Odisha Review April - May - 2014 Cultural Heritage of Undivided Koraput District of Odisha (Origin and Growth of Janajati Culture) Er. Nirakar Mahalik The undivided Koraput district with headquarters stone age people. The Marias, Gadabas and at present town of Koraput was chosen by the Bondas are the people who are affected by such British in 1870 AD for better health prospects. cultural contacts. They still practise the primitive On 1st April 1936 Odisha became a separate axe and hoe cultivation, pottery and basket province. Koraput was formed a separate district making, spinning and weaving and erecting with headquarters at Koraput with two sub- funerary, religious menhirs from the past. divisions namely Rayagada and Koraput, from General people of the district follow their 1941 a new sub-division called Nabarangapur sub-division, consisting of the taluk of Malkangiri, own tradition and culture. They are humble and Jeypore and Nabarangapur was created and contented. Their family ties were fostered by old above three sub-divisions continued till 1962. A age customs and they had supreme faith in an all separate Malkangiri sub-division was created powerful leader. This supreme faith of theirs in a during 1962 and civil sub-division of Jeypore was superior being manifested itself in their love for a created on 1st January 1966. The erstwhile tree, a stone, an animal, a hill, a river, a forest or Koraput district was bifurcated into four separate even an devine idea. Indeed Koraput is a museum districts at present namely 1. Koraput 2. of old and new in nature and human endeavour. Nabarangapur 3. Rayagada 4. Malkangiri. Area Culture is the characteristic way of life of undivided district of Koraput is 18063.67 sq. lived by people under the influence of certain km. It was a largest district during the creation of fundamental values in the form of art, idiom and Odisha Province. literature, institution and customs, refinement of Koraput district comprised the ex- conduct and the art of living as a whole are but Jeypore estates in early medieval times was known the expression of such a way. as Nandapur Kingdom under Silavansi king and To the flowering of such a culture, the subsequently shifted its capital from Nandapur to primitive tribes are isolated from non tribal or other Jeypore during Vira Vikram Dev of solar dynasty tribes and settled in Koraput region. They maintain th in 17 century A.D. a language of their own and have manners, The tribals who constitute the bulk of customs and practices, dresses which are population of the district speaking either the specifically distinctive of them. It is said that the Austric or Dravidian language live like a short of Godabas owes its name to the fact that its 102 April-May - 2014 Odisha Review ancestors emigrated from the banks of the belonging to the great Gond family. It is said that Godavari river and settled at Nandapur, the former they were driven from Baster area before two capital of the Rajas of Jeypore. The Godabas hundred years ago. But they are spread over have a language of their own. At present they are mainly Rayagada and Bissam Katak Tehasil area. inhabitants of Nandapur, Patangi, Semiliguda, Other tribes are Marias, Khonds, Bhumias, Machhkund, Kotapad and Kodinga police station Parojas, Gonds, Didayis, Sauras, Jatapus, area. Holuvas, Pentias, Bhottadas and Bagatas live here The Godabas are clearly divided into with complete harmony with nature. three classes – Bonda Paraja, Bonda Gadaba and The rich cultural heritage of the tribals has the Perenga Godaba. The cultural heritage of also undergone a major change during the period. Gadabas and Bondas are similar and one can The art, dance and songs, religious beliefs, hardly doubt that they are both representative of symbolic relation with forest and the like are ancient Austro-Asiatic culture. The Bondas are gradually dying town due to so called found to be linguistic and having cultural affinities development activities. Their traditional social with the neighbouring communities like the institution like dormitory which was responsible Gadaba, the Perenga and the Didiyi. The Bondas for the development of a healthy society through known among themselves a ‘Remo’ (men) are a small tribe of the type now often called Austro- the spirit of co-operation and mutual help is also Asiatic. Their country is the wild and mountainous rapidly fading away. region called Bonda Hills, North-West of the However the cultural heritage of these Machhkund river and here they have preserved tribals are the megaliths found in the areas of themselves comparatively unaffected by the march Bondas, Gadabas and Ronas. Prominent among of civilization. The Bondas are regarded as one the various types of megalith monuments erected of the most savage and primitive tribes of Odisha, by the tribes are the stone circles which is known with the scanty and strange body dress-in general as ‘Sodar’ by Gadabas, the Perengas and the and the clear shaved head as well as heavy masses Ronas and ‘Sindibar’ by Bondas which is a of colourful necklaces in case of females. They megalithic platform constructed either in the centre stand in sharp contrast to their neighbouring tribes. or in one end of the village. The difference between They speak an Austro-Asiatic language belonging Sodar and Sindibar is that the former is erected to Mundari group. At present the Bondas are in memory of the dead whereas the latter is inhabiting in Mudulipada area in Khairput Block considered to be the seat of some deity like the of Malkangiri. Bursung, the Earth Goddess. These stone circles The Perengas are now settled in are built by irregular collection of stone slabs and Nandapur area of Koraput district. They are hill upright menhirs and as the general sitting places cultivators found in Koraput, Dasmantpur, for the villagers. Only on two occasions the Laxmipur, Semiliguda, Patangi, Nandapur, Tentuli Gadabas add stones to their Sindibars (horse Khunti, Borigumma, Umarkote, Jharigaon and shoe shaped) in the Gurvur sung ceremony in the Bissam Katak Police Station area. month of Deoli (Oct-Nov.) and Gia feast in the The Koyas are a tribe inhabiting in the month of Chaita (March-April). These ceremonies hill in the North of the Godavari river and are of Gadabas and Bondas are quite different from also found in the Malkangiri area. They are each other in their rituals and beliefs. 103 Odisha Review April - May - 2014 A Bonda village sometimes contains five has significant archaeological importance. The or six common Sindibars. But in very rare cases plasticity of its architecture defies human a private Sindibar is built. In general a Sindibar a comprehension of medieval period found at private or public contains very few menhirs. In Podagarh, the then capital of Nalas. The abode the village Mudulipada the shrine of their supreme of Siva at Gupteswar is a virtual heaven situated deity “Patakhanda’ is erected under a great about sixty Km. away from Jeypore on left bank Banyan tree. Here a sacred sword is carefully of the river Kolab on the border of Bastar, dist of kept on the tree. Once in a year the Bondas Chhattisgarh. Another Siva temple having gather here to worship their supreme deity. archaeological importance is the Malikeswar Besides the heritage of the tribals of temple on the top of Jagamanda hill at Padampur undivided Koraput district, it has a rich cultural of Gunupur sub-division. It is peculiarly built by heritage from the past. It is believed that Sri Rama big blocks of stone without the use of mortar. The th with his beloved Sita and devout brother Laxman shrine contains an inscription of 7 century A.D. lived in the Dandakaranya (Dandakbana). In the There are other four nos. of Siva temples Ramayana there are reference to the solemn dedicated to Manikeswar, Dhobaleswar, grandeur of the impenetrable Malyabantagiri Nilakantheswar and Podukeswar on the same (Malkangiri), Ramagiri, Kiskindha (Korukonda) Jagamanda hill. One old stone temple of Sive of and the sacred river the Tamasa. Kondakamberu (Malkangiri) was once a place of pilgrimage in the locality. Nandapur occupies a unique place in Koraput, famous for the throne with 32 steps, Siva temple at Alamanda situated on the the Batrisa Singhasan arouses nostalgic memories bank of the Jhanjhabati river under of a golden era. The ruins of historic mud wall Narayanpatana Police Station is said to be a th that once surrounded the little township stands as monument of 17 century A.D. Siva in shape of mute witness to glorious times in the past. The Bhairaba is worshipped in famous Bhairaba two beautiful sculptured boulders and the image temple at Borigumma Temple of Pataleswar Siva of God Ganapati are the main attractions. The of Chatikona in Gunupur sub-division adds to our image of the elephant faced god is about two heritage site. Siva of Devagiri in Kalyansinghpur metre high and is a marvelous work of art. The is inside a mountain cave where people go inside shrine of Sarbeswar with antique inscription by crawling only to pray God. The temple of reminds us of prosperous days of Nandapur. Minna Jhola Siva lies 34 Km. from Gudari on the Hathipalhar near Rayagada is remarkable for its confluence of three rivers is a scenic spot. scenic grandeur. The huge boulder looks like real As regards the Jain heritage is concerned, elephants. The river Nagavali running through a the undivided Koraput district bears a good nos deep cut valley from two magnificent water falls, of Jain site. A few km. away from Nandapur there Temple of Majji Giriya (Majhighariani) who was is a village Suai (Subai) famous for a Jain the presiding deity of the then kings inside a mud monastery with three cells on each side.