Ramnami Tribe:
Two members of the Ramnami tribe became emotional when the Prime Minister broke the protocol allowing them to adorn him with their traditional headgear- peacock feather crown- recently.
- The Ramnamis are a unique sect from Chhattisgarh, India, who tattoo the name “Ram” on their bodies and faces.
- The Ramnami Samaj is a movement that came up in what is now central and northern Chhattisgarh in the 19th century as an act of peaceful resistance against the caste system in India that denied many of them entry to temples.
- According to a popular legend, it was started by Parsuram Bhardwaj, the son of a low-caste sharecropper.
- More than 100 years ago, the sect decided to tattoo their bodies and faces with the name of nirgun (unmanifest) Ram to show that Ram, or God, was omnipresent and everywhere.
- In 1910, the Ramnami Samaj was taken to court by upper-caste Hindu groups over this unique practice, but they won the case and the right to inscribe Ram’s name on their bodies, clothing, and living spaces.
- Ramnamis emphasize worshiping Ram in any form, whether in saffron robes or with a shaved head.
- They prioritize gender equality and adorn themselves with ‘ghungroos’ and a crown crafted from peacock feathers.
- In Chhattisgarh, ‘ghungroos’ play a vital role in their dances and Bhajan performances.
- Their white attires were also decorated with the name of Ram, while the peacock feathers on their headgear held a rich mythological significance.
- At one time, their population stood anywhere near 6 lakh, but it has come down to 100,000, with some estimates suggesting only 20,000 Ramnami remain.
