Calling Bhagoriya an elopement fest distorts its cultural meaning: Scholar

Indore: A festival often described from the outside through rumour and spectacle found its own voice at Walpur in Alirajpur this week. As crowds gathered for the annual Bhagoriya haat ahead of Holi, members of the tribal community openly challenged the long-standing claim that the event is a platform for elopement."For 35 years I witnessed this fair. My forefathers came here long before me," Padam Singh, one of the organisers, told TOI. "It is an important festival for us. The rumours that girls run away with boys from here are wrong. Its not a love fest nor Valentine's day." A widely circulated claim suggests that in some places tribal youths signal a proposal by applying gulal to a girl, and that her acceptance is followed by the pair leaving together to marry. Community members, however, describe this as a misinterpretation rather than an established custom. Attri Chouhan, a BSc second-year student studying in Indore, said the narrative circulating outside the community is a myth. "This is our traditional gathering before Holi. We come to the mela to purchase essentials and meet relatives. Marriage decisions are not made like this. They involve our families," she said. "If any boy tries to harass us, we will respond firmly." Prof. Sakharam Mujalde, Head of the School of Tribal Studies at DAVV, explained that "These were seasonal markets tied to ritual preparation and community exchange. Over time, changes in pronunciation and outside interpretation altered its meaning to Bhagoriya," he said.Historically, Bhagoriya served as moving marketplaces where forest produce, agricultural tools, sweets and household goods were traded.