within a year after her marriage, the new bride performs Shivling puja for the well-being of her husband and new family. It is also a get-together of all womenfolk. It includes chatting, playing games, ukhane (married women take their husband's name woven in 2/4 rhyming liners) and sumptuous food. They typically play zimma, fugadi, bhendya (more popularly known as Antakshari in modern India) until the early hours of the following morning.
- Bail Pola: the festival is celebrated on the new moon day (Pithori Amavasya) of the month of Shravan (August - September), to honour farm oxen for their service. On this day the oxen are decorated by their owners and taken around the village in a parade.[136] The festival is popular in rural areas of Maharashtra and other Southern Indian States.[137]
- in the evening with green leaves. Women wear green bangles and green clothes and stay awake till midnight. Both married and unmarried women may observe this fast.
- Lokmanya Tilak turned this festival into a public event as a means of uniting people toward the common goal of campaigning against British colonial rule. The public festival lasts for 11 days with various cultural programmes including music concerts, orchestra, plays, and skits. Some social activities are also undertaken during this period like blood donation, scholarships for the needy, or donations to people suffering from any kind of natural calamity. Due to environmental concerns, a number of families now avoid bodies of water, and let the clay statue disintegrate in a barrel of water at home. After a few days, the clay is spread in the home garden. In some cities, a public, eco-friendly process is used for the immersion.[142]
- Gauri/Mahalakshmi: Along with Ganesha, Mahalakshmior Mahalakshmya or simply Lakshmya.
- Anant Chaturdashi, which marks the end of the celebration. People bid a tearful farewell to the God by immersing the installed idols from home/public places in water and chanting 'Ganapati Bappa Morya, pudhchya warshi Lawakar ya!!' ('Ganesha, come early next year.') Some people also keep the traditional wow (Vrata) of Ananta Pooja. This involves the worship of Ananta the coiled snake or Shesha on which Vishnu resides. A delicious mixture of 14 vegetables is prepared as naivedyam on this day.
- Navaratri and Ghatasthapana: Starting with the first day of the month of Ashvin in the Hindu calendar (around the month of October), the nine-day and -night festival immediately preceding the most important festival Dasara is celebrated all over India with different traditions. In Maharashtra, on the first day of this 10-day festival, idols of the Goddess Durga are ritually installed at many homes. This installation of the Goddess is popularly known as Ghatasthapana.[143]
During this Navavatri, girls and women perform 'Bhondla/Hadga' as the Sun moves to the thirteenth constellation of the zodiac called 'Hasta' (Elephant). During the nine days, Bhondla (also known as 'Bhulabai' in the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra) is celebrated in the garden or on the terrace during evening hours by inviting female friends of the daughter in the house. An elephant is drawn either with
- Navaratri are immersed in water. This day also marks the victory of Rama over Ravana. People visit each other and exchange sweets. On this day, people worship the Aapta tree[144] and exchange its leaves (known as golden leaves) and wish each other a future like gold. There is a legend involving Raghuraja, an ancestor of Rama, the Aapta tree and Kuber. There is also another legend about the Shami tree where the Pandavahid their weapons during their exile.
- Kojagari Pournima: Written in the short form of Ashwin. It is said that on this Kojagiri night, the Goddess Lakshmi visits every house asking 'Ko Jagarti?' and blesses those who are awake with fortune and prosperity. To welcome the Goddess, houses, temples, streets, etc. are illuminated. People get together on this night, usually in open spaces (e.g. in gardens or on terraces), and play games until midnight. At that hour, after seeing the reflection of the full moon in milk boiled with saffron and various varieties of dry fruits, they drink the concoction. The eldest child in the household is honoured on this day.
A replica fort made by children during Diwali - chivada.[145]Being high in fat and low in moisture, these snacks can be stored at room temperature for many weeks without spoiling.
- Kartiki Ekadashi and Tulshicha Lagna: The 11th day of the month of Kartik marks the end of Mangal Sutrato the Tulshi. Families and friends gather for this marriage ceremony, which usually takes place in the late evening. Various pohe dishes are offered to Krishna and then distributed among family members and friends. This also marks the beginning of marriage season.
The celebration lasts for three days and ends on Kartiki
- Baingan Bharta) and rodga, small round flat bread prepared from jwari (white millet).
- Darshvel Amavasya: It is last day of the Hindu month Pausha. This festival is mostly celebrated in Pandavas. They are covered with hut of grass and pink cloth (shalu) is tied to hut. Farmer pours buttermilkaround the deity idol and all over the field praying "ol ghe ol ghe saalam pol ge" (meaning be wet and let the year be wealthy till next Darshvel Amavasya).
- green beans and peas. Bajra roti (i.e. roti made of pearl millet) topped with sesame as well as rice and moog dal khichadi are eaten to keep warm in winter. During this festival people also take baths with sesame seeds.
- Limonia).[citation needed]
- Holi, Shimga and Rangapanchami: The festival of Holi falls in Falgun, the last month of the Marathi Shaka calendar. Marathi people celebrate this festival by lighting a bonfire and offering puran poli to the fire. In North India, Holi is celebrated over two days with the second day celebrated with throwing colours. In Maharashtra it is known as Dhuli Vandan. However, Maharashtrians celebrate colour throwing five days after Holi on Rangapanchami. In Maharashtra, people make puran poli as the ritual offering to the holy fire.[149]
In coastal Konkan area, the festival of Shimga is celebrated which not only incorporates Holi but also involves other rituals and celebrations which precede Holi and extends for a few days more.
- Village Urus or kabbadi, wrestling tournaments, a fair and entertainment such as a lavani/tamasha show by travelling dance troupes.[151][152][153] A number of families eat meat preparations only during this period. In some villages, women are given a break from cooking and other household chores by their menfolk.[154]
Festivals and celebrations observed by other communities
Dhamma Chakra Pravartan Din
On 14 October 1956 at
Buddha Purnima
Festival commemorates Lord Buddha's enlightenment and birth. Buddhist community celebrates this day with great fervor and zeal across the world. , Maharashtra has India's largest Buddhist population, about 5.8% of the State's total population. The State not only has rich Buddhist heritage and culture, it is also dotted with large and small Buddhist caves. Buddhists go to common Viharas to observe a rather longer-than-usual, full-length Buddhist sutra, akin to a service. The dress code is pure white. Non-vegetarian food is normally avoided. Kheer, sweet rice porridge is commonly served to recall the story of Sujata, who offered the Buddha a bowl of milk porridge.
Christmas
Food
The many communities in Marathi society result in a diverse cuisine. This diversity extends to the family level because each family uses its own unique combination of spices. The majority of Maharashtrians do eat meat and eggs, but the Brahmin community is mostly
Thalipeeth is a popular traditional breakfast flat bread that is prepared using bhajani, a mixture of many different varieties of roasted lentils.[160]
Marathi Hindu people observe fasting days when traditional staple food like rice and chapatis are avoided. However, milk products and non-native foods such as potatoes, peanuts and
Some Maharashtrian dishes including sev bhaji, misal pav and patodi are distinctly regional dishes within Maharashtra.
In metropolitan areas including Mumbai and Pune, the pace of life makes fast food very popular. The most popular forms of fast food amongst Marathi people in these areas are:
In South Konkan, near
Desserts are an important part of Marathi food and include
Attire
Traditionally, Marathi women commonly wore the
Names
Marathi Hindu people follow a partially Patronymic naming system. For example, it is customary to associate the father's name with the given name. In the case of married women, the husband's name is associated with the given name. Therefore, the constituents of a Marathi name as given name /first name, father/husband, family name /surname. For example:
- Mahadeo Govind Ranade: Here Mahadeo is the given name, Govind is his father's given the name and Ranade is the surname.[169]
- Jyotsna Mukund Khandekar: Here Jyotsna is the given name, Mukund is the husband's given name, and Khandekar is the surname of the husband[169]
Personal names
Marathi Hindus choose given names for their children from a variety of sources. They could be characters from
Surnames
A large number of Maharashtrian surnames are derived by adding the suffix kar to the village from which the family originally hailed.
Families of the historical Maratha chiefs use their clan name as their surname. Some of these are Jadhav, Bhosale, Chavan,
Honourifics and suffixes
Marathi people use various suffixes and prefixes with names. Most of these are intended as honourific when addressing older people, or people with authority. The common suffixes include bai, and sometimes tai for women, rao, and saheb for men.[183] According to Sankhelia, the first use of the word, bai was in the 13th century.[184] In modern times, the prefixes Shree for men, and Saubhagyavati (abbreviated as Sau) for married women have become common.
Language and literature
It has been noted by scholars that there is
Ancient Marathi inscriptions
Marathi, also known as Seuna at that time, was the court language during the reign of the
Classical literature
Marathi people have a long literary tradition which started in the ancient era.[
Modern Marathi literature
The first English book was translated into Marathi in 1817 while the first Marathi newspaper started in 1841.
In the mid-1950s, the 'little magazine movement' gained momentum. It published writings which were non-conformist, radical, and experimental. The
Martial tradition
Although ethnic Marathis have taken up military roles for many centuries,
See also
- List of Maratha dynasties and states
- List of Marathi people
- Magar (Maharashtra)
- Thanjavur Marathi (disambiguation)
- Western Satraps
- Maratha Empire
- Marathi Language
Notes
- ^ Until about 300 BC, Hindu men were about 24 years of age when they got married and the girl was always post-pubescent.[122] The social evil of child marriage established itself in Hindu society sometime after 300 BC as a response to foreign invasions.[123] The problem was first addressed in 1860 by amending the Indian Penal Code which required the boy's age to be 14 and the girl's age to be 12 at minimum, for a marriage to be considered legal. In 1927, the Hindu Child Marriage Act made a marriage between a boy under 15 and a girl under 12 illegal. This minimum age requirement was increased to 14 for girls and 18 for boys in 1929. It was again increased by a year for girls in 1948. The Act was amended again in 1978 when the ages were raised to 18 for girls and 21 for boys.[124]
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Works cited
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Further reading
- John Roberts (June 1971) "The Movement of Elites in Western India under Early British Rule", The Historical Journal 24(2) pp. 241–262
- Hiroshi Fukazawa (February 1972) Rural servants in the 18th century Maharashtrian village-demiurgic of Jajmani system? Hitotsubashi Journal of Economics, 12(2), pp. 14–40
External links
- Media related to Marathi people at Wikimedia Commons
- The dictionary definition of Maharashtrian at Wiktionary