Village Description Bhokar village

Description of our Project village Bhokar

The Tribe Bhils are popularly known as the bowmen of Rajasthan, India.  They are the most widely distributed tribal group in India. They form the largest tribe of the entire South Asia.   In ancient days they lived in isolated places to protect themselves.  They felt that the hilltops were more secure and lived there. But now they live in villages also.

They are very superstitious. They normally live in a hut but change their dwelling frequently when they fall ill. The walls of the huts are made out of sticks and smeared with mud. The roofs are covered with sugarcanes leaves.  During the rainy season, they cover the sugarcane leaves with plastic sheets to prevent rainwater from entering their hut.

Presently at Bhokar village , where our project has been started,  a very small population of 250 people live here.  They have their own political system, by which they settle their disputes.  They don't intermarry among other tribes.  They give much importance to dance, drinking and music. This is the major entertainment for them .It's also a good exercise for them. They are talented at making sculptures. They make beautiful horses, elephants and deities out of clay.  They don’t have a good moral and healthy value which leads to an immoral lifestyle and other addictions and eventually ends up in violence and poverty followed by malnutrition and disease.

Men work as labourers in different agricultural works. Some of them collect honey from the forest and sell it in the town. They also earn their living by hunting animals and trapping birds. 

Women are very closely associated with activities like collecting fuel-wood and cutting grasses for selling. They also cook food for the family and take care of their children. In their culture women are not allowed to participate in public meetings.  But in the family, women are dominant.

There are 35 Children living without guidance and basic needs like food and clothing. Only few of them go to school and others roam in the jungle to hunt and trap birds like their fathers.  They have poor health and their mortality rates are high.  We want to brighten the future of these children through the child sponsorship programme of Fida International.