HYDERABAD: Diwali may be the festival of lights for most of us, but for the Dandari-Gussadi tribe of Adilabad, it is a story of them ‘becoming gods’. The tribe, popularly known as the Gonds, celebrates the festival as ‘Diwadi’ for nine days. The sacred ritual, which involves a folk dance, dates back to 4,500 years ago. Not much of it has changed, except for the fact that the ritual is gradually getting diluted with modern ways of life.
Hyderabad-based filmmaker Jennifer Alphonse, who has lived and documented the tribe’s lifestyle, launched her documentary, Raj Gonds, on one of Asia’s most ancient tribes and a coffee table book, Gussadi — Celebration of Being God!, at Kalakriti Art Gallery in Banjara Hills on November 27. With a sense of adventure and a hunger to explore the remote tribal pockets of Telangana, Jennifer first visited Adilabad in 2014.
“Anthropologists and the locals in the village suggest that the tradition is as old as Mohenjodaro. There is a stark resemblance in the culture that dates back to 25th century BCE. So, I took six years to document it,” says the filmmaker.
According to her, their way of life has not changed much over the years, but the world around them has. “You can see young boys in traditional attire wearing sunglasses. One day, I remember Diwali was around the corner and I stumbled upon this spectacular, centuries-old nine-day custom called Gussadi. I was fascinated by its history and biting satire,” says Jennifer.
Feeling a phenomenal connection with the tribe, their ceremonies, traditions, culture and their environment, she says her book is like a window into their mystic world. “The outside world can see what I saw, and through this body of work I want to ensure that the legacy of Gussadi and the ancient traditions is preserved in these photographs and stories for future generations. In these six years, I have witnessed urbanisation in their cultural lifestyles and geography. If they are not documented and preserved, there will be a huge loss of traditional insights,” she says.
The filmmaker has dedicated her photographs to the tribesmen. “I want them to see it and feel proud of who they are and what their true identity is, so that their future generations and students across the world can access and learn about their traditions,” says Jennifer. After completing her MBA, Jennifer took up a Film Appreciation Course at the Film and Television Institute of India. Her first short fiction film, Kachra, won three Golden Nandi State Awards and several other international awards.