Odisha claims to be the second largest tribal dominant state in the country. The Adivasi (aborigine), Vanabasi (forest dweller) and Girijana (mountain dweller) constitute over 22% of the population of Odisha. The Government of India has notified 62 endogamous tribal groups of Odisha. Tribal communities range from hunter gatherers, shifting cultivators to settled peasantry. As the meeting ground of three language families, (Indo -Aryan, Dravidian and Austric), Odisha is linguistically one of the most heterogeneous states of India with forty-three languages being spoken in the state. Even though the tribal economy is shaky, tribal culture, in its pristine state, is rich and distinctive and the Adivasis work hard to preserve it.

1. Tribes of Orissa
Sharada Chandrasekar

2. What is a tribe..

3. Classification of Indian tribes
Geographical distribution
• North-eastern Zone
• Southern zone
• Western zone
• Central Zone
• (i) The central northern Tribal Region (Hazaribag Maikal
Region).
• (ii) The central Southern Tribal Region.

4. Linguistic affiliation
• Dravidian:
Dravidian speaking group includes the Gondi, Kurukh, the Malto, the Bhatra,
Dorla Dhuru, Toda, Badga, Kota, Uralis, Kadars, Chenchus, etc.
• Austric:
The Austric Speaking group constitutes the major chunck of India’s Tribal
population. Santal, Munda, Ho, Bhumij, Kora, Lodha, Juang, Bhil, Kol and
Others.
• Sino-Tibetan:
Tribes living in the north eastern belt.

5. Physical features and racial affinity
• The Negrito:
The Negrito racial type is characterised by the physical features comprising of very short
height pigmy stature, dark black skin colour, woolly and frizzy hair brood nose, thick lip,
marked facial prognathism and dolichocephalic head. The Andam Uralis and Kadar of South
India the Onge and Andamanese of the Andamans belong to this physical type.
• The Proto-Austroloid:
The Characteristic feature of this racial stock are medium stature, dark brown skin colour,
wavy and curly hair, thick lip, broad nose, doilchomesocephalic head. Juang of Orissa, Kharia,
Bhumij and Ho of Singhbhum district of Bihar, Chenchu of Andhra Pradesh, the Gond of
Bastar, the Bhil of Rajasthan belong to this proto-Austroloid racial group.
• The Mongoloid:
The tribals belonging to this racial group are characterised by medium stature, yellowish
brown skin colour, fat face, oblique eye-slit with epicanthi’s fold, Scanty beard and
moustache and straight hair.
• The Nordic Group:
This group is characterised by tall stature, rosy-white skin colour, wavy hair, prominent fine
nose, thin lip and sufficient hair on the body. The Toda of Nilgiri hills in South India belong to
this category.

6. On the Basis of the Source of Subsistence:
• Food-gatherers and hunters( Birhor, Saura)
• Pastoral People
• Shifting Cultivators
• Permanent Settled Cultivators
Nomads - two groups such as (a) hunting and food collecting nomads,
and (b) natural nomads. The former contains all those groups which
forage in the forest and other areas in search of food. Those who have
to move habitually from one place to another on account of their way
of life are termed as natural nomads
India is a land of nomadic communities- symbiotic nomads highest in
the world, they never feel their vagrant life mean.

7. tribes of Odisha
a story of yours and mine for we were all tribal

8. Gypsies, kelas (symbiotic nomads)
• Gypsies of west-India is the country from which they migrated. The Indian origin
of the gypsies was first proved in 1777 on scientific basis in western Europe by
the German Prof. Rudiger (Raghaviah 1968: 164). Subsequently, gypsies have
searched for their place of origin and ethnicity. Western scholars have further
thrown light not only on their history but described about their culture, economic
activities, past sufferings and present efforts for their settlement. In Europe the
gypsies are now in the process of adopting settled life yet a good number of them
live as trader nomads in whose vein wanderlust is ingrained. They call themselves
as Rumi (Romi) or Romani (Man) and call their language as Romani language.
• “The Roma (gypsies) are now a united community organized through the
International Committee Roma with headquarters at Paris and branches in
various countries of the world”. Roma were able to visit their Boro-Than, India
when they came to attend the International Roma festival at Chandigarh in March
1976. — Rishi 1982: 14

9. religion..

10. marriage..
• Acquisition of brides for marriage, the most widely prevalent practice
among the tribes of Orissa is through "capture", although other
practices, such as, elopement, purchase, service and negotiation are
also there. With the passage of time negotiated type of marriage,
which is considered prestigious, is being preferred more and more.
• Payment of bride-price is an inseparable part of tribal marriage, but
this has changed to the system of dowry among the educated
sections.

11. dance and music

12. dances of Odisha
• Chhau
• Daalkhai
• Gotipua
• Bhaga
• Karma
• Ghumura
• Odissi

13. tribal dance

14. tribal art..

15. head gear and jewellery

16. a few numbers..
Odisha
• total population – 41.97 M (R-34.97, U-7.00)
• Scheduled Tribe - 9.59 M (R- 8.99, U- 0.59)
(22.8% of total state pop)
( 9 % of country’s tribal pop)
India
• Total population- 121 crores
• Scheduled Tribe – 10 crores
(8.61% of total) - covering 15% of total area

17. a few facts…
• A total of 62 tribes in Odisha
• 13/14 of them are PTGS(Paticularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups)- Birhor,
Bondo, Didayi, Dongria-Khond, Juangs, Kharias, Kutia Kondh, Lanjia
Sauras, Lodhas, Mankidias, Paudi Bhuyans, Soura, Chuktia Bhunjia

18. STATE - ORISSA
• Bagata
Baiga
Banjara,
Banjari
Bathudi
Bhottada,
Dhotada
Buiya,
Bhuyan
Bhumia
Bhumij
Bhunjia
Binjhal
Binjhia,
Binjhoa
Birhor
Bondo Poraja
Chenchu
Dal
• Khond, Kond, Kandha,
Nanguli Kandha, Sitha
Kandha
Kisan
Kol
Kolah Loharas, Kol
Loharas
kolha
Koli, Malhar
Kondadora
Kora
Korua
Kotia
Koya
Kulis
Lodha
Madia
Mahali
Mankidi
Desau Bhumij
Dharua
Didayi
Gadaba
Gandia
Ghara
Gond, gondo
Ho
Holva
jatapu
Juang
kandha Gauda
kawar
Kharia, Kharian
Kharwar
Mankirda
Matya
Mirdhas
Munda, Munda Lohara, Munda
Mahalis
Mundari
Omanatya
Oraon
Parenga
Paroja
Pentia
Rajuar
Santal
Saora, Savar, Saura, Sahara
Shabar, Lodha
Sounti
Tharua

19. language spoken..

20. Story telling..(Tribal storytellers vanishing along with tribal
languages in Odisha
• A tribal storyteller presents folk
tales with a mix of poetry and
humour.
• storytellers in the Gutab
language spoken by Gadaba
tribal communities; they are
mainly found in the Lamtaput
and Nandapur blocks of the
Koraput district

21. major tribes
• Kondh/kandha are the largest tribe of the state with 1 M population,
based mainly in the Kandhamal and adjoining districts namely
Rayagada, Koraput, Balangir and Boudh.
• Santals, with a population over 500,000, inhabit the Mayurbhanj
district.
• Saura, with a population over 300,000, are found mainly in the
undivided Ganjam and Puri district.
• Bonda, are known as 'the Naked People', and have a population of
about 5,000 and live in Malkangiri district formerly part of undivided
Koraput

22. • Kisans are the main residents of Sundergarh, Sambalpur and
Keonjhar. They speak the Kisan dialect along with Odia, Hindi and
English. They are farmers and food gatherers and they are famous for
their Dance and Music.
• Toppos form a major tribal village in Sundergarh District.

23. Odisha in pre-historic age
Since prehistoric days the land of Odisha has been inhabited by
various people. The earliest settlers of Odisha were primitive hill
tribes. Although prehistoric communities cannot be identified, it is
well known that Odisha had been inhabited by tribes like Saora or
Sabar from the Mahabharata days. Saora in the hills and the Sahara
and Sabar of the plains continue to be an important tribe distributed
almost all over Odisha. Most of the tribal people have been
influenced by Hindus and have adopted Hindu manners, customs and
rituals. Bonda Parajas of Koraput district are the best example of
these tribes.

24. pre-historic sites excavated in Odisha
• Kaliakata of Angul,
• Kuchai & Kuliana of Mayurbhanj,
• Vikramkhol near Jharsuguda, Gudahandi
• Yogimath of Kalahandi,
• Ushakothi of Sambalpur,
• Similikhol near Bargarh

25. Kuchai & Kuliana of Mayurbhanj
• The historic sites are Khiching, Baripada and Haripur, where the
Bhanja rulers have left their mark. The area produces excellent tussar
silk, carvings in multi- coloured translucent serpentine stone (from
Khiching) and tribal metal casting of toys and cult images. The tribal
people have enriched the culture of the district particularly with their
traditional dances
• The excavated prehistoric site of Kuchai 8 kms north of Baripada is
known for yielding neolithic possessions of man. Pottery found with
neolithic implements speak of occurence of a microlithic industry of
the late Stone Age

26. Vikramkhol
• a prehistoric archaeological site which lies in Reserved Forest of Belpahar
range, at a distance of 12 km from Belpahar. The place is known for
prehistoric rock art and rock inscriptions dated around 3000 BCE
• The size of the inscriptions is 37 meters in lengths, 5.65 meters in breadth
and 8 meters in height.[2]The inscriptions are yet to be studied in detail and
some historians link this script to Mohenjedaro script. The rock is a rough
sandstone. The rock-shelter is 115 feet in length and 27 feet 7 inches in
height from the floor (35 m by 8.4 m). It faces north east. Some of the
letters are sharply cut, but the incision-marks of the majority do not show
sharp cutting.
• The geometric figures and characters running horizontal lines defy
sequence and baffle the interpreter. Drawn in monochromatic and
polychromatic floral patterns have withstood the ravages of time

27. .. Rock art images

29. Ushakothi of Sambalpur

30. Simlikhol paintings

31. interesting facts
• Bonda tribe
• Saura tribe( Mahabharata and Ramayana)

32. Current reality
• Extinction( malnutrition and health)
• Forced migration
• Tribe to caste
• Deforestation and mining
• Welfare measure not tribal friendly

33. Chhau dance
• https://youtu.be/u3YLq7CVavc
Thank you
Sharada Chandrasekar