Gram Vyavastha The Village System
Gram, Gaon, Dehath, Pind, Uuru, Halli, Palli and Gramam were some of the suffixes that were attached to or the word by which a village was called. Each of these carry a very good meaning but basically it was a place where people were assured of Bhojan food, Vastra cloth, Bhavan Home, Shiksha Education and Swasthya
A village was designed in such a way that the human being need not go too far for arranging his/her food. A village was a place where people were assured of Bhojan food, Vastra cloth, Bhavan Home, Shiksha Education and Swasthya
Grama Villages formed the heartbeat of Bharat. By 1800 we had more than 6,00,000 villeges in Bharat. How were villages planned and built? What were the philosophy, site planning and exact Implementation?
An ant would travel Maximum up to 50 – 100 meters from its nest in search of food and return with food for storage. A bird would travel a few kilometres, a cow or any other domesticated animal would also go a few kilometres in search of food. Similarly for human life to sustain, a village was designed in such a way that the human being need not go too far for arranging his/her food. A village was a place where people were assured of Bhojan food, Vastra cloth, Bhavan Home, Shiksha Education and Swasthya Health. It was necessary for everybody in the village to know to play a Vaadya (Musical Instrument), know Nrrithya (Dance), Vasthu, Jyothisha (Astronomy), Ayurveda and Neethi Shastra.
Each village had anywhere between 12 or 18 and in some cases 56 Parivar families of Karigar Samaj Artisanal Communities living together. Villages were so planned that the resources would keep on increasing and never decrease or finish.
This too is an introductory workshop takes about 3 hours, whereas the complete workshop may take about 15 to 20 days of detailing.
The great Bharathiya Village
There is a phrase that comes in Rudram chanting “Vishvam pushtam gramin asmin anathuram” meaning “For the world to live in abundance the village needs to be living in abundance.” The Bharathiya Gramam was Swavalambh(self-reliant), Swayampoorna (Self Contained) and Swashashit (Self-Governed) too.
Other than being self-relient the village was also Swayampoorna (Self Contained). How was a village which was the last micro-unit of the society made so self-contained?
Every village was also Swashashit (Self-Governed) too. Who governed the villages? What was the role of the Kings and Emporers in the adminstration of a village?
There was an unwritten code of Grama Swarajya. What is the meaning of Grama Swaraja? The Grama was administered by a Grama Panchayath. What were the functions of a Grama-Panchayath? Who were the people who were called Panch-Parmeshwar (Five Gods)? Was the administration the same all over the country? This 10hrs workshop on The great Bharathiya Village deals with these questions.
Gramdevata Utsav the village diety festival
These celebrations were periodical ranging anywhere from one year to three years. The people of the village were all tied by a common thread of culture, tradition, economy, trade and much more with these periodic celebrations. These celebrations were officiated mostly by the non-Brahmins which continues even to the present day. But it was mandatory for all Varnas and Jaathis to attend these celebrations.
In the hierarchy of the Gods and Goddesses the nearest and the first in the order is the Grama Devatha or the village God. The Grama Devatha Utsav or the village God festival was an important part of our Bharathiya Jeevan Indian life. These celebrations were periodical ranging anywhere from one year to three years. The people of the village were all tied by a common thread of culture, tradition, economy, trade and much more with these periodic celebrations.
These celebrations were officiated mostly by the non-Brahmins which is a Sampradaya that continues even to the present day. But it was mandatory for all Varnas and Jaathis to attend these celebrations. The celebrations were usually 1-3days and in some cases also one week long. For the priod of the Gramadevata Utsav nobody from the village were allowed to go out of the village and nobody from outside were allowed inside. I shall bring out the complete import of these with a lot of take homes so that we will be inspired to attend our own Grama Devatha Utsav in our village. In this 3hours workshop I shall be sharing my personal experience of attending some Gramdevata Utsavs.
Jungles and their maintenance
Today we have a lot of socalled “Jungle Dwellers” Girijan who are categorised under Scheduled Tribes or Backward Tribes but these people don’t dwell in the Jungle anymore. There were three categories of people dependent on the forest economy they were, forest dwelling people, people dependent on the forests, the people living outside the forest as their bounden duty these three categories of people protected the forest and the animals there.
Today we have a lot of jungle dwellers who are categorised under Scheduled or Backward Tribes but these people don’t dwell in the Jungle anymore. What were they doing in the jungle before? How were our forests maintained when we didn’t have The Forest Department? The Indian Forest Act and the Railways are the main plunderer of our forests!!! In this one day workshop I shall bring out how people of Bharath had made arrangements to conserve forests.
This was achieved through the forest dwelling people, people dependent on the forests, the people living outside the forest as their bounden duty. These three categories of people protected the forest and the animals there. The forests and the animals lived in harmony with the people of the villages which were nearby. Prakritik Jungle, Raja ka Jungle, Devata ka Jungle, Gramam ka Jungle and the Dhanvantri Jungle were the five types of Jungles that existed in Bharat and only the fist one was a natural forest rest of them were manmade.
I shall also touch upon how the Indian Forest Act and the Railways have become the main plunderers of the forest in this 3 hours’ workshop.
Krishi aur Vithran Agriculture and distribution of produce
It is said that agriculture was started by the King Prithu after whom the earth came to be known as Prithvi.The Vishnu Purana and Vayu Purana describes him as the one who flattened the earth’s rocky surface, thus inventing and encouraging Krishi agriculture, Pashupaalan Animal Husbandry, Vyapaar trade and Vanijya commerce and development of Grama villages, Nagara towns and Patana
Rishi Kashyapa and Rishi Parashara have later on refined the art of agriculture. They also developed an Artisano-Agrarian economy based on Krishi agriculture, Pashupaalan animal husbandry and Karigar Samaj artisanal communities.
A brief look into agrarian practices of the past with reference to Kashyapa Krishi Sukthi, Krishi Parashara, Vrikshayurveda, Suraphala, Nushka Dar Fanni-Falahat and Vishvavallabha. The Vishnu Purana and Vayu Purana describes him as the one who flattened the earth’s rocky surface, thus inventing and encouraging Krishi agriculture, Pashupaalan Animal Husbandry, Vyapaar trade and Vanijya commerce and development of Grama villages, Nagara towns and Patana cities. Rishi Kashyapa and Rishi Parashara have later on refined the art of agriculture.
They also developed an economy based on Krishi agriculture, Pashupaalan animal husbandry and Karigar Samaj artisanal communities. Contrary to the usual understanding that Bharat was an Agricultural country it was not only agriculture but Agro-Artisno-Trade based country. In the one day workshop I shall lead you through this journey. Take home would be Jaivik Krishi, Rishi Krishi, and responsible agriculture and artisanal based economy.
Pashu Paalan Animal Husbandry
There were many Jaathis which were in the profession of rearing animals. Just to name a few Pastoral Communities like Yadavas Cowherds, Gaddherias Shepherds, Gujjar Cattle and Buffalo, Monpa Yak and Cattle, Rebari Camel, Cattle and Sheep Changpa Yak etc.
There were many Jaathis which were in the profession of rearing animals. Just to name a few Pastoral Communities like Yadavas Cowherds, Gaddherias Shepherds, Gujjar Cattle and Buffalo, Monpa Yak and Cattle, Rebari Camel, Cattle and Sheep Changpa Yak etc. The animals belonged to the people of the villages but they were reared, tended and grazed by the above and many more communities.
Other than the sheaperds who owned their sheep rest of the communities didn’t own all the animals they tended. What was the system of animal husbandry in Bharat? What did these pastoral communities do? How were other animals taken care off? These are some of the questions for which answers I will be unfolding in this 3hours’ workshop on Pashu Paalan.
Paani ki Vyavastha Water Management in Bharat
As Karnataka itself got its name from ‘Keregala Nadu Karunadu’ which means Karnataka the land of lakes. Karnataka had a wonderful lake linking system and the Bavi (wells), Kalyani or Kola (ponds), Kunte (rocky ponds), Kere (lake), Thodu or Rajakaluve (small streams), Thore (streams) and Nadhi (rivers).
Wells, Tanks, Ponds, Lakes, Streams and Rivers have been mainstream water resources in Bharat. But there were a lot of man-made tanks, ponds, lakes and also the world’s oldest dam is in Bharat. In Bharat we had almost an unlimited water resource. We had a very robust agriculture, horticulture, floriculture systems which were not just rain fed. There were other ‘Industries’ too which were water dependent. Other than having good water conservation social practices we also had a very nice water management system. Our water management system consisted of Wells, Tanks, Ponds, Kalyanis (step wells), Lakes, Streams and Rivers and the later these were connected by canals. This workshop deals with how the ancient people managed the water resource by creating Wells, Community Wells, Step Wells (Kalyanis), Ponds, Lakes, Canals, connecting them to Streams and Rivers.
Taking Karnataka Janapada I will be bringing out the beautiful aspect of ‘Watershed Management’ implemented by the rishis who lived here. As Karnataka itself got its name from ‘Keregala Nadu Karunadu’ which means Karnataka the land of lakes. I shall deal with the wonderful lake linking systems and the Bavi wells, Kalyani step-wells, Kola ponds, Kunte rocky ponds, Kere lakes, Thodu or Rajakaluve small streams, Thore streams and Nadhi River. Anekattu a Kannada language word is the first ever word coined for a Dam across any river. The father of this system who is known to built and implemented this system is Vidura from the Mahabharatha time.
