Worship & rituals

“Bomman thatha told me that our gods live in stones, big rocks and trees. We won’t cut aal maram (Ficus religiosa) because gods will be in that tree. Even the water in the area around the tree should be used neatly and not destroyed. In our community our god Ajji (grandmother) lives in Ellamalai mountain. She is also called Thrithri Eributham. […] Before fishing or taking tubers, we will pray to god and only then we will take it.” – Wildlife conservationist Ramesh in “Bomman thatha and his forest”, a conversation with his grandfather on “bonding between adivasi people and the forest” (At the Edge of Existence, 29 October 2014)
https://cultureandconservation.wordpress.com/2014/10/29/bomman-thatha-and-his-forest/
https://indiantribalheritage.org/?p=8262

Exploring “social and cultural co-existence” and “the roots of our origin”: The role of exoticism Hyderabad’s Nehru Centenary Tribal Museum (NCTM) – Andhra Pradesh

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ATIYA AMJAD, The Hindu, Hyedrabad, Tuesday, Apr 01, 2003 | To view more photos and read the full article, click here >> THE RECENTLY inaugurated Nehru Centenary Tribal Museum (NCTM), in the premises of the Telugu Samkshema Bhavan, Masab Tank, in the city may not have made much news, but it seems to have provided Hyderabad yet another opportunity … Read more

A hill in Kanyakumari district named after Tiruvalluvar: Revered as ancient king among the Kaani of Kanyakumari district – Tamil Nadu

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It is interesting to learn that a hill in Kanyakumari district is named after Tiruvalluvar  Heard of a hill dedicated to Tiruvalluvar? The Kanyakumari Historical and Cultural Research Centre recently brought to light the existence of Valluvan Kal Potrai in Koovaikkadu hamlet, Surulodu panchayat, Kalkulam taluk, Kanyakumari district. The author, along with two others, went … Read more

A legendary history: Hill tribes known from the Mahabharata days – Odisha

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The state has the third largest population of Scheduled Tribes in India. […] Prehistoric Acheulian tools dating to Lower Paleolithic era have been discovered in various places in the region, implying an early settlement by humans. Kalinga has been mentioned in ancient texts like Mahabharata, Vayu Purana and Mahagovinda Suttanta. The Sabar people of Odisha … Read more

”No one wants the forest to disappear”: Dr. Felix Padel on peace, justice, the Forest Rights Act and music

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How could peace be brought, with justice? Is there even a movement for peace? How does this war compare with other wars in India, and worldwide? Few have targeted civilian villagers as remorselessly, though Ashoka’s Kalinga war, over 2,000 years ago, that killed 100000 people directly, and many indirectly according to Ashoka’s own inscriptions, presents … Read more

Video | Honey gathering tribes assert their ancestral rights and way of life – Tamil Nadu & Karnataka

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The Kattunayakans are a honey gathering community in the Gudalur valley. Over generations they have mastered the skills required to take honey out of hives. – Priyashri Mani (upload information 3 July 2012 on Youtube) | Credits: Adivasi Munnetra Sangam | Learn more >> “Don’t fund our eviction”: honey-collecting tribe pleads with US governmentJanuary 20, 2020 … Read more