Dongria Kondh
Story & Illustrated by:
Alind Kumar & Mahamaya S
In Odisha state, eastern India, the Niyamgiri hill range is home to the Dongria Kondh tribe. Niyamgiri is a region of densely wooded hills, deep gorges, and streams with cascades. To be a Dongria Kondh is to farm the fertile slopes of the hills, harvest their produce, and worship the god Niyam Raja of the mountains.Every aspect of their lives is pervaded by the deep reverence that the Dongria have for their gods, hills, and streams. They call themselves the Jharnia, which means 'Protector of streams', because they protect their sacred mountains and the streams and rivers that rise within its forests.The Dongria Kondh have expert knowledge of the forests, plant species and wildlife of the hills. They believe they are the royal descendants of Niyam Raja Penu, who has conferred to them the right to cultivate Niyamgiri's slopes; they grow over 100 crops and cultivate diverse orchards which produce crops such as oranges, sweet papaya, and the aromatic resin Jhunu. The Dongria also gather foods from the forests, such as wild mango, pineapple, jackfruit and honey.Even their art reflects mountains, to the many gods of the village, farm, and forest, and their leader Niyam Raja. Their name is derived from
"Dongar, meaning 'Hill'.
Let's together explore a little about the "Dongria- the Royal Tribe" of Odisha, India.
Playful Childhood:
Children have a full time occupation,
Children have a full time occupation,
And it's called Play!
Chasing the silent sparks:
In the darker times
Chase the fireflies!
The Little Helper
Threads of the kapdaganda shawl
we are tied together by our stories,our history
tales woven through our ancestry!
Dongria Kondh girls and women take great care in decorating the shawl(named, Kapdaganda) with rows of elegant motifs often spending leisure hours of the evening singing as they embroider that.The shawl once embroidered completely can be gifted to a son, father, brother, husband and boyfriend. It is believed that if a man gifts the shawl to a woman as a marriage proposal, and if the woman takes the gift means she accepts the proposal.
I saw two suns
I saw two shining suns, one in the sky and the other on earth
both protecting the mother nature since their birth!
Thank you for stopping by!
