Religious influence on Indian tribal art reveals that the most common worshipped deities form a theme of tribal art. Tribal people have deep faith in gods and goddesses. Tribals are generally polytheists. They have their own gods and goddesses whereas they worship non-tribals at large. Many male and female deities are imaginary. Their religious beliefs, practices and rituals differ from family to family, from village to village and from tribe to tribe. God as a concept receives a local colouring. Traditional beliefs and usage have been the basis of religion. Each tribe worships God in a different form. They adopt each other`s gods easily.
Motifs of Gods:
Baradeo: This is the chief deity of the tribes of some regions in India, who is supposed to reside in a Saj tree. It is also the clan god of the Gond tribe.
Thakur Deo is the village lord. He protects their villages. He is supposed to have his abode in a tree that may be Pipal, Semur, Mahua or Saj tree. He appears as less abstract. He is a jovial old god with long white beard.
Ghamsen: He is the son of Thakur Deo who has a separate shrine near the tree of Thakur deo. It is a pole around which a platform has been built. He protects the tribes against disease and misfortune.
Maswasideo is the god of hunting who is represented in a stone or brass image.
Narayan deo is the household god of Gond and Baiga tribes. He is worshipped on the door shelf.
Bhimsendeo is considered as the rain god by the Gond and Baiga tribes. He has shrines and emblems. Holeradeo, Khila Muthiya and Patbaba are also the other popular Gods.
Motifs of Goddesses:
Most of the tribals are worshippers of female deities.
Dhartimai is the mother earth. She is the personification of the fertile soil.
Khermai: The tribals have no image of this deity. She is represented in a clod of clay in which a trident is struck. `Kher` means village. She is the protector of the village.
Ratmai: is supposed to protect the tribes from the danger in the dark. Nothing definite is known about her image but the place assigned to her in the house is near the spot of water vessels.
Burhi-mai is the goddess of small pox. Narmada mai is the goddess River Narmada.
Animal Deities:
Bagh deo: This is referred to the tiger deity.
Nag Devta: This is referred to the serpent.
Among Hindu gods and goddesses the tribes worship Lord Hanuman, Lord Ganesha and Mahisasuamardini. Apart from these mentioned gods and goddesses there are many local gods. Tribals name them according to their belief. Some times, it is very difficult to recognise the image of a particular male or female deity. But it is a universal fact that tribals are piously devoted to their religion and beliefs and this gives the tribal artists immense motivation for creation.
