Agri Kolis

Agri also spelled as Aagri (Marathi: आगरी) is a subcaste or subgroup of the Koli caste in the Indian state of Maharashtra. Agri Kolis speak the Agri dialect of the Marathi language which was an oral dialect until the late 20th century. the main deity of Agri Kolis are Ekvira Devi.

Agri Koli

आगरी कोळी
Agri Koli Bhavan in Navy Mumbai
Entrance of Agri Koli Society Bhavan, Mumbai
Languages
Marathi, Hindi, Agri
Religion
Hindu
Related ethnic groups
Mangela Kolis

Distribution

They mainly reside in places such as Nai Mumbai, Mumbai, Thane, Dombivli, Kalyan, Raigad, Bhiwandi, Virar and Vasai.

Clans

Agri Kolis have several of the Clans, some of them listed here

• Mhatre
• Pawar
• Joshi
• Bhoir
• Gaikar
• Mali
• Bhopi
• Patil
• Thakur
• Koli
• Thale
• Kadu

Etymology

The term Āgri is derived from the Marathi word āgar which is first attested in an inscription located in Nagaon dated to 1289 CE. The term agar has two contextual meanings. On the one hand, it refers to a village where coconut and areca-nut orchards are grown. It also refers to a person who grows coconut and areca-nuts orchards on contract. On the other hand, the term agar also refers to place where salt is produced. The workers at the salt-pits were known as agaris. They were also known by names such as Kharki, Kharpate and Agare Kunbi. So the term Agri may be related to the practice of growing orchards or the salt production business.

History

The early history of the Agri people is unclear. According to the local folklore, the Agri people were musicians at the court of the legendary king Ravana. Although Ravana is generally considered to be a maleficent figure, he also has the reputation of being a Sanskrit scholar who was well-versed in the shastras.

Society and Culture

According to Agri customs, marriages usually take place in the Hindu months of Agrahayana (November - December) and Vaisakh (April - May). Marriage ceremony begins with an engagement ceremony known as Sakharpuda which includes as many as forty rites that are performed under the supervision of a female priestess known as Dhavalarini. Each ritual is accompanied by a ritual song known as Dhavale. A Brahmin priest is invited for conducting only two rituals, the establishment of the Mandap Devata (Goddess of Pandal) and garlanding each other by the bride and the groom. The newly married bride goes to live with her husband and his family after a procession called Vavsa. After the first child is born, the new mother is welcomed back to her home with great pomp and later takes part in a ceremony called Panvet.

Agris mainly worship deities such as Ganesha, Vishnu, Shiva, Lakshmi and Hanuman, as well as local deities such as Vithoba, Khandoba, Bahiri, Bhavani and Mhasoba. They celebrate festivals such as Ganesh Chaturthi, Holi and Diwali. They prepare special sweets for such festivals and engage in vibrant dances. The traditional clothing of the Agris consist of dhoti and shirt for men and sari for women known as lugdha . Although the Agris generally consume meat, their diet also includes dal, rice and bhakri. They read religious texts such as the Pandavpratap, Dnyaneshwari, Haripath. Many of the older generations read such devotional literature on a daily basis in the morning hours.

See also

• Agri dialect