Bhumia

Abstract

The Bhumia tribe inhabiting the undivided Koraput district has a rich cultural heritage and is alsoconsidered to be the most heroic of all tribal communities of the State. They are believed to be a sub-caste of the Baiga tribe living in Madhya Pradesh and Chhatishgarh. The name Bhumia is derived from the word 'Bhumi' meaning 'soil' because according to their legendary tradition they were the first community to start farming in the highlands of Koraput. They speak Desia, the lingua-franca of Koraput spoken by other castes and tribes. Generally, they live near the forest from where their basic needs are soundly met. In multi-caste villages they live in separate hamlets maintaining their ethnic identity. In the past, they derived a major part of their subsistence from the bountiful forest. They collect fruits, vegetables, roots, tubers from the forest, fish and crabs from the streams and rivers for their consumption. Now,they are settled agriculturalists. The tribe is divided into two groups: bada and sano, each of which is again divided into a number of totemistic exogamous clans called bansa. Customarily families of one bansa reside in a single village. There are separate hamlets for different bansas. Marriage within the same bansa is strictly prohibited. Budhi Thakurani is their village deity who is worshipped on all important occasions. Once a year, during the month of Chaitra (March-April), a goat is sacrificed before the village deity. They alsoworship other village deities like Nisani, Mauli and Gram Devta. The main festivals observed by them are Balijatra during which elaborate fertility rites and rituals are performed. During this festival young girls dance in a trance and act as medium of a spirit called Devata. Hundi Devata and Budhimai are the chief deities. They observe Dulla Puja, Ashari Puja, Vadhan Parab, Nuakhai Parab etc. They also sacrifice various animals like goat, sheep, pig and fowl to satisfy their deities and spirits.They believe in the efficacy of white and black magic. Now-a-days, due to impact of planned change and modernization, the Bhumia society is undergoing aprocess culture change. This change has been reflected in their cultural, social and economic life.It is hoped that this book will be helpful to all interested readers who like to know about different tribal cultures of Odisha.