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| Tribes and Cultures |
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| Oraon Tribe |
| In the heartland of West Bengal, quite a number of tribes reside in great freedom and independence. According to the census report of the year 1971, Oraon tribes are one of the biggest tribes in the whole of south Asia numbering 1,702,663 persons. These Oraon tribes converse with each other in Kurukh, a popular language belonging to the family of Dravidian family. Due to their amiable nature, these Oraon tribes live in close association with their adjoining tribes like Munda. In fact the chief of the Oraon tribes is called as Munda. |
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| If one dissects the Oraon society, it can be segregated into several sub castes. These include Kudas ("navvies") and Kisans ("cultivators"), having their diverse occupations, tend to marry among themselves. Beyond this, Oraon tribes abide by the village and clan exogamy. The patrilineal extended family is the supreme residential unit, and also nuclear families are also prevalent. On the average a family contains five to seven co resident members. |
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| Following the practice of several tribes of India, these Oraon tribes follow the trend of sending these Oraon youths to the dormitories. These dorms are called dhumkuria. Boys are marked on the arm before being allowed in to this establishment. The dormitory also gives a supply of farming labor that can be employed when and where necessary. Thus needs no mentioning that most of the Oraon tribal communities have taken up the profession of cultivation, mainly the shifting just like their ancestors used to adapt in the earlier times. Although hunting profession was given due importance, later it has become only an affair as part of the ceremonial event. Moreover, now days, a special hunting ceremony also is feted exclusively for women folks of Oraon society .It is observed every twelve years. |
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| Those anthropologists who have conducted surveys on Oraon tribes and its various aspects of Culture and tradition, have unanimously came to the conclusion that these tribes are religious minded mostly following the customs of Hinduism. Their foremost gods and goddesses are indigenous, mostly non-Sanskritic, namely, Chandi, Chauthia, Dadgo Burhia, Gaon Deoti, and Jair Budhi. What is interesting to note that nowhere else in India these deities are being worshipped. Only a small section of people, near about twenty five percent, follow Christianity. |
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| There is a significant feature of this Oraon tribal society for which they are being widely known. In fact Oraon society is amongst those few handfuls of tribes in the whole world who till date carrying on the age old custom of doing human sacrifices. All the Oraon tribes regard this practice of this human sacrifice as otanga or orka. Even in the records of during the nineteenth century, British officials accounted about these Oraon tribes including some other tribes including Munda, Oraon, Gond, Kond, and Santal tribes. |
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| As per the police records show that even as late as the 1980 and onwards there were a couple of sacrifices every year among Oraon tribes and others like Munda and Maria. The human sacrifices by and large take place in distant places around the beginning of the sowing season and the associated festival of Sarhul. Sometimes blood of the sacrificial victim is amalgamated with seed grain before it is sown. In former centuries the whole body was probably cut up and parceled out to the various fields around a village. |
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| The sacrifice is as a rule presented to a malicious goddess in order to appease her and also control the lushness of the soil. However, when these Orean tribes could not find any of the human beings for offering at the time of sowing ceremony, the usual practice is to use hair, sputum, or some other human bodily leavings instead. These are blended with the blood of a hen as a token offering to this deity. |
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| Oraon tribes usually speak in the language of the same name, which again belongs to the Dravidian family group , and has got a close relation with other languages including Brahui and Paharia. |
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