In Eastern India, the Bonda tribal women come down from their tiny remote villages for the weekly market at Jeypore. They are rarely seen, and are one of India’s most ancient and primitive tribes. Some 5,000 live at the junction of Orissa, Chhattisgarh and Andra Pradesh in inaccessible parts of the lush hills. Nearby Bastar, a beautiful forested plateau is home to many different tribes. Each one has its own distinct culture, eating habits, dialect, customs, gods and goddess. Religious beliefs are expressed through votive terracotta offerings and reciting tribal epics with singing, dance and painting. In the past decade large mining corporations have been excavating the mountains around, many of which are deemed sacred by the tribal people who have very little sway in the capitalist greed of present day India. These fascinating people are losing their way of life so fast, having been living this same way for hundreds of years.
Post and Two Photos (press on first photo to view second) from our Associate, Sara Stewart
