The Warli tribe settled along the Maharashtra and Gujarat state border are supposed to be one of the original inhabitants of the Konkan region. Over a period spanning a number of decades they have assimilated with many other tribals such as the Bhils, Kunbis of Konkan, and Kolis of Maharashtra. The mythological narratives belonging to Warli tribe reveal that their gods have been assimilated from various other tribes. According to K. J. Save, originally the god Naran Dev belonged to the Dodiya tribe. It is said that Naran dev did not like the songs sung in his praise by Dodiya tribals and ran away. As he was wandering through the jungle he heard songs sung in praise of the Sun by someone. He loved the songs so much that he decided to follow the person singing the songs. Bhagat the singer was from the Warli tribe and by following his song Naran dev ended up among the Warlis. Since then Naran dev is worshipped by both Warlis and Dodiya tribes.
Warlis narrate following myth about the birth of Naran dev
One day long before the birth of Naran dev, his future mother got her menstrual periods. She went and washed her soiled clothes in the sea. But the Sea God did not like menstrual rags being washed in the sea and the waters receded till it was beyond her reach. The woman was disappointed as she could not wash her blood stained clothes. So she went to the nearby river. But there too, the river showed its displeasure and dried out. In the end she returned home in dismay without washing her clothes. As there was no way to wash the blood stained clothes she buried them in her cowshed. Few days later a bamboo shoot sprang from the buried clothes and a baby was born out of the sapling. The woman named the baby Naran.
Naran grew up into a courageous boy and soon came to be known as the saviour/hero of the tribe. One day he asked his mother how he was born? And the mother narrated the sequence of events that led to his birth. Naran got infuriated with the Sea God and River God for humiliating his mother. He ordered Meghraj not to rain anymore. And thus it stopped raining on earth for next 24 years. Draught affected both humans and gods as well. Gods and humans started wandering across the earth in search of water.
While searching for water, Gods came across Sadada fruit and sucked its juice to quench their thirst. The Sadada fruit is known to give immortality to person who consumes it, thus gods became immortal. But without water they too could not escape their misery. Finally they approached Naran and asked for forgiveness on behalf of Sea and River Gods. Naran too realised the massive misery he was inflicting upon humans and gods and took pity on them, and asked Meghraj to send the rains back on earth. Everything thus returned to normal and the Gods and humans were happy.
The Gods immediately crowned him as their supreme god.
Story Collected by : Vidya Kamat
Source: Warlis by K.J. Save
Location : Maharashtra
Image Copyright : Vidya Kamat
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