मेवाती जोगी/Mewati Jogi

The video is a presentation on the community of Mewati Jogis of North-Western India. The Mevs or Mewatis are a Muslim community of North-Western India of the Mewat region. The Mewat region includes the Mewat district of Haryana and parts of the Alwar and Bharatpur districts of Rajasthan. The Jogi tradition has a very long history in Mewat. The Jogis or wandering ascetics travel from village to village giving blessings to childless couples. The Mewat Jogis are Shaivites and are associated with the Nath sect.Thus they sing stutis or hymns like Shiva ka Byavala, Shankarji ki Amar Katha, Gopi Chand, Bhartri Hari and Pandavon ka Kada. The Mewat Jogis sing about social harmony and play an important role in promoting social and religious understanding in rural communities. Their performance is accompanied by musical instruments like the jogiya sarangi, chikara, khanjeri, mashaq and the bhapang.