Waghobā — Warli tiger-god

Waghobā — Warli tiger-god

Tradition

Hindu / Warli / Tribal

Location

• Jawhar, Palghar, Maharashtra (19.9211°N, 73.2261°E)

Sacred Narrative

The Warli people (~640,000) of coastal Maharashtra and Gujarat worship the tiger Waghobā as the protector of village and livestock. Shrines are painted rocks at village edges; the famous Warli white-on-ochre paintings depict Waghobā accompanied by village life-scenes. The annual Waghobā Melā in Paush (January) features the night-long tiger-myth recitation. The Warli paintings (recognized as Intangible Cultural Heritage) are a living pictorial tradition 2,500+ years old.