008 students who visited Aruldosspuram & Melakailasapuram Washermen Colonies

nd their photographs (2007 & 2008) who visited washermen colonies

Wash?er`man: A man who washes clothes, esp. for hire, or for others.

re, thrashing them with the flogging stones, and then puts the linen into huge vats of starch. After which being dried, the

ith most households.Each dhobi marks a unique symbol or character on garments belonging to a particula

A Report onWASHERMEN IN MADURAI CITY

Based on personnel observation and interaction with the washerman communities inMadurai City by

S.RENGASAMY, Faculty Member & along with the studentsMadurai Institute of Social SciencesAlagarkoil Road. Madurai-625002

Introduction

India is a vast country, with people belonging to different customs, cultures and economiclevel. In the context of economic system prevailing in India, self-employment plays asignificant role and both educated and uneducated people enter into the avenues of self-employment. Jobs under self-employment vary from yielding low level to high levelincome. Generally the low-level self-employment is mainly due to theunemployment problem or due to the lack of knowledge about other available jobs. Oftenthe low-level self-employment focuses more on the hereditary vocations. Normally themigration of people from rural areas to urban areas results in the growth of urban population, which affects the employment opportunity already available in the urban areas.This often compels the people to choose their hereditary vocation. Those people wholackmarketable skills to serve in modern economy select some difficult works that requireonly physical effort and become porters, construction workers, rickshaw pullers, streetironer, street vendors etc…Washermen are one such type who are hereditarily forced toengage in washing the soiled clothes.

Why we observed washermen?

At present washerman mostly depend upon middle class families who use their services inwashing and pressing the clothes. The recent changes in the attitude of middle classfamilies towards the modern technology and their accessibility towards the electric gadgetslike washing machines, electrical iron box etc. has pushed the washermen to a moredeplorable condition. They do not get regular customers and as such they lead a life of uncertainty. The opportunities available in urban areas for washerman showing a negativetrend due to the introduction of modern gadgets but also self washing taken by the familiesto reduce the washing expenses. Washing as a total service undertaken by the washermanis reduced into a single process of ironing the washed clothes. Thus washerman has becomeironers and this change affected them a lot economically, socially and culturally.When one look at the world, one is surprised to note that billion and billions of money istransacted against the activity of washing thedirty linen/clothes. As it is rightly said bythe Shiva Sena leader Bal Thackery “Massmedia especially television is solelysustained by the advertisements given by thesoap manufacturers. So our TV programmes, he rightly mentioned, isnothing but “Soap Operas”. Not onlydetergents, whiteners, bleaching agents,starching agents, washing machines, iron

boxes,... indeed

there is an ever expanding domestic as well as international marketcentered around washing of clothes.

But the washermen who mainly does it as ahereditary occupation is forgotten by the society.

Clothes made up of synthetic fibers,detergents, washing machines and iron boxes, science and technology has taken away the process of washing from the hands of the washerman.How these changing trends affected the washerman? How they face the situation? Howthey earn their livelihood in the changed situation? All these questions made the researcher to select a study on the socio – economic conditions of the washerman.Understanding their conditions is a pre-requisite to plan for their development. This studyfocuses its attention towards understanding the background of washermen, their socioeconomic status and the problem faced by them with an aim of providing the first handinformation on their living and working condition.

Washermen in Hindu Religion

The Origin of Washermen

There is an interesting story regarding the origin of washermen in Sivapurana, a saivitereligious text in Tamil. When Thakkan was doing yagna, Veerabadra appeared anddestroyed the yagna. After the destruction of yagna, he found blood drops in his clothes.In order to wash it, he created a washerman from his chest.

The Life of Thirukurippu Thondar

The saivite cult originated in Tamil Nadu and the sixty-four nayanmars of this cult (greatdisciples of Lord Shiva) are much venerated souls. Among these sixty-four nayanmars, onenayanmar belongs to the dhobi community. His name was Thirukurippu Thondar Due to his love for Lord Shiva, he has taken a vow to wash the clothes of a saivite monk first and after that only he washes the clothes of his customers. To test his dedication andsteadfastness, Lord Shiva himself came to earth and cornered him to break his vow. ButThirukurippu Thondar didn’t. Appreciating this, Lord Shiva gave his darshan and blessedhim.Washermen feel proud of the fact that even though they belong to Sudravarna,Thirukurippu Thondar has proved that even a man born in the lowest caste can get God’s blessing and attain nirvana by his/her devotion.

Washermen and Mariamman Cult

Hindus give due respect for washermen in certain ceremonial functions especially inMariamman pongal festival. According to the popular legend this is linked to the story of Parasurama.Parasuram was born to a saint couple. His father was a great Rishi(Kousika Muni) and his mother was a chaste woman. Every day she goto the near by river with empty hands to fetch water for her husbandsdaily poojaanustanam. In the river she collects sand and makes it as a pot. It was possible because of her saintly purity. One day when shewas in the river to fetch water, she started looking at the sun and for amoment, she forget herself in the beauty of the sun and there by lost

her purity. After this, she could not make a pot from the sand and returned empty handed.Her husband understood the reason and he called his son Parasuram and ordered to cut off her mother’s head for having lost her chastity. Seeing this she ran and hides her in a dobi’shouse. Parasuram came there to find out her mother.He enquired with the dobi’s about her mother. A dobi woman who kept Parasuram’smother in her house prayed innocence. Parasuram understood that she was not telling thetruth, so he got angry and severed the washerwoman’s head. Unable to bear thisParasuram’s mother came out and her head was also cut.Hearing that his son obeyed his orders, the Rishi told his son to ask for any boon. Usingthis opportunity, Parasuram prayed his father to bring back his mother’s life. The rishiagreed. By haste, Rishi’s wife head joined with washerwoman’s body and washerwoman’shead joined with Rishi Pathni’s body. Both of them got life with changed heads and bodies. Unable to join with her husband, Parasuram’s mother with a washerwoman body became a goddess, and that Goddess is Mariamman, a popular folk deity in rural Tamil Nadu. That is why washermen are given respect during the Mariamman festival.Washerman are entitled to “Kappu Kattuthal “i.e. to mark the initiation of ceremony.Besides the first “Parasatham” for the Goddess Mariamman is made up of the rice given bywashermen.

Washerman and Lord Ranganatha Idol

During the Tippu Sultan period, Tippu Sultan conquered Trichy and taken away the idol of the famous Lord Ranganatha. All the Hindus were taken over by grief. Seeing this, awasherman came forward and promised that he will trace out the whereabouts of the stolenidol and brings it back. To achieve this he went to Tippu Sultan’s palace and stayed in oneof the houses of a washerman who was washing in Tippu’s palace and helping him inwashing. One day, he found out a rare fragrance coming out of a cloth bundle. When hechecked that bundle, to his surprise he found out the piece of cloth put on the consecratedidol of Lord Ranganatha. When enquired with the palace washerman, he told that he got itfor washing from that part of the palace where royal maidens live. From further secretenquires the washerman from Trichy came to know that Tippu’s daughter was keeping thatidol with her as a play material. After tracing out this, washerman from Trichy under theguise of Tippu’s washerman entered into the palace and taken away the idol.To honour his effort, even the lineage of that particular washerman is entitled to get firefrom temple madapalli to put on their funeral pyre. No other community is given thishonour.

Washerman and Chidamparam Copper Plates

Washerman and their life are mentioned in the Tamil epics and literature. They are evenmentioned with regard in some of the copper plates found out in archeological excavations.One of the copper plates found in Chidambaram makes an interesting reading. WhenKrishna Raya has visited Chidambaram, one washerman prayed to his highness to visit thedamaged mutt, i.e. Shri Manavalan Madam of the washerman community. Seeing that, heordered the temple priests and the rich people of chidambaram to allot a place near the eaststreet.