Tribals world....

Orissa has the largest number of tribes among the states of India . About 62 distinct tribal groups of indigenous people are inhabited in Orissa. Officially known as "tribals" ; but more accurately they known as "Adivasis" .They constitute more than one-quarter of the state's population. Eastern ghat hills range running in the north-south direction is basically the adobe of these tribes.More than the half of the Orissa's tribal populatoin is concentrated in the districts of undivided Koraput,Sundergarh and Mayurbhanj.

There are many tribes like Santala,Munda,Oram,Gond,Juanga,Bhuiyan,Saura,Dharua,Bonda,Koyas,Ho etc. . All the tribal groupings have their own fascinating customs, rituals and beliefs and have become something of a tourist attraction.Their livilihood and economy mainly based on forest . Food gathering ,hunting and fishing like subsistence oriented traits are the backbone of these tribal economy. Larze tribes like Santala,Munda,Oram and Gond are settled in agricultural field.The Kondh have a population of about one million and are based in the south-west,around Koraput, and near Sambalpur. The Santal, with a population over 5 lakhs, live around Baripada and Khiching in the far north. The Saura, with a population over 3lakhs live near Bolangir in the west. The Bonda, known as 'the Naked People', have a less numbe of population live in the hills near Koraput.

BATHUDI :
These community Bathudis are seen more in the northwestern parts of the state of Orissa, particularly in the areas bordering the districts of Mayurbhanj and Keonjhar. Their settlements lie mostly on the plains in the rural areas . Cultivation is their main occupation. They worship all Hindu Gods and Goddesses.Generally they live in houses made of mud walls and thatched roofs. They love to decorate their walls with multi-coloured floral designs. Their dress is scanty. A coarse cotton dhoti fulfils the requirement of a male person. The women wear sari . They love to use silver ornaments. Tattooing is popular among these Bathudi women. It is called Khada. According to their traditions, before marriage, a Bathudi girl  tattoos one or two floral designs on her forehead or arm. Most of the Bathudis speak Oriya and only a few have taken to HO as their mother tongue. They worship village deities like Basuli, Sundura Gouri, and Hatiani etc. in shape of blocks of stone. It is the village Dehuri who worships the deities. Impact of modern civilizations and change in the outlook ; the dress and other habits of the Bathudis have changed to certain extent. But in the remote rural areas the old habits still persist.

BHUYAN :
From the sanskrit word Bhumi, the name Bhuya or Bhuyan is derived from . It means land. These community consider themselves to be the children and owner of the land and hence are known as Bhuyan. The Bhuyans are mainly cultivators and agricultural labourers. They practise shifting cultivation called Toila chasa or podu chasa on hilltops or slopes. They grow paddy, gingili, mustard, ginger, maize, jalli, ragi and other crops extensively. Women are engaged in weaving of mats from the wild date palm and preparation of broomsticks . Collection of forest products is the major occupation of the community. Oriya is their mother tongue. The Bhuyans are broadly divided into two categories, viz. the pauri Bhuyans and plain Bhuyans. The pauri Bhuyans live in the hilly and inaccessible areas of the Bhuyanpirh. The plain Bhuyans live along with the caste Hindu in the villages of plain areas. The Bhuyan vilalges are divided into bandhu villages and kutumba villages. This division of villages regulates their marriages. Matrimonial relationship can be established between individuals belonging to Bandhu village only. In no case it is permissible between kutumba villages. Another important feature of their social organisation is the existence of a village dormitory, locally known as Mandaghar. It is a spacious house centrally located in the village. The open space in front of the Mandaghar is known as Darbar which serves as the meeting place for the traditional village Panchayats and the dancing ground for the villagers. The unmarried boys of the village are the members of the dormitory. This is also utilised as a rest house for guests from other villages.

GOND :
The Gonds are spread over the hill tracts of central south India .They are the warrior tribe. They sacrifice some grains,fowls and pigs to the presiding deity before sowing in the field .Blood of sacrificed animal is sprinkeled on the seedswhich are distributed among the villagers.They sow those in their filds for luck.They worship a number of deities of which Budhadeo, Jangadeo and Lingadeo are prominent. They speak Gondi, a dialect belonging to the Dravidian family. At present the Gonds of the many district know and speak Oriya. The Gonds are immigrants from the central provinces and wear Brahminical thread. Their caste chiefs are called Mahapatras and Singhs. The Gonds possess good physique. They are divided into a number of clans. Marriage within the same clans is strictly prohibited. Bride price system is prevalent among them. They are mostly settled cultivators. They collect forest products for their own use.