Eksar Gaothan

By Anurag

The Lithic Bards of Eksar

In the 9th century AD, most of the kingdoms in peninsular India had submitted to the armies of the Dandanayakas, or generals, of the mighty Rashtrakuta empire, whose influence stretched from the Doab in the north to the Kaveri basin in the south. The Rashtrakuta emperors appointed several vassal ruling houses to govern various regions of their vast empire. The Shilaharas, one such royal family, governed the coastal domains of the Konkan and the adjoining hilly regions.

The Shilaharas gradually became powerful in their assigned territory, yet they remained loyal to their overlords in Manyakheta (the Rashtrakuta capital) until the Rashtrakuta power's final disintegration in the 10th century AD. The Western Chalukyas, who supplanted the Rashtrakutas, granted the Shilaharas regional sovereignty in exchange for their acceptance of Chalukya suzerainty. The Shilaharas eventually split into three independent houses, viz., the Shilaharas of Kolhapur, South Konkan, and North Konkan, with the latter becoming the wealthiest owing to prosperous maritime trade happening through the numerous sea ports of North Konkan.

When the Yadavas of Devagiri finally eclipsed the Western Chalukyan authority in Maharashtra in the 12th century AD, their imperial ambitions made them keen on conquering and acquiring the rich littoral possessions of the northern Shilaharas. This set into motion a long series of conflicts between the Yadavas and the Shilaharas, which eventually culminated in the conquest of the latter by the former, though not with ease. The last Shilahara ruler of North Konkan, Someshwar, fought with the Yadavas for most of his reign to preserve his independence. Eventually, the Yadava ruler Mahadev descended upon North Konkan with a large army consisting of war elephants to subdue his long-time foe. In the ensuing battle, the Yadava navy overwhelmed Someshwar, forcing him to flee to the sea. The Yadava navy pursued him again, resulting in the death of Someshwar and the house of the northern Shilaharas. The Yadava conquest of North Konkan is now complete.

In order to preserve this eventful history for posterity, the contemporary inhabitants of the area where these battles took place decided to engrave these episodes onto stone memorials known as Veerghals, dedicated to the fallen warriors. The Eksar Veerghals, depicting this momentous event in regional history, are one of the most finely sculpted pieces of rock memorials emerging from Mumbai, narrating the military conflict that must have happened in the environs of the present-day Eksar Gaothan in Borivali.

Eksar Gaothan

Mahikavatichi Bakhar, narrating a congruous timeline to the one mentioned above, refers to a village named 'Yeksar' in the Malad division, under the jurisdiction of an administrator named Gangadharrao. This is the oldest textual reference to the present-day Eksar village, or Gaothan, and can be traced back to the 13th–14th century AD.

Eksar is home to the Agri community, whose traditional occupation included farming and managing salt pans. It was originally a large village, with boundaries stretching from Manori Creek in the west to Dahisar in the north, Ravalpada and Devipada in the east, and Vazira in the south. The administrative records still preserve this original expanse of Eksar, with all previously mentioned places remaining administratively under Mauje Eksar. Tradition divides the village of Eksar into the following neighbourhoods: Talepakhadi, Mhatarpakhadi, Dattapada, and Koliwadi. The Mhatre, Patil, and Thakur are the original families who made up Eksar Gaothan and continue to reside in it. Till the 1950s, Eksar was a bucolic village nestled between rice paddy fields on all sides. Back then, the local Muslim community mostly owned tongas, the only mode of transportation. As the old-timers narrate, “there were a few people from our village who worked as mill workers in the textile mills of Girangaon in south Mumbai. They would either walk to the station or take the tonga.”

The conquest of Vasai by Chimaji Appa in 1739 remains the most cherished historical event in the collective memory of Eksar natives. Padmakar Mhatre, a native resident, states, “Our village came into prominence during the Vasai campaign of Chimaji Appa. He named our village Eksar, or uniform, because our village welcomed him with open arms and provided supplies. Sandesh Bhoir, a local poet who writes in the Agri dialect of Marathi, adds that “some of our ancestors were soldiers in the army of Chimaji Appa, who assisted him in capturing Vasai from the Portuguese, and we are trying to find out their origins in our village.” Mr. Mhatre further states that after the conquest of Vasai, Chimaji Appa established the land distribution and irrigation system for the natives of Eksar, which existed until a few decades ago when urban development changed the face of the neighborhood. Some Muslim soldiers from Chimaji Appa’s army decided to settle permanently in Eksar, and the area where they had pitched their tents developed into a permanent neighbourhood called Naytodi. It is home to the famous Eksar Masjid and one of Mumbai's oldest Muslim communities. The Muslims of Naytodi are of Konkani stock and speak Konkani Muslim Marathi. They play a crucial role in the social life of Eksar Gaothan, and the locals take pride in the fact that, despite the 1992 communal riots that consumed the entire city with flames of hatred, Eksar remained untouched, and all Muslim households in the Gaothan remained undisturbed, due to the absence of unwarranted provocation from either side and the prevailing age-old mutual respect.

Livelihood Practices

The natives of Eksar were traditionally farmers and fishermen. Rice cultivation was the primary source of income for the majority of locals, and some of the natives still own farmlands on the other side of Link Road, which they now outsource to laborers to cultivate. Fishing in Manori Creek supplemented this income. The Eksar fishermen's traditional fishing grounds extended from the north of Gorai Creek to the middle basin of the Dahisar River. The usual catch of Eksar fishermen consisted of shivlya (clams), kastari (tiger prawns), kalva (oysters), kolambi (prawns), and chimbori (crabs). Clams were the most abundant produce in the waters nearby Eksar, and Mr. Mhatre says that he has seen people fishing up to a truckload of clams in a single day in his youth. Another native, Mr. Pradip Mhatre, adds that in the past, education was never considered important in Eksar because, as the boy or girl turned fourteen years of age, they would head to the creek to fish. The abundance of marine life made fishing a sustainable and profitable livelihood at that time. Additionally, women in Eksar found another source of livelihood by selling dried cow dung cakes, or shenya, in the markets of Borivali during the onset of monsoon months when firewood was scarce to procure.

Religious Life

The gramdevta of Eksar is the Gaondevi, whose temple sits in the middle of the Eksar neighbourhoods. She is the central figure in the lives of the Eksar Agris, and most of the socio-religious life of the locals revolves around her. Every year on the second Tuesday of May, the Gaondevichi Jatra takes place, during which a grand procession transports the palkhi (palanquin) of the Goddess throughout the Gaothan. Traditionally, on the Jatra day, the villagers would sacrifice chickens to the Goddess as a naivedya, or sacred offering, and distribute the collected meat as prasad, known as tirpan in the local dialect.

The locals recount an incident that happened about fifty years ago when the first Brihanmumbai Electric Supply & Transport (BEST) buses started operating in Eksar. The road that passes beside Eksar Talao was originally situated on a slight hillock. Once, a bus filled with passengers was passing on that stretch when the driver lost control on the slope, and the bus was flung towards the lake. It was saved by a branch of the Banyan tree in the Gaondevi temple premises, averting a major accident. Locals who witnessed this event attributed this miracle to Gaondevi, and their belief in her spiritual prowess increased significantly thereafter.

Sathi Devi is another important goddess in the Eksar natives' spiritual realm. The Veerghal cluster in the neighbourhood includes the image of Sathi Devi, which is the upper portion of a broken Veerghal. The incorporation of this historical remnant as a deity in the religious life of the present-day population provides an interesting insight into how communities perceive the historical record surrounding them and how they repurpose these historical artefacts to fulfil their spiritual needs in the current day and age.

Holi, or Shimga, is the most celebrated festival in the Gaothan, with celebrations extending for a period of fourteen days. Kombad Holi, Mothi Holi, and Dhulivandan are the three main days of Shimga celebrations in Eksar. A unique custom in Eksar is the Holicha Pos, where children band together and go from one home to another, asking for money and wood for the Holi bonfire. Additionally, Eksar locals would invite any mourning family members in the village to join the community, applying gulal tikka (vermillion mark) to their heads and encouraging them to participate in the Shimga celebrations to help them forget their sorrows. Another tradition from the past was cursing people you held grudges against and throwing heaps of dust on people's doors during Holi. Older folks say that this provided people with a socially accepted outlet for venting anger or grievances against certain members of the community, leading to a year of camaraderie afterward. This practice also served as a means to encourage reticent individuals to participate in the larger celebrations.

In Eksar Gaothan, people use mango and jambul trees to make the Holi bonfire. After performing the pooja, people erect the Holi bonfire in an east-west orientation and light it. Once the tree collapses after burning for some time, locals pick up the non-burning end of the tree and rotate it on the spot multiple times as a sport.

Diwali is another important festival for the Eksar natives. They also celebrate a festival known as Aathiunde, which occurs eight days before Diwali. During this festival, people clean their houses and surroundings, and they sketch symbols of prosperity on their verandas, including kanga (traditional rice containers made of bamboo framework coated with cow dung and dried, making them naturally pest repellent), ladders, ploughs, and bullock carts. The floor was splashed with water, and the drawings were made with ash on the wet floor, ensuring they lasted for a certain time. The Aathiunde festival serves as a precursor to Diwali, reminding people of the upcoming festival. People bathe, worship, feed, and rest bullocks and oxen on this day.

Gauri Ganpati is an equally important day in the Eksar natives' religious calendar. Most households bring in Ganpati for seven days, while some opt for a twenty-one-day celebration. Local customs offer the goddess a naivedya of chimbori, or crab curry, upon Gauri's arrival on the fifth day, marking an important celebration. The Feryanchi Gani, a popular Gauri tradition in Eksar, is where women sing together and dance in a circular motion.

The Pithori Pooja is another notable local festive tradition. The amavasya (new moon) before Ganpati is known as Pithori Amavasya. Every household in Eksar worships Pithori Devi, considered an avatar of Goddess Parvati, to pray for their children's good health and the prosperity of the family.

Cultural Life

Every major festival in Eksar Gaothan followed an intriguing custom of organizing nataks (plays) based on historical, mythological, and social themes. The locals themselves wrote, produced, directed, and acted in these plays, highly anticipated by the village members as one of the few available modes of entertainment at the time.

The lalit was another interesting indigenous tradition. In the olden days, whenever a native of Eksar returned to the village after traveling, the locals would gather for a casual conversation about the traveler's experiences. The traveler would share the details of their journey and often entertain the crowd with humorous imitations of the people they encountered during their travels. As more people joined the conversation, it turned into a lively and laughter-filled gathering, providing the rest of the natives with a vicarious experience of the outside world without leaving the village. Lalits initially started spontaneously but later evolved into more organised performances for local audiences.

The Agris of Eksar have always valued the importance of language, literature, and performances, as evidenced by the examples above. Mr. Sandesh Bhoir, a poet who writes in the Agri dialect in order to preserve and promote it, states that “our language is our identity, and we are taking all possible efforts to preserve it. People have a misconceived stereotype of the Agri as a drunk and uncultured person, whereas the Agri community has produced multiple authors and poets who have contributed richly to the wider Marathi literature and culture. Anand Patil, who we Agris refer to as the Adya Kavi, wrote most of the popular devotional songs listened to across all Maharashtra households, such as 'Aika Satyanarayanchi Katha' and 'Paule Chalati Pandharichi Vaat'. We are engaging with people through Agri Sahitya Sammelan to show them this erudite side of Agri culture.”

Culinary and Wedding Traditions

Khaprachi bhakri, or rice bhakri made on a clay tawa or griddle, holds symbolic significance in traditional Agri cuisine. Originally consumed in all Agri households before wheat became popularly available in the markets of Mumbai, M. Mhatre notes that chapati made of wheat flour was a novelty in the olden days, with the native term for chapati being dashmi.

Several prominent dishes from Agri cuisine are associated with wedding rituals among Eksar natives. Bhokache vade and umbar vade are two mandatory items made during the wedding celebrations. The former is made from fermented rice flour and black lentils, while the latter is also prepared from the same dough, the only difference being a slight addition of sugar, giving umbar vade a sweeter taste. Women from the family and neighbourhood come together to fry this vade in huge quantities. Marking is an important aspect of the Agri weddings through collective vade-making.

Lagnacha mutton, or wedding mutton, is a legendary Agri meat preparation renowned among knowledgeable food enthusiasts in the city. A traditional and indispensable wedding meal in Eksar Gaothan consists of lagnacha mutton, bhokache vade, varan, and bhaat (toor dal and rice).

An integral aspect of Agri weddings is the presence of a Dhavlarin, akin to a priestess. Similar to the West African Griots, the Dhavlarin hold profound customary and ritualistic knowledge of Agri society. During earlier times, native families rarely consulted Brahmins to preside over religious and other ceremonies, and the Dhavlarin played a central role in guiding them through their rituals and ceremonies, particularly those related to weddings. Mr. Bhoir highlights the significance of the Dhavlarin in the socio-cultural life of the Agris, tracing the tradition back to the 12th–13th century, when Mahadamba, a disciple of Chakradhar Swami, established this tradition, making her the first Dhavlarin according to Agri beliefs.

The Dhavlarin plays a pivotal role in initiating and concluding every Agri wedding ceremony. She provides guidance to the family on the proper execution of rituals, accompanied by singing traditional songs unique to each ritual throughout the ceremony. For example, during the Vade Talne ceremony mentioned earlier, she sings songs to invoke the Agni Devta in the stove to heat the tava or frying vessels for the vade. Once the vade-frying ceremony is complete, she expresses gratitude to the Agni Devta through music, requesting that he rest after the ceremony.

Dechkun, an important ceremony in Agri weddings, involves arranging a pata (flat stone mortar) with numerous ceremonial items on top of it, as instructed by the Dhavlarins. This ceremony, conducted a day prior to the main wedding ceremony, serves to invite the gods to the upcoming wedding celebrations.

Agri-society never had, and still does not have, the concept of hunda (dowry). Instead, a traditional dej (bride price) system was prevalent, in which the groom's family offered their farm produce to the bride's family as a gesture of wedding honor. With changing times, this practice has ceased to exist.

Eksar and its inhabitants have resiliently weathered the changes of time, from the battles fought and immortalised in the 12th century AD to the present day, where urbanisation has replaced the battlefields and the farmlands. They steadfastly move forward into the future, cherishing their age-old customs and traditions with reverence.

Acknowledgement:

The author would like to thank Mohit Tamale and Harishchandra Thakur for their guidance and assistance with fieldwork.

Bibliography:

Karmarkar, Dipesh. "Understanding place names in ‘Mahikavati’s Bakhar’: A case of Mumbai-Thane region." Studies in Indian Place Names 31 (2012): 116–139.

टीम मटा ऑनलाइन. 'एक्सरचे वीरगळ'. Maharashtra Times. June 29, 2021. https://marathi.indiatimes.com/travel-news/article-about-eksar-borivali-virgal-or-hero-stones-by-dr-suraj-pandit/articleshow/83947944.cms. Accessed in February, 2024.

Padmakar Mhatre, in discussion with the author, February, 2024.

Sandesh Bhoir, in discussion with the author, February, 2024.

Pradip Mhatre, in discussion with the author, February, 2024.