Kandha Tribe of Odisha
Identity:
In Odisha, the Kandha
is numerically the most populous tribe. In this regard it is a major tribe of
the state as well as the country. Though their population is unevenly spread
throughout the State, their main concentration is in south Odisha.
Geographically, their stronghold lies in the central region (Boudh &
Kandhamal districts), Rayagada region (Rayagada district) and south-western part (erstwhile
Kasipur and Mahulpatna areas) of Eastern Ghats Region.
The word ‘Kandha’is
derived from the Telugu word Konda which means a small hill as well as the hill
men. Originally they were hill dwellers. Kandha is the name the non-tribal
people have given them and in course of time, the tribesmen have accepted the
name. But they identify themselves as ‘Kui loku’ “Kui enju” or “Kuinga” because
they speak ‘Kui’ or ‘Kuvi’ language belonging to Dravidian linguistic
group. ‘Kui’ and ‘Kuvi’ are two regional linguistic variations. While ‘Kuvi’ is
spoken by a majority of the Kandha of undivided Koraput, Kalahandi and Bolangir
districts, ‘Kui’, is spoken by the Kandha of Phulbani district. Kuvi appears to
have original structural composition while Kui, an acculturated and transformed
form of Kuvi language.
On the basis of the socio-cultural characteristics, the Kandha may be divided into several sections such as; Desia Kandha, Dongria Kandha, Kutia Kandha, Sitha Kandha, Buda Kandha, Pengo Kandha, Malua Kandha, etc. Among the several sections of the Kandha communities, two sub-sections such as Kutia Kandha and Dongria Kandha have been identified as Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PTGs).
source: google
On the basis of the socio-cultural characteristics, the Kandha may be divided into several sections such as; Desia Kandha, Dongria Kandha, Kutia Kandha, Sitha Kandha, Buda Kandha, Pengo Kandha, Malua Kandha, etc. Among the several sections of the Kandha communities, two sub-sections such as Kutia Kandha and Dongria Kandha have been identified as Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PTGs).
The name of Kutia
Kandha refers to their house floor which is about 2ft. below the level of the
village road and this low lying floor of the house is known as ‘Kutti.’
Accordingly, they are named as Kutti-dwellers or Kutia Kandha. They mostly
inhabit the Tumudibandha Block of Kandhamal district and Lanjigarh Block of Kalahandi
district of Odisha. The word ‘Dongria’ in Kuvi language means ‘Hill’. As
Dongria Kandhas inhabit the high altitude hilly terrain of Odisha, they are
popularly called as Dongria Kandha. They are mostly found in Bissamkattack and
Muniguda blocks of Rayagada district of Odisha. Other sub-groups of the Kandha
tribe like Sitha Kandha, Buda Kandha, Desia Kandha and Malua Kandha live in
Koraput, Kandhamal and Bolangir districts of Odisha. The Sitha Kandhas
(Sitaranga) are basket makers. The Malua Kandhas are well-known for their
patterns of living in groups in hilly areas for which they are called so. On
the other hand the Desia Kandhas are found in ‘desh’ or plains area for which
they are called Desia Kandha. We also find a group 6 of Kandha people who incorrectly
pronounce the word ‘Bengo’ (frog) as ‘Pengo’ and relish the flesh of frogs.
They are locally known as “Pengo Kandha.”
According to 2001 census the total population of Kandha tribe is 13, 95, 643, (male 6 88 402 & female 7 07 241) which is numerically highest among all the 62 tribes of Odisha. The Kandhas comprise 17.13% of the total tribal population of Odisha. Their sex ratio is 1027 per 1000 males and their literacy rate is 31.87 per cent (13.89 % for male and 17.98% for female). The Decadal population growth rate among the Kandha during the period from 1991 to 2001 is 22.38 percent.
SOCIAL LIFE :
Population and
Concentration:
According to 2001 census the total population of Kandha tribe is 13, 95, 643, (male 6 88 402 & female 7 07 241) which is numerically highest among all the 62 tribes of Odisha. The Kandhas comprise 17.13% of the total tribal population of Odisha. Their sex ratio is 1027 per 1000 males and their literacy rate is 31.87 per cent (13.89 % for male and 17.98% for female). The Decadal population growth rate among the Kandha during the period from 1991 to 2001 is 22.38 percent.
source: google
Dress and Ornaments:
The dress pattern of
the Kandha is very simple. The women of the community used to wear two pieces
of clothes (sinda), one around the waist up to the knees and another for the
upper portion of the body. But now they prefer to wear one piece saree which is
available in the local market. They prefer to adorn themselves with various
types of ornaments like coloured bead necklace (sursuria mali),
silver bangle (bala), neckband (gogla), nose flower (naka putuki), hairpin
(pujupaka), ear ring ( kichedka) etc. Traditionally Kandha women are very fond
of making different tattoo (tikanguhpa) designs on the face. Now-a-days
tattooing (tikanguhpa) is not preferred by the women of younger generation. The
Kandha men wear dhoti (loin cloth) and ganji (banyan). On special occasions, a
headgear is also worn. A coloured turban is worn by the groom during his marriage
ceremony.
SETTLEMENT AND HOUSING:
Generally the Kandha
villages are surrounded by mountains (saru).Their house settlement pattern is
scattered throughout with large patches of land (keta) adjoining the homesteads.
They grow vegetables, turmeric (singa), jackfruit (ponosi) tree, date palm
(tadi) tree, sag-palm (mada) tree in those patches of land. The mango (maha)
groves as well as mahua (irpi) trees are found at the village borders. In the
village there are a number of footpaths crossing each other. Generally a village
consists of a number of hamlets, which are locally known as sahi or pada. The
Kandhas cremate their dead body in the cremation ground (tunenji) which is
situated in groves adjoining the village. In every village there is an altar for
the Earth Goddess (Darni penu) located at the side of the village.
HOUSE:
The Kandha houses are
identical with regard to design and building materials used for construction. Their
houses face almost every direction. Generally a new house (edu) is constructed
in the month of February (Mag), March (Paagan), April (Baisaak) and May
(Jeset). Before selecting a place for construction of a new house, the male
elders of the household go to the proposed site at night (nadangi). They carry
with them some rice (pranga), mahua liquor (irpi kalu) and few cups made of
siali leaves (paeri aaka). At the site, they keep those
leaf cups (chaukuni) containing a few grains of rice. In each cup they pour the
liquor on the rice and offer it to their ancestors (pideri penu). After the
ritual is over, they themselves enjoy the surplus liquor (kalu) and return home. Next
morning (beea diesi) they again visit the same site to verify whether the
grains are in order and intact or not. If not found intact there is presence of
some evil spirits (doi pideri). Hence, the place is considered inauspicious and
unsuitable for house construction. If the grains are found to be intact, then
it is considered to be an auspicious place by the ancestors. They sacrifice hen
(kaju) at that place to mother goddess (darni penu) and build the house (edu). The
construction of a Kandha house (edu) is very simple. The walls
of the house are made of planks of sal trees (jargi mrahanui) covered with mud
and trellis made of bamboo splits and its roof is thatched with wild grass. The
house is of very low height, not exceeding 10ft. and its entrance is at a
height of about 4ft. from the ground level. A typical house consists of one or
two rooms with a separate kitchen room (baja edu) and a cowshed (goheli) at its
backside. A narrow verandah (pinduli) is found in the front as well as at the
backside of the house. In each house paddy husking pedals (dhinki) is installed
on the verandah (pinduli). The front verandah is always kept clean and used as
a meeting place where leisure hours are spent for recreational activities. They
stock and store fire wood (erpa beska) and forest products on the backside of
the house. Each house has two doors (dara) one at the front side and another at
the backside. The front door is made-up of wood with different carved designs
and the back door is made-up of bamboo (mani pata). Inside the house one room
is used as kitchen (baja edu) and storage of household utensils (muta mand) and
the other room which is comparatively large is used as living room (dopa edu).
In this portion one or two mortar holes for husking grains are embedded on the
ground. On one side of the living room a large wooden shelve is built for
keeping household objects and the grain bin (duli) is kept on the wooden
platform (dadi). Their wall (kudu) is coloured with red soil and verandah is
polished by smooth stone. Their agricultural and household implements such as
plough (nangeli), yoke (jueli), spade (rapa), leveler (patasingh/kurli), sickle
(kele), winnowing fan (sesi), measuring pot (tambi), gourd (laka) etc. are kept
inside their house along with their hunting weapons such as bow (wilu), arrow
(ambu), axe (tangi) spear (garka), gum stick (sindu nala) etc. and fishing
implements. The Kandha also keep
different Dhokra (linga/darba) objects. Currently, under the
impact of modernization and development, the Kandha houses are constructed by
bricks, cement and concrete under the Indira Awas Yojana.
SOCIAL LIFE :
Family is the smallest
social unit in Kandha society. Nuclear family is common and joint family is
rarely found. The members of the partilineage help their head of family during
birth, marriage and death rituals etc. They use surname like Kanhar, Mallick,
Pradhan, Majhi etc. As soon as a boy gets married, he builds a new house of his
own and lives there separately from his parents. In their society the Kandha
people call daughter-in-laws by name of (clan) mutha. There are fifty
muthas in Kandha society namely Saiti, Paba, Jurapi, Bongodi, Baka, Bidu,
Teriki, Damsing, Pira etc. As per the rule of exogamy, a man cannot marry
within his clan or mutha, because members of a mutha consider themselves as
brothers and sisters. The Kandha lineage is exogamous and marriage within the lineage
group is strictly forbidden. It comprises a number of blood related families
living in different hamlets or in a group of villages. They trace their decent
from common ancestors and occupy a distinct territory belonging to their mutha.
Later Post Completed..............................
