Aloo's village is on a plain table land on top of a hill belonging to western ghats. The mumbai local can take you to within 4-5 Kms from his residence. He was inducted into services when in Nineteen Seventees there was labor shortage and then scouts would be sent to nearby Adivasi villages asking if anyone was interested in job. His wife passed away sometimes back and now his complete salary goes for the welfare of his two sons.
The eldest with his wife just came back from jungle after cutting wood for their fuel needs. The son only had a blue short and a muscular body drenced in sweat. The wife had skirt like saree and a blouse. That is the standard dress for a normal adivasi. Only thing that distinguished them from us was their instant happiness. They were glad and unihibited in interacting with us. The smile baring all teeth while talking was a glowing tribute that man can be happy in most isolated of places even if he was just returning from cutting wood.
Most of elders go to jungle in day and the youths go to various services in mumbai city. there are few who go to Dadar to sell leaves in bulk, sometimes in Monsoon they carry crabs to market of Kalyan. The ladies travel many kilometers to carry and bring home water and some have bullock cart especially designed to bring in a small tank of water. About 20 people can sit in a single jeep to reach to their respective villages. All houses carry the same pattern and have wooden roof with a opening that is closed by conical array of ghaprels (mud tiles). Their tea has special flavor of a grass that they put while they boil it. Their language is similar to but unlike marathi. The truck driver did not take money from us after he dropped us back to the highway.The truck ride gave us most spectacular view of nashik highway and surrounding hills .They are simple adivasi.
The eldest with his wife just came back from jungle after cutting wood for their fuel needs. The son only had a blue short and a muscular body drenced in sweat. The wife had skirt like saree and a blouse. That is the standard dress for a normal adivasi. Only thing that distinguished them from us was their instant happiness. They were glad and unihibited in interacting with us. The smile baring all teeth while talking was a glowing tribute that man can be happy in most isolated of places even if he was just returning from cutting wood.
Most of elders go to jungle in day and the youths go to various services in mumbai city. there are few who go to Dadar to sell leaves in bulk, sometimes in Monsoon they carry crabs to market of Kalyan. The ladies travel many kilometers to carry and bring home water and some have bullock cart especially designed to bring in a small tank of water. About 20 people can sit in a single jeep to reach to their respective villages. All houses carry the same pattern and have wooden roof with a opening that is closed by conical array of ghaprels (mud tiles). Their tea has special flavor of a grass that they put while they boil it. Their language is similar to but unlike marathi. The truck driver did not take money from us after he dropped us back to the highway.The truck ride gave us most spectacular view of nashik highway and surrounding hills .They are simple adivasi.
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