India is major destination of tribal tourism in the world for its rich tribal population. Large number of cultural freaks head towards India to explore the cultural and economic life of the tribes and their existence in incredible India. Even cultural researchers also visit India to study the eco-friendly lifestyle of the tribes as well the indigenous architecture and their art and handicrafts. The major states of India which have rich population of tribes are Orissa, Chhatisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, the seven north eastern states along with Sikkim, north Indian states and the Union territories of Pondicherry, Lakshadweep, and Andaman and Nicobar Islands. In each tribal state of India one will come into contact with the local tribes and their vibrant lifestyle.Tribes of Orissa
Orissa, one of the east states of India has a rich population of tribes; it houses more than 62 tribal communities. The total tribal population of Orissa comprises of 23% of India’s total tribal population. The tribes of Orissa are habitats of the high land and the most primitive tribes are Bondas, Gadabas, Koyas, Kondhas and Sauras. They all lead an ethnic lifestyle and believe in tradition and customs. Their cultural life is illuminated by the celebration of folk dance and music. They have unique traditions and customs for celebration of marriage and other social rituals. Mostly the celebration of marriage and also birth and death are featured with songs and rural dances along with feasts. Naturally the tribes of Orissa are hard-working and hospitable. Their main sources of livelihood are agriculture, fishing and hunting. They wear colorful costumes in the festivals. Wearing tattoo is a fad among women folk and they are adorned with ornaments.North East India Tribes
The entire northeast India is bestowed with natural pristine beauty and the states such as Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, Arunachal, Tripura and Meghalaya are mainly hill states and the Assam is the only plain state. Sikkim is also a part of northeast and it is also the hill state of India. The whole geography of northeast India is beautified with pristine territory, hills of Himalayas. The main attractions are the flora and fauna and the rich tribal life.Northeast is the home to main hardcore tribes who still live in close harmony with nature. Some of the lands are still untouched by light. Some of the tribes are Christians, some are Buddhist and some are Hindus. The tribes of northeast are agrarian and they celebrate various folk dance and music festivals. Some tribes have their own literature. They have a very rich art and handicrafts tradition, and they are very creative. The tribal women are expert in weaving. One of the main tribes of Arunachal Pradesh is the Tai-Khamtis who believe in Buddhism and they mostly live in the Lohit district. Arunchal has about 26 major tribes, and Apatanis is the main tribal group. Nagaland is home to 16 major tribes, and Assam is mainly home to plain tribes and they are Khamti, Phakial, Nara, Gurung, Bodo, Kachari, Rabha, Tiwa, etc. The main resources for tribal tourism in northeast are the cultural life of the tribes, their art and crafts, festivals and celebrations of birth and marriage, costumes, weaving products, dialects, just to name a few.
We at Go Heritage India welcome you to a tribal tour to India. You come on a cultural tour or come on a research project.
