Tribal & Wildlife Tour

Tour Description: The tropical state of Orissa lures the adventurous traveler with its mystique of indigenous tribes and ancient temples.
Orissa is generally the destination for third-time visitors to India--those who have seen the famous monuments of the north and the natural beauty of the south.

Accommodations here are basic and the roads can be rough; but for those with a passion for traveling 'off-the-beaten-path,'

Orissa is a rewarding experience. Orissa, the lush green state, girdled by the Bay of Bengal, has seen some of the best fusion of traditional Indian art in its many temples and monuments, and has been able to preserve much of it, in an environment natural to its wonder and attractions. It was in Orissa, that Buddhism found some of its strongest exposure, and cult following. However, it was Hindu art that dominated the landscape, eventually, and resulted in the profusion of temple traditions, that have endured till now.
Heavily forested, and isolated, Orissa was once famous for its majestic battle elephants. But life in Orissa revolved around temples, and that the Oriyas lived lives free of strife, is evident from the fact that the state has few forts or fortified palaces to its credit, indicative of centuries of peace and harmony.

Although known throughout the ancient world as a formidable maritime empire with trading routes stretching to Bali, Sumatra and Java, the history of Orissa, then called Kalinga, is a little hazy until the demise of the Kalinga dynasty in 260 BC. Ashoka, the Mauryan Emperor, in a bloody battle, conquered Kalinga. Shocked at the carnage Ashoka foreswore violence and converted to Buddhism. Around the 1st century BC, under the rule of the Chedis, Buddhism declined and Jainism was restored as the faith of the people. Monastery caves were created and Udayagiri and Khandagiri became important Jain centres. By the 7th century AD Hinduism had, in turn supplanted Jainism and under the Kesari and Ganga kings, trades and commerce flourished. Countless temples from that classical period stand today. The Oriyas defied the Muslim rulers until the region fell to the Mughals in the 16th century. Since then the Afghans, Marathas and the British successively ruled Orissa.
Orissa is predominantly rural, with fertile green coastal plains rising to the hills of the Eastern Ghats. The State is mineral rich and is a big exporter of iron ore. The Oriyas, 25% of who are ADIVASIS (indigenous tribes) are very friendly and hospitable and the atmosphere of the State is generally relaxed.

Most of the state's attractions are close to each other, and convenient access is provided out of the state capital, Bhubaneswar. The capital itself is an intriguing amalgam of the old and the new, an emerging modern Indian city, that is steeped in the roots of the traditions of its glorious past, without being overwhelmed by it.

Welcome to the tribal land of Orissa - The southwestern part of Orissa contains the largest concentration of tribal people in the sub continent. There are more than 62 tribal communities in Orissa. They have retained their tradition in-spite of the onslaught of the modern civilization. Visit to some of the tribal villages and participate in their dance and festival. Discover the original man-nature proximity trekking amid the deep gorges and rivers or during a ritual tribal dance on a full moon night. The soft mist, the local-brew and a campfire make a heady mixture indeed. This is an adventure that offers unique experience, which the visitor fondly remembers for years to come.

The antiquity of Orissa is endorsed by her ancient people - They continue to inhabit their traditional dwelling places in remote areas of the deep forests and hilly interiors. Steeped in the mystery that surrounds their ancient ways, the Orissan tribal continue to be a source of deep interest not only for anthropologists and sociologists but also for numerous tourists who flock to Orissa in search of the exotic mystique of this relatively unexplored state. The tribal economy is by and large based on activities around the jungles. Hunting and fishing continue to be the main source of livelihood though some of the larger tribes such as Santals, Mundas, and Gonds have become agriculturists. The Juang, Bhuyan, Bondo, Saura, and Dhruba tribes follow the shifting cultivation practice. The Koya tribals are cattle breeders while the Mahali and Lohara are simple artisans involved in basket weaving and tool making. The Santal, Munda and other tribes have now also become involved in the mining and industrial belt of Orissa. Though their economy is shaky, the Orissan tribal enjoy a rich and varied cultural heritage, the most powerful instance of this being in their music and dance, which are as colorful as they are rhythmical. The cycle of life offers numerous reasons to celebrate and is done so with vigor and grace - either in the privacy of family home or as a community activity. The changing seasons, religious customs, and the traditional rhythms of superstitious belief are strong incentives for creating a string of festivals to augment their importance to the tribal.

The Paraja tribe is primarily located in the Kalahandi and Koraput regions of Orissa. The language is "Parji". They worship numerous gods and goddesses who live in the hills and forests. They love dance and music during weddings.

The "Soura" tribe is one of the most ancient and they are known for being marathon walkers, expert hunters and climbers. Personal hygiene is of intense importance to them.

The "Bondos" are fiercely independents and aggressive, and continue to practice the barter system of exchanging produce from their fields for their daily needs. Bondo women prefer to marry younger men because they can have someone who will earn for them in their old age.

The Kutias are the primitive section of the Kondh tribal community. Kutias were also quite famous till the recent years for their unique tradition of 'Maria'(human) sacrifice. Dongria Kondhs, also a primitive section of the Kondh community are expert horticulturists and maintain a quite distinct cultural heritage.

Madhya Pradesh, in its present form, came into existence on November 1,2000 following its bifurcation to create a new state of Chhattisgarh.The undivided Madhya Pradesh was founded on November 1, 1956.Madhya Pradesh, because of its central location in India, has remained a crucible of historical currents from North, South, East and West.

Madhya Pradesh is the richest state in the country in respect of painted rock-shelters, the majority of which have been found in the districts of Sehore, Bhopal, Raisen, Hoshangabad and Sagar. During the ascendancy of the Guptas the whole region came under the domain of the imperial Guptas and subsequently formed part of Harshvardhan's empire. With the decline in imperial power the province was broken up into small principalities contending forever to establish their supremacy over one another. Chandels were one such dynasty claiming descent from the moon, who carved out a strong prosperous kingdom for themselves after the decline of the great empire. There was a short spell of inspired construction activity under the Chandels in the 10th to 11th centuries. They are the ones who have left behind the cluster of matchless temples at Khajuraho.

Chandels were followed by Pratihara and Gaharwar Rajput dynasties claiming mythical origins relating their scions to the gods or heroes in the epics. They lived and died by a difficult code of chivalry, wasted away scarce resources in an expensive feudal life style and could not ultimately keep at bay the expanding Muslim power. Rulers of Malwa fought a running battle with the subedars of Gujarat or the commanders of the Sultan of Delhi throughout the sultanate period. The grand Moghul Akbar succeeded in subduing most of them and his sterner grandson Aurangzeb broke through the last pockets of resistance in this region.
Many of the smaller kingdoms trace their origins to the lands granted by the emperor at Delhi to those who had served him well. Bir Singh Deo of Orchcha was for instance installed on his throne by Jehangir who felt obliged to the Bundela chieftain for having removed a painful thorn - Abul Fazal, from his side. Abul Fazal one of the nine jewels of Akbar's court and was murdered at his behest near Gwalior.

Some other principalities came into being with branching of families, internecine quarrels and the munificence of the Marathas who were indomitable with the decline of the Moghuls. Rulers of Ratlam and Sitamau claim close relationship with the ruling house of Jodhpur in Rajasthan.

In course of time the Marathas were replaced by the British who entered into treaty relationships with these princely states and established paramountcy over them. This was the Raj period when the Central Provinces were left for the large part outside developments in British India. The Maharajas were free to indulge in their expensive whims much to the chagrin of their poor populace. This is the world evoked by Kipling in his jungle Book and chronicled by E M Forster in The Hill of Devi. Jhabua, Nagod, Alirajpur, Sarguja, Dewas Senior and junior were quaint names of exotic places where eccentric Englishmen could strive to carve out a career or amass a fortune or simply drop out to. These were destinations where the Prince of Wales or the Viceroy could be taken out for the treat of his life - a tiger shoot, or to savour the extravagant life style of the Maharajas. Most of these blue blooded gentry were content to be renowned for their prowess with a heavy gun or patronage of arts and crafts.

The stirrings of the national movement were slow in this region as most of the area was not directly ruled by the British. Undaunted freedom fighters carried Mahatma Gandhi's message to the masses and exhorted them to take up the battle against colonialism. Some like Subhadra Kumari Chauhan nostalgically evoked the regional tradition of valour to inspire her compatriots.

Independence of India was followed by the merger of hundreds of princely states into the union, with the foundation of the Republic on 26 January 1950. The boundaries were rationalized with reorganisation of states and Madhya Pradesh assumed its present face.
Bastar (Ba-stir) is the most underdeveloped district of Madhya Pradesh in Central India. About 70% of Bastar is full of dense forest with 72% of the population being tribal (1979).

TRIBES:

· Abujamara · Agaria · Baiga · Bhaina · Bharia · Bhatra · Bhil · Bhilala · Binjhwar · Bhumiya · Bhunjia · Dhanwar · Dhoba

· Dhurwa · Dorla · Galba · Gond · Halba · Kalang · Kamar · Kawar · Khairwar · Kharia · Khond · Kol · Korku

· Korwa · Majhwar · Munda · Muria · Naragrchi · Nagesia · Nihal · Ojha · Oraon · Pao · Pardhan · Saharia · Savar · Sund

The Bhils are the third largest tribe in India after the Gonds and the Santhals. In the state of Madhya Pradesh, they are prominently found in the Dhar, Jhabua, and West Nimar regions. Anthropologists believe that the word Bhil is derived from the Dravidian word bil or vil, meaning a bow.

Over a period of time, the Bhils have given up hunting, and have taken to agriculture. They use very primitive tools, and even their agricultural style is very simplistic. Bhil villages are generally dispersed, and each village consists of thirty to forty families. They worship numerous Hindu deities, chiefly a deity by the name of Raja Pantha. Bhils also worship crops, fields, water, the forest, and the mountains.
The Bhil dialect consists of Rajsthani, Gujarati, Hindi, Marathi words, and also some unique words without any non-Sanskrit elements in it.

Sawang is a popular form of entertainment among the Bhil tribals that consists of story telling combined with dancing and music. In the 1940s Uday Shankar tried to expose the performing arts of this tribe to the outside world.

The Gonds live in tiny villages. Early in the morning they go to nearby townships, work the entire day and return home in the night with purchases. They walk home talking about politics and checking to see if they got a good deal with the merchandise. If they have to transport large quantities, they use a cart belonging to the MAHABHARAT period! Once one of bullocks pulling the cart was a muscular bull and other was a tiny baby. The riders had a hard time maintaining the balance. These villagers have the habits of greeting of one and everybody with "Jairamjiki." The wealthy ones ride a horse. The Gond women always walk in teams. They have muscular and well built bodies as if carved out of black marble. They wear saris of red, blue, green extending to nine yards. They wear a lot of jewelry mostly made of silver, and other cheap metals.

Wealthy Gond families use bullock carts when traveling to city. They tie bamboo carpets in an arch to protect from the sun. They decorate the carts with animal motifs. They have wooden grills around the cart to prevent goods and people from falling. It is typical that the Gond man walks beside the bullock cart as a cart-guard. When the bullocks get tired, they rest them under a tree, share the food and resume the journey.

The young ones also wear the same attire as the elders. It's funny to see infant girls in sarees. The girls and boys mix freely and hang out together. When they encounter a stranger, they pass them quietly and immediately burst into laughter making the strangers uncomfortable.

Since Gond women work for paltry sums of money, they are popular workers in the towns. Washing dishes, cutting wood, and hauling goods are typical jobs they perform. Since they are simple and honest they do not require supervision. Many women are self-employed and carry grass and wood from forest and sell it in the marketplace. They also buy goods from towns on the way home. Typically they buy butter, mangos, and bananas. Just to sell goods worth four or five Rupees sometimes the women have to wait whole day. They are careful spenders and are often ignored by merchants.

Tour Includes:
· accommodation at standard hotels & tents,
· full sightseeing tour as mentioned in the itinerary,
· all air-conditioned suv / toyota transport,
· english speaking escort for all tribal tours,
· assistance at the airports on arrival / departure,
· daily breakfasts all through your tour,
· all meals during tour, (excepting calcutta & mumbai)
· one bottle of mineral water with each meal,
· village festivals, markets, etc during orissa & mp tour,
· local guide for calcutta,
· tribal expert escort from bhubaneshwar,
· porterage,
· mineral water and soft drinks during long tours,
· national park safaris included &
· all applicable taxes and service charges.

Tour Excludes:
international airfare, tips, camera charges at monuments & national parks and personal expenses are not included in the tour cost. meals in calcutta, mumbai and nagpur are not included and monument entrances are not part of the tour cost.