The Snake Charmers

“A snake cannot bite a Jogi( snake charmers)  child, and even if it does, it will not harm our child since we administer a drop of snake venom as suti (first food) to our newborns. This establishes immunity against snake poison for their entire life,”

Jogis or snake charmers are a gypsy community in Sindh. They mostly wander around the entire year from one place to another, either in search of a livelihood or a snake. Temporary Jogi settlements can be found across Sindh, including in Thar Nabisar and Chelh Bund of Umerkot district, Rohri in Sukkur, Jhimpir and Makli in Thatta district, and Gadap Town of Karachi. Historically, Sindhi jogis included both Hindus and Muslims, but over time, most Muslim jogis left their ancestral profession of snake charming, got an education and secured government and private jobs. A few Muslim jogis still exist, but they are few and far between. A male Jogi earns money by making their serpents dance to the tune of the rhythm of the been (snake charmers’ flute). Women jogis are usually palmists, who go door to door to serve those interested in fortune-telling. Sometimes, they also earn money by cleaning ear wax — they carry a traditional, small pipe to suck and retrieve wax. Snake charmers like to keep three items that are believed to have magical significance, These are  Mann or Manka, Gidar singhi and Hatha joti. These are also given to daughters as a dowry when they get married with Rallis. Mann or manka is a black stone-like bead, which the jogis claim is actually taken from inside a snakehead. A gidar singhi is the horn of a special jackal that is as small as a squirrel and lives in mountainous or hilly areas. Hatha joti is the root of a certain plant that looks like human hands with folded arms. The gypsy tribe of jogis doesn’t take their sick to the hospital too often; most rely on traditional remedies and cures. A black thread tied with holy verses and wrapped in a leather amulet is considered the best treatment for many diseases.

50-year-old Snake Charmer Rallis in Balmain

Both our Ralli quilts are made by the Saami community of the Sindh region of Pakistan. Previously known as Swami now called  Saami,  they carry such quilts along with them and sit on them for their performances with their snakes. The running quilting stitches represent different kinds and types of snakes. Our quilts are 40/45 years of age approximately and have not used much so  are in excellent condition

What is a Ralli?

Every ralli quilt has a story. Each quilt illustrates the strength of tradition. Every ralli tells of natural creativity and love of colour and design by the women who create them. Examining a ralli gives clues to the life and community of the woman who made it. A specific old shawl as the back fabric indicates she was from an agricultural group, certain colours identify a specific community, and new cloth, sequins, beads and tassels indicate a ralli made for an important occasion such as a wedding. For those not from the culture of ralli makers, rallis is a way to help us understand more of lives, thoughts and creativity. In addition to creating beautiful designs with colours and shapes, they have developed a textile craft with universal appeal touching the senses of those far beyond their community and culture.

Ralli quilts are a visual feast of colour, pattern and energy. Rallis are made extensively in Pakistan in Sindh, Baluchistan, southern Punjab and in the Indian states of Rajasthan and Gujarat bordering Sindh. The quilts are called "ralli" (or rilli, rilly, rallee or rehli) derived from the local word ralanna meaning to mix or connect. Rallis are made by women of rural villages, nomadic tribes and settled towns. These areas are filled with hundreds of different groups and castes differentiated by religion, mainly Muslim and Hindu, and occupation. The occupations include farmers, herders, various craftsmen, businessmen and landowners.

Rallis are made from scraps of cotton fabric hand dyed to the desired colour. A typical ralli is about seven by four or five feet. Much of the fabric comes from old, worn shalwar kameez (traditional loose shirt and pant outfits). The most common colours in rallis are white, black, red, yellow, orange, green, dark blue and purple. However, there are some unique regional and tribal colour palettes. For the bottoms of the rallis, the women often use old pieces of tie-dye, ajrak (red and blue block printed material) or other shawl fabric. An old head shawl will usually be large enough for the back of the quilt minus about six inches on top and side that need piecing. Ralli quilts have three to five layers of worn fabric or cotton fibres between the top and bottom layers. The filling is basted to the backing using long stitches that are later removed. Usually, the piecing on the top is done by one woman. She calls on female family and friends to help with stitching the quilt together when she is ready. This is a time of talking, news sharing and singing for the women. To sew all three layers together, usually several women sit on opposite sides of the quilt placed on a reed mat on the ground. No quilting frame is used. The layers are sewed together by thick coloured thread stitched in straight, parallel lines. Depending on the thickness of the quilt and the skill of the quilters, the stitches may be as close as 1/8 inch apart.

The three basic styles of rallis are: 1) patchwork made from pieces of cloth torn into squares and triangles and then stitched together, 2) appliqué made from intricate, cut out patterns in a variety of shapes and 3) embroidered quilts where the embroidery stitches form patterns on solid coloured fabric. A distinguishing feature of ralli patterning in patchwork and appliqué quilts is the diagonal placement of similar blocks. Special rallis made for weddings or gifts often have a variety of embellishments including mirrors, tassels, shells and embroidery. There is much individual expression and spontaneity in colour within the traditional patterns resulting in a seemingly endless variety in rallis.

Rallis are commonly used as a covering for wooden sleeping cots called charpoys, storage bags, or padding for workers or animals after the quilts are worn out. Special rallis are made for weddings or as gifts to holy men. There are legends, folk songs and sayings about rallis. Owning many ralli quilts is a measure of wealth in rural areas. Yet the ralli is a humble craft, made of worn-out clothing and other discarded fabric. It is not usually bought or sold but made by women for use in their family. Occasionally, women will make rallis for sale. After the terrible floods in Pakistan in August 2010, many women are making rallis in the refugee camps as a way to earn money to return to their villages.

Ralli: History of Ralli Patterns

The women carefully form patterns and symbols from cloth, some simple and some complex. The women making the quilts rely on their own memories and the memories of their mothers and older women to teach them the patterns. They do not use paper or any tools to make their patterns. There could be a great variety of patterns and styles of rallis even in a small village or community. The women have a large “mental portfolio” of quilt patterns they have made, known or have seen. They often describe them historically as “old patterns” or “new patterns.” The age of a ralli is hard to determine. With daily wear, a quilt could show signs of wear in just a few years. However, if the ralli was kept in the family stack for use by guests, it could last generations.

The most famous embroidered rallis are from the nomadic Saami and Jogi (snake charmer) tribes from lower Sindh. On a solid fabric (usually black), they embroider a vast variety of beautiful and intricate designs using a thick thread that gives the impression of a printed pattern. The Jogi group more often uses a brown fabric. The stitches include running stitch, chain stitch, double chain Cretan stitch, feather stitch, herringbone stitch, interlacing stitch and others. Sometimes the quilters will make a quilt using running stitches on a printed fabric called a lassi (simple) ralli. In upper Sindh, appliqué blocks are sometimes alternated with embroidered blocks in a quilt. The stitch used in those is usually the complicated hoormutch interlacing stitch that is famous in south Asia.

Black Embroidered Saami Ralli

Mai Bhagi

Badin, Sindh, Pakistan

1990

Collection of the Michigan State University Museum acc.#2008:121.15

Reverance for Snakes

The snake primarily represents rebirth, death and mortality, due to its casting of its skin and being symbolically "reborn". Over a large part of India there are carved representations of cobras or nagas or stones as substitutes. To these  food and flowers are offered and lights are burned before the shrines. Among some Indians, a cobra which is accidentally killed is burned like a human being; no one would kill one intentionally. The serpent-god's image is carried in an annual procession by a celibate priestess.

Nag panchami is an important Hindu festival associated with snake worship which takes place of the fifth day of Shravana (July–August). Snake idols are offered gifts of milk and incense to help the worshipper to gain knowledge, wealth, and fame.

The famous Shesha (Sanskrit: Śeṣa), also known as Sheshanaga (Śeṣanāga) or Adishesha (Ādi Śeṣa), is the nagaraja or King of all Nāgas and one of the primal beings of creation. In the Puranas, Shesha is said to hold all the planets of the universe on his hoods and to constantly sing the glories of the God Vishnu from all his mouths. He is sometimes referred to as Ananta Shesha, which translates as endless-Shesha or Adishesha "first Shesha". It is said that when Adishesa uncoils, time moves forward and creation takes place; when he coils back, the universe ceases to exist.

Vishnu is often depicted as resting on Shesha. Shesha is considered a devotee or bhakt of Vishnu. He is said to have descended to Earth in the human forms or avatars: Lakshmana, brother of Vishnu's avatar Rama during Treta Yuga, and as Balarama, brother of Vishnu's avatar Krishna during Dvapara Yuga.

At the Met

1886

India

This print depicts Vishnu Narayana— the primordial god who resides in water (nara)—stirring from his slumber on the cosmic ocean supported by the divine serpent Shesha, a celebrated moment that marks the end of the monsoon season and the beginning of a new age. Here Vishnu is accompanied by an assembly of gods, including his wife Lakshmi (left) and two divine devotees (right), a kneeling Garuda, and the ancient sage Narada, who is here likely modelled on the Vaishnava saint Tyagaraja (1767–1847), a celebrated devotee (bhakta) famed for the songs he composed in praise of Vishnu

Credits

Dawn.com

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