Photo Gallery

Musahars, the ‘Dalit among Dalits’, are on the last rung of society in the Gangetic plains. Descendents of a Chhotanagpur tribe, they are scattered all over the paddy-growing region, providing the so-called unskilled labour. These visuals capture the everyday struggle of the Musahars. Pictures of self-assertion, they shatter the centuries old, and incessant, myth about the Musahar as a rat-eating community. The visuals also bring alive the question of emancipation and the importance of Musahar myth and tradition in seeking that emancipation.

ropani	asadhi puja
The Musahars’ life swings into action with the onset of the southwest monsoon. From ploughing, to levelling, to preparing the seedlings… it’s all part of regenerating nature, and therefore auspicious. more...	Asadhi puja is the purification of the village for good harvest, prosperity, health and happiness of all, irrespective of caste. more...
festivals	harvest
The transplantation of paddy marks the beginning of a new life cycle. And it’s significant that most Musahar festivals follow this crucial stage, and are a celebration of the regeneration of life, nature, and relations. more...	The cycle which starts with the onset of the monsoon, ends with the harvest of paddy. more...
marriage	settlement
The blessings of their Bir ancestors, especially of the great grand ancestor Tulsi Bir are a must for the solemnisation of marriage.more...	Skilled land cultivators and soil assessors, ironically the Musahars have always remained landless. Before independence, they were kamias (bonded labourers), living on the meager land and grain extended to them by the landownersmore...