Johaar Maai-baap Johaar

 Johaar Maai-baap Johaar - Abhang by Sant Chokamela

This is one abhang sung very rarely. One can experience the pains of caste discrimination existed in those days through this Abhang though this abhang is intended to be a token of human's surrender to Super power God.

जोहार मायबाप जोहार | तुमच्या महाराचा मी महार ||१||

बहु भुकेला जाहलों | तुमच्या उष्ट्यासाठी आलों ||२||

बहु केली आस | तुमच्या दासाचा मी दास ||३||

चोखा म्हणे पाटी| आणिली तुमच्या उष्ट्यासाठी

If required, listen to the great Kumar Gandharva or Manjusha-Kulkarni-Patils' rendition by searching in Youtube

Johar is the way of Salutation. It is how the downtrodden or the lower caste people addresses Upper caste people. In Odiya Johar is used for greeting or saluting someone. Johar also meant “warrior”. In Hindi, it means self-immolation (The Rajput Queens used to commit this – Sati), however in this abhang, in this context, it is referring to Salutations.

Johar Maibaap – meaning Salutations to Thee! My father and Mother; which implies that Lord Vithhal showers love on us like a mother and at the same time, He is as protective as a father. When one addresses a person as mai-baap, it means that he has thoroughly surrendered himself at the hands of the one whom he/ she termed as Mai-baap. Here, Sant Chokamela terms Lord Vithhal as mai-baap meaning he had surrendered himself at the hands of Lord Vitthal (just as a kid surrenders to its parents). He surrenders himself with utmost respect and love.

Sant Chokamela further says, “Your Majesty, I am a Mahar (considered as low-caste people who were denied entry into any temple in those days). Today, Mahar is classified under SC/ST category. In olden times, the caste system discriminated against them in many ways. Mahars used to work as unpaid labour. Perturbed by the caste discrimination, Sant Chokamela, complains to Lord Vithhal saying that he is lowest even to the low-class clan. I am low to the lowest – Maharacha Mahar… he says. So the saint is saying that he is so lowly, i.e. a Mahar to your Mahar.

While the above lines are intended to be a token of one’s surrender or submission to God, the metaphors used are indicative of the social norms existed at that time. Due to his caste, he was not allowed to enter the temple of Lord Vitthala, whom he so earnestly worshipped. Mahars used to visit the houses of the upper-caste people, beg for the left-over food (from yesterday) bring home and eat them. They were not paid for their labour but were provided food (mostly leftovers). I am so hungry to have your leftovers. He says, “I am too hungry, I have come to collect the left overs of you..”

He continues, “I have sustained much hopes on you, I am servant of your servants, or Mahar of Mahars, You are my ray of hope, provide me with the left overs…” (Leftover here refers to His Prasad, or blessings)

Paati means afterwards, it also means protect. Ushtyasaathi means “for the sake of left-overs” or “for the sake of lazy-creed”. Anili means Ray.

The story of how the saint died is also noteworthy in this regard. He was from the town of Mangalwedha (in Solapur district of Maharashtra), and was working as a mason in the construction of the city wall. In an unfortunate accident, a section of the wall collapsed on him, thus killing him instantly.

Sant Chokhamela was not allowed to enter the temple till his death. It is said that his bones chanted the name of Lord Vitthal and they were buried at the entrance of the temple. So, any pilgrim visiting the temple first pays obeisance to Sant Chokhamela at the entrance, and then enters the sanctum to worship the Lord.

Another view of looking at the term Johar used in this Abhang:

“Johaar” is a salutation widely used in Orissa. One has to find out why only Mahars in Maharashtra use the term Johar for Salutations. Mahars had a peripheral place in the general scheme of a village. They couldn’t own land, had responsibility to provide security to the village, to act as runners in order to deliver messages to nearby villages etc. It might be the result of a migration to Maharashtra - much later, after the land was owned and the powers-that-be already established in villages. There used to be a particular custom in a traditional village - Mahars had to go to the house of the chief of the village in the morning, bow to him saying “johaar” and get leftover food from him. This looks like a typical condition that a chieftain would impose while agreeing to let the needy migrants stay; making sure that the future generations know who is the boss.

Now the question is - Did they migrate from Orissa? If so, under what circumstances? Have a few Oriya surnames with prefix “Maha” given the name “Mahar” to this community of migrants? Had there been circumstances in the history of Orissa, causing a migration - maybe like a bloody invasion of Kalinga? – One is not sure.