Chenchu music: “Kinnera” stringed music instrument – Telangana

The instrument uses bamboo for the neck, dried and hollowed gourds for resonators, human hair or animal nerves for strings, and pangolin scales for frets which are fixed using honey-wax. According to Mr. Rao, visiting faculty at the Centre for Dalit and Adivasi Studies at the UoH, Chenchus lost the instrument half a century ago … Read more

India’s tribal cultural heritage – Andhra Pradesh

“There cannot be a mere developmental/economistic solution to the Adivasi ‘problem’. But that has been the dominant approach to mitigating their condition. […] Adivasis cannot be equal citizens until they are considered holistically as a part of cultural and ecospheres with unique customs and practices, and not just as welfare recipients receiving doles. Further, there … Read more

Tribal customs, homes and ornaments in South India: Videos and photographs

The Halakki people are scattered across several Taluks of Uttara Kannada district namely Karwar, Ankola, Kumta, Gokarna and Honnavar. Despite exposure to people from the world over some characteristics of their traditional ways are still evident. Contact: +91-9741216491youmailvicky@gmail.comhttps://www.facebook.com/vicky.lakshmanan

“We are nothing without the forest, and the forest is nothing without us”: Kattunayakans in the Nilgiris, one of the last few remaining honey gathering communities of the world – Tamil Nadu

Living in the Nilgiris, the Kattunayakans are one of the last few remaining honey gathering communities of the world. Over many generations they have mastered the skills required to tap honey and they take great pride in their knowledge and expertise. For the tribal community, honey gathering is of social, cultural, economic and spiritual relevance. … Read more

Turning sacred groves into oases of biodiversity through community participation: The People’s biodiversity register (PBR) – Goa

Rajendra P Kerkar, Times of India, Dec 1, 2016 KERI: The village panchayat of Bhironda in Sattari taluka has become the state’s first local self-governing body to have completed work on the people’s biodiversity register (PBR) in keeping with the Biodiversity Act, 2002. As per the Act, PBRs are to be prepared in consultation with locals … Read more