Grant aid sought for preservation of Jokumara tradition
Communities in north Karnataka are requesting government welfare support and formal recognition for the traditional Jokumara festival. Protesters are seeking annual grants and monthly honorariums for women who preserve the folk arts associated with the deity.
Why it matters
This highlights the struggle of marginalized communities to preserve cultural heritage while facing economic hardship and seeking state-sponsored social security.
Communities traditionally associated with the Jokumara festival in north Karnataka have urged the State government to extend welfare support and recognise their cultural practices.
Women carrying idols of the folk deity Jokumara in wooden baskets staged a protest outside the Deputy Commissioner’s office in Kalaburagi on Wednesday.
T.D. Raj, founder-secretary of the Budakattu Samudayagala Samskritika Sahitya Parishat, said communities such as Koli, Kabbaliga, Besta, Tokari Koli, Valikara, Talawara, Jamadar, Naikodi and Natikara had been observing the Jokumara festival for generations, particularly after Ganesh Chaturthi.
As part of the tradition, women carry clay idols of Jokumara, a popular folk deity, in wooden baskets, visit households singing folk songs and receive grains as offerings. Dr. Raj said the practice was confined to these communities and formed an important part of their cultural heritage.
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