Publisher
Tribal Research And Development Institute
35 , Shymla Hills ,
Bhopal -462002
Madhya Pradesh
Printer
Madhya Pradesh Madhyam
40 , Administrative Area
Arera Hills , Bhopal
Photography
Keshav Thakur
Typing and Design
Rajkumar Patel
Scheduled Tribes of Madhya Pradesh
Editor
Ashok Shah I.A.S
Director
Tribal Research and Development Institute
Bhopal
Coordination
M.S. Bhalavi
Research Officer
Tribal Research and Development Institute
Government of Madhya Pradesh
Previous statement
Madhya Pradesh is the state with the highest population of scheduled tribes in India. According to the census of 2011, the tribal population of the state is 15316784 out of the total population of 72626806. This is 21.09 percent of the total population of the state.
Anthropologists use many synonymous names of the English word "Tribe" for scheduled tribes. For example, primitive, indigenous, aboriginals, natives, Bhola-Bhola (naive), wild tribes etc. But in Hindi, the word "Janjati" or "Adivasi" has been used by many anthropologists instead of the word "Tribe". In the Constitution, the tribes of the country have been addressed as Scheduled Tribes. After independence, the government is making active efforts for their development by keeping special provisions for them in the Indian Constitution.
There is a lack of reference literature on many tribes of the state. Keeping this in mind, this institution is also working on the study of the social and cultural aspects of the tribes of the state and compilation of their memory and Shruti wealth.
Research scholars of various universities of the state and researchers of tribal culture refer to the research reports of the Tribal Research and Development Institute for reference material/statistics required for research. In this context, it was felt that a reference book related to the scheduled tribes of Madhya Pradesh should be prepared by this institute!
Earlier, a book was prepared and published based on the anthropological studies conducted by the researchers of the institute and the available references.
This book is it's expanded work. New facts and new census statistics have been included in this book based on new studies done by the institute in the past years regarding various tribes.
I hope that this book will prove useful for public servants, researchers and scholars in academic and administrative work.
Ashok Shah
I.A.S
Director
Tribal Research And Development Institute
Bhopal Madhyapradesh
Introduction
Under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Order (Amendment) Act 1976, 46 tribal groups are notified in the list of Scheduled Tribes issued by the Government of India for the state of Madhya Pradesh, out of which Keer, Meena, and Pardhi have been deleted from the list of Scheduled Tribes of the state of Madhya Pradesh under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Order (Amendment) Act 2002. Thus, at present 43 tribal groups reside in the state of Madhya Pradesh, which are divided into many sub-tribal groups with different social and cultural forms.
Anthropologists, historians, sociologists etc. consider tribal groups to be the oldest inhabitants. Studies were conducted occasionally during the British period regarding their backwardness. After independence, these groups have been recognized as Scheduled Tribes in the Indian Constitution after discussing their status.
Defining the word tribe is not only difficult but also impossible, but scholars have still tried to define the word tribe. Some scholars have defined tribe as follows:_
A tribe is a group of families whose members use the same language, reside in the same area. They follow the same prohibitions related to marriage and profession and have a well-developed system of mutual exchange and mutual transactions.
A tribe is a simple type of social group whose members use a common language and work together to fulfill a common purpose like war.
That human group is called a tribe whose members are bound by common interests, region, social rules and economic occupations.
Efforts have been made to define tribe in anthropology from the beginning till now, but all anthropologists have not agreed on any one definition.
Different scholars have tried to define tribe in their own way. On the basis of which some major characteristics of the tribe have come to light. According to geographical features, the habitat of half of the tribes has been accepted as sea coast, island, remote, inaccessible hill, forest area.
Like other societies, tribal society is also not static, but has been dynamic. But
the pace of change in them appears to be slow. Since tribal society has been very backward in comparison to other societies, has been economically poor, hence the need to develop them was felt. Our nation and constitution makers have tried to provide constitutional security and facilities for the upliftment of the tribal class. Scheduled tribes have been provided constitutional security and facilities in the Constitution as follows:-
1. Protective provision
2. Development provision
3. Administrative provision
4. Reservation provision
Anthropological introduction of Scheduled Tribes of the state is being given below in brief in the order of the list of Scheduled Tribes.
If the Scheduled Tribes of the country are to be classified on the basis of their characteristics, then they will have to be classified on the basis of geographical and cultural region, on the basis of population, on the basis of economy and cultural development, on the basis of language and on the basis of educational level. Among these, classification on the basis of geographical and cultural regions will be important. For classification on geographical and cultural basis, we can divide the state into three parts
North-West region Morena, Sheopur, Shivpuri and Guna. These areas are covered with forests. Mainly Sahariya tribe resides in these areas.
West region Abuadhar, West Nimar, Khargone. Eastern Nimar (Khandaya), Barwani and Ratlam. Tribes like Bhil, Bhilala, Barela, Patelia etc. reside in these areas.
3 Central region includes districts like Mandla, Dindori, Sidhi, Shahdol, Umaria, Seoni, Chhindwara, Betul, Hoshangabad, Harda, Balaghat, Katni, Jabalpur etc. Tribes like God, Baiga, Parwan, Bharia Bhunia, Korku Mavaasi, Paw etc. reside in this region.
The tribal world of Madhya Pradesh has various colours. There are as many shades as there are tribes. The Pralok tribe has a different lifestyle, different traditions and different rituals. Each has its own specialty, its own attraction. If you look at the tribal landscape from north to south and east to west of the state, a rainbow aura automatically comes to life.
The tribal world has faith in the eternal life values inherent in its primitive traditions. Life is evident in their festivals, fairs, Madai, worship, rituals, dance, music. Another name for this vibration is Aadmi Sanskriti. Tribal life is dependent on nature. Therefore, its relation with nature has always been strong. All the elements of nature like trees, stones, pebbles etc. are its clan deities.
The tribal person expresses his faith in a clan deity by linking his origin to it. And in this way he makes his relation with nature unbreakable.
A brief anthropological introduction of the scheduled tribes of Madhya Pradesh is being presented sequentially in this book.
Contents
Introduction to Scheduled Tribes -
Agariya
Andh
Baiga
Bhaina
Bharia/Bhumiya
Bhatra
Bhil
Bhil-Meena
Bhujia
Biyar
Binjhwar
Birhor
Damor
Dhanwar
Gadaba
Gond
Halba
Kamar
Kanwar
Khairwar
Kharia
Kondh
Kol
Kolam
Korku / Karku
Korwa
Majhi
Majhwar
Mavasi
Munda
Nagesia
Uraon
Panika
Paw
Pardhan
Parchi
Parja
Sahariya
Saunta
Saur
Savara
Economic development
Education and literacy
Status of Scheduled Tribes in government service
Health and disease
Appendix 1 - Tribe-wise population in Madhya Pradesh from 1961 to 2011 Till
Appendix 2 Reference List
Agariya
Agariya is a tribe of Madhya Pradesh. It is notified at number 01 in the list of scheduled tribes of Madhya Pradesh state. This tribe is considered as scheduled tribe in entire Madhya Pradesh. According to Census 2011, its population in Madhya Pradesh is 41,243, which is 0.057 percent of the total population of the state. In Bihar, it is known as 'Asur'. According to Census 2001 and 2011, the population of Agariya tribe is in District Sheopur, Morena, Bhind, Gwalior, Datia, Shivpuri, Tikamgarh, Chhatarpur, Panna, Sagar, Damoh, Satna, Rewa, Umaria, Neemuch, Dewas, Dhar, Balaghat, Guna, Ashoknagar, Shahdol, Anuppur, Sidhi, Singrauli, Jhabua. It is found in Alirajpur, East Nimar, Burhanpur, Indore, West Nimar, Barwani, Rajgarh, Vidish, Bhopal, Sehore, Hoshangabad, Katni, Jabalpur, Narsinghpur, Dindori, Mandla, Chhindwara. Dindori, Mandla, Shahdol, Anuppur, Sidhi, Singrauli districts have higher population than other districts. The main residence area of Agariya tribe in the state is Shahdol, Mandla, Dindori,and Sidhi Districts.
Historical records related to the origin of Agariya tribe are not available. This tribe is a sub-caste separated from the Gond tribe of the state. It has come into existence as a new independent caste in the past. According to legends, in ancient times the Gonds were brothers. Their means of livelihood were wild tubers, hunting, primitive agriculture etc. One day there was a dispute between the two brothers. The younger brother left home and started living in a hut in the dense forest. There was nothing to eat and he was angry and hungry. The elder brother lit a fire but did not find anything edible to roast in it. Then he got angry and put the stones lying nearby in the fire. This stone was iron stone, which melted and turned into iron. Seeing this, he accepted making iron from iron stone in fire as his livelihood. His descendants were called Agariyas because they got livelihood from fire.
The Agariya tribe lives in the villages of the forest hilly region along with other tribes like God, Bhumiya, Baiga, Kanwar Oraon etc. Their houses are made of mud or desi. The house is in the clay. The walls are plastered with polynitty clay.
Women get tattoos done on their hands, feet, face, cheeks, forehead and chin. Men wear pancha (small dhoti) and angarkha (bandi) in clothing. Women wear lugra. Their main food is rice, kodo, kutki bhaat, pej, maize bread, urad, moong, kulthi dal and seasonal vegetables. They eat fish, chicken, goat, deer, wild boar, rabbit etc. as non-vegetarian food. They make and drink mahua liquor. Men wrap tobacco in tendu leaves and make a chongi and drink it.
The main occupation of the Agariya tribe is to make iron from iron ore and make sickles, spades, axes, hoes, iron for nagar (plough), arrowheads etc. from this iron. They sell it to local tribes in exchange for grains or in cash.
They also collect tendu leaves, mahua, guli, wild tubers from the forest. Those who have some agricultural land, they sow maize, kodo, kutki, urad, moong. They catch fish for their own use during rains.
Apariya tribe is a patriarchal and paternal residence local tribe. Among them two main sub-castes are found, Pathariya and Duriya. Those who make tools by placing iron on stone and beating it with a hammer are called Pathariya Agariya and those who make tools by placing hot iron on an iron peg are called Khutia Agariya. In Surguja region they are called Asur Agariya. Sub-castes are divided into various marital clans. Their main clans are Baghel, Surya, Markam, Udka, Tekam, Sonwani, Marawi, Marai, Masram, Kaream, Nag, Tilam, Begara etc. Totems of each clan are found.
No special rituals are performed during pregnancy. The delivery is done in the house by local elderly women. After delivery, the umbilical cord of the child is cut with a sickle or knife and the umbilical cord is buried there itself. The mother is fed a decoction made of Mahua, Jamun and Tendu bark, Atigan, Popod, Jaggery etc. From the third day onwards, rice and tur dal are given to eat. On the sixth day, the mother and the child are bathed and dressed in new clothes. They are made to offer prayers to the gods and goddesses. Relatives are offered liquor.
The marriage age is considered to be 16 to 18 years for boys and 15 to 17 years for girls. The marriage proposal is made by the groom's side. The groom's father gives rice, pulses, turmeric, oil, jaggery, clothes and some cash to the bride's father as 'kharchi' (bride wealth). The marriage ceremony is conducted by elderly persons or the Pradhan. Marriage with the daughter of a son-in-law, uncle or aunt has social acceptance. There is some practice in Dhuku (infiltration), Utharia (elopement) is recognised after some social fine.
They give social recognition in the form of marriage by taking the punishment. Widows and abandoned women are given the right to remary.
On death, the deceased is buried. On the third day, bathing is done on Teej. On this day, the men of the family get their hair cut on the head and beard and moustache. Cleanliness of the house and clothes is done. On the 10th day, death feast is given.
Traditional caste panchayat is found in this tribe. The head of the panchayat is Gautia. In this panchayat, disputes related to marriage, divorce, bride price and immoral relations are decided.
There is diversity in the culture of tribes living in different areas of the country.
There is a lot of difference in their family, marriage, kinship rules, food, clothing and customs. Patrilineal families are found in all the tribes of Madhya Pradesh. There is also a difference in the clothes of men and women in different regions, there is also a difference in various festivals and celebrations.
The people of this tribe perform Karma dance on the occasion of Karma Puja, wedding dance on the occasion of Padki Nri Vivah in Diwali. They dance and sing Karma Geet, Vadaria Geet, Suageet, Faag, Bhajan etc. with musical instruments, in which both men and women participate. They adorn themselves with colorful clothes and jewelry while dancing.
Their main deities are Budhadev, Lohasur, Thakurdev, Dulhadev, Sheetalama Baghdev, Jogni, Ghurlapat etc. Apart from this, Hindu deities, sun, moon, mountain, river, snake etc. are also considered as gods and goddesses. Their main festivals are Navakha Diwali, Holi, Karma Puja etc. On Dussehra, a black rooster is sacrificed to Lohasur. They believe in ghosts and witchcraft.
People of Agariya tribe perform Karma Puja, dance, Padki on Diwali, marriage dance on marriage. The main traditional songs are Karma Geet, Dadaria, Suageet, Vivah Geet, Phag Geet Bhajan etc.
Andh
Andh tribe is mainly found in Maharashtra. It is notified at serial number 02 in the list of scheduled tribes of Madhya Pradesh. According to the census 2011, the population of this tribe in Madhya Pradesh is shown to be only 137, which is 0.000 percent of the total population of the state. The main residential areas of this tribe are Akola, Nanded, Paramani etc. districts. According to the census 2001 and 2011, Andh tribe in Madhya Pradesh is found in Shivpuri, Indore, Bhopal, Betul, Jabalpur, Seoni, Balaghat, Singrauli, in the remaining districts the population of Andh is zero.
No historical record is found regarding the origin of Andh tribe. Shering has described them as 'Andh Gond'. S.S. Hasan (1923) has described Andh as a branch of God tribe. According to Kitts (1881), at the time of Maratha invasion, they migrated from Andhra Pradesh (Hyderabad) to Berar region of Maharashtra and settled there. Since they came from Andhra Pradesh, the local people named them Andh.
Only a few of their families are shown to be residing in Madhya Pradesh in the census. Hence, for anthropological description, it would be appropriate to introduce their lifestyle, customs and culture according to their original habitat. If one or two families of any tribe migrate and settle in another region, then their original culture gets influenced by the culture of the residents of the new place. Hence, a description of the traditional customs, social, cultural and economic life of the Andh tribe of Maharashtra is being given.
The people of the Andh tribe build their houses at one end of the village, separate from the non-tribal neighbourhood. Their houses are made of mud. There are generally two rooms in a house, one of which is the kitchen and the other is the main residence. There is neither a veranda nor a courtyard in front of the house. The roof is made of streamlined or local tiles. The main room has a storage room for grains, household items, clothes to cover and spread, musical instruments etc. In their clothing style, men wear "dhotar" (dhoti), bandi or kurta and "pagota" (turban) or cap on the head.
Women wear Lugda and Choli. Married women wear toe rings, which is also considered a symbol of being married. Other ornaments include nose ring or clove on the nose, ear rings in the ears, glass beads and Bodi or Gild bangles on the wrists, and rings on the fingers. They get tattoos on the forehead, chin and cheeks. They believe that without getting a tattoo on the forehead, one does not get a place in heaven. Their food is Bevalar roti, Rath, Urad, Tuar Moong, Barbati dal, seasonal vegetables etc. Sometimes they also eat wheat roti and rice bhaat. In non-vegetarian food, they eat meat of fish, goat, chicken, pig, Belgai, Jagos etc. They drink liquor made from Mahua. Men smoke.
Their traditional occupation was agriculture, hunting, food collection, fishing etc. At present these tribes are labourers and do jobs. Their main agricultural produce is jowar, bajra, maize, groundnut, carnag tujar, uvaad etc. Earlier they used to hunt deer, rabbit, pig, now there is a social restriction on hunting. They collect and eat wild roots, fruits, vegetables etc. Some people also work as labourers after the agricultural work is over. After getting education some people have also joined government service.
They are half patriarchal, patrilineal local tribes. Two sub-groups are found among them namely Sati and Baltati. They have food relations among themselves, but do not have marital relations. They are divided into externally oriented 'Adalam' (Gotra). Their main names are Bansale, Dukare, Devkar, Sohad, Kar, Khake, Magre, Matkari, Naatkar, Pardhi, Survakar, Tadche, Bote, Umare Dhamare Odham, Deshmukhi Dhan Mebhare Gaikwad Medkal etc.
The first thing that is done at the time of delivery is done by the local midwife. The birth ritual lasts for 12 days. On the fifth day and on the seventh day 'Namatiwaich' (naming) ceremony is performed in the early years itself.
The age of 16 to 20 years is considered for boys and 12-16 years for girls. Marriage proposal takes place from groom side. The father of the groom gives cash, immense donations, turmeric etc. to the father of the girl as bride price. The marriage ceremony is done by the bride's handing over the bride under the supervision of the elders. Apart from this, exchange marriages and
Service marriage are also found. Co-elopement and infiltration system is also there, but in this, social recognition is obtained only after paying some fine after the decision of the caste panchayat. Widow, widower, deserter can remarry. For marriage, maternal uncle's daughter or sister's daughter is given priority.
On death, the deceased is buried. Some people also perform cremation. The impurity of death continues for ten days. The ritual of death rituals is performed on the third, tenth and thirteenth day. The ashes are immersed in the river. Death feast is given. 'Punya Tithi' and death anniversary are celebrated.
They have a traditional caste panchayat. Its head is called 'Mohtaria'. "Foltia" and "Dukriya" are two other supporting officials. In this panchayat, decisions are taken on marital disputes, bride-price determination, divorce, division of property, immoral relations, marriage with a person of other caste etc. From the guilty person, a cash fine or social feast and both the fines are taken.
Andh tribe is mainly found in Maharashtra. People of this tribe organize dance and song on various rites like birth of a child, naming ceremony, marriage, they perform traditional dance and songs on festivals.
Their main deities are Maruti, Mahadev, Mari Aai, Mata, Bhimsen, Waghmai, Khandoba, Kanhoba, Masai, Munja, Krishna etc. They also sacrifice chicken and goat in the worship of gods and goddesses. Their main festivals are Akhadi, Gudi Padwa, Nagpanchami, Pola, Dussehra, Diwali, Holi, Mahashivratri etc. These people believe in ghosts, witchcraft, mantras and tantras.
Baiga
Baiga tribe has been recognized as a special backward tribe of M.P. It is notified as a scheduled tribe for the entire state at number 03 in the M.P. State Scheduled Tribe List. According to Census 2011, the total population of Baiga tribe is 414526 which is 0.571 percent of the total population of the state. The majority of Baiga tribe in the state is Mandla, Dindori, Shahdol, Sidhi, Katni, Jabalpur, Balaghat, Sidhi, Singrauli, Anuppu. Population of Baiga tribe in Madhya Pradesh according to Census 2001 and 2011 District- Sheopur, Morena, Mind, Gwalior, Datia, Shivpuri, Tikamgarh, Chhatarpur, Panna, Damoh, Sattva, Rewa, Umaria, Neemuch, Mandsaur, Ratlam, Ujjain, Shajapur, Dewas, Dhar West Nimar-(Nill), Barwani, Rajgarh, Vidisha, Bhopal, Sehore, Raisen, Betul, Hoshangabad, Katni, Jabalpur, Narsinghpur, Dindori, Mandla Chhindwara, Seoni, Balaghat Ashoknagar, Shahdol, Anuppur, Sidhi Singrauli, Jhabua, Alirajpur, East Nimar and Burhanpur Districts.
There is no evidence available regarding the origin of the Baiga tribe. Russell Dia has considered them a separate group of Bhumiya, Mujya. According to legends, when Banesh was created, two people were born. One was called Gond by Badaji who started farming with a 'Nagar' (plough). The other was called Tagiya (axe) and went to cut the forest. Since there were no clothes at that time, he was called Aade.(Nanga Baiga). His descendants were called Baiga.
Due to shifting agriculture by the Baiga tribe, their residence also kept changing, but Gonds live with Bhumiya etc. in the forest area. Their houses are near the agricultural land in the hilly area. The houses are made of bamboo, wood, and mud.
They have roofs made of grass, leaves or country tiles.
The roof is made of local tiles. The houses have earthen granaries for storing grains, pestle for pounding paddy, mortar for grinding, bamboo basket, winnowing basket, earthen pots, clothes for covering and bedding, arrows, bow, tangia, net for cooking fish, drums, nagada, riski etc. The dress of Baiga men is very simple. They are dark in complexion, well built and have a single body. They tie a cloth like a turban on their head. They can be identified by their tangled black hair, bow and arrow in their hand and a small axe on their shoulder. In the name of ornaments, they wear a gilt bangle on the left wrist and small earrings in their ears. Baiga women wear three types of dhoti called choukhana dhoti. Moongi dhoti, Chagadaria ghoti and Bigra ghoti. Tattoo is the main ornament in them. They believe that the tattoo goes with them even after death.
Kodo, Kutki, Maize and Sanwa drink are the main food items of Baiga community. There is a lot of wild leaves in their food, which are used as vegetables. In rainy season, soft Bamboo( naram baans) which they call Karil is used as vegetables. Similarly, Pihri (mushroom) a type of plant is used as vegetable. People of this community are more interested in eating meat. Jawab of Mahua is made at home. Chongi (chillum) and bidi are used for smoking.
The economy of Baiga community is mainly based on forests and agriculture. In this community, ploughing is not considered good. Earlier, Baiga used to prepare the fields by hand and sow the crops. Presently, people have started ploughing.
They grow crops like maize, sorghum, paddy, kodo, kutki, sawa, rye, tivda, ramtila, moong, jhujhru, arhar, urad, wheat, gram, lentil etc. Apart from agriculture, the economy of the Baiga tribe is based on animal husbandry, forest produce collection and labour.
Kega tribe is divided into many marital sub-castes. The main sub-castes among them are Vikrwar Bharotia, Narotiya Nahar), Rambhena, Karmaina, Gond Maina, Kurka Maina, Savat Baiga etc. Sub-castes are divided into various exogamous gotras (gotra). Their gotras are Dhurve, Markan, Parteti, Netam etc. Totems are found in every gotra. This tribe is patrilineal patriarchal.
In Baiga tribe, delivery is usually done at home by local Sunamai (midwife) and elderly women of Pawar. The pregnant woman is fed a laad made of dry ginger, peepal, celery, jaggery etc. Chhathi is celebrated on the sixth day. The pregnant woman and the newborn are bathed and the family deities are offered obeisance. The house is whitewashed. Liquor is given to the relatives.
The marriage age is considered to be between 14-18 years for boys and 12-16 years for girls. Generally marriage takes place at this age. The groom's side gives rice, pulses, turmeric, sesame, jaggery and some cash to the bride's side as expenses. The marriage ceremony is performed under the supervision of the elders. Lamsena, Chori (elopement), Patu (infiltration), Guravat (exchange) have the acceptance of the society. Khadoni (remarriage) is also prevalent.
On death, the deceased is buried. On the third day, the house and clothes are cleaned. Men get their beard, moustache and hair cut. On the 10th day, Dashkaram is performed and death feast is given.
There is a traditional caste panchayat in the Baiga tribe. It has officials like Mukaddam Diwan, Samarth and Peon etc. The cases of stolen marriage, divorce, marital dispute, immoral relationship etc. are settled in this panchayat in a traditional manner by giving a social feast or by taking a fine.
There are various colours in the tribal world of Madhya Pradesh. There are as many diversities as there are tribes. Each tribe has a different lifestyle, different rituals and different customs
If we look at the customs, traditions, the entire tribal scenario, a multi-coloured and unique attraction is reflected. This is inherent in the tribes today in some form or the other. On the basis of this, the tribals keep their specialty from their social and cultural aspects which is different from other societies.
The Baiga tribe of Madhya Pradesh has a different cultural environment.
These people mostly wear white coloured clothes. The attire of the men is unique and attractive. A wheel-shaped turban on the head, a colourful Ghagra of coloured cloth around the waist, a white sallu, a black coloured jacket over it, a colourful towel around the waist, a printed fringe on the back and a peacock feather plume in the turban, the one who adorns himself attractively by tying ghungroos on the feet is not a groom, but is adorned with dance costumes. This is his Baiga tribal festival and dance dresses.
If we look at the customs, traditions, the entire tribal scenario, a multi-coloured and unique attraction is reflected. This is inherent in the tribes today in some form or the other. On the basis of this, the tribals keep their specialty from their social and cultural aspects which is different from other societies.
Similarly, the Women wear a type of saree called lugada. Their costumes are attractive during festivals and dances.
The Vaiyas are very hard working people.After working hard the whole day, they eat and then entertain themselves with food. Men and women divide themselves into two groups and dance. They dance by moving around with instruments like Nagada, Madal, Dukh etc. Their traditional songs like Karma, Lahki, Ri Sailai Kriya and Karna, Dadaria Jharpat etc. are prominent.
The Baiga tribe is polytheistic. The Baigas divide Devdhani into two parts. The deities are Sakur Dev, Narayan Dev, Khairthai, Manpati Mai and the household deities are Budhi Banchi, Dulhadev etc. In their worship, sacrifices of Bhurna, goat and pig are made. Sometimes the worship is also completed with Naribal, Kharek and Dak. Their main festivals are Holi, Pola, Navakhai, Bidri Puja, Dussehra, Karma Puja etc. They believe in witchcraft, sorcery, ghosts and spirits. Bhumka is a priest of their gods and spirits and exorcist. Bidri Puja is a festival of Baigas before sowing seeds. Bidri literally means the practice of giving donations. This puja is performed before sowing seeds in the month of Jeth or Ashadh. After Bidri (worship of seeds), on getting a good harvest, 'Navakhai' festival is celebrated in the month of Bhado, in which new grains are offered to all the gods.
Their main traditional dances are Karma Geet, Dadriya, Sua Geeta, Vivaah Geet, Mataseva Geeta Faram etc. Their main musical instruments are Bol, Timki, Nagada Kinnari, Tiski etc.
Bhaina
Bhaina is a tribe of Madhya Pradesh. It is notified for the entire Madhya Pradesh at number 04 in the list of scheduled tribes of this state. According to the census of 2011, its population in MP is 6367, which is 0.009 percent of the total population of Madhya Pradesh. According to the census of 2001 and 2011, the population of Bhaina tribe in Madhya Pradesh is found in districts Morena, Bhind, Gwalior, Shivpuri, Sagar, Umaria, Neemuch, Mandsaur, Ratlam, Ujjain, Shajapur, Dewas, Dhar, Indore, West Nimar, Bhopal, Raisen, Hoshangabad, Katni, Jabalpur, Narsinghpur, Dindori, Mandla, Chhidwara, Seoni, Balaghat, Guna, Shahdol, Anuppur, Sidhi. The population of Maina tribe is zero in the remaining districts.
There is no historical evidence or records regarding the origin of Bhaina tribe. Some scholars consider it a group separated from the Baiga caste. Rajnaina group is found in the Baiga tribe of Mandla district.
It is popular in legends that earlier there were landlords of Bhaina tribe in Pendra of Bilaspur and Phuljhad of Raipur, who were defeated and removed by the people of Kanwar and Gond tribes, that is, it can be believed that Bhaina tribe lived with Gond and Kanwar tribes.
The Bhaina tribe lives in villages with other tribes like Gond, Kanwar, Sawara etc. Their houses are made of mud. They have thatched roofs or grass. Household items like grain storage, cot, bedclothes, utensils for cooking and eating, agricultural equipment, axe, mortar and pestle, grinder, bamboo basket, winnowing basket etc. are found. Men and women wake up in the morning, finish their daily chores, clean their teeth with neem, hara etc. toothpicks and take a bath daily. Women get tattoos on their faces and hands and feet. They are fond of jewellery. She wears toe rings, a santi on the feet, a lachcha, a kardhan around her waist, aithi on her wrists, a chuddhim on her daughters-in-law, a sudha around her neck, a rupee, a khinwa in her ears and a nose pin.
Yabi
Men wear Pachha Mandi Saluka, Thoti. Kurta, women wear Lugra, Polka. Their main food is rice, pulses of Kodo, Bali, Urad, Nooch Tuvar, Kulthi etc., seasonal vegetables etc. They eat non-vegetarian fish, mugri chakle ka meat. They also drink liquor made from Mahua. Men smoke bidi.
The main means of livelihood of this tribe is agriculture, labour, collection of forest produce. Mainly Kodo Baal, Urad, Moong, Tivra, Sesame, Tuvar etc. are sown in the fields. Due to non-irrigation of land, production is less. Tendu leaves, Tendu, Char, Mahua, Gulli, Gum Lakh, Harra, Amla, etc. are collected in the forest. Apart from their own use, some quantity of forest produce is sold in the local market, from which they buy other useful items. The ancestors of this tribe used to hunt earlier, but now they do not hunt due to the ban.
Bhaina Tribes are Patriarchal, ancestral residence is based on local tradition. Four species of Laria or: Chhattisgarhia, Oriya, Jhalayara and Ghatiyara are found respectively. .
Some sub-castes are endogamous. Some sub-castes are exogamous. Their main gotras are Nag, Vadya Chitva, Gidhwa, Besara, Bendara, Lodha, Bataria, Gabad, Durgachia, Mircha Dhobiya, Ahera, Manka, Malin etc. Totems of gotras are found.
There are no rituals during pregnancy. Delivery is done at home with the help of local "Suindai". After delivery, the umbilical cord of the child is cut with a knife or blade and buried in the house. The mother is fed sesame, barh peepal, celery, ghee, coconut laddu. Chhathi is celebrated on the sixth day. Men shave their beard and hair. The mother and the child are bathed and the family deity is paid obeisance. Relatives are fed a feast and given liquor.
The marriage age is considered to be 16-18 years for boys and 15-17 years for girls. The marriage proposal comes from the groom's side. The groom's side gives rice, pulses, oil, jaggery, some cash to the bride's side as dowry. Marriage, engagement, paldan, bihaav and gauna are completed in four stages.
G2
Success of money
Earlier, the marriage ceremony was performed by an elderly person of the caste. Now some people have started calling a Pandit. Exchange, elopement, marriage between two brothers, remarriage, remarriage of brother-in-law and sister-in-law are also recognized.
On death, the deceased is buried. On the third day, the men of the family shave the head , moustache and head hair. On the 13th day, after worshipping the ancestors, they organize a death feast.
A small population of the Maina tribe is found in Mandla-Shahdol of Madhya Pradesh. This tribe lives in villages with other tribes. The men of this tribe wear Bundi, Salukar, Dhoti and the women wear Lugra, Polka.
The people of this tribe perform Karma, Rahas Ramdhuni Bihaav dance. Women perform Karma and Padki dance.
Their main deities are Thakurdev, Budhadev, Goraiyadev, Sheetalmata etc. Apart from this, they also worship the sun, moon, earth, river, mountain, tree, tiger, snake etc. and Hindu deities. On the occasion of worship, chicken and goat are sacrificed to the traditional deities. The main festivals are Hareli, Teeja, Pola, Pitra Navakhani, Dussehra, Diwali and Holi. They believe in ghosts and witchcraft. The person who knows magic and spells is called Baiga.
Traditional caste panchayat is found in this tribe. The head of the caste panchayat is called Goi. The main work of the caste panchayat is to decide the bride price, resolve disputes related to marriage and divorce, control immoral relations, make arrangements for worship of the deities of the caste.
People of Bhaina tribe dance Karma, Rahas, Ramdhuni, Bihaav Nach. Women also dance Karma and Padki Nach. Their main folk songs are Karma Geet, Dadriya Geet, Rahas Geet, Bhajan, Suageet Bihaav Geet etc.
Bharia/Bhumiya
Bharia, Bhumiya is a tribe of Madhya Pradesh. Due to differences in local dialect in different regions, they are identified as different sub-castes. They are called Bharia or Bhariya in Chhindwara, Seoni district, Bhumiya in Jabalpur, Mandla, Shahdol. It is notified for the entire Madhya Pradesh at number 05 in the Scheduled Tribe list of M.P. state. According to Census 2001 and 2011, the population of Bharia/Bhumia in Madhya Pradesh is found in districts Morena, Bhind, Gwalior, Datia, Shivpuri, Guna, Panna, Sagar, Damoh, Satna, Rewa, Umaria, Shahdal, Sidhi, Neemuch, Mandsaur, Ratlam, Ujjain, Shajapur, Dewas, Jhabua, Dhar, Indore, West Nimar, Barwani, East Nimar, Rajgarh, Vidisha, Bhopal, Sehore, Raisen, Betul, Harda, Hoshangabad, Katni, Jabalpur, Narsinghpur, Dindori, Mandla, Chhidwara, Seoni, Balaghat. Another economically, socially, educationally backward sub-caste of this tribe named Pando resides in Surguja and Bilaspur districts of Chhattisgarh. According to the census of 2011, the total population of this tribe is 193230,
• It is 0.266 percent of the total population of the state. Bharia, Haya Bhuihar, Pando are found in Jabalpur, Shahdol, Dawa, Mandla, Seoni and Guja Savaradh Bilaspur of Chhattisgarh under the name of sub-caste. Riya families residing in Patalkot valley of Bara district have been declared as special link tribe by the Government of India.
There is no historical evidence available about the origin of Ratha Pando, Bhumiya tribe. On the basis of the ancestors, they consider their origin to be from Pandavas. Arjun had created Bharu Pass with the power of mantras. Bharia and Pando consider them their ancestors. Four of Bhumiya sub-caste Lord Mahadev first created the land, then created rivers, mountains and animals and birds in it with his trident, later created a man and a woman for the use of this land. One of his sons, who did the work of worshipping the land and the gods and goddesses, was called Bhumiya. Other sons started hunting etc. and became Gond, Kol etc. It is believed that the descendants of Bhumiya migrated from Vidyachal to Jabalpur, Neemhala, Shahdol, Surguja (now Chhattisgarh), Chhindwara.
Maria tribe resides in remote villages of Chhindwara, Seoni district, Gond, Pardhan, Ojha tribe resides in villages of Jabalpur, Mandla, Shahdol district, Baiga, Kol, Gond etc. tribes reside in villages of Jabalpur, Mandla, Shahdol district, Bhuiya and Ihar tribe resides in remote villages of Surguja, Raigarh, Bilaspur (now Chhattisgarh) with Gaud, Tawar, Pardhan, Oraon, Munda etc. tribes. Inner walls are usually made of clay. Grass straw and local tiles are covered on them. The lamp is made of clay, on which clay or yellow clay is plastered. The grain storage grate, grinder, pestle, bamboo baskets, food items are made of clay and aluminium. Cloths for laying, agricultural tools, axe etc. are also found. There is a separate place for animals in their houses.
Women have tatoos on their head, hands, feet, skullcap, neck etc. In legs, they wear bangles, Kakna, Guleta Yohya in hands, Hamel in neck, Sariya, Jameta Tak in ears. In clothing, men wear dhoti, pancha, badi, kurta and women wear polka sugda. The main food is Makkar, Jyar roti, Kodo, rice bhaat, Pez us Soom Kar dal seasonal vegetables etc.
In snacks they eat meat of Sumi, Sitar, Marli, goat etc. They drink liquor made from Mahua.
The main economy of Bharia Bhumidha is based on the collection of wood-apples. In the left also agriculture, labour and collection of forest produce is the mainstay of their life.
Bharia Duniya tribe lives in different areas under different names. Its main sub-castes are Bhumiya Bharia or Bhariyaiya Muhar Panyo etc. There is no Aapra Mesa. Each sub-caste is divided into different clans. In the Bharia tribe of Chhindwara, the main clans found are Kubhra, Udka, Tekam, Parteti Paishram, Dhurva, Malawi, Bagdaria, Gowalia Khamaria, Takaria, Bharatia etc. The Musia subcaste of Madla includes Badia, Darkur, Dhurva, Jikram, Kanyachi, Karyam, Maravi, Marnam, Pendro, Pota, Sokhay etc. The totem of each gotra is Maria Bhumiya tribe. The totem is patrilineal, patriarchal and patrilocal. The gotra is exogamous.
No special rituals are found in pregnancy in Maria/Bhumiya tribe. It is done at home by local Dai/elderly women. Chhathi is celebrated in six days. The pregnant woman is bathed and shown the Sun God. Relatives are given liquor.
The marriage age is considered to be 17-18 years for boys and 15-16 years for girls. The groom's side gives kodi and rice, pulses, oil, jaggery and some cash rupees as 'kharchi' to the father.
Marriage rituals are performed under the supervision of the village elders or the caste chief. Ghar jamai, remarriage etc. are also found.
On death, the body of the deceased is buried. On the third day, the men of the family and relatives shave off the beard, moustache and hair of the head. The house is cleaned and whitewashed. Death feast is given for eleven days.
A traditional caste panchayat is found in the Bharia tribe. Its head is called Mukhiya. The main work of the caste panchayat is caste-related social work, marital relations and marital disputes, mutual quarrels, making arrangements for the worship of gods and goddesses, etc.
The original mother tongue of the Bharia tribe is called "Bharnoti" or Bhariyadhi. At present, the Maria dialect is rarely used in its original form. The influence of Gondi can be clearly felt on their dialect. Vidri, Asaadi, Jivati, Panchami, Aate, Teeja, Pora, Pitar, Norta,Dashara, Diwali etc are the festivals celebrated by Bhariyas.
Festivals like Dussehra, Diwali etc. are celebrated with enthusiasm by the Bharias. Dance styles like Saila in Diwali, Rahas in Holi, Gunnur in Pola, Vihaav in marriage etc. are popular in this tribe. Bharia women perform the Phadki dance. Songs according to the context are also prevalent in this tribe. In the Bharia tribe, faith in a particular person is the basis of religion. Some of these gods and goddesses protect the village, some protect the crops and livestock of the society. Some of their main gods and goddesses are Hardul Dev, Bada Dev, Thakur Dev, Budhibai, Bhaisasur etc. and Hindu gods and goddesses, Sun God, Nagdev, tree and river etc. are also worshipped as gods. The main festivals are Panchami, Aun, Teej, Pora, Dussehra, Diwali, Holi etc. Gods and goddesses are worshipped during festivals. Chicken and goat are offered to the gods. The person who knows tantra mantra is called Bhumka. In Bharia tribe, Shaila dance is performed on the occasion of Diwali, Rahas dance in Holi, Gunnur dance in Pola, Bihav dance in marriage. Women dance Phadki dance. Major folk songs -
Fag in Holi, Ahirai song in Diwali, Seva songs are sung in Jawara.
Bhatra
Bhatra tribe mainly resides in Bastar district of undivided M.P. . It is notified for entire Madhya Pradesh at number 06 in the state's scheduled tribe list. According to the 2011 census, its population in Madhya Pradesh is 1155, which is 0.002 percent of the total population of the state. In Orissa, this tribe is called Bhotda. They also have a population in Maharashtra. According to the 2001 and 2011 census, the population of Bhatra tribe in Madhya Pradesh is found in districts Morena, Bhind, Gwalior, Sagar, Satna, Neemuch, Ratlam, Ujjain, Dewas, Indore, Bhopal, Harda, Katni.
There is no specific historical evidence regarding the origin of the Matra tribe, but according to the people of Bhatra tribe, their ancestors used to work as servants for the king of Bastar. They were the king's confidants because they guarded the king and did household chores, so they were also called ministers in the palace. Later they came to be known as Bhatra.
The villages of Bhatra tribe are divided into many Paros. People of other tribes also reside in the village.
They do this. Houses are made of mud. They build the houses themselves. Among household items, cots, wheels, bedding, clothes to be spread, utensils for cooking and eating which are usually made of aluminium, iron, clay or steel.
Axe, plough, bullock cart, small tools for farming, fishing etc. are found. Men and women get up and brush their teeth with the help of sticks made of neem, acacia etc. and take bath. Women get tattoos made on their hands, feet and body in various shapes. Men wear (Gochi) as clothes. Women wear Lugda. Nowadays they wear saree. Their food is rice, rice. Apart from this, they eat Kultha dal, seasonal vegetables. Non-vegetarian food includes fish, chicken etc. Men consume tobacco and bidi.
The main economic base of Bhatra tribe is agriculture, collection of forest produce, cutting wood from the forest, agricultural labour etc. In agriculture, the main crops cultivated are Kodo, paddy, arhar, moong etc. Due to lack of irrigation facilities, the yield is not sufficient. Among the wild produce, Mahua, honey, saud, tendupatta etc. are collected and sold in the market.
The Mahara tribe is divided into sub-castes, such as Pit Bhatra, Amanet Bhatra, Sen Bhatra etc. Pit and Amanet are considered to be the lowest among these. There are many clans in the sub-castes. Totems of these clans are also found.
There is no special ritual during pregnancy in this tribe. Delivery takes place at the husband's house. Delivery is done under the supervision of middle aged women and midwife. A pit is dug at the delivery place in the house and the child's 'naara' is buried in it. The mother is given decoction of wild herbs and jaggery for three days. Chhathi is celebrated on the sixth day. The mother and the child are given a bath and the Kuldevi is offered obeisance. Relatives are fed food and given liquor.
The marriage age of girls is 17-19 years and that of boys is generally 18-20 years. The boy's family Gurujaat takes the initiative of marriage. In marriage, the father of the groom gives paddy, pulses, coconut, turmeric, betel nut to the father of the bride.
He takes the saree, blouse, sweets etc. with him for bride. After this the marriage ceremony takes place. Marriage, widow marriage etc. are recognized as per social customs.
On death the mortal body is buried, some people who are rich in some way cremate the dead body. Children are generally buried. On the tenth day Dashkaram is performed in which all the relatives are present. Male members shave their beard, moustache and hair of the head and there is a death feast.
In the Bhatra tribe, a traditional political organization is found for the social justice system. A caste panchayat is found in the tribe. Whose head is called Ghmember. Its main work is to resolve family disputes and other matters related to caste.
People of the Natra tribe perform Karma, Ramsatta etc. dances. Gaurageet, Rahas Geet etc. are popular. Ramleela drama is played during Navratri.
The main deities of the Matra tribe are Thakurdev, Budhababa, Mata Devi, Pardeshin Mata, Devi, Budhimai etc. Apart from this, Lord Hanuman, Shiva, Durga Mata etc. are worshipped. The main festivals are Hariyali, Navakhai, Nagpanchami, Dussehra, Holi, Diwali etc. They believe in ghosts and spirits etc. Experts in Tantra Mantra are called 'Sirha'. Bhatra tribe has Kannritya, Karma Nritya, Rahas, Ramsatta etc. Traditional songs include Gausgeet, Rahasgeet.
Ramleela drama is performed in Navratri. Apart from this, folk tales and songs are also popular in this tribe.
Bheel
Bhil tribe is one of the largest tribes of Madhya Pradesh. It is notified for the whole of Madhya Pradesh at number 7 in the schedule list of the state of Madhya Pradesh. This tribe is also found in Gujarat, Rajasthan and Maharashtra. According to the census of the year 2011, the number of Bhil tribe is
The population of Bhil tribe in Madhya Pradesh is 5993921, which is 8.253 percent of the total population of the state. The population of sub-castes Milala, Barela, Patelia is also included in the Bhil population. In M.P., the main population is found in Jhabua, Barela - Khargone and Patelia in Dhar, Jhabua. According to the census 2001 and 2011, the population of Bhil tribe in Madhya Pradesh is in districts Sheopur, Morena, Bhind Gwalior, Datia, Shivpuri, Guna, Tikamgarh, Chhatarpur, Panna, Sagar, Damoh, Satna, Rewa, Umaria, Shahdol, Sindhi, Neemuch, Mandsaur, Ratlam, Ujjain, Shajapur, Dewas, Jhabua, Dhar, Indore, West Nimar Bayani East Nimar, Rajgarh, Vidisha, Bhopal, Sehore, Raisen, Betul, Hoshangabad, Katni, Jabalpur.
It is also found in Narsinghpur, Dindori, Mandla, Chhindwara, Seoni, Balaghat Districts.
There is mention of Bhil tribe in our ancient literature. Shabri Bhilni is mentioned in Ramayana and Eklavya Bhil is mentioned in Mahabharata. The word Bhil is derived from the Dravidian word Billu, which means arrow. This tribe is probably called Bhil because of their proficiency in archery. Bhil tribe is the oldest tribe of India. They are considered to be before Aryans and Dravidians. In Bhagwat and Purana, they are said to be the children of King Ben. Kol and Bhils lived together in Ramayana period. Probably they migrated to the western coast later.
The villages of Bhil tribe are divided into many hamlets (hamlets). Their houses are simple. Made of wood. The outside is coated with cow dung and mud. The roof is made of grass or tiles. The floor is made of mud. There are three rooms in the house. There is a separate place for domestic animals. There is a storehouse made of bamboo to store grains. The household items include cot, grinding wheel, pestle, bow and arrow, ghariya, axe, blankets and mats. Utensils are made of Clay and एल्यूमिनियम. Agricultural equipments include plough etc. Bow and arrow are found in every house, which they always keep with them while going to the forest. Bhil men and women wake up in the morning and brush their teeth with twigs of olive, neem etc. Women wash their head with clay. They apply oil on the earlobes and tie them in a bun. Women wear ornaments like Kadala on the feet, Kaata in the nose, Hasli, Sakdi around the neck, Bori on the forehead, Bedla in the ears, Gujaria, Bhariya in the hands, which are made of silver or gilt. They wear a necklace of glass beads around the neck and bangles on the hands. They get tattoos on the hands, feet, forehead, skull and beard. Men also get tattoos of different shapes on the hands. Dressing- Ghaghra, Choli and Audhani etc. are the main garments for women. Men wear Bundi and small Ghoti wrapped around the waist and tie a white turban on the head. The main food is maize roti and urad dal, tukra dal and seasonal vegetables. In non-vegetarian food they eat meat of chicken, goat, fish, rabbit etc. They also consume toddy, tobacco, bidi etc.
The main economic life of the Bhil tribe is dependent on agriculture and collection of forest produce, labour. Maize is their main crop in agriculture. They also grow some crops of Kodo, Arhar, Urad etc. The yield is not sufficient in uneven, rocky and unirrigated land. Mahua is used in collection of forest produce
They collect Mahua,Gulli, Lakh etc. and sell them in the market. After harvesting, some go to Bhopal, Ujjain etc. cities to work as labourers.
The Bhil tribe is divided into many sub-castes. The main sub-castes are Bhil, Lala Patelia, Ladvi, Mankar Nayakda etc. At present, most of the sub-castes have taken the form of independent castes. Among them, Bhilala is considered the highest. Bhilala does not marry or eat with other sub-castes. Each sub-caste has different exogamous Atak (Gotra). The main Atak are - Katara, Damor, Ninama, Nanot, Patela, Makwana, Gamar, Garasia Tawad Bhuria, Solanki etc.
In Bhil tribe, generally delivery is done at home under the supervision of elderly women and daiyan. The pregnant woman is fed ghee and corn juice. Chhathi is celebrated on the sixth day. The baby and the pregnant woman are bathed and taken to the Kuldevi deities. After naming the child, food is served to the relatives.
. In Bhil tribe, the age of marriage for boys is considered to be 14-16 years. There are two types of marriage, in one the parents voluntarily bring the consent. In the other, the boy and girl like each other. The practice of Daaya (Kyumulya) is prevalent among them. The marriage ceremony is conducted by the elders of the caste. It is called Imodia marriage. Apart from this, Haran marriage (Mehi Pariksha marriage (Gol Gachedo), Hut marriage (Udari), Ghar Jamai (Khandaniya) and Haat Paath marriage (Vinibhay) are prevalent. There is also a practice of Naatra. In this, the Jhagda (claim) has to be returned to the former husband. The cremation of the deceased is done by cremation. The children are buried. The Muddha ritual is not performed immediately after death. But after some time, a feast is given to pay respects. This is called Karya. In the case of untimely death, a Sati (stone female statue) is made for women and a Gatha (male statue) is made for men.
In the Bhil tribe, there is a traditional caste panchayat for the social justice system, which works at the level. The work of this panchayat is to resolve disputes, fix the price in the disputes arising in the village in Naatra or Haran marriage. Partition, stopping endogamy, worshipping the deities of the clan etc.
Culture is a way of living or survival of a human being. Every society, community etc. has a culture. A person develops his personality by living in this culture.
The Bhil tribe also has a culture. Even today this unique culture is followed by the people of the Bhil tribe.
They are still made today. These people have survived because of their unique culture. They worship Holi Mata on Holi. On Dussehra, Bhiltdev is called happy and gives blessings. During the worship, people dance and sing in front of this deity, in which Bhiltdev is mentioned. Gopal Puja is the main festival of Bhil-Gwals. Sticks are worshipped. Bada Dev is worshipped as Bhils' village deity for peace and happiness. Divasa, Navai, Akshaya Tritiya, Bhagoria dance, lathi dance, drum dance, hunting dance, Diwali dance, Holi dance, festivals and celebrations of Bhil tribe are indicative of their faiths, beliefs and traditions. Bhil people celebrate happiness by expressing their respect for their gods and goddesses through these. These people worship gods and goddesses in every festival, like they worship Indradev on the arrival of rain, they dance, men and women cooperate in this dance. Women sing songs, men dance. This is the special feature of the Bhil tribe.
Pithora style in wall paintings is a special identity of the love of art of this tribe.
The main deities of Bhil tribe are Kaka Balia, Shikowati, Indraaj, Simriyon Dev, Baghdev, Kalka, Meldi and Jogan. Apart from this, they worship Hindu deities. Their main festivals are Holi, Navratri, Divaso Diwali, Rakshabandhan etc.
Apart from this, Bhagoria festival is a festival of great joy. It starts seven days before Holika Dahan. In which old people, children, young, all dance and sing in the markets. They worship deities during festivals. They offer chicken and goat as sacrifice. They believe in ghosts and witchcraft. The person who knows mantra magic and worships deities is called Badiya.
Bhagoriya (Bhongarya) dance, marriage dance, Ghedia dance etc. are popular in Bhil tribe. Bhagoria songs, Ghedia songs etc. are sung during festivals. Some people do Pithora painting.
Bheel Meena
Bhil Meena is a minority tribe of M.P. It is notified for the entire Madhya Pradesh at number 08 in the list of scheduled tribes of Madhya Pradesh state. Its population is found more in Rajasthan. According to the census of 2011, their population in Madhya Pradesh has been estimated to be 2244. Which is 0.003 percent of the total population of the state. In M.P., Bhil Meena tribe mainly resides in Mandsaur, Ratlam etc. districts. According to the census 2001 and 2011, the population of Bhil Meena tribe in Madhya Pradesh is in District Shivpuri, Morena, Gwalior, Shivpuri, Guna, Neemuch, Mandsaur, Ratlam, Ujjain, Shajapur,Dewas, Jhabua ,Dhar, Indore, east Nimar, west Nimar, Rajgarh , Raisen and Mandala.
There is no historical record about the Bhil Meena tribe. The Bhil Meena tribe is considered to be a new tribe that originated from the Bhil and Meena castes.
The Bhil Meena tribe mainly lives in villages along with Bhil, Damor and other tribes and other castes. Their houses are made of mud. The roof is made of bamboo and local tiles. The walls of the house have mud roofs. The walls are painted with yellow or white clay. The household items include granary, clay, aluminium utensils, farming equipment, clothes, musical instruments, etc.
In clothing, men wear dhoti, bandi turban (safa), women wear Ghaghra and dupatta. Women get tattoos done. Women are fond of jewellery. They wear beads made of glass beads around their neck.
She ties a Guriya Sutiya made of glass beads around her neck, a silver hasli, anklets on her feet, a cardona around her waist, a nose pin and a boriyu on her head.
The ornaments are made of fake silver. Their main food is maize, vyar bajna, wheat braid, kur dal, bhausami greens and vegetables. They eat needle, goat meat, fish etc. They consume liquor made from Mahua.
Major Yaksay is dependent on agricultural labour. As their land is unlimited, they sow maize, jyar, urad, moong, kuvar etc. Due to rocky land, the crop yield is less. They go to the cities of Ratlam Mandsaur and Mujra Rajan and work as labourers. Some people collect and sell Mahua Aadharma Gulli in the month of Chaitra.
Bhil Meena is mainly divided into two groups, Swajale and Mela. The Ujale group is called Bhagat. Those who have come in contact with religious sects, the people of Mela group consume liquor and non-vegetarian food. This Janak (There is division in gotras. Their gotras are Chabana, Davan, Parmar, Rajour, Safar, Solankiman etc. Each clan has its own Kuldevi. The family is patrilineal. The elder one starts living in a separate house. Amblical card is being cut by bemboo strip (Ner).
There is a ritual of 'khodo bharne"'. The delivery is done at home itself with the help of elderly woman and suvarni (Maid)
The mother is given wheat porridge, jaggery, ghee and urad laddus, decoction of dry ginger, pepper and herbs. The mother and the child are bathed and 'Sawa' puja is performed on the first day. Relatives are fed and given liquor. Namkaran is now being done by a Brahmin.
The marriage proposal is made by the groom's side. The marriage age is considered to be around 14-18 years for boys and 12-16 years for girls. The groom's father pays the bride price to the bride's father in cash and animals. The marriage ceremony is first performed by the chief of the caste. In this tribe, elopement, exchange, Seva Vivah, Naatra, brother-in-law-sister-in-law marriage also have social acceptance.
On death, there is a tradition of cremating the dead. Small children are buried. The house is cleaned. Men shave their heads. On the 13th day, there is a death feast. There is a tradition of making a saga on untimely death.
The caste Panchayat is found in this tribe. Its chief is called Patel.This post is generational. In this Panchayat, matters like bride price, divorce, immoral relations, marriage in other caste, disputes etc. are settled.
Traditionally, social feasts and financial punishments, fines are done.
Women of Bhil Meena tribe are fond of tattooing and jewellery. The main deities of this tribe are Bhairon Ji, Mata Ji, Nagdev, Shyamala, Shyamalaji etc. People associated with religious community in this tribe are called Bhagat, their priest is called Badwa. They perform traditional dances on the occasions of festivals like Holi, Gol Gadhehi etc. Bhajans are sung during worship, weddings sing Faag in Holi.
The main deities of Bhil tribe are Bhairon Ji, Mata, Nagdevta, Shyamalaji etc. Apart from these, they worship Hindu gods and goddesses. Expressing faith and belief in them and worshipping them is the form of their religious life. The main festivals are Rakshabandhan, Janmashtami, Navratri, Dussehra, Diwali, Holi etc. On the occasion of festivals, worship of gods and goddesses is done in which some gods are sacrificed with chicken and goat. Belief in ghosts and witchcraft. Their religious priest is called 'Barwa'.
People of this tribe dance on the occasion of marriage, Holi etc. They sing bhajans during worship, wedding songs during marriage and phaag during Holi.
Bhunjia
Bhunjia is a minority tribe of Madhya Pradesh. It is notified for the entire Madhya Pradesh at number 09 in the list of scheduled tribes of Madhya Pradesh state. There are some social divisions of this tribe found in undivided Madhya Chhattisgarh region especially Bindranavagarh tehsil of Raipur district. Such as Chaukhatia Munjia, Chinda Bhunjia. According to the census of 1961, its population was 5235, 6605 and 9524 in 1981 respectively. According to the census 2011 in Madhya Pradesh, the total population of this tribe was estimated to be 1469 which is 0.002 percent of the total population of M.P. According to Census 2001 and 2011, the population of Madhya Bhujia tribe is found in districts Morena, Gwalior, Panna, Sagar, Satna, Rewa, Shahdol, Ratlam, Ujjain, Dewas, Jhabua, Dhar, Indore, East Nimar, Barwani, West Nimar, Bhopal, Raisen, Betul, Harda, Hoshangabad, Katni, Jabalpur, Chhindwara.
There is no concrete evidence available about the origin of Bhujia tribe. Chaukhatia is a tribe originated from the mixture of Gond and Halba tribes. According to Risley, Chinda Bhu origin is believed to be from the marriage of Vinjhwar and Gond tribe.
Villages of Bhunjia tribe are usually surrounded by hills and in forests. Plains are also inhabited. There is a Mata temple in their village. Houses are usually kutcha, made of clay, Kukhar (Kodo) and ropes. There is grass or country on the roof of the house. Chaukhatia Bhujia people make a separate 'Randha Ghar'. Its walls are made of red soil. It is called Lal Bangla, the kitchen is also made here. The house is painted by mixing cow dung, yellow soil, lime and other colours. The floor is raw. Which is plastered with cow dung. Various figures are made on the walls of the house, which they call "Peda". The people of this tribe do not have much interest in personal adornment. Due to economic poverty, they wear clothes and ornaments in many ways. The women of this tribe have tattoos on their bodies.
They are fond of hobbies. Men wear dhoti and vest. Women wear only saree which they call Lugar. Purdah system is not found.
For agriculture work, Nagar, Kurar, Mopar, Kuradi, Juwadi, Genti, Tangia, Soopa, Kanwar, Khusi etc. are used. For hunting, arrows, bow and Kumni are used for fishing. The staple food of this tribe is rice. In their daily food, these people also use Kulthi or Dal or Saag Bhaji with rice. They soak the leftover cooked rice in water. It is called basi. They drink it after making paaz for lunch. They eat goat, chicken, rabbit and fish as meat. They have a kitchen in their house. It is called tal bangla, where food is cooked. They sit outside that room and eat. They eat in the new red bargla.
Generally their daily routine starts at 5-6 in the morning. After finishing their daily chores, they eat basi as breakfast and then leave for their work. They return home in the afternoon. After taking some rest after lunch, they again leave for work. They return home in the evening. After coming home, women get involved in household work. Men smoke tobacco, bidi etc. and relax or gossip. Then they have dinner. It is called bhaat. They rest for the night.
The economic life of this tribe is mainly based on agriculture, collection of wild produce, labour etc. The tribe is based on the land. Earlier they used to hunt in the forest. Their agricultural produce is paddy, kodo, urad, kahar, tivda, sesame, etc. They collect and sell the wild produce like mahua, gum, tendu leaves, etc. During rainy season they catch fish for their own use.
The Bhujia tribe is patrilineal and patriarchal, the ancestral residence is local. The Bhujia tribe has two sub-castes. Chaukhatia, Bhujia and Chinda. Bhujia/Chaukhatiya are considered to be high. The castes are divided into gotras. Their gotras are Badhwa, Bokra, Cheeta, Bhainsa, Sonwani, Tekam, Markam, Sua, etc. Gotras are exogamous groups. But their sub-castes are endogamic. No sanskara is done during the pregnancy.Delivery is usually done at home by the local midwife or elderly woman.
The mother is fed herbal decoction, dry ginger, jaggery and sesame laddus. Chhathi is celebrated on the sixth day. On this day, the mother and the child are bathed. They are purified by sprinkling milk. Relatives are given tea, bidi and tobacco. Before marriage, the "Kan" marriage of girls before the age of menstruation is performed. In this, the girl is married to Baan.
On th, the boy is married to the girl only when the girl is 10-20 years old. The groom's father is under the supervision of the groom.
On death, the deceased is buried. On the third day, the Pailai is performed. The men shave off their moustaches and head hair. On the 10th day, they serve a death feast.
The Bhujia tribe has a traditional caste panchayat. The main members of this panchayat are Puja Pathi and Diwan. These posts are usually hereditary. The panchayat settles disputes related to relations, marriage, divorce in a traditional way. As a punishment, a fine in cash or a feast has to be given.
The people of the Bhujia tribe perform traditional wedding dances during marriages, women perform Phadki during Diwali, men perform Ramsatta during Bhadon and Rahas dance during Holi. Phadki, Dadaria wedding songs, Phag, Ram etc. are folk songs. Musical instruments like Madal, Tiski, Khartal, Jhanj etc. are used. They adorn themselves with different costumes for the dance.
The main deities of Bhujia tribe are Budhadev, Budhimai, Matidev, Kana-Maura, Kar Bhainsasur, Thakur Dev, Dumadev etc. They also worship Hindu deities. The main festivals are Pola, Teeja, Pitar, Navakhani, Dussehra, Diwali etc. They worship deities on festivals. Every year a hen is sacrificed to the village deity Kul Devta. A go
The groom's father is under the supervision of the groom.
On death, the deceased is buried. On the third day, the Pailai is performed. The men shave off their moustaches and head hair. On the 10th day, they serve a death feast.
The Bhujia tribe has a traditional caste panchayat. The main members of this panchayat are Puja Pathi and Diwan. These posts are usually hereditary. The panchayat settles disputes related to relations, marriage, divorce in a traditional way. As a punishment, a fine in cash or a feast has to be given.
The people of the Bhujia tribe perform traditional wedding dances during marriages, women perform Phadki during Diwali, men perform Ramsatta during Bhadon and Rahas dance during Holi. Phadki, Dadaria wedding songs, Phag, Ram etc. are folk songs. Musical instruments like Madal, Tiski, Khartal, Jhanj etc. are used. They adorn themselves with different costumes for the dance.
The main deities of Bhujia tribe are Budhadev, Budhimai, Matidev, Kana-Maura, Kar Bhainsasur, Thakur Dev, Dumadev etc. They also worship Hindu deities. The main festivals are Pola, Teeja, Pitar, Navakhani, Dussehra, Diwali etc. They worship deities on festivals. Every year a hen is sacrificed to the village deity Kul Devta. A goat is sacrificed to Thakurdev and Kalakuvar after three years. They practice black magic, tantra, ghosts and spirits. Their religious priest and expert in black magic is called "Baiga".
People of Bhujia tribe perform Vihaav Naach in marriage, women perform Phadki Bha Ram Satta in Diwali, Rahas Naach in Holi. Major folk songs are Phadki Geet Dadaria, Vivah Geet .
Biyar
Biyar tribe is a minority tribe of undivided M.P. It is notified for the entire Madhya Pradesh at number 10 in the list of scheduled tribes of Madhya Pradesh state. Its population is mainly in minority in Sidhi and Surguja and Bilaspur, Raigarh of Madhya Pradesh and also in Chhattisgarh. According to the census of 2011 in present Madhya Pradesh, the total population of Biyar tribe is 10452 which is 0.014 percent of the total population of Madhya Pradesh. According to the census of 2001 and 2011, the population of Biyar tribe in Madhya Pradesh is found in district Bhind, Gwalior, Shivpuri, Guna, Tana Shahdol, Sidhi, Neecham, Indore, Vidisha, Bhopal, Betul, Jabalpur, Dindori, Mandla, Chhindwara. No historical records are found regarding the origin of Biyar tribe: According to a legend, once Shiva and Parvati were roaming in Vindhyachal. Parvati desired to cultivate paddy. On her request, Lord Shiva created a man and a woman who cut the jungle, burnt it and sprinkled paddy seeds on the ashes and cultivated it. The people of Biyar tribe believe that their caste originated from them.
Biyar tribe lives in the village along with God, Khairwar etc. tribes. Their house is made of mud. The roof is made of wood. The house has a roof of local tiles. There are two-three rooms in the house and a shed in front. The walls are whitewashed with clay. The floor is plastered with cow dung. The cattle shed is separate. A shed for storing grains, grinding wheel, pestle, clothes, kitchen stove, utensils, agricultural equipment etc. are found.
Men and women clean their teeth with toothpicks made of acacia, Karanja, Neem, Harra. They bathe daily. They wash their hair with clay and apply peanut or sesame oil. Women make a plait and tie it in a bun. Tattoos are found on the body of women. In their clothing, men wear pancha, bandi and women wear lunga polka. The main food is kodo, rice bhaat, wheat roti, urad, tuvar, moong dal, seasonal greens and vegetables. In non-vegetarian food, they eat fish, chicken, goat meat. Men drink liquor made from Mahua.
The economic life of the Biyar tribe is mainly based on agricultural labour and wild animals. The main crops are Kodo, paddy, maize, urad, moong, tuvar, sesame etc. They collect Tendu leaves ,Amla etc. and sell them in the local market. They catch fish during the rainy season.
The Biyar tribe is divided into two sub-castes. One is Barharia and the other is Dakhinha. Those who believe that they originated from the north of the Seine river are called Barharia and those who believe that they originated from the south are called Dakhinada. The sub-caste is exogamous. Their gotras are Kannojia, Sarwar, Barwar Mahato, Kahatok Bar etc., gotras are also exogamous groups.
No rituals are observed during pregnancy. Delivery is done at home by the wise elderly women of the family and the local midwife. The 'Nara' of the child is cut with a knife and buried at the place of delivery, a decoction of dry ginger, Saraichal, root of Chid, Ethimuki, jaggery is made and given to the mother. Chhathi is celebrated on the fourth day. The mother and child are bathed, dressed in new clothes and offered prayers to the sun, earth, Kuldev and ancestors. A feast is arranged for the relatives.
The marriage age for boys is 14-18 years and for girls it is 12-16 years. The marriage proposal starts from the groom's side. The groom's father gives money, turmeric, oil, jaggery etc. to the groom's father as a token of marriage. The marriage is conducted by the elderly people of the society but now it is being conducted by Brahmins. Remarriage, brother-in-law-sister-in-law marriage, widow marriage are also accepted.
On death, the deceased is cremated. The ashes are immersed in a nearby river.
On this day, after taking a bath, the ancestors are worshipped and a feast is given. Traditional caste panchayat is found in this tribe. The head of the caste panchayat is called 'Mukhiya'. In the caste panchayat, the decisions of disputes related to marriage, marriage and other disputes related to the society are taken in a traditional manner.
In the Biyar tribe, on the occasion of marriage, marriage dance is performed and on Holi, Rahas Mritya is performed. Wedding songs, Faag Bhajans etc. are the main folk songs. In folk tales, Karma folk tales are narrated to children.
Thus, they transfer these folk tales orally to their generations.
The main deities of this tribe are Mahadev, Dharti Mata, Simada, Dumadeo, Sheetla Mat Jwalamukhi, Maisasur etc. Apart from this, they also worship Hindu deities. Their main festivals are Dussehra, Diwali, Navratri, Sankati, Holi etc.
In this tribe, traditional wedding dance is popular on the occasion of marriage and Rahas dance on Holi. Folk songs include wedding songs, Faag, Bhajan etc.
Binjhwar
Binjhwar is a minority tribe of undivided Madhya Pradesh. It is notified at number 11 among the scheduled tribes of Madhya Pradesh state for the entire Madhya Pradesh. Its population in present Madhya Pradesh has been estimated as 15805 as per Census 2011, which is 0.22% of the total population of Madhya Pradesh. Binjhwar tribe is mainly found in Raipur, Bilaspur and Raigarh districts of Chhattisgarh. According to Census 2001 and 2011, the population of Binjhwar tribe in Madhya Pradesh is found in districts Gwalior, Tikamgarh, Sagar, Rewa, Shahdol, Ujjain, Shajapur, Dewas, Jhabua, Indore, Eastern Nimar Vidisha, Bhopal, Sehore, Raisen, Betul, Harda, Hoshangabad, Katni, Jabalpur, Dindori, Mandla, Chhindwara, Seoni and Balaghat.
There are no historical records regarding the origin of Binjhwar tribe. On the basis of legends, they believe that they originated from the Vikyaachal mountain. Some scholars believe that they are a separate group from the Baiga who started doing permanent agriculture.
The Binjhwar tribe usually resides in villages with tribes like Kanwar, Sawara, Gond etc. The house is made of mud and wood. It has a roof of local tiles on top. The house usually has 2-3 rooms. The walls are painted with white or yellow mud. The floor is made of mud, it is plastered with cow dung every day. There is a separate room (Saar) for animals. In their house, there are grain granaries, janta, decki, pestle, earthen stove, utensils for cooking and eating food, agricultural equipment, musical instruments etc.
Men and women clean their teeth with babool or neem twigs and take bath every day. Women braid their hair and make a bun. Tattoos are found on hands and feet. Women are fond of jewellery. They wear toe rings, Santi on toes, Kardhan on waist, Chugi on arms, Khinwa, Phuli in the nose. In clothing style, men wear Pancha and Bandi, women wear Lugra, Polka. Their main food is Kodo, rice bhaat, Basi, Paaj, seasonal greens, Urad, Tuvar, Moong dal, and wild root fruit.
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They eat Kardmool fruit. They eat meat of chicken, goat and fish. On festivals they drink Mahua liquor. Men smoke bidi as a smoke.
The economic life of this tribe is mainly based on agriculture, collection of forest produce and labour. In farming they sow Kodo, paddy, Tivra, Urad, Moong, Arhar and Sesame. Due to non-irrigation of land the production is less. Among the forest produce they collect Tendu leaves, pickles, Harra, Gum and honey which they sell in the local market. Earlier they used to hunt sometimes but now they do not hunt due to the ban. In the rainy season they catch fish for their own use.
The Binjhwar tribe is mainly divided into four sub-castes. Bade Binjhwar, Sonagara, Birji and Binjhiya. All these sub-castes are exogamous groups. Bade Binjhwar used to be the upper caste landlords. Sonagara used to collect gold from the river, Birjia used to do Bewar farming earlier and Bindi who are considered to be the lowest, their ancestor was the Gond king who died. Sub-castes are divided into gotras. Their gotras are Padki, Lohi, Badh, Karhibadh Dondka, Nag, Dhan, Amli, Sonwani, Sa Bhaisa, Bhaura, Tad, Kamaliya etc. Family is patriarchal, paternal residence is local.
No rituals are prevalent during pregnancy in this tribe. Delivery is done at home by the local doctor. The child's 'nara' is cut with a blade of Bharuva grass and buried in a pit dug in the house. The mother is fed laddus made of dry ginger, jaggery, celery, ghee, pepper etc. Chhathi is celebrated on the sixth day. The men of the family get their hair cut by the barber. The relatives are given bidi and liquor. The mother and the children are given a bath and new clothes and are made to visit/pranam the family deity.
In this tribe, the marriage age of boys is considered to be between 14-16 years. The marriage ceremony is usually done by the groom's side. Rice, pulses, jaggery, oil, turmeric, nariya and some cash is given to the groom's father as 'sook bharna'. Marriage is completed in four rituals. Bhagni, Phal Vihaav and Gauna. In this tribe, earlier, elderly and knowledgeable persons of the caste used to take rounds of the bride and groom, but now the service of Brahmins is taken. Son-in-law, widow, remarriage, brother-in-law- remarriage is also recognized.
In this tribe, there is a tradition of burying the dead body during death rituals. On the third day, close relatives and men of the family shave their beard, moustache and head hair. On the 10th day, Karam Karya is performed in which after bathing, ancestors are worshipped and death feast is organized.
Traditional caste panchayat is found in this tribe. The head of the caste is the 'Gotia' Halata. In this Panchayat, disputes related to marriage, divorce, immoral relations etc. are settled by taking traditional Doke (penalty) like fine or feast etc. from the guilty person.
As a popular folk culture in the Binjhwar tribe, the people of this tribe dance Rama dance on Karma Puja, Rahas on Holi, Vihav dance, Ramsatta and women perform Phadki dance on Diwali. They sing Sua Geet, Dadriya, Karma, Vihav Geet, Ramdhuni, Phag etc. in songs. Dholak, Chali and other musical instruments are used in dance.
The traditionally worshipped deities in the Bijhwar tribe are Thakur Dev, Budhadev, Ghatwalin, Lhadev, Kariya, Ghuruwa, Bhaisasur, Satbaheniya, Mata etc.
Apart from this, they also worship all the deities of Hindu religion. Chicken and goat are sacrificed to the traditional deities. The main festivals celebrated by them are Hareli, Pola, Wakhani, Dussehra, Diwali, Holi etc. Believe in ghosts and witchcraft. A person who knows magic spells is called 'Baiga' and 'Jhakhar'.
People of Binjhwar tribe perform Karma dance on Karma Puja, Rahas Vihav dance on Holi and women perform Phadki dance on Dewali. Main folk songs are Suageet, Dadriya, Karma, Phag, Vahavgeet etc.
