Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Tribal Visits Around The Market Town of
Virampur
Two visits were scheduled to visit Tribal Villages around the small market town of
Virampur. Once in Virampur, we walked up and down the short street filled with Grasia,
Marawari Rabari (shepherds), Byhat, Rawal, Thakor, Porters and who knows how many oth-
er tribal groups. The Grasia were always recognizable wearing their distinctive jackets. Oth-
er than the Grasia, I never knew who I was looking at unless told. To make it even more con-
fusing, they mix-and-match other tribe's clothing. Color, color, color everywhere. Vibrant
and filmy shawls with sparkly sequins in a hot pink, accessorized with tons of silvery jew-
elry and bangles.
We watched the local blacksmith. Passed a tiny, local post office that has daily delivery
and pick up. Marveled at people cramming themselves into local transport, jeeps, trucks, on
top, inside, hanging off the sides. Niru counted
46 people smooshed inside one jeep
! How
could they breathe!
Niru led us in and out of houses surrounding Virampur, explaining, translating questions
from both us and the welcoming, hospitable locals. There wasn't one household that didn't
offer to make tea. One family said, “How honored they were that a wealthy family from
America would take time to visit with them.” They also said we were “next to God"! That's
a first, according to my adult children, who prefer to describe us as "controlling, meddling,
bossy, interfering..."
Note
: It's useless to explain that we
aren't
wealthy Americans. To the majority of the world,
all Americans are wealthy thanks to movies and television.
Not only that,
everyone
wanted their picture taken. Mother's held up babies. Men
stopped in the street to pose. Teenagers gathered in groups. And then they'd stand around
me, thrilled to see the finished product on the camera. Niru whispered, "Just take them all
and delete later."
The Indian Government gives the tribal people grants for homes and
unemployment
benefits
in exchange for road work; a minimum of 120 Rupees a day for 100 days. The en-
tire area had verdant, blooming fields of yellow mustard waving in the breeze, potatoes, and
rice. These people are very self-sufficient. Their houses may look poor but looks are deceiv-
ing. They are quite well off and I'd like to repeat again; there may be litter along the roads,
but local houses, courtyards and compounds are
immaculate
.
Remembering our visit to Bahucharaji Temple with its hair cutting ritual, we noticed two
little boys who still had long hair. The people usually do shave the boy's head at age five
