Jarawa Tribe:
The Jarawa tribe inhabits the Western region of South Andaman and Middle Andaman Islands. The tribal people change the names of their children post puberty in an elaborate ceremony in which a boy hunts a wild pig and offer it to everyone in the village, and a girl is anointed in clay, pig oil and gum, post which the children are given their new names. The tribals are also aware of contraceptive policies and use herbs and plants as contraceptives.
Chenchu Tribe:
The Chenchus live in the central hill regions of Andhra Pradesh. Their traditional way of life has been based on food gathering and hunting. The Chenchus follow the system of ‘gotras’ wherein each clan belongs to a certain gotra. There are 26 gates among the Chenchu and marriage within the same Guthrie is not permitted. Elders or the young couple themselves decides regarding marital matters. The marriage ceremony is performed in front of a priest and the elders of the Uttanoori clan also must be present when the marriage is being solemnized. The maternal uncle gives the bride away. Divorce and widow remarriage is permitted among the Chenchus.
Bhil Tribe:
There is lots of freedom given to Bhil women and women are treated as equals by the Bhil society. Tribal women smoke hookah and consume liquor openly with men and such activities are not looked down upon and polygamy is also practiced, where a woman is allowed to remarry and have multiple partners after her first marriage. Celibacy is no ascetic value, a male who does not marry is looked down upon by the whole tribe.
Santhal Tribe:
Santhals do not believe in idol worship. They have no temples and no idols! They, instead, worship local gods and spirits
Munda Tribe:
The way the Munda tribe derives their surnames from the legends of the past. The surname Dodrai is attributed to the lineage of the man, who once ventured into the forest in search of honey. He found honey, but in trying to extract it, his hair and body were completely smeared with the liquid. The villagers carried him home and used 7 vessels of oil to clean and soften his hair. Since then, his name has become Dodrai and his lineage acquired the surname!
Khasi Tribe:
Khasis are known for being one of the few matriarchal societies surviving in the world today. The Khasi society is a matriarchal one, where the mother is the head of the family and the children write her surname. The property post death/conflicted property always goes to the youngest daughter.
Source: Makemytrip.com
By: Archa Dave
