The disappearing poem

Domain:Traditional craftsmanship

State:

Description:

The video is a documentary on the Agaria tribe of Dindori and Balaghat in Mandla, Madhya Pradesh. The Agarias are a community of iron smelters who are said to be born of fire. According to their legend there was once an iron city of Loharipur which was ruled by twelve Agaria brothers, mythical ancestors of the present day Agarias. The city was conquered by the Vedic God Surya and the Agaria kingdom was destroyed. Since then the Agarias are said to roam the earth deprived of their home. The film takes a look at the fast vanishing lifestyle of the Agarias as the march of modernization takes over the poetry of their life. The Shivratri fair at the village of Dagona in Mandla is a focus of the film where many tribal groups converge as they celebrate the last vestiges of their tribal lifestyle.