The tribal people showacse a rainbow of oriental culture and cultural trappings which are held beautifully in an ethnic kaleidoscope . Folktales teach moral values to a tribal's heart and offer explanation for natural phenomenon like day and night , thunder and storms . With the tribal living so close to Nature , it couldn't be otherwise !
Visitors interested in ethnic tourism can explore their rustic routes through
~ Odisha & Chhattisgarh ~
BONDA
The exceptional Bondas dwell in the remote Bonda hills of Malkangiri district of southwestern most Orissa, India, near the junction of the three states of Orissa, Chhattisgarh, and Andhra Pradesh. Numbering approximately 12000 they are a scheduled tribe of India and are also known as Remo (meaning “people” in the Bonda language).They are unpredictable in their behaviour, and resent interference. The men are short and stooped from walking up and down the mountain slopes.They spend a lot of their time brewing and drinking liquor from rice, palm and the mahua flower. Alcohol addiction among the Bondas is unsurpassed by any other tribe. The woman scantily clad owing to their religious customs with strings of beads and brass ornaments which hang low on their bodies: their heads are completely shaven and bound with strips of palmyra or coloured fillets. Rings or buttons made of brassed serve as ear decorations, and they delight in wearing broad bangles of brass on their wrists .They wander in the forest for food, work in the fields and even hunt.They customarily walk down the hills and make it to the weekly markets and practice barter system i.e. exchanging the produce of their fields for articles of daily use. An interesting feature of the Bonda marriage is that Bonda girls prefer to marry younger boys so they may have someone to earn for them in their old age. Inspite of their primitiveness they enjoy a high degree of economic sufficiency.
KONDHA
The Kondhs, or the Kui as they call themselves are one of the well known tribes and the largest tribal community of Orissa ; who were famous in history for their Meriah Sacrifice (human sacrifice); practiced no more. Their native language is Kui, a Dravidian language written with the Oriya script. Their life is full of festivities . All the Kondh villages are linked by marriage, since the member of a clan must seek a spouse from another clan.The Kondhs are adept land dwellers exhibiting greater adaptability to the forest environment. Dense sal forests were their playground: they hunt with the ease of all primitive races with bows and axes. The Meriah Sacrifice, as it is called , can be looked upon as a part of the universal preoccupation of the primitive mind seeking to propitiate the supernatural powers for the peace and prosperity of the entire tribe. Barbaric,obviously, accordingly to our standards. Not so when one considers that the sacrifice was meant to fertile the earth and the victims’s flesh buried in the fileds for the benefit of the entire tribe. They are mostly concentrated in large numbers in Kandhmal(formely Phulbani) district of Orissa.The Kondha’s who live in hill top and valleys are known as Kutia Kondha whereas those who live in high land and near the streams are called Dongria Kondha and Kondhas who are residing in plain area are known as Desia kondh.
DONGARIA KONDHA
They inhabit the plateaus of Niyamgiri hill ranges which cover parts of Rayagada ,Koraput and Kalahandi districts. They are called Dongaria or dweller of donger (“hill” in Oriya) .Niyamgiri is an area of densely forested hills, deep gorges and cascading streams. To be a Dongria Kondh is to farm the hills’ fertile slopes, harvest their produce, and worship the mountain god Niyam Raja and the hills he presides over, including the 4,000 metre Mountain of the Law, Niyam Dongar. They are expert horticultarists too growing oranges and pineapples in plenty. They have a very rich cultural heritage and give much importance to mother cult and pay respect to Earth Goddess. Their biggest festival, Meria, is celebrated every three years in the month of Magh (January-February). During this festival, buffaloes are offered to Niyam Raja and their blood is allowed to seep into the earth to improve its fertility. Buffalo meat is eaten fresh and dried for later use. Payments of bride-price also usually include one or two buffaloes. Kondh dance is mostly confined to unmaried boys and girls and free mixing of the sexes is allowed during dancing. Dongaria Kondh art and craft reflect the importance of the mountains to their community— their triangular shapes recur in the designs painted on the walls of the village shrine as well as in the colourful shawls that they wear.
KUTIA KONDHA
They inhabit the hill tops of the Kalahandi districts and have an indigenous diet. They go out for collective hunts eating the fruits and roots they collect.Not only food, but they also depend on the forest for medicine by growing wood apple, turmeric and wild flowers as they don't have access to medical facility in their close vicinity.The famous bronze Dokra craft is made by these people.The Kutia Kondhs are so called, because they used to break the skulls of animals when they killed them for food. The word Kutia means one who breaks or smashes. They are readily identifiable by their geometric facial tattoos that on close observation bear striking similarity to tiger's whiskers. These identifying marks ensure they will recognize each other in the spirit world. Legend has it that the women in this tribe had a fair skin and Kings would kidnap these women, because of their beauty, so they started tattooing their faces with whiskers.First of all, straw is brunt and it is added with castor oil to be in a liquid form. Then with a needle branches, flowers, creepers, etc. are pricked as per designs . On the same this liquid is poured. During this time there is severe pain which is to be endured. To ward off this pain other friends sing song . For eight to ten days the pain remains in the body . Just before the marriage or from the childhood some girls tattoo themselves with keenness.
GADABA
The Gadaba are a primitive tribe classified as Mundari or Kolarian on linguistic grounds. They are one of the early settlers of this country and trace their origin to the time of Ramayana.There is a tradition that the tribes owes its name to the fact that its ancestors emigrated from the bank of Godavery river and settled in Nandapur, the former capital of Rajas of Jeypore.Besides Malkangiri this tribe is found in Koraput, Kalahandi, Sundergarh, Gangam, Sampalpur and Boudh Phulbani districts of Orissa.They are generally agriculturists . The word Gadaba also signifies a person who carries loads on his shoulders and are also employed as bearers in the hills and carry palanquins. Gadabas use very scanty cloths. The men folk use a small piece of loin cloth called Lenguti with a flap which hangs down in front. They also use Gamacha or Lungi. The women wear a long strip of cloth commonly known as Kerang (prepared from Kerang fibre) tied round the waist and second piece of cloth is worn across the breast.Both men and women tie their long hairs with linseed oil and decorate it with forestry flowers and different ornaments.In every festival, Gadabas love to dance.These songs and dances bring integration among them in the field, forest and village.It is famously known as the Dhemsa Dance. The Gadaba women are fond of wearing a number of ornaments generally made out of brass or aluminium.
SAORA
The Saora (also known as Sora ,Soura, Savara and Sabara) are a tribe from Southern Orissa.The Saoras are second most prominent tribal community in the Rayagada district of Orissa and specific pockets of Koraput and Gajapati Districts. They are shifting cultivators and expert terrace cultivators as well. Villages generally contain several quarters each inhabited by one patrilineage (birinda ).Among close relatives, several houses are usually joined together in one terrace with a common veranda. Since the wall dividing these houses is not closed off at the top, the effect is somewhat like a longhouse and conversations can be held between houses over the dividing wall.They are also sometimes called Lanjia Saoras due to their dress pattern where a loin cloth hangs from behind & which could mistakenly be identified as a tail by a stranger. The women wear a coarse wasit cloth of about 2ft that hardly reaches the knees and another piece of cloth tied at the back with a knot for the upper body. They enlarge their ear lobes to wear rounded wooden pegs and have a characteristic tattoo mark down the middle of the forehaed.Saora religion has aroused keen interest because of its wide variety of spirits and their importance in daily life. Creator spirits called 'kintung' account for the origin of the world and of human society but have little direct effect on the living. The dead discuss their moods and motives with the living through the mouths of 'shamans' in trance.They also associate themselves with Lord Jagannath and beleive him to be part of their Family.To keep the Gods and Spirits in good humour they make their famous wall paintings-'Iditial' inside the house. Being children of Nature they derive inspirations, ideas and ingredients from their natural environment for their creations.Every Saora is a musician who can coin a song instantly and sing it . Their dance creates a riot of colours,rhythm and music that fills their sylvan surroundings .
BAIGA
Baiga tribe is a primitive Dravidian tribe ocupying the hilly forest regions of Chhattisgarh. Endogamy , Polygamy and consanguineous marriage are features that are commonly prevalent in their socities. Bhumia is another name that is often used to represent them. The term Bhumia means 'Lord of the Soil'. Agriculture, fishing, hunting, extracting forest products, forging metal goods in cottage industries, etc. are the prime occupations. A discerning feature of the Baiga tribe is that their women are popular for drawing tattoos of several kinds on different parts of the body. The artists are called the Godharins. Their ancestors through traditional conventions pass on this knowledge to them. Long strips of parallel lines are made on the face, especially on the fore head. Different types of marks are made like moon, triangles, crosses, dots and others. They are avid smokers too. Often while speaking with them, one of them would start rolling a sal patta and fill tobacco from his pouch and begin smoking. Of mahua, they are legendary drinkers. They have strong religious and cultural affinities with mahua and use it to drown their sorrow or enjoy a feast. The tradition of folk medicine is still followed by the Baigas. They have in-depth knowledge of the medicinal uses of the trees, herbs and roots.The religion of the Baigas is primarily animism. The dead people are buried but the aged people are burnt as a sign of honour. They believe in many superstitions They believe that if a single crow is seen bathing in the stream it is considered as a sign of death. If a cock crows in the night it must be immediately killed and thrown into darkness. The Baiga culture is full of proverbs, tales and rituals !
MURIA
Murias, another major sub-castes of the Gonds, are found in the Narayanpur and Kondagaon Tehsils of Bastar district of Chhattisgarh. Unlike Marias who live in isolation deep into the dense forests, the Murias live in plains and are comparatively more civilized than the primitive Marias. But their primary activities are similar to other Gond sub-castes and they survive on agriculture and collection of minor forest produces. As far as religious and social beliefs are concerned, Murias have several totems and several gods of villages and tribal sub-groups .They are highly superstitious and strongly believe in sorcery practices.One of the main characteristics of Murias is that they prefer intoxicating and traditional Mahua drinks rather than medicines for curing ailments. The Muria cherish their youth. In the villages the young people have a house of their own - the ghotul - where they gather in the evenings and enjoy their time; boys and girls together; without any supervising adults. The girls of the ghotul are called 'motiari' and the boys 'chelik'. Once they enter the ghotul - usually before puberty - each youngster will receive a secret ghotul name. The boys and girls elect a leader for each respective group called 'sirdar' and 'belosa'. Together they ensure that the rules of the house are observed by everyone. Ghotul is no place of disorder. Each member has certain social tasks assigned which have to be carried out.The ghotul is also the youth dormitory of the village. The motiari and chelik enjoy sexual freedom. This does not mean, though, that there are no rules or taboos. Thus at most ghotuls partners are changed on a regular basis - and this is a must! The sirdar and belosa will oversee that no jealousy or preferences on the basis of looks or popularity will arise.
BISON HORN MARIA
Primarily found in the Bastar region of Chhattisgarh, the Bison Horn Marias tribes are another major sub-castes of the Gonds. They practice shifting cultivation method of agriculture and collect forest produce for survival. Pointed wood pieces are used for piercing for cultivation and stone implements are used for harvesting produce. They derive their name from Bison Horn and very much adorn the bison horns during their dancing rituals. The Bison Horn Maria are known for their love of landa, a rice beer. Landa is drunk at all festivals and special occasions.They also perform the marriages through Ghotul System. Divorces and widow remarriages are common but adultery is strictly forbidden. Marriages amongst the blood relations including brothers and sisters are common. They practice a blend of Hindu and animistic beliefs (belief that non-human objects have spirits). Sorcery is a significant part of Bison Horn Maria spiritual life. Medicine men are powerful figures in the tribal villages. Bizarre and legendary stories are told of their spiritual and physical powers. Illness is very often attributed to occult forces that are being manipulated by some enemy. They also worship a variety of gods. On the outskirts of every village is enshrined the god of the clan. Each clan-god is supposedly territorial and is related to other clan-gods. They are believed to protect the village and to help in the exposure of black magic within the village. The earth goddess, Danteshwari, is also worshipped as one who feeds and sustains the tribal people.