MERASI

Merasi is the community-chosen designation for a Muslim people of a hereditary folk music tradition living in the Jaisalmer District of western Rajasthan, India.

 

 

A subset of the broader historical term Mirasi, Merasi means ‘those who carry the inheritance’ and refers to their legacy as storytellers of local history. The spelling "Meerasee" for these Muslim hereditary musicians in Rajasthan can also be found in some of the earliest accounts of the colonial British.

 

 

For centuries, the royal families of Jaisalmer and upper-caste families have largely patronized the Merasi. They are bound by traditional practices of a rigid hierarchy and are largely identified by the local caste label Manganiar, (Manganiyar, Manganir, and Mangnyar,) a derogatory term meaning beggar and stemming from the word “mang,” to beg.

Today, the Merasi reclaim their dignity by identifying themselves as “Merasi.”

MANGANIYAR NO MORE, WE ARE MERASI!

 

RELIGIOUS BACKGROUND

It is believed that that some of the Jaisalmer Merasi were forcibly converted from Hinduism in the 17th Century and were originally Dholi, the derogatory label for a Hindu caste of musicians in the area who play the dhol.

The religious practices of the Jaisalmer Merasi display aspects of both Hinduism and Islam. They may practice halal (food prepared according to Muslim law) yet also feature the Hindu swastika symbol on their primary instrument, the Merasi Dhol.

 

 

While the community identifies as Sunni Muslim, they provide music at Hindu shrines, temples, festivals, and within other ritual contexts. Most Merasi worship the local Hindu Sati Goddess, Rani Bhatiyani Sa. 

 

CONTEMPORARY MERASI NOTABLES

Musse Khan, the elected head of the Jaisalmer Merasi for more than two decades, leads his community estimated at 20,000.

Weddings, festivals, media, and tourism offer the Merasi musical opportunities, but the local status quo still demands that the community beg for survival and maintain caste tradition.

 

 

Recently, some Jaisalmer Merasi such as Swaroop Khan, Mame Khan, and Moti Khan, have found success in television, film and on international platforms, but the tendency to be labeled as Manganiyar by the status quo persists.

NGO Lok Kala Sagar Sansthan Director Dr. Sarwar Khan received an honorary PHD from Maine College of Art in 2008 for his work in the Preservation of his community’s Intangible Cultural Heritage.

 

 

MERASI OF THE THAR DESERT

In addition to living in the city of Jaisalmer, Musse Khan gauges that the Merasi people live in 200 Gaon (villages) in the Jaisalmer District, including the seasonal camps for farming and livestock.

They usually live in settlements called dhanis, which are either segregated by caste from the main part of the village or situated on its fringe.

 

 

Recently, male Merasi have migrated to Mumbai and other urban locations in search of jobs and educational opportunities.

 

INGRAINED INEQUALITY

Islam does not institutionalize caste. However, as reported in a UN Resolution, caste adherence is practiced by both Hindu and non-Hindu communities in India.

Jaisalmer Merasi receive commission based upon a system known as the jajmani, or patrimony, system. Under this system, the musician’s main occupation is meant to be serving his jajman in an inherited and exclusive relationship, much like indentured servitude.

Patrons of the Merasi are both Hindu and Muslim depending on the place of residency, with the majority being Hindu Rajputs.

 

 

The Merasi are the keepers of their patrons’ genealogies. The recitation of the genealogy is called the shubhraj, which is a long list of ancestors spoken in cadence without instruments, sometimes lasting for more than an hour and reinforcing a position of superiority.

A compulsory component of the Merasi repertoire, it is also referred to as Kamma Ghani (also transliterated as Kamanganee or Kamangani).

Jaisalmer Dagga Mir Merasi (the musician families of the Jaisalmer Maharaja) can recite genealogies that go back 36 generations.

 

THE MERASI DHOL

“Within the confines of a small home among the stretches of desert landscape in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, the vibrant beat of the Dhol echoes off of the adobe walls and dirt floor. It fills the space with a tangible sense of history, identity and faith.” —Justine, FAR Volunteer

Merasi musicians are only touched by the upper-caste at weddings, when the musician and his Dhol are joyfully welcomed by the song “Dhol mangal le Dhadi gohar aayo” or  “do welcome our musician who with his Dhol is bringing happiness and good luck to our home.”

Each Merasi forehead and Dhol receives a vermilion tikka (dot) before Lord Ganesha, the remover of obstacles.

 

 

Historically, Merasi drums were timepieces used to inform residents of Jaisalmer of the king’s daily activities, with the Dhol noting the morning and evening rituals of worship in the temple of the Goddess Rani Bhatiyani Sa.

Specific duties give a Merasi Dhol its unique energy. The Goddess Bhatiyani Sa’s Dhol is housed and can only be played in the sacred context of her temple by the Dagga Mir, specific Merasi families who facilitate the possession of devotees.

Historically, Vedi Dhols were played when the sacred texts called Vedas were read; Nakh Dhols charmed different castes of cobras; and Kirli Dhols were used during wartime to rouse the energy of warrior Rajputs.

 

 

Each side of the Dhol has a gender. The right side is female (madi) and the left side is male (nar), producing a lower pitched sound created by the application of a gum, made with different materials depending on the drum’s context.

For example, at the Rani Bhatiyani Sa’s temple, the gum is made with the temple incense myrrh.

Before sitting down to play the Dhol, a Merasi will touch both of his ears with his right hand, acknowledging his guru and Saraswati, the Hindu Goddess of music and the arts.

 

 

Regrettably, the role of the Merasi Dhol has diminished in contemporary times. Shifts in temple governance have led to the discontinuation of musicians in some of the Bhatiyani Sa’s temples and shrines. Today, modern technology is replacing the use of musicians with sound systems and DJs. 

One way to support the preservation of Merasi Music is to join us in our 2016 Tour--

MERASI: Master Musicians of Rajasthan

 

Proud to be Merasi