Dongria Kondh Community

Dongria Kondh Tribe Latest News

The Dongria Kondh tribes who inhabit the Niyamgiri hills across Rayagada and Kalahandi districts in southwestern Odisha for whom forests, food and faith shape their daily life.  

About Dongria Kondh Tribe

• It is a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) Community.
• Dongria Kondhs are ancient occupants of Niyamgiri hills spread across Kalahandi and Rayagada districts of Odisha.
• They derive their name from dongar, meaning ‘hill’ and the name for themselves is Jharnia: protector of streams.
• Belief: They trace their ancestry to Niyam Raja, a mythical god-king, who they believe is a creator of the Niyamgiri hills and whose stewardship has been left to them. 
• Culture and Society
  • The Dongria have distinctive jewellery, tattoos and hairstyles. Women wear many rings through their ears and three through their noses, while boys wear two nose rings. 
  • They have no overarching political or religious leader
  • Clans and villages have their own leaders and individuals with specific ceremonial functions, including the beju and bejuni, male and female priests. 
  • Language: They speak two languages namely “kuyi” and “kuvi”, vocabulary which is completely unrelated to odiya, the state’s official language.
  • Members of the Dongria Kondh tribe perform a traditional dance at Phakeri.
• Economy: The economy and livelihood of Dongria kondh is dependent on collection of Non-timber forest products (NTFPs) and podu cultivation. They are traditionally horticulturists.

Source: TH

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