Tribes of India

Tribes Vengeance PC Game

2009-09-22T22:43:00.000-07:00

Tribes Vengeance is a computer game of the tribes video game series. This game was made by the Irrational games and was released by the Sierra Entertainment in October 2004. This game of Tribes Vengeance was built on the enhanced version of the Unreal Engine 2/2.5, which is called as irrational games called the Vengeance engine. Vengeance is played completely by the Single player.

Single Player Campaign
In the single player campaign five playable character (Victoria, Daniel, Julia, Mercury, Jericho) which are navigated by the player through 18 missions. The missions are set on the archaeological order set either in the Past (Victoria, Daniel, Julia, Mercury) or the Present (Julia, Jericho, Mercury).

Factions
There are three major factions of the game and two minor factions. As tribe game has taken place before any of the other tribal game has taken place such as Star Wolf, the Diamond Sword, and the BioDerm Hordes which were not displaying n the game.

The Imperials- Symbol: a golden Lion's head in profile
The evolution is founded by the Solomon Petresun which appears as a playable character for the first time in the Tribes series. The empire in the in the game is depicted as the prosperous and is relatively at peace within the borders in the game Tribes: Vengeance.

The Children of Phoenix- Symbol: a Human Skull with flames pouring from eye sockets
There are more or less victims in the political and the social status. There are having both the blood eagles and the imperials as the enemies and is restricted to the most desolate and uninhabitable planets which still support the life.

The Blood Eagles- Symbol: a wiry Eagle viewed from the front against a black background
This is shown as the antagonists in the game. Sometimes it is referred as the Beagles which is another tribe and is inhabit in the same planet as the Phoenix and receives the special treatment and the technology from the Imperials.

The Cybrids- Symbol: not known
Down the majority of Cybrid civilization in retaliation of the genocidal acts towards the humanity. Cybrids selects the infiltrate human society rather than a complete retreat from the galaxy.

The Alaxians
This is the most mysterious faction of the game. It is mentioned in the rare occasion which is unknown assasin that is being contracted by them.

Multiplayer
The mutiplayer mode offers five different types of game and a diverse map location. Players are ranked during the matches by the points they acquire through the ordinary players or by the style points.
Arena - Rabbit
Ball - Capture the Flag
Fuel
Download Tribe Vengeance

North East India Tribal Tours

2009-09-21T02:01:00.000-07:00

India is the country which is having the variety in every way, as the country is having the largest concentration of tribal people from all over the world except Africa. India has the wide and rich Eco- system which gives the variety of tribes to grow and survive in the country. The north eastern part of the country is completely unexplored. The valley of north east India is having the green vegetation, majestic beauty of mountains, rich variety of flora and fauna.

Beauty of North East India:

There are many such states in North East India which showcases the beauty of north east India. Sikkim where the beauty resides in the orchids bloom on the hillside. Assam which is famous for its tea gardens, Arunachal Pradesh where is the first state in the country to welcome the morning sun, Tripura which explores the princely tradition of the country, Nagaland is the state which is famous for its tribal crafts and culture, Mizoram is the place to enjoy the exquisite bamboo and cane souvenirs, Manipur is the place that luxuriate the traditional dance, Meghalaya is the state that is situated in the picturesque view of the clouds.

Major Tribes of North East India:

The major part of tribes resides in the hilly and forested area of the state. Tribes are generally found in the areas which is away from the alluvial plains and the area which is near to the rivers. The native tribes of Arunachal Pradesh are the tribes that gratifies the heritage of art and crafts and entertaining folksongs. Arunachal Pradesh is the state which is having 26 major tribes and there are many sub tribes who are having their own language and cultural identities. Apatanis is the biggest tribal group of Arunachal Pradesh. Each tribe has its own folk songs and kaleidoscopic traditional dance and dressing style. There are 16 major tribes that are residing in the state of Nagaland. Each is having its own customs, language, dress, attires, jewelery, and head strings that are worn by them. The tribes that resides in Assam are Khamti, Phakial, Khamyang, Aitonia, Nara, Gurung and Shyam.

Tribal Tours:
Tribal Tour to Nagaland
Best Time to Visit: February
Celebrated by: Pochury Tribes
Venue: Phek, Nagaland in India
Duration: 10 Days

In the state Nagaland the most happening festival is Nazu festival which is celebrated by the Pochury tribe of the state. This is the festival that is celebrated for 10 days in the month of February before the sowing of seeds for the year. Songs and dances are also performed by the by the people of the Pochury Tribe during the occasion. Khupielilie dance is one of them performed by the women folk of the Pochury tribe.

Tribal Tour to Arunachal Pradesh:

There are around 20 major tribes and sub tribes in Arunachal Pradesh. All the tribes of the state has its own distinct lifestyle. All the tribes have their own occupation, customs, costumes and festivals. The name of tribes are:

Adis
Apatanis
Mishmis
Monpas
Nyishi
Singphos
Khambas and Membas
Sherdukpens
Khamtis
Wanchos
Noctes
Buguns or Khowas
Hrusso or Akas
Tagins
Yobin

Tribal Tour to North East India:

Duration: 13 days/12 Nights

Travel Destinations: Delhi-Guwahati-Itanagar-Ziro-Daporizo-Along-Pasighat-Dibrugarh-Jorhat-Mokokchung-Kohima-Dimapur-Tezpur-Guwahati.

Highlights: Museums, Emporiums, Local Markets, World War II cemetery, Hanging Bridge on the river Siang, Sela Lake and Kohima and Khonorma Village.

Activities:

Visiting the villages of the North India and to know more about the culture lifestyle people
Shopping for the traditional art and craft items, musical item and the textile from Itanagar
Boating and Angling activity at Ganga Lake.
Sight Seeing activity in Dibrugarh.
Fish Cultivation and hand looms for designing and handicraft in Apatani Village.
The art of Haunting from the village of Along.
Wind Surfing and River Rafting at river Siang in Pasighat.
Enjoying the village cultural programs.

Maram Tribe, Manipur

2009-07-21T05:00:00.000-07:00

Places like Senapati district, Tadubi and Kangpokpi region in Manipur are home to numerous tribes. Anthropologists from all around have studied the traits and features of the people of Maram tribal community.The Maram tribal people possess Mongoloid and Caucasoid features. Like other tribes of Manipur, the history of Maram tribes is also associated with numerous legends and mythologies.

Village & Dialect
The village of these tribes is divided into numerous 'Sadung' or 'Khel'. Each of these 'Khels' has a separate entrance. There are different dormitories for boys and girls. The dialect that Maram tribes used to speak is known as Maram Khullel. It is interesting to note that while all the other people of tribe speak the same tongue, the village Senapati uses a different one. Though the language used by the village Senapati is not completely different, it has a different mode of expression.

Men & Women
Males of the Maram tribe are usually engaged in farming. Another interesting aspect of the men is that they take care of most of household work including collection of water and firewood. Women of the tribe are only responsible for cooking and looking after the child. Women does, however, lend a hand in digging the fields so that men can sow and harvest.

Dresses & Costumes
Males of the Maram tribal community can be seen wearing black cotton skirt decorated with white cowries arranged in 3-4 rows. Women also wear an inner loin cloth, which resembles male dresses. White robe or shawls (more recently) are used by women to cover their bodies.

Festivals & Rituals
No tribe is devoid of customs, traditions and festivals. Maram tribes too have a number of festivals to celebrate. These include Ponghi, Kanghi and Rakakkou. Singing is a part and parcel of these tribal festivals in which both men and women participate. The tribe also celebrates a name-giving ritual. After 5-7 days of birth, the newly born is held in the direction of sun. Later, the father of the baby fetches a crab within 10 days. The head of the family gives their blessings. Some purification rituals follow and then the baby becomes an accepted and full fledged member of the family. It is ideal to fix marriages through negotiations.

Chiru Tribe, Manipur

2009-07-17T03:59:00.000-07:00

The state of Manipur in north eastern India provides shelter a number of tribes and tribal communities. One of the popular Manipur tribes is the Chiru Tribe. Steeped in history and mythology, Chiru tribal community inhabit various districts of Manipur – Senapati, Tamenglong and Bishnupur. The word 'Chiru' means 'the seed of a plant'. In terms of lifestyle and culture, the Chiru tribe have some similarity with the Naga tribal community. Due their distinguished physical features, anyone can recognise the people belong to the Chiru tribal community.

Chirus have contributed to the Manipuri culture. These tribals have their own customs and traditions both in dance and musical recitals. Chiru tribes of Manipur follow unique living style patterns. In this tribal community, bachelors and unmarried women are provided with separate quarters. The people of the Chiru tribe actually have their connections with Kuki family tribal group.

Most of the people belonging to the Chiru tribes have adopted farming as their major profession. The rugged terrains of the mountains prove to be just perfect for doing shifting and wet farming. Chiru tribal community is also involved in the growth and trading of fruits like bananas, oranges, lemon and papaya. These fruits do not only serve their food requirements but also help them earn. In addition, the Chiru tribes of Manipur are also known to specialise in cottage industries. The tribe prepare a range of household products from cane.

People of the Chiru tribal community also display great craftsmanship in the field of weaving and carpentry. In a nutshell, Chiru tribe has greatly contributed in enriching the cultural ethnicity of whole of Manipur in northeastern India.

Lambani Tribe (Western India)

2009-07-08T23:27:00.000-07:00

Lambanis lead a gypsy life and mainly inhabit the western Indian states including Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh. A part of this tribal community is also found in the northern region of Karnataka. The Lambani tribe of India speak a language which is believed to have been originated in the state of Rajasthan. Earlier, Lambanis used to supply grains to armies. In the olden days, the Lambani people carried grain, salt, bamboos and firewood. The tribal community used oxen to carry heavier commodities.

Lambani tribal women
Women of Lambani tribes wear decorated clothes or fabrics. Jewellery is also an essential part of these tribal women's lifestyle. Women wear bone-made finger rings, bangles and bracelets. In addition, they adorn their hair with flowers and balls. These tribal women mostly wear thick aprons which are interwoven with cotton thread through needle work. The thick apron remains suspended from the west (downwards) while bodice makes up for the upper.

Lambani tribal men
A coarse turban forms the headgear of a Lamabani tribal man. Men of the Lambani tribes are mostly seen dressed up in tight breeches, which extend a few inches below the knee.

Lambani tribals keep travelling
People of Lambani tribes keep moving from place to place. Noticed usually in groups, people of this tribal community earn their daily bread by selling clothes at local markets and on beaches. When the Lambani tribe inhabited the forest region of the southern India, they were also referred to as the bee-keeping caste.

People of the Lambani tribal community worship Goddess Shakti.

Aimol Tribes of Manipur

2009-07-05T21:10:00.000-07:00

Aimol tribes of India inhabit mainly in two districts of Manipur, one of the seven sister Northeastern states. Their population is distributed in most of the villages of Chandel and Churachandanpur districts. The name Aimol has been derived from a word which means roots. 'Ai' is a small ginger like plant which is found in the areas of 'Mol'. This area is located in the hills of Aizawl, the capital city of Mizoram.

Aimol tribes of Manipur live in their traditionally made houses of bamboo, wood and mud. The roof is made of thatch in a slanting style. Most of the Aimol families are nuclear and comprise parents and children. This tribal society generally follow monogamous and patriarchal system. Aimol tribes of Manipur mainly depend upon agriculture and allied activities. Their main agricultural products are paddy, maize, soyabean, pumpkin and chilly. Other than this, they also depend on livestock rearing and weaving to earn their livelihood. Buffalo, pig, ox and hen are some of the animals which they domesticate.

Most of the Aimol tribes of India have adopted Christianity. But before adopting Christianity around three decades ago, they used to believe in many spirits and deities. They used to worship several deities for several reasons like Sailing and Bonglei as the protector of their village and pregnant women used to worship Arkun Pathian, which is considered as the Goddess of fertility. Their dressing sense, cloths, living habits, traditions and beliefs have resemblance with Chothes tribe, who are their neighbours.

Population of Aimol tribes of India is about 2,500 in numbers and they speak Aimol language. Some of the Aimol tribes of Manipur have also settled down in Mizoram and Tripura.

Jarawa Tribes of Andaman

2009-07-02T05:34:00.000-07:00

Jarawa is one of the tribal communities inhabiting in Andaman and Nicobar islands. It is believed that the ancestors of Jarawa tribes were part of the migrated people out of Africa. Jarawa tribes of Andaman still hunt pigs and monitor lizards with bows and arrows to make their livelihood. Jarawas also gather berries, seeds and honey from the forests. They mostly restrict themselves to their jungle dwellings but some of them have now started mingling with the people or nearby villages and towns.

The population of Jarawa tribes of Andaman is dwindling with the passage of time. Jarawas of Andaman islands are left with around 400 people in their community, at present. Most of the Jarawas died because of epidemic diseases like measles. Construction of roads inside their territory in forests became the greatest threat for their survival as many people started encroaching their lands. People from other parts of Andaman and Nicobar Islands have started inhabiting near to the areas where Jarawas live in their dwelling in the forests. Poaching of honey and other fruits like bananas the outsiders has also made a bad affect on their survival.

Jarawa tribes are inhabiting in South Andaman Islands and Western Coast of Middle Andaman Islands. Some of them still lead a nomadic life in forests. Most of them live in temporary huts built by woods and leaves found in the forests. Crude crafts are used by Jarawas to cross streams and creeks. Sometimes they also make attacks on intruders inside their territory.

These tribes speak Jarawa language but some of them who are getting in contact with other people have also picked up few Hindi words. As no prominent influence of any other languages of the region is seen in Jarawa language, it can be one of the reasons that these tribes remained secluded for a very long period.

Sammakka Saarakka Medaram Jatra : India's Largest Tribal Fair

2009-07-01T02:00:00.000-07:00

The four day long Sammakka Saarakka Medaram Jatra is the largest tribal fair of India. It is celebrated once in two years at Medaram village in Warangal district of Andhra Pradesh. Medaram village is situated about 100 km away from Warangal city, amid dense jungles. Sammakka Saarakka Medaram Jatra attracts millions of tribals from different states of India like Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Chhatisgarh.

The festival is celebrated in the Magha month, as per the Hindi calendar, on the full moon day. Sarakka goddess, in the form of vermilion, is brought from the neighbouring village Kanneboyinapalle and placed on the platform made under a tree. The main Goddess, Sammakka, is also brought from a nearby village Chilukalagutta in a great procession. According to a legend Sammakka and Saarakka were Koya women warriors who were killed by the army while fighting against Pratapa Rudra.

Sammakka Saarakka Jatra is also known by the name of tribal Kumbh Mela and all the tribes gathered here take dip in the Jampanna Vagu, a small rivulet, to get purified and absolve from sins. After that devotees pay their obeisance and worship Goddesses Sarakka and Sammakka with the belief that they will bring prosperity and happiness in their lives with miraculous and divine powers. Girls offer prayers to the Goddesses for good life partners and couples to bless them with children.

Tribes have a ritual of weighing themselves against Jaggery and after that it is offered to the Goddess. Apart from this they also sacrifice thousands of goats and cocks on the name of deities as per the rituals and beliefs. Devotees dressed in beautiful attires sing hymns in praise of their deities.

The sanctum sanctorum of Jatara site, Gaddelu, is thronged by devotees to the fullest. A number of temporary dwellings also spring up to accommodate the devotees from far away places.

Losar Festival in India

2009-06-28T23:06:00.000-07:00

Losar is a Tibetan festival but it is also celebrated in the regions located near to Tibet's boundary which are normally habitated by tribal population or the regions where Tibetans have settled in India. Losar means new year in Tibetan and is celebrated to welcome the new year. Though celebrations carry on for fifteen days in Tibet but in India it is celebrated for three days. Losar is celebrated in the months of December-January as per the lunar calendar.

In India, Losar is celebrated with full pomp and show in various states with tribal and Tibetan population like Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh. In Himachal Pradesh it is celebrated in Kinnaur, Lahaul Spiti and Kangra. In Arunachal Pradesh, Losar is celebrated in Tawang, Memba and Mechukha valley by Monpa tribes.

Losar is celebrated by offering prayers in various beautiful monasteries by localites to wish for the good luck in the approaching year. On the very first day of the Losar festival, 'Changkol' a beverage made of 'Chhang' (a kind of Beer) is made and enjoyed by the folks. Second day of the Losar festival is known as 'Gyalpo Losar' or King's Losar, which is specially reserved for secular gatherings and exchanging of greetings. It is from the third day when the monks and localites start enjoying the festive season by participating in Deer dance, folk music and merry making.

Special preparations are made to celebrate Losar by painting of houses, decorating homes by flour paintings of Sun and Moon, and illuminating houses by earthen lamps during the nights. Losar festival in Sikkim begins one month in advance than that celebrated by Buddhists and Tibetans in other places.

During Losar, folks enjoy various kinds of special cuisines. It is the time for Buddhists to ensure stopping of bad omens from carrying into the new year. Losar is also celebrated in various parts of Nepal and Bhutan.

Bhunda Festival in Himachal Pradesh

2009-06-23T03:55:00.000-07:00

Fairs and festivals have always been a part of the life of tribes in India. One of the such festivals is Bhunda festival, which is celebrated in Nirmand region of Himachal Pradesh. Nirmand is located at a distance of around 150 km from Shimla and 17 km from Rampur. Famous by the name of Bhund Narmedh (Human Sacrifice) mahayajna, Bhunda is celebrated every after 12 years. This festival mainly revolves around Beda tribes of Himachal Pradesh, who have a major role to play in the whole Bhunda ceremony.

Bhunda festival in Himachal Pradesh is performed believing that it will make local deity happy and He will shower prosperity and goodwill on the villagers. The main hero of the festival, a man from Beda tribe who is designated to perform the ritual, starts taking meal once in a day when only one month is left for the festival. He starts weaving the sacred rope by collecting the 'Munji' grass, on which he is going to slide on the day of the tribal ceremony, which is generally around 500 meters in length.

On the final day of the tribal Bhunda festival all the local deities are invited to the place of event where priests and a large number of audience gather to witness the traditional Bhunda celebration. The Beda man takes bath, wears a white dress (kafan) and worship the local deity after which he is accompanied to the site of the event with drum beats. The sacred rope weaved by the Beda is tied to a high point on a hill at one side and at another side it is tied to a point across a ravine deepdown on the ground. The Beda then sits on a wooden sliding saddle tied to the rope with his hands pointing upwards and slides down the ropeway, where his wife sits like a widow. If the man is able to survive and perform the event successfully, he and his family become rich as they are bestowed with huge amount of money and jewelery from the temple fund and is carried to the temple on a palanquin where hundreds of goats are sacrificed by the villagers in the name of local deity. But if the man is not able to survive, then his family is taken care off by the villagers.

Nowadays, special precautions are taken by the local authorities during Bhunda festival like tying of sand bags on both the legs of the Beda man sliding down the rope so as to maintain the balance and putting of nets and mattresses below the rope to avoid any unusual happening.

Thousands of visitors from various parts of Himachal Pradesh and other parts of the country including tribal regions witness this three days long Bhunda festival ceremony. Though for localites it is an usual affair but for the visitors from outside, it is nothing less than an event where a human being is forced knowingly into the mouth of death.

Tribal Festivals in Orissa

2009-06-18T02:00:00.000-07:00

According to the Census Report of 1991, around 22% of the total population of Orissa is comprised of tribal communities. These communities are sixty-two in number. Being very religious minded, these tribes celebrate a number of tribal festivals in Orissa. The rituals and festivities that are a part of these tribal celebrations provide a window to the age-old customs and traditions of tribes in Orissa.

Some of the most popular tribal festivals celebrated in the state are as follows.

Bali Jatra
The Koraput tribal communities of Orissa celebrate Bali Jatra festival on the same day as that of Karama Festival. The festival begins on the 11thday of the Bhadrab month and continues till the full moon. Putting on fancy dresses, merrymaking, drinking, dancing and singing are all part of the Bali Jatra festival in Orissa.

Karama Festival
Also spelt 'Karam' the Karama Festival is celebrated by Ho, Kisan, Kol, Bhumij, Oraon, Bhuiyan and Binjhals tribes of Orissa. Not only by tribal communities of Orissa, but the Karama Festival is also a part of the life of aboriginal people in the states of Bihar and Madhya Pradesh. The festival takes place in Bhadrab month during rainy season. Communities go to jungle along with drummers, cut the branches of Karma tree, bring it back to village and then a ritual follows which also include killing of a fowl and offering its blood to the branch.

Sume Gerilak
This is much-awaited tribal festival celebrated by the Bondas of Koraput. Sume Geralik Festival begins on a Sunday and carries on for 10 days. The tribal people start with worshipping godlings and demons. Later, the priest performs the sacrificing ritual of animals and birds. Singing and dancing expedition are the fun part of this tribal festival. One unique ritual is the striking of boys (each other standing face to face) with pliant tree branches till the last limit. Next, they embrace each other as the priest delivers a message of friendship and love. All of this happens amidst loud beating of drums.

Bija Pandu
Koya tribal communities celebrated the Bija Pandu Festival. These tribal people inhabit the Koya village, located amid dense forests. The festival begins with worshiping of Godling and sacrificing of animals and birds. As a part of the festival celebration, people go out hunting and fishing to return before dark, while women wait for them at home. A special dance is also performed by tribal men and women, decorated with traditional costumes.

Kendu Festival
An important festival of the Kondh tribe (Phulbani), Kendu festival was known for 'human sacrifice' or 'Meria' in their language. The ritual was, however, banned during the British Rule. The 'human sacrificing' was replaced with 'buffalo sacrificing'.

Chaita Parva
Not only by the tribal people of Koraput, but Chaita Parva is also celebrated by the Bhuiyan tribe of Mayurbhanj, Sudargarh and Keonjhar. Festivities continue for a whole month. Men go out hunting, bring back animals and meat is distributed among all villages. Animal sacrificing is done. People sing, drink and dance whole heartedly.

Maghe Parab
This is an important harvest festival. Maghe Parab festival is the most significant festival of tribes including Ho, Oraon, Kisan and Kol. The tribal festival is celebrated to pay tribute to the village deity. As part of the ritual, a black fowl is sacrificed and 'mahua' liquor is offered to the deity. People wear new dresses, drink, sing and dance together.

Oraon Tribes in India

2009-06-08T00:16:00.000-07:00

Tribals in India constitute around eight per cent of the total population. Oraon is one of the tribal communities found in India, which mainly depends on agriculture for earning their living. They are also known as Kurukh tribes. These tribes are mainly found in the states of Jharkhand, Bihar, West Bengal and Orissa. In the ancient days, Oraons used to make their living by chopping timber and selling forest products. Majority of the population of Oraons can be found in Northeastern states engaged in the occupation of tea cultivation.

Oraons are considered to have the second largest population of tribes in Bihar and Jharkhand. Efficient, particularly in tea garden works, Oraons are believed to have settled in the Chotanagpur Plateau centuries ago. Oraons speak Kurukh language related to Dravidian family. Majority of the Oraon tribes are Hindus and are religious minded people. They worship Gods and Goddesses but a great number of these tribes have adopted Christianity. In the ancient days, this community used to follow Sarna religion.

Oraons are further divided into sub-castes like Kudas and Kisans, who follow Patrilineal family customs. There are a total of 14 clans in Oraon tribal community like, Gari, Lakra, Kispotta, Runda, Tirky, Toppo, Linda, Ekka, Kuzur, Bek, Kerketta, Bandi, Minz and Khalkho. This tribal community in India is also known world wide as they still believe in following age old custom of human sacrifice. These sacrifices are carried out during the famous Sarhul festival celebrated before cultivation of crops, as a mark of respect to please the local deity.

Festivals have been a part of life for tribals since ancient time. Sarhul and Karma are the two main important festivals of these tribals. They are also very fond of music and dance. Karma, Jadur, Dassai and Kagha Parva are their most favorite dances. Traditional instruments like Nagara, Kartal and Mandar are still used by these people.

Garo Tribes of Meghalaya

2009-05-30T05:31:00.000-07:00

Meghalaya, one of the seven sister states of North East India, is inhabited largely by tribes. After Khasi, Garo comprise the largest population of tribes in Meghalaya. Most of these tribes habitat in Garo hills of Meghalaya, as the name depicts itself. Other than Meghalaya a sizeable population of these tribes can also be found in other states like Assam, Tripura, West Bengal and Bangladesh.

It is believed that Garos migrated to Meghalaya about 400 years ago from Tibet. Garo people are also known by the name of 'Achik-mande' or hill people. As almost all the states in North East India were explored by Christian Missionaries, most of the Garos adopted Christianity. These tribes speak Garo language, which is also further divided into different sub-languages or dialects.

In Garo tribes, women are the owners of property thus making it a matrilineal society. There is a custom where the youngest daughter inherits the property from her mother and man shifts to his wife's place after getting married.

These tribes are also lovers of music and dance. They use various traditional musical instruments like stringed instruments, wind instruments and self sounding instruments. Men flaunt turban with clothes in villages. Whereas, blouse and a cloth tied around their waist is worn by Garo women. They also love to wear traditional jewellery made of beads and other material.

Garos also celebrate different festivals. Wangala is one of the significant festivals of these tribes which is generally celebrated in the month of October. This festival is celebrated after the harvest of crops as thanks giving ceremony to their deity Salijong. Rice is the staple food of Garos and most of them are non-vegetarians. They also make liquor at home from food grains. Their main cultivation crops include rice, ginger, millet, bananas, vegetables, pepper, chilli and cotton.

Gujjar Tribes in India

2009-05-25T05:35:00.001-07:00

Gujjars are one of the communities of tribes inhabiting in India. Gujjars mainly inhabit in the states of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Delhi, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Maharashtra. These tribes can be found mainly following Hindu and Muslim religions.

It is believed that Gujjars were the original inhabitants of Gurjia or Georgia. They came across Iraq, Iran, Central Asia, Afganistan and Pakistan to Gujarat, way back in 5th and 6th centuries. Some also believe that Gujjars were earlier Rajputs and they changed their religion to Islam after losing to Aurangzeb in battle.

Gujjars come in the category of semi-nomadic tribes and their main occupation is herding of goats, sheep and buffaloes. Semi-nomadic people of Gujjar community are in the habit of migrating to upper parts of Himalayas along with their cattle during the summer season and back to the plains with the onset of chilly winters.

As Gujjars keep on moving from one place to another, they move with their families and thus have very rare permanent settlements. Wherever they go, they reside in shacks or huts made of grass, wood or bamboos as per the availability of raw materials. They sell milk, ghee and their cattle to make their living.

Gujjars, who are now-a-days mainly found in the Northern parts of India, speak Hindi, Urdu, Kashmiri, Dogri and Pahari. They are the tribes who strictly follow old traditions and customs. They still follow custom of early marriages, where girls are married at an age of 14 – 15 years and boys at 17-18 years. Mostly they depend on milk products as their staple food besides cereals, wheat and maize. They may be vegetarians and non-vegetarians as well.

Gujjars wear their traditional dresses. Men adorn turbans on their heads in Mughal style along with long and loose 'Kurtas' or shirts with 'Salwars'. Over the shirt they wear vest-coat called 'Basket'. They also wrap 'Chaddar' or shawl around their shoulders to save them from cold. Whereas, women wear loose 'Kurta' (shirt) having collars and cuffs along with 'Suthan' or 'Salwars' in Churidar style. They flaunt vest-coat over 'Kurta' like men . Women also wrap a 'Chaddar' around their heads which is also called as 'Neelak'. Both men and women wear 'Desi Juttis' or shoes. Gujjar women are also fond of jewelery like necklace, nose rings and ear rings mainly made of silver.

Now-a-days, there has been a change in the lifestyle of Gujjars also like other tribes, with the change of time. In the olden days where they used to be illiterate because of their nomadic life, now some of them have started dwelling in permanent settlements and impart education to their children.

Gaddi Tribes of Himachal Pradesh

2009-05-15T22:05:00.000-07:00

Gaddi Tribes constitute a sizeable population of tribes habitating in Himachal Pradesh. These tribes mainly dwell around Dhauladhar mountain range, Chamba, Bharmaur and the areas near to Dharamshala. It is believed that these people migrated to the foothills of Himalayas from Central Asia, Rajasthan and Gujarat. It is also believed that some castes of Gaddi tribes ran away and took shelter in hills because of the threat of Mughal ruler Aurangzeb in 17th century.

The pace of evolving changes with time, in contemporary society, has also affected the living style of Gaddi tribes, which poses a great threat to their culture, costume, jewellery, folklore and lifestyle. Characteristics of Gaddis are diminishing fast because of the cultural invasion by other communities.

The main occupation of Gaddi tribes is shepherding and they make their livelihood by rearing and selling sheeps, goats, mules and horses. Though these tribes were more nomadic in older days but now they have made their settlements in the villages and make seasonal movements with their livestock to pastures in upper hills during summer season and to the foothills in chilly winters. Now people from Gaddi community have also started adopting several other occupations for earning their livelihood.

Related with the occupation of sheep grazing, Gaddis flaunt woolen attire made of sheep wool, like woolen pyjamas (trousers), long coats, dhoru (woolen sari), caps and shoes made up of wool and goat hair. Even sheep wool is also used for making shawls, blankets and carpets which are spun in traditional style at homes as they are expert in weaving. Gaddi women are also fond of jewellery made of semi precious stones, gold and silver.

Though most of the Gaddi community is Hindu, but one can also find Muslim Gaddis in the upper areas of Chamba and Lahaul Spiti districts. Where these tribes speak in local dialects, they can also understand and converse in Hindi as well. Gaddis are also known for their simple living style and are religious. Most of them still practice their old traditions and customs. They are also fond of music and dance and their important fairs are Minjar, Bharmaur Jatra and Sui Mela. They are worshipers of Lord Shiva and also celebrate Shivratri festival with pomp and show.

Most of the people in Gaddi tribe are non-vegetarians and they also consume goat milk. Though in the earlier days child marriages and polygamy were in practice but with the change in lifestyle the community has also grown up educationally.

Sign and Symbols in Tribal Culture

2009-05-08T04:08:00.000-07:00

Tribal culture speculate the complex religion and strange beliefs. All the various tribal communities, narrows down to one common facts- a real world outlined with countless myths. Since time immemorial, the concept of understanding nature and the style of living life has underwent several changes. But yet, many tribal folks are not behind to pass on their ancestral belief to the their next generation. A very interesting way to unfold their culture, is to brief out the sign and symbols, which represents the status and style within the society.

Tattoos: The use of tattoos in tribal community speaks a lot in terms of of the origin and the social hierarchy of a person, who wears it. It is said, a person bearing big and complex tattoo is superior as compared to one with simple one. As per the tribal rituals, tattoo describes the age and sex of an individual. Also, in some tribes, males ink their body-parts with the totem animals and believe that they inherit the power of the tattooed animal. The Toda women tattooed in patterns of dots and circle, expresses their adulthood, whereas, scar in the male's wrist or elbows, certifies him for milking buffaloes.

Wooden articles: Males in Naga tribal community display their status symbol by wearing wooden carved head gears in any of their festivals or dance acts. According to them, it symbolizes their bravery and status. Horned head dresses, intricate with animal teeth and beaks are believed to enhance the power and prestige of the wearer. Many carry the proud occupation of carving drinking mugs, smoking pipes and morung pillars, flourished with the sign of powerful wild animals like tigers, buffaloes etc or symbol of warriors and weapons.

Tribal Myths in North-Eastern India

2009-05-03T23:00:00.000-07:00

North Eastern India, features the diverse ethnic culture and linguistic states from other states of the country. Among the various existing tribal colony in its states and territories, the Naga Tribe of Nagaland is famous for their mythic belief, ruling their caste and religion. Lets get a snippet of what surprising facts, underline their fairs and festivals.

The Naga Tribes believe to worship the God of Earthquake, who according to them is the supreme creator of earth out of water and the Son of this God guides the mankind. They strongly believe that God lives in the midst of mountains, dense forest, underneath the rivers and lakes. And as such, a series of rituals take place among the social groups. They erect a typical stone monuments nearby their houses, with the sole belief of family protection against any evil spirit.

Tribal carry the myths of witchcraft and unconscious dreams, that they can give their utmost input to fulfill them. A strange practice of slaughtering lies in their community. Some groups sacrifice their dogs or pigs before the onset of their wood carving or farming. The age-old head-hunting was prime concern for growing fertile crops and as such they were largely depended on sprinkling animal blood over the fields. But the cruel practice ceased in the early 20th century, thereby, indicating the extinction of social stigma.

Naga people belief the philosophy of rebirth and as such the dead are buried in the direction from which their ancestors have come. Many built a separate grave-yard before their death, while in some case, the burial takes place in the house premises, only.

Tribal Bhagoriya Festival

2009-04-27T23:16:00.000-07:00

Madhya Pradesh is an exotic tribal habitat, in the Central Region of India. Popularly known as the getaways to Khajuraho temples, this historic place on the heart of the Mother India constitutes about 23 % tribes of the total state population. Many of the isolated land in Madhya Pradesh is embellished with the spectacular fairs and festivals. One very unique festival named Bhagoriya is outlined with strange facts and beliefs.

Bhagoriya literary means to elope. This festival is highly celebrated by the Bhils populace in the Jhabua region of the state. The merriment is dedicated to the worship of Bahgoradav(God of dance) and is held one week before the festival of color, Holi. This very popular tribal festival highlights the love, romance and marriage among the tribal folks.

According to the rituals of the festival, Bhil youths indulge themselves in meeting their future spouse. Unmarried men go around, applying color to his loved ones and if the girl reciprocates her sentiment, she applies color in return. Also the mutual exchange of betel leaf declares the loving environment. After this ritualistic permission, both the lovers are allowed to elope into some alien land so as to spend moments together. The marriage then get eventually salmonized and a warm welcome is presented to the newly wed couples.

The Bhagoriya festival, also features the cultural dance programmes, performed according to the rhythm of the drum-beats and thalis. It is also celebrated greatly by the tribes of Chhattisgarh in India.

Tribes in Tripura (North-East India)

2009-04-23T22:24:00.000-07:00

Tucked away in the hilly land of North-eastern region of India, Tripura is the inhabiting land of a number of tribes. Around 19 prominent hills of the state is clogged with tribal community and a rough estimate of 31 % of the state population counts the tribal folk. The Chaimal, Halam, Jamatia, Lepcha, Riang, Tippera and the Tripuri, contribute to the some total of the existing culture and heritage of Tripura . And the most interesting part is their cordial relation amongst each other in balancing the tradition of wood carving, bamboo and cane works.

Other then using the common 'Kokborok' conversing language, other beautiful dialects help them maintain the interactive session. The tribes of Tripura are highly inclined to religious and spiritual believes. With the presiding deity “ Tripura Sundari” the tribal believe the place to be linked with the epic era of Mahabharata. The important tribal festival, Karchi Puja, dedicated to the 14 Gods is held every year during the month of July. In addition to the tribal folks, Bengali populace residing there also bow their head before the divine idols.

The tribal women in Tripura are much more stylish then their men. Women wrap the lower portion of the body with 'Ringai' whereas they cover the upper half with 'Risa' and 'Rikuttu'.The 'Ringai' pattern and the dangling silver and metal jewelery in their body is the way to differentiate one tribes from another.

Tribes in Tripura are very much fond of non-vegetarian cuisines, specially made of fermented fish. The merriment includes the boiled meat of pork, chicken, mutton, beef, turtle, fish, crabs, prawns, frogs and even dogs.

Madari Tribe or the Snake Charmer

2009-04-21T22:21:00.000-07:00

Madari are a nomadic tribe, popularly known as snake-charmer. They are believed to be the offspring of Rajput father and Muslim mother. Their verbal interaction takes place in Gujarati and Hindi language. This tribal populace can be examined with a visit to Gujarat and the tribal villages in Assam.

The Madari tribal folk are skillful in trapping the snakes, monkeys and Sloth bear, which help them organize some local programmes and earn a few penny. While many of them fill their breadbasket with snake-charming and jugglery, some of them deals in selling indigenous medicinal herbs. This 'Desi Jari Butiwala', sometimes, moves from place to place with their trapped animals, entertain people and also sell the herbal medicines.

The Madari tribe do not observe regular rites and rituals. The only celebration takes place during after the marriage ceremony and after the birth of the child. The festive mood jazzed with the a grand feast and with the local drinks, offered to the panch(council of caste leaders) members during the occasion. An interesting fact lies in their diet type that this tribes have strong affinity towards non-vegetarian cuisines but strictly restrict themselves to vegetarian food-staff during their merriment.

Madaris are in between the Hindu and Muslim religion. The rituals following the birth and life highlights the influence of Hindu culture, while the rites after the dead gets merged with rules as per the Muslim religion. The dead are buried in the earth and a stretching observance of 12 days ends up with the arrangement of community feast.

Mortal birds are immortal in tribal culture

2009-04-15T22:28:00.000-07:00

The free flying birds wave the age-old tribal tradition. While digging out the underlying fact tribal couture, a strange fact pops out; the fur skins of wild birds are the main decor, treasured by the tribal ancestors. In retrospect, we will find the active use of Peacock quills by Kings and Queen. Hindu Mythology has attached the multi hued quills with Lord Krishna and now a few filmy scenes has showcased it romantically. But Apart from this classic tales, the main theme lies in how strongly it depicts the culture of different tribes.

Where Peacock expresses the beauty of India, Eagle advocates the mythical belief of the tribes of the very country. According to the traditional tribal culture, an eagle is the messenger of the Almighty. This wild birds carries the instruction of God for tribal folks and the bird wings are a key to this contract. Like the inseparable animal skin and teeth, the bird beaks and skin revolve around the socialite of Nagaland , Himachal Pradesh and many other tribes all around the globe. The feathers are taken specially for ornamenting their look. Many tribal festival is incomplete with the feathered man, meaning the normal human beings adorned with feather attributes, like bird's head turned upside down on their heads or feathers stitched out on their clothes.

And surprisingly, in this era of science, the Irula tribes of Attapadi in Kerala are still practicing the traditional way of preparing medicines from burning owl feathers, nails and skin

Tribal Mopin Festival in Arunachal Pradesh

2009-04-09T22:38:00.000-07:00

Where the festival of Color, Holi remarks the multicolour India, the tribal groups smears the aura with rice powder. A popular tribal festival of Arunachal Pradesh , Mopin is celebrated for the desire of wealth and prosperity. The jazzing festival came into limelight every year during the month of March or April and the gaiety continues for five days.

The Mopin festival plays an important role in the cultural scenario of Galo Adi Tribes. Tribal people dazzle in their traditional costumes and organize the amazing 'popir dance', greatly performed by the female folk. With positioning themselves in a circular queue, they create the roaring sound of their rhythmic steps. One group assemble themselves and chant the sweet words of Ja-Jin-Ja and Baryi folk song, while the following participants complements their song with dancing. Tribal folks don themselves in white clothes and elaborate head gears. Their dangling multi-colored beaded ornaments glitz according to their foot-steps and the sparking sun-rays.

The tribal culture is submerged with strange myths which is vary much linked with the existence of evil spirits. One prime purpose behind organizing this function is to get away from evil shadow and to receive the blessing of God for universal happiness.

Karma Tribal Dance in India

2009-04-05T22:57:00.000-07:00

India is an umbrella for the the vibrant tribal set, which describes the colorful art of living a life. The Swaying body and clapping hands follows the rhythm of drum-beats and speaks about the many dances involved in the tribal culture. One popular tribal dance form is the Karma type, highly performed by Adivasis residing at the interior of Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh in India. Tribal groups like Gonds, the Baigas and the Oraons in Chattisgarh are masters in this jazzing art. Other tribes of Madhya Pradesh like the Thumki, the Payri, the Chhalla and Jhumki are also seen to have gain momentum in this folk dance.

The traditional dance is preformed specially during the Karma Festival held as per the Hindu month of Bhadrapada(August). Folks believe that this dance is a way to pay tribute to Lord Karma. Both men and women arrange themselves in two rows and follow the rhythmic steps, directed by the singer group. The Karma tribal dance marks the end of the rainy season and the advent of spring season. Participants cuts the branches of Karam tree and thereafter dancing session follows the insertion of this branches in the dancing ground called “ akhara”. The branches are named as Karam Raja and tribal believes that this activity offers them with good fortune through out the year.

The Karma Dance gets its tempo with the quick beating of drums and loud style of singing. The dance manifest the arrival of flower, fruit and freshness thereby marking India evermore beautiful.

Tradition splashed tribal festival with animal blood

2009-04-01T22:02:00.000-07:00

Myth left thousand dead and yet looking more. The sentence concerns the surprising tribal tradition, where festivals gets colorful with animal blood. The ancient indigenous belief of slaughtering innocent animal is heartwrenching concept of tribal festival.

The Sulia hillock of Orissa holds a popular tribal festival, Sulia Jatra. Dedicated to God Sulia, this festival is carried out on the second Tuesday of the Hindu Pousa month. Kondh tribes nestled in the foothills, has marked the occasion with mass slaughtering of animals particularly goat, buffaloes, cows and birds like crow, pegion etc. This hinterland came into notice when a report confirmed that around thousands of animals and birds were slaughtered sometime in the festival in 2005.

Tribal believe that the offering of fresh animal blood to their presiding deity, Sulia, will help them to lead a life of success and prosperity. The sacrificing time mainly stands around noon when the Sun is just overhead. Pilgrims drag the animals in the quaint pilgrimage center hand over them to the priest of the temple. The animals are sprayed with holy water and turmeric powder. With performing a short ritual and drum- beats animals are then slaughtered with sharp axes. After squeezing the fresh blood to be offered, the left over body part are carried by the villagers. It is believed that each one of the villager should have at least one piece of its cooked meat.

The festivals is also greatly celebrated in the tribal village of Bhubaneswar and Himachal Pradesh in India

Manipur Magic with Musical Instruments

2009-03-29T23:10:00.000-07:00

Manipur, situated in the North-eastern part of India is a renowned for music and dance. The tribes residing in the state are of Kuki origin, but their life style depicts the Naga tribes. The tribes of Manipur, reverberates the deep-seated culture and tradition submerged with the colorful music. Besides, depending on agricultural productivity, the market is the mainly known for its cottage industries, which manufactures a wide range of musical instruments.

The Thoda Kuki Tribe dominating the greater part of Manipur viz: Imphal, Churachandpur belt, Sekmai, Senapati and other districts of Manipur are the master in instrumental music rather than vocal. The orchestras complementing with dance is the way of a happy life. Both man and women perform a number of jigging group dance like Sheltoldel, Boncho and Lholhit.

The Thodas are imperative to making a range of musical instruments. The harmonized note produced by the quality tool has made a mark in the modern orchestra too. Some hand-crafted musical instrument are-

Dapi: a Burmese wood chime.
Diemgdong: a Xylophone consisting of six wooden slats and laid across two cords fastened at one end.
Khoung: a drum made from hollow section of tree trunk and covered in both side with hide membranes.
Khuli: a bamboo flute.
Gu-da: an instrument similar to bengal ektara.
Pheiphot: comprises of ten simple bamboo tubes of measured length.
Gu-Shem: a bamboo mouth organ.

Polyandry Marriage System in Himachal Pradesh

2009-03-25T22:33:00.001-07:00

Tribal culture in India is a blend of epic words and modernity. The Kinnaure tribe of Himachal Pradesh is a brilliant example of its kind. They inhabit in the border of Kinnaur district and earn their livelihood by rearing farm animals. Their occupation lies in raising wool, agriculture and horticulture.

Kinnaures characterize the Aryan and Mongoloid features. There dressing sense complements their soft speaking style. Males highlight their muscular look with a long coat (chubha) and woolen pyjama (chamu sutan) while women wrap their beauty with woolen sari (Dhoru). Women, during any special occasion beautify themselves with strings of beads and corals.

An interesting, yet surprising fact dominating this tribal community, is the Polyandry marriage system. Kinnaures consider themselves as the ancestral link of the Kinners of Mahabharata and believe the custom of Pandava marriage codes. Accordingly, one common girl gets married to the different brothers of a family. Heavy-price is paid for a bride, who is granted freedom to participate in any of the cultural occasion even after marriage. The shortage of good match led the unpaired girls convert herself into a Buddhist nun or Jomo. This tribal folk believe that Polyandry is the best way to joint family system and a smart way to safeguard the inherent property from division. One inspiring point lies in the system of re-marriage in their society. Women, after the death of her husband are allowed to marry again without any social stigma.

Tribal Bamboo Culture.

2009-03-23T04:48:00.000-07:00

Where millions of people are filling their breadbasket in pen and paper, one community in India are still struggling with forest bamboos. The conversation limelight the tribal heritage with bamboo culture. Nothing is termed useless in tribal dictionary. After harnessing the fruits of the plant, their off-season work lies in showcasing their craftsmanship with the remnants.

India's tribal dominating states like the Nagaland, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh shimmers with the skillful tradition of bamboo and cane craft. The Adis, Bangnis, Apatanis, Mishmis, Hill Miris and Nocts are supreme masters in this culture. They transform the bamboo strips into the structural qualities of wardrobe articles and domestic goods. Items like the hat, waist belts, combs, hand band, stylish hand fan are embellished with birds feather, animal beak and hair-dyes. Baskets, popularly known as 'Khang' in Nagaland have the storage capacity of wooden blocks and paddy grains. Apart from this, various household items like liquor vessels, rice-plates, mugs and mats are hand-crafted in a variety of designs. Bamboo and cane craft plays a vital evidence in weaponry items like bows and arrows, hunting and fishing traps, spears and axes. Tribal folk in Nagaland design a manual wooden machine to make the decorative Naga woolen shawls. The attractive smoking pipe, known as 'Hukka' is nothing but the brainy ideas by tribal culture.

Fibers are also sucked out from the local plant and used in the form of rope, strings, brooms etc. Both men and women are skilled in making extra income with arranging bamboo fairs at the nearby town. Besides gaining reputation within the country, the culture is also exploring the international markets.

Tagin Tribe of Arunachal Pradesh.

2009-03-19T05:29:00.000-07:00

'The land of rising Sun', Arunachal Pradesh is among the popular tribal location in India. It is positioned in the northeastern part of India and covers an area of 83, 743 sq. km. The state holds about 63% tribal groups, of which each tribes are known for its unique culture and belief. One notable tribe is the Tagins residing in the Subansiri District of Arunachal Pradesh. Speaking of the sub-division of this tribe, the 'Tagin-Moya' and 'Mayu' inhabits the upper valley of Subansiri river and the valleys of its tributaries, while the 'Mara' and 'Na' sub-groups dominates the Limeking and Taksing Circle, which lie close to Tibet.

The hilly land of Arunachal Pradesh is dotted with the myths and beliefs of Tagin society. The people here are known for their independent style of living. Despite of the following the law and order of Indian Panel Court, this tribal group organize their own legal institution and look after the welfare of the tribal folk and activities.

They wrap themselves in a single piece of cloth and believe to cure their diseases with traditional medicines made of fruits, plant stem and wild leaves. A surprising fact lies in their type of Wedding ceremony. Marriages are patri-local and polygamy is well-practiced in the society. One of the person sings a tribal folk-song and symbolically demand bride-price from the Groom. A certain amount is fixed in exchange of the bride and a receipt of the due items are is prepared in the name of God.

Ghotul, a gateway to modern tribal life

2009-03-12T05:35:00.000-07:00

The seamless beauty of traditional life with modern thinking comes with a glimpse into the Ghotul learning center. India is popular for its indifferent tribal culture and its society of rules and regulations. Lets have a look into the adhivasi tribal center in Chhattisgarh, India.

Ghotul, in Bastar region of Chhattisgarh plays a vital role in developing the life and culture of Muria Gond tribal groups. This autonomous institution speaks a lot of the moral messages of freedom and happiness; friendliness and sympathy; hospitality and unity. The institution understands no material gain and treasures human love and its physical expression of truth, understanding and clarity. The institution is taken care by mutual understanding among both male and female individuals. boys and girls at their tender age of six years are entitled with its membership and social responsibilities. The female workers are known as 'Motiyaris' whereas the male workers are known as 'Cheliks'.

One interesting fact lies the development concerning the women folk. Beside participating actively in decision-making policies, women are assigned with the administrative task at the Ghotul. Unlike other traditional societies the women are not bound to the hard and fast rule of spouse-selection, arrange marriage and pre-marital conditions.

The institution also aims at teaching the skillful activity of leaf-weaving, vegetable-growing, ash-cleaning and wood-carving. Typically known as dormitory, this institution is also one step ahead in spreading sex-education in the society.

Tribal tattoo Culture

2009-03-03T04:06:00.000-08:00

Wonders are many and one wonder lies in understanding tribal and their culture. A very interesting facts came with studying tattoo and its cultural significance.

Ancient records indicates that tribal and tattoos were an inseparable phenomenon. Both men and women were keen to painting their bare body with color produced from natural herbs.A strong tribal tradition remarked that tattoos are a sign of status and religion,love and emotion, protection and punishment. The myth dominating the tribal life style have submerged its use with spiritual fundas of the society and believe tattoos are a to help protect themselves from evil worlds.
Time have changed and the tattoo twist have entered the fashionable galaxy. Where fashionistas are taking it in vogue, many tribal community are still merging its use with cultural integrity. Many folks hold the concept of making a permanent mark in their child body at the tender age of 5 only.
Some very popular tribal tattoos comes in aggressive dark black lines of symmetrical shapes. Other tattoo symbol includes axe, wild animals and fire shades.

Tribal Cuisines

2009-02-25T03:55:00.000-08:00

Tribal troupes are being sheltered in every nook and corner of India. The more we enter into the narrow passage of tribal colony, the higher is the complexity. Our thoughts were confined to their simple living theme and popular dressing style. But now our eyes has turned towards their kitchen room. Leaving aside all their matter of concern, one prime notice is about the cuisine they depend upon. A peep into their life style gave a snippet of their cooking skills.

The tribal people depends upon raw and roasted food materials. Unlike any non-tribal group they avoid oils and spicy mixtures. A few people of their community lean towards the vegetarian dishes made of sweet potatoes, a pinch of salts and strange wild leaves. Villagers of Ganjarn district consume dried seeds of mango, jack fruit and ragi. In case of non-vegetarian cuisines, most tribal are very much fond of chutneys(pickles)made of red ants. The festive air gets the aroma of roasted rats and other wild animals too. Naga people enjoy the delightful dinner with boiled snails complemented with local drinks(Apong)made of fermented rice or millet. Yet the rough division between the vegetarian and non-vegetarian counter merges with the common staple food rice and their local drinks.

And now they are no more laggards, their cuisines are finding space in the city streets. A very popular one is Momo, prepared by stuffing a mixture of minced meat and onion with a thin covering of flour. Also the consumption of raw vegetables in the name of salad is a brilliant example of its kind.

An array of Jewels in Tribal shelf

2009-02-17T22:49:00.000-08:00

The talk about ethnic jewelery gets its essence with a tribal folk. Give a close look at their wardrobe and you will find ample of ornaments made of a variety of metals. Just as their language and rituals define their culture and religion, so do their dressing style. The tribal are well known for covering their bare body parts with heavy ornaments, tattoos and animal furs is maintaining a timeworn tradition.

History has marked the resemblance of tribal community with primitive existence, of which many resides in India. A snippet of the tribal study depicts a brief of junky jewelery enlisted below -

Khosa- a beautiful braid lock meant for stylizing the hair.
Khinwa - a pair of ear tops mostly made of brass, silver and aluminum
Phui - a nose ring big enough to touch the lip-line
Karipot - a grant decorated with shells, beads, silver and at times animal horns and teeth. Other necklace type are the Chapsari, Muhar Mala and Hansli
Chude/Chudiya - the big bangles made of silver, brass, gold,wood and aluminum

The custom of wearing the typical dangling jewelery highlights their age-old belief in magic or evil works. In the North-eastern Region of India, both men and women are found decorating themselves from head to toe, specially during the festival. Some tribes continue their daily dressing with must have one like tikli in Santal and Oraon, bangles & anklets among Chamka, and Khosa among Garo community.

Today, tribal jewelery has entered into the world of fashion and each one of us is opting for tribal custom, with or without knowledge.

Tribal Trial with Bamboo Dance

2009-02-12T03:41:00.000-08:00

India is a country of art and culture ,a land of diverse community , language and demographic quality. Of the known areas of dance, a very interesting one is the Bamboo Dance in India, performed exclusively by Tribal. This form of boogie is the heart and soul of tribal community and is a must to-do activity(at least ones ) for an individual in his life time

Bamboo dance is a participatory action performed by both men and women, dressed in traditional attire. The dance involves a gentle jump over bamboo sticks, placed horizontally in parallel spacing over the vertically placed bamboo sticks to form interface. Two person sit on either side of the ground and slide the sticks over the vertically placed bamboo sticks. The dance is followed with a rhythmic music as 'hih-hoh with the help of which dancer adjust their steps. The sliding of the bamboo stripes jig the whole environment and gives a picture-perfect scene.

Many tribal submerged the dance with myths and beliefs. They believe that the rhythm of the sound made by the bamboo sticks attracts a folk of multi hued insects called 'lebang' and as such women organize themselves in group to catch them. This dance is highly enjoyed after the time of Jhum cultivation and is still flattering many tribal regions.

The North-eastern region of India is a getaway to viewing Bamboo dance. The proud states includes Tripura, Nagaland and Manipur, of which Naga people of Nagaland are the real gems.

Calculating Tribal Life with Cultural Style

2009-02-05T04:26:00.000-08:00

Nature unfolds scenic beauty and so do different cultures,of which the most exciting study comes in with tribal contents ;their culture and lifestyle. The group constitute a mere percentage of 8.08% of the total Indian population and often quoted as old settlers with variability in languages. Tribal people,popularly called Adivasi spends a simple yet meaningful livelihood,thereby maintaining their primitive culture as well as filling their breadbasket.

Treasuring old culture: Both tribal men and women plays a vital role in preserving cultural dictionary. Traditional stones, beads,birds quills and off-course shawls are a must-have attires in their wardrobe. Were man believes in farming ,women take active part in weaving traditional shawls and knitting sweaters for their dear ones. The most common farming technique lies in Jhum cultivation(cutting well-grown corns following with burning the land to increase its fertility);a primitive agricultural style. Men sweats out their whole day with cultivation whereas women are home-makers,engaging themselves to caring their family. Other then cooking their daily food staff at times they make their favorite local drinks and pickles (eg:'pithamadhu','akhoni') so as to sweep away their exhausted life with its typical taste.

Merging culture with profession: Although tribal society has turned modernized with new professional themes. The very remote tribal areas are not left with practicing cultural ways of earning their livelihood. In addition to farming,they are expert in hunting wild animals and hand-crafting wooden articles. The north eastern region of India is rich in tribal scenery and the best way to grab this interesting fact lies in your own personal visit.

Indian Tribal Literature

2009-01-29T00:08:00.000-08:00

It took thousands of years before the Indian tribal literature completed its journey from word-of-mouth presence to coming into vogue formally. The lingual tradition of any race has to come to in black and white to become literature. The fate of oral literature witnessed became significant when printing technology started impacting India during the 19thcentury. The languages that had their own script began to be considered quite well. On the contrary, those without any script presence and printed literature never earned their own states. Taking into consideration the odds, it is truly surprising to have tribal literature preserved in India.

The number of languages tribal communities in India speak is truly huge. According to the Indian consensus figures, there are as many as 90 tribal languages with speech communities of over ten thousand. Tribal languages including Kukna, Bhili, Gondi, Mizo, Garo, Santhali, Kinnauri, Garhwali, Dehwali, Warli and Pawri have their own tribal literature in oral form. It is interesting to note that many of the Indian tribes have turned to writing to enrich the legacy of tribal literature in India. Today, many of the tribal languages in India possess their own script. Tribal writers came into limelight when Dalit literature attracted the country's attention.

Now, this is quite obvious that tribal literature has transcended the boundaries of mere folk songs and dance forms. Complex literature genres like novel and drama have come into play. Daxin Bajrange's Budhan Theatre in Ahmedabad has been serving as a base for developing contemporary plays. Tribal writers have also found space in little magazines like Chattisgarh Lokakshar and Dol to express their concerns and thoughts. Conference focusing on tribal literature are being regularly organised in states like Jharkhand, Gujarat and Delhi.

Tribal Population Percentage in India

2009-01-26T22:58:00.000-08:00

As discussed earlier, India has tribal communities across its length and breadth. Almost each of the states in India is home to some or the other tribal groups that only enrich the cultural heritage of the country. Right from Himachal Pradesh, Haryana and Chandigrah in the north to states like Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala in southern India, there are tribes in every corner of India. Visiting these tribes really proves to be an interesting experience for travellers. Even the islands of Andaman and Nicobar and the Lakshadweep islands are fine places to observe the tribes of India as they go about their daily routine.

Given below is a map that shows the tribal distribution across India. The percentage of tribal population is given as per the 1991 census.

Tribal Festivals in India

2009-01-22T02:14:00.000-08:00

India is home to around 573 tribal groups and communities, each of which follow their own culture and tradition. Festivals are an important part of the life of these tribal groups. There are a number of tribal festivals which are celebrated by various tribes in India. During these festivals, the tribal groups wear their own traditional costumes and jewellry and follow their long-established dance forms. Whether it is the state of Jammu & Kashmir, Kerala, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Manipur,or Orissa, tribal festivals are celebrated in almost every corner of Indian states. These tribal festivals are celebrated with a view to appeasing the presiding deities of the tribes.

In the state of Madhya Pradesh, tribal groups celebrate festivals like Madai Festival, Bhagoriya Festival, Nagaji Festival, Karma Festival etc. During these tribal festivals, various dance forms are performed to the music of drums, tablas and flutes among other instruments. The Gonds and the Bhil tribes mainly celebrate these festivals.

Tribal groups in Orissa celebrate festivals including Bali Jatra (Koraput tribe), Karma Festival (Ho, Kisan, Kol, Bhumij, Oraon, Bhuiyan and Bhinjal tribes), Bija Pandu Festival (Koya tribe), Kedu Festival (Kondhs of Phulbani), Chaita Parva Festival (Koraput, Bhuiyan tribes) and Maghe Parab Festival (Ho, Oraon, Kisan and Kol tribes) among others.

Nagaland is also much popular for its tribal groups and the festivals they celebrate. Major tribal festivals celebrated in the state of Nagaland are Mimkut Festival (Kuki tribe), Sekrenyi Festival (Angami tribe), Tshukhenyi Festival (Chakasang tribe), Aoling Festival (Konayak tribe), Monyu Festival (Phom tribe), Moatsu Festival (Ao tribe), Ngada Festival (Rengma tribe) etc.

Rajasthan also features a number of famous tribal festivals. The Bhil tribes in Rajasthan celebrates the Baneshwar Fair. The Bohaggiyo Bishu tribal festival in Assam is observed by the Deori tribes. The states of Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra also are home to many tribal groups, known for various Indian tribal festivals.

Dorli Tribes

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Moving forward in our Indian tribal tour takes us to Dorli tribes of india. Let us discuss them in a bit more detail.

Dorli Tribe – Location
These are also the sub groups of Gonds tribes. They are usually found in Bastar district of Madhya Pradesh and in parts of Andhra Pradesh and Orissa.

Dorli Tribe – Language
The language spoken by these Indian tribes is Dorli.

Tribal Handicrafts in India

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India is home to around 437 tribal communities. Out of these, around 62 tribes call the regions of Orissa their home. Tribes in India have always been associated with a rich legacy of locally made items of art and craft, a rage among locals as well as foreign tourists coming to India from different parts of the world. In terms of the production of these interesting handicrafts, the state of Orissa in eastern India tops the list. Potters of the tribal community earn their livelihood by making and selling handicrafts items like pots, bowls, plates, jars, cooking stoves etc. Apart from this, the craftsmen in Orissa are popularly known for creating a wide range of traditional handicrafts by using bamboo and cane.

Due to its high tensile characteristic, bamboo is mostly used for architectural purposes. Tribal craftsmen create wonderful baskets using bamboo splits. Other items that can be prepared using bamboo splits are ropes, strings, brooms etc. Most of these handicrafts products are used for local consumption in India. Tribal craftsmen in Orissa are also known for creating wonderful handicrafts items using pappier mache. Creating pappier mache products requires technical skills including use of paper, waste cloth and other natural fibres, soaked and beaten into pulp. With the use of gum, this pulp is used to make various handicrafts items in India like masks, animal toys, penholders, dolls etc. Aside from these handicrafts in India, Orissa tribal communities also excel in making natural dyes. Weavers of Kotpad in the Koraput district of Orissa are very popular for making vegetable dyes.

Bangri Tribe

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The next destination in the Indian tribal tour is Bangri tribe. These tribes are vibrant and spread all across India.

Location
These tribes are largely found in parts of Haryana, Karnataka, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Delhi.

Language
Bangaru, member of the Indo-Aryan language family is the prime language.

Khamtis Tribes

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The tribal tour of India now reaches Arunachal Pradesh and we discuss Khamtis tribes of India.
Kham-Tai, Hkamti, Khampti, Khamti Shan, Khantis and Tai Kam Ti, are some of the other famous names of these Indian tribes.

Location
These tribes are generally found in parts of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and parts of Myanmar.

Language
They usually speak Khamti.

Sema Tribes

2009-01-01T21:57:00.003-08:00

Let use take our Indian tribal tor forward. Today, we will discuss the Sema tribes. Like many other tribes in India, these tribes are also very lively with their culture and festivals.

Sema tribes- Location
These Indian tribes are found in Zunheboto district of Nagaland. They are considered as the martial tribe in the Naga.

Sema tribes – Festivals
Tuluni is the most prominent festival observed in the second week of July every year.

Choosing Indian Tribal Tour Packages

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Choosing Indian Tribal Tour Packages
When as a tourist you decide to travel Indian tribes, it is quite obvious that you look for a monetary fitting tour deal . You try to find a package that help you explore tribes of India to the fullest. The reason behind is that all tourists know that an Indian tribal tour is not only a mere visit. But, it means imparting a bunch of knowledge and a rare collection of ancient India.

So, all these factors make sure that you need a resourceful travel-packages/">travel package for visiting tribes. The most chosen travel packages are tot the tribes of Arunachal Pradesh and Naga tribes. But keep in mind that there are 437 tribes in India. And many also reside in parts of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Orissa.

As a traveler make sure that your tour guides have complete expertise in handling tribal tours. But the big question is “ How do you know who has complete knowledge and what is the level of that knowledge?” . For this you need to do a bit of reading. Browse a bit through the Internet, read some tribal books, watch movies on tribes and hopefully you would be ready with it.

Five Things to remember on Indian Tribal tour

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When visiting various tribes of India it is important that you keep certain things in mind. One thing you must remember as a tourist is that you do not distract their culture and you must not hurt their values and sentiments. These things can be achieved in five ways. Lets see them in a bit more detail.

1 – You should always follow your tour guides. These guides are your helping hands on Indian tribal tour. They have all the expertise in place to understand the tribal culture in India. They have their exclusive methods of interacting and helping you interact with these tribes. Hence following your guides can be a joyful experience.

2 – Don't over do your tourism delights. This is a must as too much of cultural distractions is not taken in very easily by the tribal people.

3 – Maintain proper co ordination. When it com,es to festivals and rituals these tribes are very much co ordinated. So, it expected that to enjoy the tour you should be in place with these tribes.

4 – Be a part of the culture. It is imperative to take part in the cultural activities of these tribes. It hepls you to enjoy more and learn more.

5 – Follow things the tribal way. It is important as it helps you to move with them as they have fixed periods and timings for a lot of things.

North East India Tribes

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Whenever we talk of tribes and tribal culture in India, the north-eastern region of India at once comes to mind. And there are valid reasons for that. North East India covers the states of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura, Nagaland, Mizoram and Manipur. The region in the north east is still untouched by modernisation. Apart from sheltering a magnificent tribal life, North East is also rich in terms of landscape, flora and fauna.

A visit to these states will introduce to the a rich tribal culture which also includes a wonderful legacy of art and craft. A wide range of unique handicrafts are made by the tribal groups living in the northeastern part of India. The tribes mainly inhabit the hilly and forested areas of the states mentioned above. It is interesting to interact with them and experience their lifestyle, a completely different world beyond our own. Each of the tribes in North East India depends mainly on collecting, hunting and fishing for their livelihood. These tribes have their own cultural features – customs, languages and dress.

Arunachal Pradesh has 26 major tribes. In the state of Orissa, there are around 62 different tribes totaling up to 7 million. Major tribes in Orissa include Bondas, Gadabas, Koyas, Kondhas and Sauras. Nagaland is home to 16 major tribes in northeastern India. The state of Assam in North East is also home to a number of primitive tribal groups. These include Khamti, Phakial, Khamyang, Aitonia, Nara, Gurung and Shyam.

During your tour to India , you can easily plan to set off on an exciting tribal tour of India. It will give you an opportunity to gain an insight into the rich tribal heritage of India.

Toda tribes

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Toda Tribes
Our Indian tribal tour now shifts to to Tamil Nadu as we discuss Toda tribes. Also known as the hill tribes of Nilgiri, these tribes of India are highly renowned for their culture and history. Lets discuss them in a bit more details.

Toda Tribe – History
Historians believe that these Indian tribes had links with Mesopotamian civilization.

Toda Tribe – Language
These tribes speak Toda language. The population is also good almost 3000 toda tribals live in the Blue Mountains.

List of Famous Indian Tribes

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Indian tribes are something that are in high demand for travelers coming to India. Culture, lifestyle, festivals, food, celebrations of various tribes of India is what brings people to them. Often travelers are seen very confused as to which tribes should they visit. Here is a list that can provide useful information to travelers about tribes in India.

Indian Tribes

1 Anal Tribes
2 Apatani Tribes
3 Bakarwals Tribes
4 Beda Tribes
5 Bhim Tribes
6 Gongate tribes
7 Halam Tribes
8 Hilpulayan Tribes
9 Hanjis Tribes
10 Jaunsaris Tribes
11 Kawar Tribes
12 Kokni Tribes
13 Koli Tribes
14 Kota Tribes
15 Kui Tribes
16 Lahauli
17 Panika Tribes
18 Padhar Tribes
19 Pardhi Tribes
20 Pawi Tribes

Intresting Photos of Indian Tribes

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Naga Tribe: Symbolic
Orrisa Tribal Dance
Naga Celebration at its best.

Tribal Jewelry in India

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Jewelry is something that we all thrive for. Modern day jewelery is in possession of almost all the jewelry lovers. It is something unique and antique we all look forward too. Tribal jewelery in a country like India offers a wide range of designs and patterns which are no where to be seen. Let us brief through some of the famous tribes known for their jewelry.

Bastar Tribe: These tribes of Madhya Pradesh make jewelry of grass, beads and cane. Traditional ornaments which consists of silver, wood, glass, peacock feathers, copper and wild flowers are very famous amongst tourists.

Banjara Tribe: These Rajasthani tribes wear almost the heaviest jewelry in Indian tribes. They are very creative people and make wonderful belts made up with shells, metal-mesh, coins, beads, chains.

Rajasthani silver tribal jewelery: It is something that all tourists thrive for. They are generally a collection of earrings, bracelets, bangles, amulets, anklets, hairpins and necklaces having a characteristic oxidized appearance.

Arunachal Pradesh Tribal jewelery: These people make jewelery of cane and bamboo, brass, bone, ivory, silver and gold. Women can be seen wearing heavy iron rings that are coiled several times. They also wear metal coin necklaces and waistbands of leather studded with stones.

Bhutia: They wear jewelry of gold, silver, coral, turquoise and zee stone.

Indian Tribal Languages – Part Two

2008-11-30T20:58:00.000-08:00

Our Indian tribal tour today will discuss some other major tribal languages spoken. As talked earlier languages play a key role in making people travel to explore various tribes. In India, out of a total of 437 tribes almost 300 tribes present an altogether unique language. In our part one of the tribal languages we studied some very fine tribes of India. Here we also attempt to provide you with some major languages spoken by some of the most visited Indian tribes.

List of Languages of tribes of India

Aka – Bo: This language is generally spoken in north coast of Northern Andaman Island and the Nth island.

Harauti: This is an important language of Indo Aryan language family. It is mmainly spoken in Kota, Rajasthan and parts of Madhya Pradesh.

Ikrani: It centrally belongs to Dhule district of Madhya Pradesh.

Paniya: Those tribes of India have a know how of this language who stay in parts of Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

Shina: Indian tribes inhabiting in the Drass valley, and in parts of Northern Kashmir speak this language.

Denotified and Nomadic Tribes in Maharashtra (India)

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These diversified Indian tribes also called the denotified and nomadic tribes constitute some 5 million of population in Maharashtra. These tribes of India are very popular amongst tourist because of their culture and traditions. One thing that also catches the eye is the fact that these tribes generally live in geographically isolated places. Let us find out some major interest areas of these tribes.

Nomadic Tribes- Culture
Culture is totally unique. The faiths, dress, festivals ands even the languages are different and not to be found anywhere in India. People usually prefer visiting these tribes because of their lifestyle and conduct.

Nomadic Tribes – Lifestyle
The lifestyle is simple to say the least. Most of these Indian tribes are engaged in occupation like agriculture and the food they eat is depended mostly on their work input. The earlier posts have also put a lot of stress on the different life styles of various tribes of India. So, the Maharashtra tribes are no different. Every year annually they these tribes assemble at Madhi village in Nagar district of Maharashtra and discuss various issues that confront these tribes. In the nut shell these tribes of Maharashtra are a must visit and an integral part of your Indian tribal tour.

Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in India

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Religion	Scheduled Caste	Scheduled Tribe
Buddhism	89.50%	7.40%
Christianity	9.00%	32.80%
Sikhism	30.70%	0.90%
Hinduism	22.20%	9.10%
Zoroastrianism	-	15.90%
Jainism	-	2.60%
Islam	0.80%	0.50%

An overview
Most of the people in India and elsewhere for that matter have not been able to explore what tribes are all about. The estimation or the categorization of these tribes is beyond the reach of the common man, and the study of the same is even tedious. Here this is an attempt to provide and update you some of the tribes of India and some facts associated with them. With the help of certain statistics we have tried to get some details on growth of these tribes.

History
Though an Indian tribal tour explains you a lot about the history of some 437 Indian tribes. It is important to know the socio political history of these tribes. One of the most noted thing you will find about these Indian tribes is the attachment in the struggle for Independence.

Many tribes of India and their leaders actively participated in the struggle for Independence. Also many of these tribes played a very important hand in the growth of Indian agriculture. You can also see a major role of these tribes in the tourism industry of India as people from other countries come to India to explore their culture and traditions.

Distribution
The spread of the tribes of India is so vast that it cannot be confined to one sect or a religion followed. On top of this post is a distribution table that provides information on the distribution of these Indian tribes.

Tribes of India: Saharia Tribe

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Saharia Tribe - Introduction
Our Indian tribal tour now moves towards central India to Saharia tribes of India. These Indian tribes are very enthusiastic as far as their culture and traditions are concerned.

Saharia Tribe – Location
If you wish to explore Saharia tribe then you are expected to visit the state of Madhya Pradesh. These tribes of India are also found in the hills of Ganjam district of Southern Orissa, Andhra Pradesh,Assam, West Bengal and Bihar.

Saharia Tribe – Language
Munda language which is part of Austro Asiatic language family is spoken by these Indian tribes.

Tribes of India: Konyak Tribe

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Konyak Tribe – Introduction
Taking our Indian tribal tour forward, we now move to the Konyak tribes of India. Traveling to see these Indian tribes is a delight because of their unique culture and festive atmosphere.

Konyak Tribe – Location
Mon district of Nagaland is the prime inhabit of Konyak tribes of India.

Konyak Tribe – Culture
These Indian tribes have a wonderful social culture. Also Konyak tribes are skilled artisans and craftsmen. These Indian tribes are ruled by hereditary chiefs called Anghs.

Konyak Tribe Festivals
The festive season amongst these popular tribes of India is Aoling Monyu and it is celebrated in firsr week of April.

Tribes of India: Riang Tribe

2008-11-13T02:31:00.000-08:00

Riang Tribe – Introduction
Our Indian tribal tour now reaches the Riang tribes of India. These Indian tribes are regarded as the second largest tribe of Tripura, and the first inhabitants there. The culture, traditions and the festive enthusiasm of these tribes is worth traveling to.

Riang Tribe – Location
These Indian tribes are found in Deotamura ranges of eastern and central Tripura. You can also extend your Indian tribal tour to Assam, if you wish to see Riang tribes of India.

Riang Tribe – Language
These Indian tribes speak Riang which is a Baric language.

Chenchus Tribes of India

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Chenchus Tribe – Introduction
Our Indian tribal tour now moves towards Chenchus tribes of India. These Indian tribes are also known with the names like Chenchukoolam, Chenchwar, Chenswar and Choncharu.

Chenchus Tribe – Location
These tribes of India can be seen if you are traveling to parts of Andhra Pradesh , Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Orrisa.

Chenchus Tribe – Language
The prime language of Chenchus tribes of India is known as Chenchus which belongs to Dravidian language blanket. These Indian tribes also speak Telugu.

Khasi Tribes of India

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Khasi Tribe – Introduction
Our Indian tribal tour today will discuss undoubtedly the most famous tribes of India. These Khasi tribes have a unique culture which any one would find strange but enjoy to the fullest. Historically Khasi tribes of India are regarded as the earliest migrants from Myanmar. These Indian tribes also ran a kingdom but it was later diluted and liquidized by the Britishers and controlled over.

Khasi tribe – Location
Assam, Khasi Jaintia hills in Meghalaya, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Manipur, Jammu and Kashmir and West Bengal are some of the the major places inhabited by Khasi tribes of India.

Khasi Tribe – Culture
The culture followed by these tribes of India is the typical Indian tribal culture, but is distinctive in its own way. It is probably the only Indian tribes where females are given priority over the males. The property is passed from the mother to the youngest daughter. Dance and music are the integral part of the life of these popular tribes of India. Drums, Guitars and flutes are some of the instruments mastered by Khasi tribe. The marriage culture is very unique as the groom has to live in the bride's home after marriage.

Khasi Tribe – Language
These Indian tribes speak Khasi which is an Austro – Asiatic language.

Khasi Tribe – Clothing
Men amongst Khasi tribes of India wear long sleeveless without collar coat known as Jymphong. They also wear headgears or turbans. Women of the Khasi tribes are very fond of wearing jewelery and earrings. Both the genders of these tribes of India wear silver chains at their waists.

Khasi Tribe – Religion
The major part of Khasi tribes of India follow Christianity. For these Indian tribes God U Blei Nong-thaw is the supreme creator and goddess who protect them from all the troubles of life. Ulei Longspah (god of wealth), Shnong (tutelary deity of the village) and many other gods are also worshiped.

Khasi Tribe – Food
Rice is the staple food of the Khasis tribes of India. They also cosume fish and meat and occasionally drink rice beer.

Khasi Tribe – Festivals
Nongkrem is the chief festival celebrated amongst the Khasi tribes. This is a five days long religious festival that falls in the month of November. The atmosphere is also very festive in the month of April. Shad Suk Mynsiem is celebrated for three days by these enthusiastic tribes of India.

Ho tribes of India

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Ho Tribes - Introduction
Our Indian tribal tour reaches a new destination. This time we cover the Ho tribes of India. Ho tribes, one of the popular tribes of India are a sought after tribe both for traveling purpose as well as research.
These Indian tribes are also known as the Lanka Kol or the Bihar Ho tribes. Classified as Causasian, Ho literary means 'Man'.

Ho Tribes – Location
These famous tribes of India are found in Singbhum district of Bihar, and the mayurbhanj district of Orissa. You can also witness the culture of these Indian tribes in parts of West Bengal, Bangladesh and Nepal.

Ho Tribes – Language
Language spoken by these tribes of India is in their name as well. Ho tribes generally speak Ho.

Indian Tribal Languages- Part One

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Indian Tribal language – Introduction
If you are on an Indian tribal tour, you wish to explore the culture and customs of various tribes of India. But, one thing you forget about these Indian tribes is the languages spoken by them. These Indian tribal languages are a good indicator to the lifestyle and history of many of the famous tribes of India. So, here we have attempted to update you with some of the Indian tribal languages. This is the first part of a series of languages will make you aware of about many a popular tribes of India.

List of Languages of Tribes of India

Abujmaria- It is a language belonging to Dravidian language family and is generally spoken in the Abujmar hills in Bastar Disstrict (M.P). Hill Maria tribes of India usually speak in this language.

Aariya- Madhya Pradesh

Gadaba- It is spoken in Koraput district of Orissa.

Garo- This language of Indian tribes belong to Western Assam, Garo hills, Meghalya, Nagaland and Tripura. The language also has many a dialects namely Atong, Chisak, Megam and many more.

Saurashtri- Also known as Patnuli, this language is spoken by many a tribes of India in Chennai, North Arcot, parts of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.

Tsangla- It is spoken in the villages of Arunachal Pradesh.

Irula Tribes of India

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Irula Tribes – Introduction
Our Indian tribal tour now reaches the southern part of India to the Irula Tribes. These Irula tribes of India are also known by different names. Eravallan, Erukala, Irava, Irular, Iruliga, Iruligar, Korava, Kad Chensu are some of the prominent names of these Indian tribes.

Irula Tribes – Location
As earlier informed these tribes of India inhabit southern part of India. Chingleput at the Nilgiri foothills, Tamil Nadu is the prime inhabit of these Indian tribes. Irula tribes of India are also found in various parts of Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Maharashtra and Karnataka.

Irula Tribes – Language
A language called Irula (related to Tamil and Kannada) is the main language spoken by Irula tribes of India.

Porja Tribes of India

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Porja Tribes – Introduction
We take a further step in our Indian tribal tour and move to Porja tribes of India. These Indian tribes got this name because of their descent from the Kond tribes. Porja tribes of India have a unique culture and are also sub divided into different groups.

Porja Tribes – Location
Andhra Pradesh, Assam and Orissa are the premier locations where we can fin Porja tribes of india.

Porja Tribes – Language
These Indian tribes speak Konda Dora which belongs to the Dravidian family language. The word Konda means hill and Dora means leader.

Porja Tribes – Culture
These tribes of India are divided into two sub groups namely- Pedda Kondalu and Chinna Kondalu. The former follow a lot of Indian tribal culture while the later are influenced by Telgu. These are amongst the popular tribes of India because of their close association with other Indian tribes.

Koch Tribes of India

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Koch Tribes – Introduction
Our Indian tribal tour now takes us to th Koch tribes of India. The early history suggests that these were one of the major tribes of India because of their royal background. In the 16th century these Indian tribes established a dynasty in Bihar but was later overpowered by Muslims and Ahoms. These factors suggest that traveling to Koch tribes of India can be a thrilling experience.

Koch Tribes – Location
States of Assam and Tripura is the place of inhabit of these popular tribes of India.

Koch Tribes – Language
These Indian tribes speak “Koch” which belongs to the Tibeto- Burman language family.

Badaga Tribes of India

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Badaga Tribes – Introduction
Now, let us move forward in our Indian tribal tour towards Tamil Nadu and discuss Badaga tribes of India. These Indian tribes are also known as Badag, Badagu, Badugu and Vadagu. The name Badaga Tribes, Badaga meaning “northemer” was given to these tribes of India during the middle ages when they migrated from the Mysore plains to the Nilgiri Hills in Southern Tamil Nadu.

Badaga Tribes - Location
These Indian tribes are generally found in the Nilgiri and Kunda hills of Tamil Nadu.

Badaga Tribes – Language
The prime language spoken by these tribes of India is the Badaga language.

Abujmaria Tribes of India

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Abujmaria Tribes – Introduction
Our Indian tribal tour reaches a new destination. This time we cover Abujmaria tribes of India. These Indian tribes can be seen in the mountain regions of Madya Pradesh. These tribes of India have a very deep history. In the earlier period Abujmaria tribes were known as Abudjamadis, Abujmariya and Hill Maria. These Indian tribes were considered as a sub part of the important gonds tribes (discussed earlier) who played a pivotal role in knowing the original Indian tribes.

Abujmaria Tribes – Location
These tribes of India are generally found in Abujhmar Mountains and Kutrumar Hills in the Bastar district of Madhya Pradesh. These hills are at times inaccessible, but reaching there is a fun filled experience.

Abujmaria Tribes – Language
They generally speak the Dravidian form of language, Abujmaria bein the native language of these tribes of India.

Books on Tribes of India- Part Two

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Introduction
As I told you earlier that ' Tribes of India' is a deep subject. Weather you study Indian tribe books or travel to places to explore these tribes of India, you need knowledge. This, as I promised is second of many series of information I would be providing you the Indian tribal books. These books on tribes of India will enlighten you with the much needed insights of various Indian tribes.

1. Standing at the margins: Representation and Electoral Reservations in India- by, Alistar Mcmillan.
Synopsis: This Indian tribe book is a deep study of the status of Indian tribes in the parliament and legislature of India.

2. Identity, Gender and Poverty: New perspectives on castes and tribes in Rajasthan- by, Maya Unnithan Kumar.
Synopsis: This is a very contrasting Indian tribe book. It is based on a personal research done on the poor "tribal" community, the Girasia, in northwestern India. The conclusions drawn and the perspectives thoughts are a must read.

3 Tribal Development in India: The contemporary Debate- by, Govinda Chandra Rath(Editor also)
Synopsis: The thirteen seminal essays in this volume pinpoint the failure of the welfare system to narrow the gap between Indian tribes with rest of India in all spheres of life.

Andamanese Tribes of India

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Great Andamanese Tribe- Introduction
Our Indian tribal tour now reaches the islands of Andaman. These Indian tribes are a part of negrito tribal family. With quite a healthy population, Andamanese tribes of India were once on the verge of extinct. No matter what the population status of these tribal people is, they are known for a unique culture, physical stature and occupation. These tribes of India had several sub groups but most of them
disappeared over a period of time.

Great Andamanese Tribe- Location
As the name suggest, these tribes of India are largely found in the the islands of Andaman.

Great Andamanese Tribe- Language
These tribes of India are generally known for three absolutely different types of language they speak. Jeru, Khora and Andamani Hindi are the major languages spoken by Andamanese tribes of India.

Great Andamanese Tribe- Culture
The diverse culture of these tribes of India is what catches the eye. Men amongst the Great Andamanese tribes wear narrow belts or girdles of hibiscus fiber. They usually have a heavy body, so it suits their personality. You can also see weapons tucked into their belts when they go for hunting. The women folk of these tribes of India have a typical tribal dress sense. Branches of leaves cut into stripes held by belt of pandanus leaves and tail skirt amongst the girls form the dress code of women of Andamanese tribes of India. A distinctive feature of women of these tribes of India is their painted bodies.

Great Andamanese Tribe- Food
These tribes of India eat almost all the variety of food. Andamanese tribes usually eat rice, wheat, dal, chapati etc. Besides this, Great Andamanese tribes also prefer non vegetarian stuff such as fish, turtle eggs, crabs, roots, seeds and tubers. Pork and Andaman water monitor lizard are the prime eat up of Andamanese tribes of India.

Great Andamanese Tribe- Occupation
Hunting is the main source of food and occupation with these tribes of India. Moreover these tribes in India also cultivate vegetables and run poultry farm for their livelihood.

A List: Naga Tribes of India

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Naga Tribes- Overview
These Indian tribes have a population of more than 4 million. Naga tribes of India are found in parts of Manipur, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. Outside the boundaries of India, Naga tribes are also found in
parts of Myanmar in areas such as Sagaing division. Many of these Naga tribes of India speak dialects belonging to the Tibeto - Burman family. In the days to come our Indian tribal tour will cover many of these Naga tribes of India.

List of Naga tribes

1 Angami
2 Ao
3 Chakesang
4 Chang
5 Katcha
6 Kaimnungan
7 Konyak
8 Laingmei
9 Lotha
10 Phom
11 Pochuri
12 Mao
13 Maram
14 Nocte
15 Poumai
16 Rengma
17 Rongmei
18 Sangtam
19 Sumi
20 Tangkhul
21 Tangsa
22 Tutsa
23 Wancho
24 Yimchunger
25 Zemei
26 Zeliangrong

Munda tribes of India

2008-10-03T22:27:00.000-07:00

Munda Tribe- An Introduction
Our Indian tribal tour now reaches Munda tribes in India. These Indian tribes are tribal communities of south east Asia. Historical evidences also suggest that Munda tribes of India had kingdom in the pre British period. The Ho/Munda kingdom of Chota Nagpur, and the Bhumij states, especially Barabhum were considered few of the kingdoms of these tribes of India. They have a typical Indian tribal personality, with darkish complexion and curly hairs.

Munda Tribe- Language
Mundari( an Austro- Asiatic) language is the prime language spoken by Munda tribes of India.

Munda Tribe- Culture
These Indian tribes usually follow Christianity. Munda tribes also have their own religion called “Sarna”. They have an ideology that God is one. These tribes of India also believe in the supreme power of Singbonga, which means the Sun God. One unique thing that you rarely find in any of the tribes in India is the willingness to marry people from other tribes. Many people of Munda tribes of India also worship Lord Shiva. Men amongst Munda tribes usually wear pant and shirts and women are seen in cotton saris with the cholis or blouse.

Munda Tribe- Occupation
Historically Munda tribes of India were hunters. But, gradually they converted into agriculturists. Many of these people still depend on labor to earn a livelihood.

Munda Tribe- Food
These tribes of India are man eaters. The eat frogs, snakes, earthworms, shells and snails. Munda tribes also prefer having Tari and Haria wine on special occasions.

Munda Tribe- Festivals
Mage, Phagu, Karam, Sarhul, and Sohrai are the major festivals celebrated among the Munda tribes.

Bhils Tribes of India

2008-09-30T01:37:00.000-07:00

Bhils Tribe- An introduction
Bhils tribes of India are the the largest tribe of South Asia comprising 39% of the total population of Rajasthan. These Indian tribes have a mention even in epics like Mahabharata and Ramayana. Going by legends Bhil women offered ber to Lord Rama, when he was in the jungles of Dhandaka, searching Sita. In the recent history as well these tribes of India were regarded as the fighters who were in a war against the Mughals, Marathas and the Britishers.

Bhils Tribe- Location
These tribes are largely found in Rajasthan. Bhils tribe are classified into two groups- the central or pure bhils and eastern or Rajput Bhils. The central category of these Indian tribes are found in mountain regions in the Indian states of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujrat and Rajasthan. Bhils tribes are also found in the north eastern parts of Tripura.

Bhils Tribe- Language
Bhili, which is an Indo Aryan language is the prime language spoken by Bhils tribes of India.

Bhils Tribe- Costumes
Traditional saris, loose long frock along with pyjama are the forte dress of women and men respectively of the Bhils tribes. The peasants wear turbans and Bhils also wear brass ornaments.

Bhils Tribe- Religion
These Indian tribes have a unique religious and ritual beliefs. Bhils tribes of India worship local deities like Khandoba, Kanhoba and Sitalmata. Tiger God called 'vaghdev' is also worshiped. They have no temples of their own though, but they have Bhagat or Gurus who perform the religious rites. On important occasions they consult Badvas- the hereditary sorcerer.

Bhils Tribe- Culture
The culture could be most enjoyable of all the tribes we have seen on our Indian tribal tour. These tribes of India are known for their distinctive society culture. The have a Panchayat like culture where the village headsmen deals with all the major disputes. The strictly adhere to the rules of the society and marry only in their own class. Rich on culture they give a lot of importance to dance and music. Ghoomar is the most famous dance amongst Bhils tribes of India. Than Gair is the religious dance drama performed by the men in the month of Sharavana (July and August). Highly talented on sculptures art, they make beautiful horses, elephants, tigers, deities out of clay.

Bhils Tribe- Fairs and Festivals
Baneshwar fair held during the period of Shivatri (in the month of January or February) dedicated to Baneshwar Mahadev also known as Lord Shiva is the main festival amongst Bhils tribes. During the festival these Indian tribes set up camps on the banks of the Som and Mahi river, perform dance around the fire and sing traditional songs. At night the raslila at the Lakshmi Narayan temple is a must watch.
Cultural shows, magic shows, animal shows acrobatic feast are the center of attraction at the fair. They also celebrate Holy and Dusshera.

Gonds Tribe of India

2008-09-26T23:23:00.000-07:00

Gonds Tribe- An introduction
Our Indian tribal tour today takes us to The Gonds tribe of India. Many call them as the “face of Indian tribes” because of there population strength. Undoubtedly, these warrior tribes of India have a distinct identity in terms of culture, language and costumes. A visit to the Gonds tribe of India, makes sure that you get a different perspective on the ideologies of Indian tribes.

Historically, known for their heroics in the battle against Britishers, these proud tribes of India also gained control of Malwa after the decline of the Mughals followed by the Marathas in the year 1690. Like many other tribes in India, a watch at the costumes of the Gonds tribe is a delight. A unique ideology and thought process about the religion makes the Gonds tribe stand apart from any other tribe in India.

Gonds Tribe- Location
Gonds tribe are generally found in Gond forests of the central India. Chhindwara District of Madhya Pradesh, Bastar district of Chhattisgarh, parts of Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, and Orissa are some of the other places of inhabitation by these warrior and royal Indian tribes.

Gonds Tribe- Language
Gondi language is the prime language spoken by Gond tribes of India. Beside this, these Indian tribes also have a good command on Telgu, Hindi, Marathi, Parsi and many other Dravadian languages.

Gonds Tribe- Costumes
Gonds tribes of India have a typical Indian dress culture. Male members in the Gonds tribe wear Dhoti ( long piece of cotton cloth wrapped around the waist passing through the legs). Females wear soft cotton saris along with the Choli or blouse.

Gonds Tribe- Food
Two millets known as Kodo or Kutki are the staple food of Gonds tribes of India. Most of the Gonds are the meat consumers, though they prefer Rice during the festivals.

Gonds Tribe- Religion
These tribes of India are highly religious minded. These Indian tribes worship Janani or the mother of creator. Gonds tribe also worship Pharsa Pen, inform of nail or a piece of iron chain. Mariai- the Goddess of plague and other diseases, and Bhimsen – the Hindu God are also worshiped by Gonds tribes in India. One unique feature of their beliefs is the existence of spirits. Gonds tribe believe that every or most places in the World are inhabited by a spirit. Sacrifices are also made to appease a number of deities. Gonds tribe believe that deities control everything in the World. These tribes of India also worship the God of household, God of fields etc.

Gonds Tribe- Festivals
Keslapur Jathra and Madai are the two major festivals celebrated by the Gonds tribe of India. At Kelaspur Jathra they worship, the snake deity called Nagoba, whose temple is found in the Keslapur village of Indervelly mandal of Adilabad district. The most famous attraction at the festival is the Gusadi dance performed by wearing head gears decorated with the peacock feathers, along with cotton cloth around their waist. Smearing ash all over the body is a must see at this distinctive festivals of Gonds tribe of India. The other festival celebrated is Madai. During this festivals Gonds meet their relatives setteled in other parts of India. Sacrifice of goat beeath the sacred village tree to appease the tribal Goddess is also done. In the night they enjoy the party atmosphere with liquor and dance and tribal music. Dusshera is another festival celebrated with utmost pleasure by the Gonds tribe of India.

Bhutia tribes of India

2008-09-24T22:47:00.000-07:00

Bhutia tribes- Introduction
After a journey break in our Indian tribal tour, we are back to our scanning of various tribes of India. Today in focus are the Bhutia tribes of India. Originally of Tibetan origin, Bhutia tribes migrated to Sikkim in around 16th century. Today, these Indian tribes constitute a massive 14% of total population of Sikkim. Bhutia tribes are kind and warm hearted people and the hospitality shown here is something that is distinctive from other tribes in India. So, drive up to Sikkim and explore the best of Indian tribal culture, and enjoy the best of cuisines of these Indian tribes.

Bhutia tribes- Location
Bhutia tribes inhabit in the dry valley of northern part of Sikkim. Among the localities, they are also known as Lachenpas and Lachungpas.

Bhutia tribes- Language
Sikkimese is the highest spoken language amongst Bhutia tribes of India. Lepcha, Bhutia, Nepali, English and Hindi are some of the other languages on which Bhutia tribes are good at. Very few tribes in India except Bhutia tribes have such good command on so many languages.

Bhutia tribes- Costumes
Bhutia tribes have a very distinguished dressing culture. Females usually prefer heavy jewelery of pure gold with full sleeves blouse and a loose gown type garment. Males prefer wearing Bakhu which is a loose traditional dress with the full sleeves.

Bhutia tribes- Culture
These tribes of India live in a rectangular house called Khin. Bhutia tribes follow tantric Buddhism. Their legal framework form the best part of the culture. They term it as Dzumsa, which means the rendezvous point of the common masses headed by Pipon. Almost all the occupational responsibilities like grazing etc fall on the Pipon. Agriculture, herdsmen ship and the breeding of sheep and yaks form the main source of occupation amongst Bhutia tribes of India.

Bhutia tribes- Food
Bhutia tribes are mainly rice, animal fat and beef eaters. Come to Bhutia tribes in India and enjoy stuff like Momos, Ningro with Churpi, Sidra Ko Achar, Pakku, Kodo Ko Roti, Silam Ko Achar, Phulaurah Gundruk, Phagshapa, Sael Roti. They are very fond of Chaang (the millet bear). It is served in the special bamboo container called Tongba with the hollow pipe made of Bamboo.

Bhutia tribes- Festivals
Main Bhutia festivals fall in the month of February and December. Losar and Losoong are the highlight festivals celebrated amongst Bhutia tribes of India. Losar falls in the first week of February, embarking
the Tibetan new year. The act of Fire Metho in the evening is something to look forward for. On the other hand, Losoong in the month of December marks the end of the Harvest season. Electrifying atmosphere, with Chaan dancing, merrymaking at the monasteries at Palace (Tsuklakhang), Phondong and Rumtek add zing to the festivals. Archery competition, offerings to the God, are some major seeings at the festival. Stage fights and passing through the crowds with the fire torches add another ting of excitement to the festival.

Books on Tribes of India - Part One

2008-09-21T22:47:00.000-07:00

Introduction
Books are a gateway of knowledge to any subject. And it remains the same with tribes of India. Travelling alone, with theoretically no knowledge of any of the Indian tribes might just hamper your Indian tribal tour.These books on Indian tribes provide you a gateway of what to expect from various tribes of India.Indian books on tribes are enormous in number. From now onwards I will bring to your many a series of books on tribes of India. I would advice Indian tribal travelers to first go through some of these Indian tribe books and a joyful Indian tribal tour is among the weight list.

1The Tribals of India-by, Sunil Janah (Photographer)
Synopsis: Published in1993, this book is a collection of black and white photographs of the tribes of India, along with narrations of the author's experiences with various Indian Tribes. The book covers, the changing lifestyle of tribes in India accompanied by 30 years of vast experience of the author.

2 Demographic perspective on India's Tribes-by, Arup Maharatna
Synopsis: This book is a discussion on distinct demographic patterns and behavior of various tribes of India. It suggests that these are often influenced and shaped by broadly common sociocultural features unique to these Indian tribes. The book is an analytical view of demography of tribes in Jharkhand, West Bengal and other parts of India.

3 Santhal Women : A Social Profile-by, Chaturbhuj Sahu
Synopsis: This book is a study of the Tarajori panchayat of Deoghar District, Bihar and chiefly covers the post-1947 period.

4 Tribal communities and Social Change-by, Pariyaram.M.Chacko (Editor)
Synopsis: The book reprints all the important papers on tribes of India and their cultures published in the Indian Sociological Society's journal Sociological Bulletin from 1952 to 2001. The articles deal with range of issues concerning Indian tribes such as law, crime, education etc. |

5 Role and Image of Law in India: The Tribal Experience-by, Vasudha Dhagamwar
Synopsis: The book studies the relationship between tribes and the state with reference to the Indian legal framework.

Santhal Tribes of India

2008-09-18T22:13:00.000-07:00

Santhal Tribe- An Introduction
A step forward, in our Indian tribal tour takes us to Santhal tribe. With a population of more than 49000, Santhal tribes are the third largest tribes in India. Belonging to pre Aryan period, these tribes of India are found in regions of West Bengal, Bihar, Orissa and Jharkhand. Many call them as “ the tribes
at extreme”, a visit to their place will surly get your moneys worth.

Santhal tribe- History
Santhal Tribes of India take pride in their past. Historically, these Indian tribes were at front end against
Britishers, and their heroics against Lord Cornwallis are well known. Many famous personalities such
as Sidhu and Baba Tilka Majhi were part of these enthusiastic tribes of India.

Santhal tribe- Language
Santhali is the prime language spoken by the Santhal Tribe. This Indian tribe also have a script of their own called Olchiki. Apart from Santhali they also speak Bengali, Oriya and Hindi.

Santhal tribe- Livelihood
The Santhal tribes of India have a typical tribal lifestyle. Basic needs are fulfilled by forest tress and plants. The tribes are also engaged in fishing and cultivation. These tribes of India also poses a magnificent skill of making musical equipments, mats and baskets out of the plants. The way this articulate process is carried out is worth wathing.

Santhal tribe- Culture
Dancing and music are the streamline of these Indian tribes. Santhal women dress in the red bordered white sari and dance in the line sequence. These tribes in India play mind soothing music with instruments like Tirio, Dhodro banam, Phet banam, Tumdak, Tamak, Junko and Singa.

Santhal tribe- Religion
Ironically, Santhals don't have a temple of their own and neither do they worship any idols. These tribes of India follow the Sarna religion, with Marangburu, Jaheraera, and Manjhi as their god and goddess.
Santhals pay respect to the ghosts and spirits like Kal Sing, Lakchera, Beudarang etc. Animal sacrifices in order to appease the Gods is a common practice amongst these energetic tribes of India.

Santhal tribe- Festivals
Karam festival which falls in the month of September and October, is the highlight festival followed by tedany visitor trevelling to these tribes in India. Other festivals of the celebrated include Maghe, Baba Bonga, Sahrai, Ero, Asaria and Namah. They also celebrate haunting festival called Disum sendra on the eve of Baishakhi Purnima.

Tribal Museums in India

2008-09-16T22:57:00.000-07:00

Famous Tribal Museums in India
India is a land of 437 tribes. For any traveler it is virtually impossible to visit every tribe of India. Yet, the culture and lifestyle of each tribe in India is so versatile and distinctive from the other, that the excitement to travel Indian tribes never ends. On this note, I will advice you not to feel puzzled. For your convince, there are some very famous tribal Museums in India. These famous tribal museums in
India will not only contract your fatigue, but also guide you through your Indian tribal tour. These museums provide you with a face of expectation from these wonderful tribes in India. So, let us see some famous tribal museums in India.

Pune Tribal Museum
Location: Queens Road
Timings: 10 am to 5 pm

Special attractions
1 Sahyadri and Gondhavana tribal communities.
2 Documentation on the tribal communities of Maharashtra.
3 Collection of pictures and artifacts.

Tribal Museum - Bharatiya Adimjati Sevak Sangh
Location: Thakkar Bapa Smarak Sadan Dr Ambedkar Marg, Link Road
New Delhi
Phone: +91-11-23625492 Fax: +91-11-23532003
Timings: 11 am to 2:30 pm

Spacial attractions
1 Tribal artifacts.
2 Life size dioramas.
3 Exhibitions including instruments, weapons, ornaments etc.
4 Library facilities.

State Tribal Museum
Location: Tribal Research Institute
Circular Road, Chhindwara district
M.P
Timings: 10:30 am to 5 pm

Special attractions
1 Ethnological cultural specimens.
2 Tribes of Madhya Pradesh.
3 Culture of scheduled tribes.

Tribal Museum Ahmedabad
Location: Tribal Research & Training Institute
Gujarat Vidyapith
Ahmedabad
Timings: 11 am to 5:30 pm
Saturday: 11 am to 4:30 pm
Closed on Sundays and public holidays.

Spacial attractions:
1 Objects like agricultural implements, toys, masks etc.
2 Collection of tribal photos, slides and films.
3 Library facilities.

Tribal Museum, Bhubaneswar
Location: Tribal Museum,
Backside of Jagannath Temple
Koraput, Orissa.
Timings: 10 am to 5 pm (all days open, except national holidays)

Special attractions
1 Collection of stone sculptures, anthropological objects, jewelery, etc.
2 Library facilities.
3 Zoo.

Bhartiya Lok kala Museum
Location: Udaipur, Rajasthan
Timings: 9 am to 6 pm (open on all days except day post Holi)
Evening show: 6 pm to 7 pm

Spacial attractions
1 Tribal and folk art of India.
2 Collection of tribal dresses, masks and famous puppets of Rajasthan.

Tribal museum, Ooty
Location: Tribal research centre,
Muthorai Palada, Ooty

Spacial attractions
1 Artifacts and photographs of tribal groups of Tamil Naidu.
2 Open air tribal resides of Toda, Kota and other tribes.
3 Six sculptures, depicting lifestyle of paniya, todas and other tribes.

Bhumia- A proud tribe in India

2008-09-14T22:45:00.000-07:00

Bhumia tribe in India
The next stop of this elite Indian tribal tour takes us to the most famous Bhumia tribe in India. Known for their enthusiasm and energy in every aspect of life, Bhumia tribes of India are found in many districts of Orissa. Koraput and Phulbani are few places where the Bhumia tribe of Orissa can be seen in abundance. With unique marriage trends and unexampled rituals these tribes of India demand- a must visit.

History
Bhumia can be regarded as the most celebrated tribes in India. Historically, known for their heroics in freedom struggle, Bhumia tribe of Orissa are rich on culture and tradition.

Bhumia districts in Orissa
1 Koraput district
2 Phulbani district
3 Gangam district
4 Sundergarh district

What to expect from Bhumia tribe of India?
By now, you would have learnt the spark present at these tribes in Orissa. This spark ensures a higher degree of anticipation and expectation from these jolly tribes of India. And I promise, you won't be let down.

Administration and control
This is something very amazing to explore with these Bhumia tribes in Orissa. The royal and
systematic supervision of these tribes of India, is something that that may not be seen anywhere
with any tribe in India. The head of the tribe is called Mukhia, however for every twenty villages, one "Bhattanaik" is selected.

Marriage
Bhumia tribes of India follow a nonpareil ritual of marriage. The usual practice prevalent amongst these tribes is the elopement of groom with his prospective bride. The festive atmosphere of the Marriage period in Bhumia tribes in India is a complete Indian tribal tour package for you.

Festivals
Balijatra is the most important festival of the Bhumia tribes of Orissa. The fun and thrill of Balijatra, could be an unforgettable experience.

Banjara- A major tribe in India

2008-09-11T22:25:00.000-07:00

Banjara tribe of Orissa
A scanning of tribes in India take us to Banjara tribes of Orissa. Such is the culture of these tribes, that the uniqueness and exquisiteness flows from top to bottom. Though, their history is still a mystery, the dress sense, culture, customs and language, of Banjara tribe in Orissa signify that they originated from Rajasthan.

Culture
Colorful is the one word that comes to mind when we think of this enthusiastic tribe of India. They live in settlements called Tandas. Urdu, Telegu, Kutni, Lambadi are amongst the popular languages spoken here. A woman of Banjara tribes in Orissa is accustomed to wearing "ghaghra" and `choli` (a blouse). Ghagra is a whirling skirt made of red, black and white cotton, with pieces of mirrored glass embroidered on it. The craze for Jewels is of the highest degree amongst these celebrated tribes of Orissa. Anklets, silver earrings, hair plaits and bone bangles add charm to the enriched culture of Banjaras.

Festivals
Ugadi, is the most famous festivals celebrated by Banjara tribes of India. Festivals like Holi and Diwali are also indulged in with added interest.

Rituals
Banjara tribes in Orissa are huge devotees of Lord Venkateshwara of Tirupati. The love and dedication flourishes to such extent that, they save money from their living to visit to the pilgrimage of Tirupati Balaji.

Marriage celebrations
Marriage is something to look forward for in this vibrant tribe of Orissa. Enthusiastically celebrated, Liquor flows freely on the first day of the wedding when the bridegroom and his relatives are welcomed at the `tanda` of the bride. A royal welcome is given to the groom`s family by offering betel leaves and nut. On the day of Marriage, boy and girl exchange seven round balls made of rice, ghee and sugar. The couple then holds hands and does seven rounds of grain pounding with pestles.

Artwork
National and international demand of the aesthetic artwork of Banjara tribes of India is immense. Variety of materials like silver, brass, gold, cowries, ivory, animal bone and even plastic décor hold a high export demand.

Tribes in Orissa

2008-09-11T03:31:00.000-07:00

Tribes in Orissa
Sitting heavily on the Bay of bengal is the state of Orissa. Orissa -home to India's 62 tribes out of 437.
In Orissa the total strength of tribal population is approximately seven million which constitutes 22.21% of the total population of the State. Let us see some of the highly visited and richly costumed
tribes of Orissa. Each tribe in Orissa has its exclusive range of customs, rituals and beliefs.

List of tribes in Orissa

1. Bagat
2. Baiga
3. Banjara, Banjari
4. Bathudi
5. Bhottada, Dhotada
6. Bhuiya, Bhuyan
7. Bhumia
8. Bhumij
9. Bhunjia
10. Binjhal
11. Binjhia, Binjhoa
12. Birhor
13. Bonda, Bondo Poraja
14. Chenchu
15. Dal
16. Desua Bhumji
17. Dharua
18. Didayi
19. Gadaba
20. Gandia
21. Ghara
22. Gond, Gondo
23. Ho
24. Holva
25. Jatapu
26. Juang
27. Kandha Gauda
28. Kawar
29. Kharia, Kharian
30. Kharwar
31. Khond, Kond, Kandha, Nanguli Kandha, Sitha Kandha
32. Kisan Tribe
33. Kol
34. Kolah Loharas, Kol Loharas
35. Kolha
36. Koli, Malhar
37. Kondadora
38. Kora
39. Korua
40. Kotia
41. Koya
42. Kulis
43. Lodha, Shabar
44. Madia
45. Mahali
46. Mankidi
47. Mankirdia
48. Matya
49. Mirdha
50. Munda, Munda Lohara, Munda Mahalis
51. Omanatya
52. Oraon
53. Parenga
54. Paroja
55. Pentia
56. Rajuar
57. Santal
58. Saora, Savar, Saura, Sahara
59. Sounti
60. Tharua

Tribes in India - Introduction

2008-09-08T04:54:00.000-07:00

India- or shall I say the land of God. Everything began and end in India. Walk through the streams of History, and you will realize there is one name that stands apart- India. India has seen different dishes of people throughout its glorious past but the most unique and nonpareil of them are the tribes. So, here we are the tribes of India presents India's most visited and unvisited places of great culture and lifestyle of the Indian tribes.

Indian Tribes are different. They eat differently, drink differently, enjoy differently and more so dress differently as well. I promise, its a unique experience exploring the tribes in India. Indian tribes are enormous in number. With thousands of them, tribes in India are spread across the country. Start counting from Arunachal Pradesh to The Nicobar, your figures will lose out but, the count never ends.

This is the first of many blogs you will get on various types of tribes in India. And I am sure at some point you will fancy coming to many of them.