Potraj: A Man Who Wears Ghagra and Whips Himself

Even a little amount of physical hurt can make people wince and scream in agony. However, men belonging to the potraj tribe in Maharashtra whip their bare backs cruelly and instead of crying out in pain, they dance along to the beats of drums played by the women in their tribe.

Potraj. Image Source: fizdi.com

A man with long hair, haldi and kumkum on his forehead, ghungroo patta (belt) tied to his waist, wearing a skirt hanging with colorful cloth pieces, bare-chested coupled with a long whip in his hand, this visualization may appear bizarre to some, but not to people in Maharashtra. This is a rudimentary description of potraj, men belonging to a disappearing nomadic tribe that hails from Maharashtra.

Linguistic experts state that the name Potraj is derived from the Tamil word potturaju. Potraj are considered to be the link or the messenger between the goddess Kadak Lakshmi or Mariaai and her devotees. As a result, often widely known as Lakshmiaaiwala or Mariaaiwala.

In ancient times, rural people believed pandemics, droughts, and other natural disasters are the wrath of mariaai to punish her devotees for their sins. Thus, to please the goddess and ask forgiveness, every village was assigned a potraj, a true worshiper of the goddess and gramadevta.

Then the respective potraj would come into the village, usually on Tuesdays and Fridays, to listen to the problems of the villagers and convey them to the goddess. However, the communication with the goddess was not simple, as the potraj would have to smack himself heavily with a whip generally made up of jute, woven coir, or leather. On the other hand, the female from the potraj tribe would play drums with a small idol of the deity placed on her head.

Female of the potraj tribe with the idol of the goddess. Image Source: Dreamstime.com.

After each whip, he would say ‘Baye Daar Ughad...’ (goddess, open your door) and each whip would get heavier and grislier to please the goddess by showing his devotion. The bareback would develop marks but instead of crying in self-infliction, potraj would twirl and dance to the beats of the drum. People would mention their problems one by one and potraj would ask the goddess to solve them while whipping himself. In return for his favor, the villagers would give them grains and money which was the livelihood of professional potraj.

Being a potraj is a family tradition, and a legacy that is transferred from generation to generation. To get tolerant of the pain, children would start their potraj training at an early age of six or seven years. However, with various child protection laws, governmental schemes, and awareness in society, cruel practices like these are coming to an end.

Adult and young potraj together. Image Source: Marathi Vishwakosh

Over the years, many superstitious customs are meeting their ends. The same goes for the potraj tribe. Trying to come into the mainstream by educating their children and seeking other stable income sources, the potraj tribe is rapidly vanishing. Even so, not only in villages but also in cities like Pune and Mumbai, there are professional communities of potraj. And they can be seen walking around the road in their potraj attire as they still believe in their family traditions.