The Tanjore Deshastha Marathas are descendents of Venkoji Raje Bhonsale, a brother of Maratha warrior Chhatrapati Shivaji, who expanded the Maratha kingdom in southern India. Madurai has less than 75 families from this community, who first made Tanjore their home and then migrated further south to Madurai and Ramanathapuram.
Hailing from various parts of Maharashtra, people from this community accompanied their kings in pursuit of expanding their kingdom and later settled down to help govern the newly invaded land. Venkoji was one of the first known Tanjore Marathas. A larger part of the migration of these people from their homeland to Tamil Nadu took place between 1712 and 1726, when Serfoji I invited the brahmins from his homeland and offered them vast lands. Records showed that the migrations ceased after 1855, says Yeshwanth Rao, a member of the Mahratta Education Fund (MEF), an organisation of this community. "Madurai is our home now. We visit our native place only about once a year, for the annual ritual of praying to the family deity," he says.
The Tanjore Marathas are passionate about preserving their tradition and very rarely agree to marriage alliances with the locals here. "When it comes to marriage, we prefer to go in search of brides and grooms back in Maharashtra or Central India," said Jagadish, a Maharashtrian. S Janaki, a housewife, says the nine yard sari is the mandatory costume that a bride wears during her marriage rituals. This pure cotton sari is dipped in turmeric to give it the yellow colour which signifies prosperity. Their marriages bring to life many rituals from the past including 'antharpat', 'kanyadan' and 'kanka' which are absent in many Hindu marriages. "Grandeur and rituals are the very essence of a Maratha wedding," says another member of the community, Shaji Rao.
Most people from this community hold important positions in government departments as they make dedicated and good workers. However, many of their aristocratic houses concentrated around the Dhanappa Mudali Street in the heart of Madurai city and places like Ayyer Banglow, have now been sold out or converted into ultra modern structures. Regular festivals and bhajans organised at the Madurai Sethuram Bhajan Mandali is their way of protecting and keeping their traditions, culture and language intact. They speak Marathi at home and classes are conducted at the MEF for teaching the language to the younger generation.
The original recipe for the traditional Tamil Nadu sambar, was brought from Maharashtra by the cooks of this community. Tamilians substituted the original ingredient 'kokum' with tamarind pulp to produce the present day sambar. 'Puranpoli', a Maharashtrian sweetmeat made with dal, flour and jaggery also became a household sweet in Tamil Nadu.
Madurai District Mahratta Mandal president Ganesh Rao, says that at present, their organisation has about 500 members from 60 families registered with them. "We were basically soldiers and were backward in education, but now our people shine in almost every sphere of life," he said. The mandal plans to hold a communal conclave in Madurai in September this year inviting their people from all parts of Tamil Nadu, in order to enhance their cultural activities in this region, he added.
Source : TOI
Hailing from various parts of Maharashtra, people from this community accompanied their kings in pursuit of expanding their kingdom and later settled down to help govern the newly invaded land. Venkoji was one of the first known Tanjore Marathas. A larger part of the migration of these people from their homeland to Tamil Nadu took place between 1712 and 1726, when Serfoji I invited the brahmins from his homeland and offered them vast lands. Records showed that the migrations ceased after 1855, says Yeshwanth Rao, a member of the Mahratta Education Fund (MEF), an organisation of this community. "Madurai is our home now. We visit our native place only about once a year, for the annual ritual of praying to the family deity," he says.
The Tanjore Marathas are passionate about preserving their tradition and very rarely agree to marriage alliances with the locals here. "When it comes to marriage, we prefer to go in search of brides and grooms back in Maharashtra or Central India," said Jagadish, a Maharashtrian. S Janaki, a housewife, says the nine yard sari is the mandatory costume that a bride wears during her marriage rituals. This pure cotton sari is dipped in turmeric to give it the yellow colour which signifies prosperity. Their marriages bring to life many rituals from the past including 'antharpat', 'kanyadan' and 'kanka' which are absent in many Hindu marriages. "Grandeur and rituals are the very essence of a Maratha wedding," says another member of the community, Shaji Rao.
Most people from this community hold important positions in government departments as they make dedicated and good workers. However, many of their aristocratic houses concentrated around the Dhanappa Mudali Street in the heart of Madurai city and places like Ayyer Banglow, have now been sold out or converted into ultra modern structures. Regular festivals and bhajans organised at the Madurai Sethuram Bhajan Mandali is their way of protecting and keeping their traditions, culture and language intact. They speak Marathi at home and classes are conducted at the MEF for teaching the language to the younger generation.
The original recipe for the traditional Tamil Nadu sambar, was brought from Maharashtra by the cooks of this community. Tamilians substituted the original ingredient 'kokum' with tamarind pulp to produce the present day sambar. 'Puranpoli', a Maharashtrian sweetmeat made with dal, flour and jaggery also became a household sweet in Tamil Nadu.
Madurai District Mahratta Mandal president Ganesh Rao, says that at present, their organisation has about 500 members from 60 families registered with them. "We were basically soldiers and were backward in education, but now our people shine in almost every sphere of life," he said. The mandal plans to hold a communal conclave in Madurai in September this year inviting their people from all parts of Tamil Nadu, in order to enhance their cultural activities in this region, he added.
Source : TOI
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