It is believed that the Bedia Caste community initially resided in Mohdipahar which is located in Hazaribagh district. They are the ancestors of munda and ved bhansi girl. The Bedias tribe has an entire set of Vedas that they have created on their own, because they were known by the name of Bedias. They have a Veda differs from that of the original Aryan Vedic system used by the common Hindus.
Bedia cast community is broken down into three tribal communities such as Gangapariya Jogiara, Nathotia, and Jogiara.
The nomadic tribe is registered under the Criminal Tribes Act of the federal government. They’ve settled mostly in the region that are part of West Bengal and speak kurmali which is an Indo Aryan language.
What is the meaning of Bedia and which language do Bedia members speak?
Bedia are considered to be a scheduled tribe according to census of 2011 in India, Uttar Pradesh. They use the local Nagpuri language when They settled into the regions in West Bengal after their migration. The Indo-Aryan community uses Devanagari as well as Bengali scripts in order to communicate.
The members of the clan revere parrots, squirrels and tortoises. The clan celebrates jitia as well as sarhul, jitia and Phagun festivals.
The Story of Bedia caste
Bedias were originally a nomadic tribes of India with a tragic history behind. Women of the community were forced to be prostitutes and the men were mainly criminals. The shady behavior of the members of the community gave them the name Bedia. The word comes by the verb behra which means ‘The resident of an area of forest’.
The Bedia community suffered a lot of bad luck in their religion. They were found in the central and northern parts of India. Female folk dancers performed as part of the troupe and entertained the infamous King from Taj Mahal during the 17th century. Prostitution was a thriving business in the caste through the 19th century, when they were compelled to give sexual pleasures to muguls and their troops.
Bedia caste is now
Like no other community unlike any other in India, Bedias celebrate the birth of girls with shows and pombs. Bedias believe their history of prostitution has been extended and their livelihood is now proven. Despite numerous legal restrictions by Bedia’s Indian Government, Bedia till date practises prostitution in public inside and outside villages.
Girls are required to engage in the traditional prostitution trade as soon as they have reaching puberty. They typically perform their profession between the ages between 15 and 35. Women in Bedia are usually single because they do not allow marriage to fulfill professional requirements. The Bedia women enjoy a lot of financial independence, yet they do not have any social respect in any way. They are a source of enjoyment in the patriarchal society.
The development of Bedias
Today, a variety of self-help groups and non-profit organizations have come up to promote awareness of female education and its advantages. Bedia women are stepping away from their traditional ways and creating their own mark in different fields of work.
The people who were involved in illicit trade and activities in earlier times are now looking for a source of income through farming activities. The nomadic lifestyle has been abandoned by members of the community with the majority of them. They are farmers and sharecroppers who work in a variety of villages as laborers .