What makes a home?
Is it the bricks and cement that were used to create the walls that protect you? Is it the gravel that was used to create the ground that it stands on? Or is it the furniture that provides you with the means to exist comfortably?
Safety.
Safety is what makes a home. Home is where you feel protected. Houses swallow people whole and leave behind rotting corpses; homes sprout daisies from the very human blood that is made of iron. Since the dawn of time, travelers have found homes in communities as opposed to a singular place. Over the centuries, these travelers have carried their ancestral legacies with them as
they uphold their reputation of wandering from place to place.
Nomads
The term ‘nomad’ is broadly used for people who travel around rather than residing in a singular place. Hunter-gatherers, who relied on wild plants and animals in ancient times, did not have the means to create housing. Instead, they resorted to finding caves and trees for a roof. This was largely influenced by external factors such as the weather and presence of wild predators and hence, kept changing as per the gatherer group’s convenience. The thing that
stayed consistent was a tightly knit group of people who were willing to protect each other from any potential dangers.
Romani People
Romani people are the ones who belong to the Indo-Aryan community that is found majorly in Europe along with significantly large populations in the Middle East and the United States. As of 2019, about 10 million Romani people are residing in Europe. Genetics trace back Romani People to India. However, Romani people don’t identify with any territory or homeland and take pride in their ancestral culture of wandering around.
Shahnameh
As per a Persian poem titled Shahnameh, a Sasanian King named Bahram V Gor was shocked to learn that the poor in his kingdom could not afford to enjoy the beauty of music. He approached the Indian King to send him ten thousand Loris (a community of nomads found in the Balochistan region of Iran and today’s Pakistan). They were honored with an ox, a donkey, and a donkey-load of wheat to sustain themselves while enlightening the poor with their talents. Ungrateful, they ate the ox and the wheat instead of creating agriculture. They returned to the king a year later, unable to sustain themselves. Angered and distraught, the
king banished them and ordered them to wander around the world.
Banjaras
Banjaras are an Indian tribe of trader nomads. The community is scattered throughout the North-western, Western, and Southern India but it is believed to have an origin in the Mewar region of the North-western state Rajasthan. As stated in myths, the nomadic tribe used to reside in the region as Rajputs but had to take shelter in forests during the Mughal Rule.
Hippies
Hippies are a part of the hippie subculture, which originated as a youth movement in the United States in the mid-1960s. Unlike the aforementioned communities, hippies have neither historic nor ancestral heritage. Instead, hippies are a community of people fond of enjoying art and traveling. Hippies embrace those who come to join their community and unlike traditional nomads, are not born into the community.
Conclusion
Nomadic communities are proof that a home protects its family and nurtures art. These people travel, wander, and explore a life full of hope and love. They understand that home is where love is.
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