“Our boys and girls get an opportunity to set their eyes upon each other during the dance of the Dandari. They also get to interact a little before they can mutually agree to take the matter to the next step. […] As per our customs and traditions the youngsters enjoy liberty in many aspects. It is rare that a selection made during the Dandari-Ghusadi [dance festival] phase gets cancelled.” – Patel of Bandeyer Atram Sone Rao (Telangana), quoted in “Adivasis dance their way to a girl’s heart” (The Hindu, 29 October 2016)
https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/telangana/Adivasis-dance-their-way-to-a-girl’s-heart/article16085049.ece
https://indiantribalheritage.org/?p=22436
KOZHIKODE: Heavy summer rain has turned out to be manna from the skies for tribal honey hunters in Wayanad, the leading wild honey producing region in the state. The massive blooming of forest flora after the summer rain has given hopes of a bountiful harvest in the ongoing season that extends till September. […] “We are … Read more
In hilly Shillong, dream-interpreting locals and tribal archers combine to practise ‘Teer’ gambling | To view more photos and read the full story, click here >> The capital of Meghalaya likes to bet big and it’s not on cricket, horse-racing or teen patti The Khasi people of Meghalaya resisted British rule for a long time and although they … Read more
Click on the image to view the slideshow and read more Many tribal peoples have an encyclopaedic knowledge of native animals, plants and herbs; the Yanomami, for example, use around 500 species of plants on a daily basis. The Yali people of West Papua excel as ecologists, and recognize at least 49 varieties of the … Read more
The Santals, a proto-Austroloid racial group, are the largest tribe in West Bengal accounting for more than 50% of the state`s tribal population. Other than West Bengal, their major concentration is in the states of Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha and Tripura. In Assam, they are not classified separately as a tribe and their lot is clubbed … Read more
Sohrai – The First Day The most important festival of the Santals is called Sohrai. It is the Harvest Festival celebrated after the rice harvest in early January. The celebrations stretch over several days. The first day is Um hiloah. Every family contributes half a kilo of rice, a young chicken, salt, turmeric powder, potatoes, … Read more