The Tribe of Rayagada District of Odisha: A Study on Kandha Tribe

Abstract

Odisha is the homeland of the tribal’s. There are sixty two type of tribes are in Odisha among them the Kandha tribe is considered to be one of the   major tribe. Their concentration is mainly found all over the blocks of the Rayagada regions of the state of Odisha in India. In this district we can found many types of Kandha people like Dangaria Kandha (Dangran ), Malua Kandha (Tekran), Desia Kandha (Panga Kui), Jharania Kandha, Jatapu Kandha etc. All this types of Kandha people named as per their dwelling place. They speak the Kui/Kuvi language which belongs to the Dravidian linguistic group. Their chief occupation is Agriculture. In a year the first six month engage themselves in the agriculture work and the rest six month they engage in different work like Daily Labaour, Carpenter, etc. Hunting is not their daily work but when they are get leisure time they will go for hunt into the native forest and brought any Bird and Animal. In their agriculture field the produce Paddy, Millets, Hanwa, Suan, Kanga, Kating, Kahada and other crops which is essential for the life. Most of the Kandha houses are made by the wooden planks and mud. They have two separate rows of house which are face to each other. Their staple food is Gruel, Rice and different seasonal raw materials of the forest like the wild root and leafs. The women of this tribe decorate themselves by wearing different ornaments like Nose ring, Ear ring, Neckless made by the coins, finger rings etc. Their main god and goddess are Dharti Penu, Katia Wali, Mudra Wali Jatra Kudi etc. They have strong belief to their god and goddess for that they observe different types of festivals like The Kandula Parbu, Merriah Parbu, Chaitra Parbu, Bali Parbu, Ghanta Parbu, Mandiarani etc. In their festivals all the people of the village from the children to the grandparents engaged themselves in singing and Dancing. They young boys will beat the Baja and the Dhapu while the young girls will dance and sing according to the rhythm.