Koya

Abstract

The Koyas inhabiting the Malkangiri district of south Odisha are an ancient tribe credited with a unique way of community oriented life and a rich cultural heritage. They call themselves 'Koya' or 'Koitor' meaning 'people'. The Koyas living in adjacent Bastar region of Chhatishgarh are called Dorla and Madia. Their mother tongue is Gondi- a Dravidian language. They can also speak Odia and Telugu languages. Traditionally, the Koyas are pastoralists and shifting cultivators but now-a-days, they have taken to settled cultivation supplemented by animal husbandry and seasonal forest collections. They own large herds of cows and bullocks. According to their traditional system, chom or wealth means cattle, because a Koya without cattle has no status in the society. They maintain community funds and grain banks at the village level to help the needy families and provide food security. They erect menhirs in memory of the dead. The Koyas, have retained their rich and varied heritage of colourful dance and music which form an integral part of their festivals and rituals. The Koya dance is characterized not only by its originality and spontaneity but also for its wide range of movements. For dancing the Koya men wear huge head gears of bison horn which are richly decorated with peacocks feathers and cowries. The girls adorn themselves in colourful costumes and ornaments, wearing flat brass band in their foreheads and holding sticks fitted with tinkling bells. They dance in circles striking the sticks during the dance in between the beats. Since the good old days the Koyas have been living undisturbed in their remote habitat propagating their unique life and culture. After independence the peace and tranquility of their area has been affected byimmigration of large number of people of different cultures and execution of development projects. They arenow struggling hard to save themselves and their culture against the dominating pressure of advanced Bengali refugees and outsiders.This photo hand book as a glimpse of the lifestyle of the Koya tribe will be useful to the interested laymen,academicians and researchers.