The Lambani: A pan-Indian tribal community of many names and “known for its colourful dress” – Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat, Orissa & West Bengal

LAMBANIS: ORIGIN AND SOCIO CULTURAL PROFILEBy Dr. K. Ramalingareddy ORIGIN OF LAMBANIS India is a land of castes and tribes. According to an estimate there arc about 427 tribal groups …

Serving endangered languages, denotified and nomadic Communities: Ganesh Devy on the need for a “sustainable economic and social base in the homeland”

A collection of essays on Adivasis. Tribal groups (adivasis) in India have often been excluded, marginalized and oppressed by ‘mainstream’ society. In many ways this exclusion, marginalization and oppression is …

Adivasi societies – a heterogeneous set of ethnic and tribal groups in South Asia

Adivasi (a Hindi word that literally means the original inhabitants) is a term for a heterogeneous set of ethnic and tribal groups believed to be the aboriginal population of India. …

Map | A virtual journey across time and space

Whatever our own cultural background, there are amazing discoveries to be made, for India’s youth just as for scholars and visitors from all over the world! Learn more about – and from – …

Banjara and Dokra: Tribal craftmanship in a state that exemplifies “India’s composite culture, pluralism and inclusiveness” – Telangana

Culture ‘South of North and North of South,’ Telangana State has long been a meeting place for diverse languages and cultures. It is easily the best example for India’s composite …

Tip | How many ‘Scheduled Tribes’ are there in India? And what distinguishes them from other communities? (‘tribal’ or otherwise) – Information provided by the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes

There are over 700 tribes (with overlapping communities in more than one State) which have been notified under Article 342 of the Constitution of India, spread over different States and …

“Rethinking tribals”: Articles on Adivasi culture in Folio Special issue

Ever since the Portuguese travel writers and missionaries decided to describe the vast variety of ethnic and occupational groups and sects of the Indian subcontinent in terms of “caste” and …

“What unites Indians is a love for songs”: Adivasi music – Rajasthan and Gujarat

Our historical memory privileges singers – such as Kabir, Mira, Nanak, and Akka Mahadevi – over other cultural icons It should not be an exaggeration if one claims that in …

The Banjara community: Its role in Indian history – Telangana

Banjara and Dokra: Tribal craftmanship in a state that exemplifies “India’s composite culture, pluralism and inclusiveness – Telangana Located on the uplands of Deccan plateau, Telangana is the link between …