SOME OF THE TRIBES IN ate the Nechido Festival every year INDIA on the first day of November. Abhor These tribes are found in Alars Also known as Chathans or Arunachal Pradesh and Assam. Chatans, these tribes are found in Abujmaria Known variously as Abudjamadis, the Kerala-Palghat region. They Abujmariya and Hill Maria, these speak Alar and Malayalam. tribes are found in the geographic Amindivi These tribes are found in illy inaccessible areas of Abujhmar Lakshadweep. Mountains and Kutrumar Hills in Amri Karib Known by different names like the Bastar district of Madhya Mikir, Manchati, Mikiri, Karbi, Pradesh. They speak a Dravidian these tribes are found in the Mikir language called Abujmaria. The Hill and Rengma Hills of Assam. They Miria tribes are considered as a speak Amri, a dialect of Mikir. sub-group oi the Gonds, who are Anal These tribes are found in Manipur. historically the most important Angami: These tribes are found in Kohima, group of original Indian tribes. the capital of Nagaland. Adivasika These are forest dwellers found Ao The Ao tribe is found in the mainly in Northern Kerala, near Mokokchung District of Calicut. Nagaland. The main festivals of the Adivasi GirasiaThese tribes inhabit 'he Aos are Moatsu and Banaskantha and Sabarkantha dis- Tsungremmong celebrated during tricts of Gujarat and are believed the first week of May and August, to be the descendants of the respectively. Rajputs who married Biil wormn. Apatani These tribes, also described as Apa, The name "Girasia" refers to the are found south of the Tibetan Rajput and other landholders liv- border in the states of Assam, ing in the Gujarat and Rajasthan Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland. regions. Their language, also Their language is also kncwn as known as Adivasi Girasia, is an Apatani. These tribes are re- Indo-Aryan language belonging to nowned for their cultivation, es- the Bhil subgroup. pecially the Terraced rice fields, Adiyan Also known as Eravas, these which are located along the sides people are found in Kerala, Tamil of the valleys. Nadu and Karnataka. Arnatas Also known is Aranacan and Aka These tribes are 5 found mainly in Eranadans, these tribes are fouid the Andaman Islands, Arunachal in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Pradesh and also in parts of Kerala. They speak Aranatan and Assam. The Aka people are so Malayalam. named for a black, sticky paint Baiga Known by names like Baigai, Bega they use on their faces. They used and Bhumis these people are found to speak Aka (now an extinct lan- in Bihar, Maharashtra. Madhya guage) on the Andunan Islands and Pradesh, Orissa and West Bengal Aka Lel, a dialect of Nisi, in Assam. Their language is also known as The Aka people in Assam celeb - Baiga. Banchharas These tribes are found in Madhya Uttar Pradesh and Jammu & Kash- Pradesh. mir. Bangni The Bangni (also known as the Changs These tribes are found in the Dafla or the Nishi) inhabit the hills Tuensang District of Nagaland. of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. Chang-Pas These are the tribes found in the Their native language, Nisi, be- northern upland valleys of the longs to the Tibeto-Burman lan- Indus River in Jammu & Kashmir. guage family. They speak in Tibetan dialect. Bangri These tribes are located mainly in Charan These tribes are found in Gujarat. the states of Haryana, Karnataka, Chekhasang Chekhasang and Pouchry Tribes Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, are found in the Phek District of Punjab and Delhi. Their language, Nagaland. Chakhesang culture and Bangaru, is a member of the Indo- customs are quite different from Aryan language family. the other Naga tribes. There are Banjaras Known by different names in dif- evidences of the existence of ferent places like Lamani, Lambadi, head-hunting among the villagers Bangala, Banjori, Banjuri, Gohar- in the ancient days. Herkeri, Goola, Gurmarti, Kora, Chenchus Known variously as Labhani Muka, Lambara, Lavani, Chenchucoolam, Chenchwar, Lemadi, Lumadale, Sugali, Tanda, Chenswar and Choncharu, these Vanjari, Waji, Gormati and Singali, tribes are found primarily in the these tribes are mainly concen- state of Andhra Pradesh and also trated in Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, in parts of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka Madhya Pradesh, Himachal and Orissa. Their native language Pradesh, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, (also-called Chenchus) belongs to Maharashtra Karnataka, Orissa the Dravidian language family. and West Bengal. Their common Many also speak Telugu. language is Lamani. Cheros These tribes, which claim to be Barda These tribes are found in Gujarat. the descendants of the Rajputs, are Bavacha These tribes are found in Gujarat. found in Bihar, Orissa, Uttar Barel The Barels are considered to be Pradesh and West Bengal and are the sub-group of Bhils. They speak primarily concentrated in Palamau, Barel language. Shahabad, Champaran and other Bathudi The Bathudis live primarily in the surrounding districts. The Chero districts of Mayurbhanj speak a language that is also called Chero. Chamars These tribes are known by differ- ent names like Chamari, Chambhar Chettier Chettie' is tlie Hindu fishermen Boli and Chambhari. These are caste of Tamil Nadu. found in the States of Madhya Chola Naickans Also known as Chola Naikar, these Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and tribes are fourtd mainly in the Maharashtra. Their language is Nilambur jungle in Kerala. They known as Chamari. speak Canarese, a dialect of Kannada. Chameali Pahari The Chameali Pahari tribes are Dafla These tribes are found in primarily located in the states of Arunachal Pradesh. Damarias These tribes are found in Gamti This is one of the Bhil tribes that Rajasthan. live mainly in the Surat and Broach Deori These tribes live along the districts of Gujarat, India. Among Brahmaputra River and are prima- the Bhil, the word gamta means rily located in the states of Assam, "headman," possibly giving the Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh. Gamti a feeling of superiority over They speak a Tibeto-Burman lan- other Bhil tribes. They speak guage that is also called Deori. The Gamti, which is one of the Bhil Deori are one of the four division languages. of the Chutiya people group and Garhwali The Garhwali or the Central Pahari are also related o the Eastern Bodo- are a hardworking and often iso- Garo. lated people who are primarily lo- Dhodia The Dhodia are located in the ex- cated in the states of Uttar Pradesh treme southeastern districts of and Jammu and Kashmir. Gujarat, in the hilly regions south of the Tapi River and in Dadra & Garos The Garos or Achiks belong to the Nager Haveli. The Dhodia are the Bodo family of the Tibeto-Burman highest ranking tribe and the third race and are found in Meghalaya. largest tribal group in Gujarat. They are said to have migrated They speak Dhodia, a Bhil lan- from Tibet. guage. Gonds The Gonds comprise the largest Dhurwa These tribes are forest dwellers tribal group in India. Historically, found mainly in the Bastar district the Gonds were the most impor- of Madhya Pradesh and Koraput tant group of the original Indian district of Orissa. They are con- tribes. In the 1500's, several Gond sidered as a sub-group of the dynasties were established and Gond, the largest tribal group in their rajas or kings ruled like Hindu India. They speak Parji in three princes. The Gonds were con- dialects. quered by the Muslim armies in Dimasa These are Proto-Austroloid tribes 1592 but their tribes were not dis- found in Meghalaya and Mizoram turbed by the changes in adminis- Eravallan These tribes ire found in Kerala. tration. Gaddi Known by names like Bharmauri Gongte These tribes are found in Manipur. Bhadi, Pahari Bharmauri, Panchi Gosains These tribes are found in Madhya Brahmauri Rajput, Gaddyal and Pradesh. Gadi, these tribes are found in Gotte These tribes, also known as Po- parts of Himachal Pradesh, dia Koya, are found in the jungles Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradeih of Madhya Pradesh. Their lan- and Punjab. Their language is also guage is Podia Koya, which is a known as Gaddi. dialect of Koya. Galong These tribes, also known as Gallong, Gallo, Galo and Adi-Galo, Gracias These tribes, known by different live in Assam, along the Tibet bor- names like Garasia, Rajput Girasia, der area Their language is also Dungri Grasia and Dhungri Bhili known as Galong. are found in Gujarat and Rajasthan. Gamit These tribes are found in Their language is known as Karnataka. Garasia CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS Academy also confers Fellowships to Scholars, their numbers being restricted to Lalit Kala Academy 30 living recipients. The Fellowship and ! Established in 1954. Headquarters: New Awards carries a cash prize of Rs. 50,000 Delhi. Since its inception, the Academy has a shawl and ‘Tamrapatra’. been organising national exhibition of contem- " The present chairperson of Sangeet Natak porary Indian art with 15 national awards, Academy - Ram Nivas Mirdha each of Rs. 50,000. Every three years, the Academy also organises Triennial India, an Sahitya Academy International exhibition of contemporary art " Sahitya Academy is the Indian National in New Delhi. Academy of letters meant to promote the cause ! Regional Centres : Chennai, Lucknow, Kolkata of Indian literature through publications, and Bhubaneshwar and Garhi Artist Studies, translations, seminars, workshops, cultural Delhi. exchange programmes and literary meets ! The Academy honours eminent artists and art organised all over the country. historians every year by electing them as The Academy was founded in March 1954 as fellows of the Academy. To propogate Indian an autonomous body fully funded by the art outside, the Academy regularly participates Department of Culture. The Academy has in International Biennials and Triennials abroad recognised 24 languages. It has an Advisory and also organises exhibitions of works of art Board for each of the languages that suggests from other countries.