Oraon

Abstract

One of the most culturally vibrant tribe the 'Oraon' constitute a major tribal community of Odisha. They call themselves as Kurukh (Kurunkh) which also is the name of their mother tongue. In certain areas they are called Dhangar , which means unmarried young man who used to work for wage. Their original dialect is Kurukh which is classified as an offshoot of Dravidian language. At present, they are conversant with other languages like Laria, Hindi, Ho, Oriya and Saunti, which are used by them in different localities. History reveals them as a daring community who fought against the British for the historical injustices done to them through curtailing their rights over natural resources. They trace their origin to some places in Southern India from where they migrated to Chhotnagpur plateau covering the border districts of Odisha, Bihar, West Bengal, Chhatishgarh and Madhya Pradesh. In Odisha, they are mostly settled in Sambalpur and Sundargarh districts. Their cultural life is enriched with their tradition, dance, music, arts and crafts. The Oraon who once upon a time wasmore conservative, are now in a transitional stage due to impact of modernization. The impact ofmining and industrialization in their habitat andChristianity which many of them have embraced haschanged their traditional way of life to a great extent. Though they are traditionally animists, now there is a perceptiblechange in their life style because of planned change and development. This Photo Handbook hastried to portray their age-oldtraditional life style along with the change at present.All the photographs presented in this Photo Handbook have been taken from the Oraon inhabited areas of Bisra, Balisankara, Lahunipada and Subdega blocks in Sundergarh, Panposh and Bonai Sub Divisions of Sundergarh district of Odisha. Hopefully, the learned readers will appreciate this Photo Hand Book and find it useful