Beliefs and Practices of Jogi (Snake Charmers) Community A Case study of Umer-Kot Tharparker

Abstract

Nomadic communities remained interesting point of documentation for the anthropologists for their interesting ways of living. The study majorly deals with the lifestyle of the Jogi communities living in Sindh. There were many Jogi tribes living in Sindh, but from them only Dayah caste/community selected to find out their interaction with nature and surroundings. Their beliefs and practices in a year cycle and their lifestyle as well as their understanding of life. The study conducted in Umer kot and in-depth interviews administered to document the livelihood patterns of the community. Overall, study has three major objectives e.g. documentation of the beliefs of the community the second one was to explore the livelihood characteristics and their economic circle and documentation of their practices and social organization of the community to find out their ways of living and carrying the heritage of the ancestors. To make it happened, a number of anthropological tools were utilized e.g. participant observation, key-informant discussions and their equal participation for data collection and verification of data and in-depth interview schedule for data collection, in last the case studies for enriching the existing thesis were part of the thesis. Findings of the study revealed that the community was living very tough life; they were transforming their tradition from generation to generation up-till now, but now due to some external factors e.g. environmental and social they were changing their economic professions for better livelihood. Their lives majorly based on charming snakes and trade of them. They were performers who visited door to door for their animal performance and earn livelihood, but due to telecommunication e.g. TV, now the performing arts were not appreciated as it was in past. Therefore, for the survival of their families the profession of bagging was second major alternative profession by the community. Modernization and advancement in medical industry, easy access to medical facility centers took the medicinal role of Charmers and they lost one of major source of income for their survival. In young generations, love to the profession of snake charming was limited; parents also motivated their children to learn some other technical skills for their livelihood other than bagging and snake charming. Though the community was living very hand to mouth life but they still loved their traditions and do not wanted to leave it, because it was in their blood according to the community members.