Gowari
Encyclopedia
Gowari or Govari is a Hindu caste/ ethnic tribal group predominantly living in Maharashtra
, Madhya Pradesh
and Chhattisgarh
states of India.
Marathi
is the mother tongue of most of Gowaris, and Hindi
is of rest.
God of Gowari community is Shri Khodekhodvan.
and Gondia
where they are around 50 thousand to 1 lakh.
All the districts surrounding these two have population of 10 thousand to 50 thousand.
On the next day of Diwali, there is a festival known as Govardhan Pooja/ Bali Pratipada. On this day, Gowaris decorate cows beautifully, special worshiping is done and blessings are asked for.
They also make a heap of cowdung which is considered sacred, in their yard, put durva and flowers into it.
Marriage between a boy and a girl whose maternal uncles belong to the same clan is not allowed.
during a protest in Nagpur on 23 November 1994 when 114 people from Gowari community were killed and more than 500 were injured.
A monument named as Gowari Shaheed Smarak has been built in Nagpur near Zero Milestone (the geographical centre of India) to commemorate those who died in this tragedy. Also the nearby flyover (Sitabuldi area, Nagpur) has been named Adivasi Gowari Shaheed flyover which is the longest in Nagpur.
Maharashtra
Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
, Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh , often called the Heart of India, is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal and Indore is the largest city....
and Chhattisgarh
Chhattisgarh
Chhattisgarh is a state in Central India, formed when the 16 Chhattisgarhi-speaking South-Eastern districts of Madhya Pradesh gained separate statehood on 1 November 2000....
states of India.
Introduction
They are traditionally cattle herdsmen of Maharashtra (and are neither milk seller nor cow owner).Marathi
Marathi language
Marathi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people of western and central India. It is the official language of the state of Maharashtra. There are over 68 million fluent speakers worldwide. Marathi has the fourth largest number of native speakers in India and is the fifteenth most...
is the mother tongue of most of Gowaris, and Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
is of rest.
God of Gowari community is Shri Khodekhodvan.
Distribution
The maximum concentration of their population is in the districts of NagpurNagpur
Nāgpur is a city and winter capital of the state of Maharashtra, the largest city in central India and third largest city in Maharashtra after Mumbai and Pune...
and Gondia
Gondia
Gondia, or Gondiya , is a city in the state of Maharashtra in western India, and is the administrative headquarters of Gondia District. Gondia is also known as Rice City by local people due to abundance of rice mills in the area. Gondia is very close to Madhya Pradesh state, and is considered the...
where they are around 50 thousand to 1 lakh.
All the districts surrounding these two have population of 10 thousand to 50 thousand.
Cow worshiping
Like all Hindus, cow is the most sacred animal for Gowaris, but she holds a more special place for them.On the next day of Diwali, there is a festival known as Govardhan Pooja/ Bali Pratipada. On this day, Gowaris decorate cows beautifully, special worshiping is done and blessings are asked for.
They also make a heap of cowdung which is considered sacred, in their yard, put durva and flowers into it.
Dhaal pooja
Dhaal pooja is a custom where Gowaris worship a dhaal (made of a long bamboo and more things) denoting deceased unmarried men or women of their family, which had unnatural death. This type of worshiping shows tribal roots of the community.Marriage system
Marriage within one’s clan is prohibited.Marriage between a boy and a girl whose maternal uncles belong to the same clan is not allowed.
Clans
Shendre, Chaudhary, Nehare, Neware, Sahare, Chachane, Raut, Kohale, Ambedare, Waghade, Sonwane, Gajbe, Wagare, Chamlate, Mokashi, Padile, Botare, Yesansure, Nagose, Khekre (Kekade), Kalsarpe, Mogre, Bhonde, Phunne (Funne), Sarvare, Mankar, Bhoyar, Bhimate, Baglate,Dewhare,Mandalwar, warthiGowari Stampede
There had been a stampede1994 Gowari stampede
The 1994 Gowari stampede occurred at Nagpur, India on 23 November 1994 in which 114 people from the Gowari community were killed and 500 more injured. Nagpur Police were trying to disperse almost 50000 Gowari protesters using baton charge but it created panic and triggered stampede amongst...
during a protest in Nagpur on 23 November 1994 when 114 people from Gowari community were killed and more than 500 were injured.
A monument named as Gowari Shaheed Smarak has been built in Nagpur near Zero Milestone (the geographical centre of India) to commemorate those who died in this tragedy. Also the nearby flyover (Sitabuldi area, Nagpur) has been named Adivasi Gowari Shaheed flyover which is the longest in Nagpur.