Gandia

Abstract

Traditionally being a Gondid community of shifting cultivators and pastoralists the Gandia lives in the southernmost part of Odisha. They are said to be a section of the Koya tribe with whom they have close socio-cultural similarities. The Gandia are largely concentrated in the Malkanagiri district. They speak Dravidian Language 'Gondi' that belongs to the central Gondi dialect of the Proto-Dravidian group. Numerically they are a very small ethnic group numbering only 1854 individuals as per 2011 Census. Typical bamboo palisade fencing all around is a distinguishing feature of Gandia settlements. Very close to their settlements one notices stone pillars and wooden posts (menhirs) erected in memory of their dead ancestors. The number of houses in a village varies from ten to thirty. They have mud houses beautifully thatched by a type of jungle grass. Houses are rectangular giving shelters to humans along with the livestock like pigs and fowls. Herds of cattle are put or tethered in front courtyard. Each house, its courtyard and adjoining kitchen garden are nicely fenced by bamboo splits. Traditionally, the Gandia were shifting cultivators. But now-a-days, for various reasons, they have taken to settled cultivation. Yet they still go for seasonal forest collections to supplement their livelihood. Being pastoralists, the Gandia have large herds of cows and bullocks. According to their traditional system, wealth means cattle, because a Gandia without cattle has no status in the society.Their original belief system centers around two cults namely the cult of Earth Goddess and the cult of village Goddess called Gamma. The seat of Gamma lies under a Mohul or Tamarind tree inside the village. There are many deities of nature residing in hills, forests and streams like: Lely - the forest Goddess; Kad - the water deity etc. They also have the cult of ancestor worship at the family level.In spite of impact of modernization, they have retained their rich cultural heritage in different forms.Hopefully, this book will be a valuable document for the tourists, researchers and academicians alike.