Oraon
Encyclopedia
The Oraon उरांव or Kurukh कुड़ुख tribe (Kurukh
: Oṛāōn and Kuṛuḵẖ), also spelled Uraon, Oran, or Oram, are tribal aborigines inhabiting various states
across central and eastern
India
as well as Bangladesh
. Traditionally, Oraons depended on the forest and farms for their ritual and economic livelihood, but in recent times, a few of them have become mainly settled agriculturalists
. Small numbers of Oraons have immigrated to the northeastern part of India, where they are mainly employed in tea
estates.
, the Oraon are known as Dhangar Hatkar. Those of Uttar Pradesh have been assimilated by neighbouring Hindu
society, and as such have scheduled tribe status. They are divided into many totemistic clans, the Bar, Bahakia, Ekka, Katur, Hekla, Lakra, Miraga, Tiga, Tirikia and Toppa. The community is concentrated in Mirzapur District
.
s and tales, as well as traditional musical instruments. Both men and women participate in dance, which are performed at social events and festivals. Mandar, Nagara and kartal are the main musical instruments.
A sizable numbers of Oraon have immigrated to the northeastern part of India, where they are mainly employed in tea estates of West Bengal
, Assam
, and Tripura
.
followed the 'Sarna' Dharam (Sarna religion) but due to the influence of Hinduism and Christianity some of the groups started following Sarna in Hindu style, as Bishnu Bhagats, Bacchinda Bhagats, Karmu Bhagats and Tana Bhagats; others accepted Christianity. The Oraons have established several Sarna sects. Oraons worship Mahaedeo (a name given for Dharmesh). Oraon believe every thing in nature has its own deity or god. They are adopting Hinduism in most places.
Kamru Bhagats (Oaron or Munda devotee) originated when Oarins acquired special powers after making a pilgrimage to Kamakhya
in Asom to pay respect to the Durga
.
Tana Bhagats were formed by Oaron saints Jatra Bhagat and Turia Bhagat. The Tana Bhagats opposed the taxes imposed on them by the British and they staged a Satyagraha (civil disobedience movement) even before Gandhi's satyagraha movement. All Tana Bhagats were the followers of Mahatma Gandhi during the Independence movement and participated in the movement. Still Tana Bhagats wears khadi
kurta, dhoti and Gandhi topi (cap) with tricoloured flag in their topi. All the Tana Bhagats are performing pooja to the Mahadeo and the tricolour with charakha symbol on it fixed at their courtyard.
(following Sarna Dharma, in which Dharmesh is the supreme almighty).
Sarna perform religious rituals under the shade of a sacred grove
. Sarna worship The Sun as Biri and the Moon as Chando. Chando Biri are the words which been used in the Sarna Puja. They called the earth Dharti Aayo (Earth as mother).
A large number of Oraons abandoned their original beliefs of Sarna .In fact, the 19th and 20th century troubles were mainly due to the hoarding malpractices of the British traders . These led to indirect deaths of millions of Biharis and Bengalis.The Christian missionaries found the Oraon community depressed and without food. Due to their missionary activities, many of them turned Christians. Many turned to Christianity due to greed of money.
This article includes material from the 1995 public domain
Library of Congress Country Study
on India
.
Kurukh language
Kurukh , also called Kurux, Kuṛux or Kuruḵẖ, is a Dravidian language spoken by the Oraon and Kisan tribal peoples of Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and West Bengal, India, as well as in northern Bangladesh. It is most closely related to Brahui and Malto...
: Oṛāōn and Kuṛuḵẖ), also spelled Uraon, Oran, or Oram, are tribal aborigines inhabiting various states
States and territories of India
India is a federal union of states comprising twenty-eight states and seven union territories. The states and territories are further subdivided into districts and so on.-List of states and territories:...
across central and eastern
East India
East India is a region of India consisting of the states of West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, and Orissa. The states of Orissa and West Bengal share some cultural and linguistic characteristics with Bangladesh and with the state of Assam. Together with Bangladesh, West Bengal formed the...
India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
as well as Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
. Traditionally, Oraons depended on the forest and farms for their ritual and economic livelihood, but in recent times, a few of them have become mainly settled agriculturalists
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
. Small numbers of Oraons have immigrated to the northeastern part of India, where they are mainly employed in tea
Tea
Tea is an aromatic beverage prepared by adding cured leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant to hot water. The term also refers to the plant itself. After water, tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world...
estates.
People
The Kurukh or Oraons are the Tribal of Chotanagpur. Oraon appears to have been assigned to them as a nickname by their masters, possibly with reference to their many migrations and proneness to roam, however they like to be called as Kurukhar.Dhangar of Uttar Pradesh
In Uttar PradeshUttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...
, the Oraon are known as Dhangar Hatkar. Those of Uttar Pradesh have been assimilated by neighbouring Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
society, and as such have scheduled tribe status. They are divided into many totemistic clans, the Bar, Bahakia, Ekka, Katur, Hekla, Lakra, Miraga, Tiga, Tirikia and Toppa. The community is concentrated in Mirzapur District
Mirzapur District
Mirzapur district is one of the 70 districts of Uttar Pradesh state in northern India. The district is bounded on the north by Sant Ravidas Nagar and Varanasi districts, on the east by Chandauli district, on the south by Sonbhadra district and on the norhwest by Allahabad district. The district...
.
Culture
The Oraon people have a rich range of folk songs, danceDance
Dance is an art form that generally refers to movement of the body, usually rhythmic and to music, used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting....
s and tales, as well as traditional musical instruments. Both men and women participate in dance, which are performed at social events and festivals. Mandar, Nagara and kartal are the main musical instruments.
A sizable numbers of Oraon have immigrated to the northeastern part of India, where they are mainly employed in tea estates of West Bengal
West Bengal
West Bengal is a state in the eastern region of India and is the nation's fourth-most populous. It is also the seventh-most populous sub-national entity in the world, with over 91 million inhabitants. A major agricultural producer, West Bengal is the sixth-largest contributor to India's GDP...
, Assam
Assam
Assam , also, rarely, Assam Valley and formerly the Assam Province , is a northeastern state of India and is one of the most culturally and geographically distinct regions of the country...
, and Tripura
Tripura
Tripura is a state in North-East India, with an area of . It is the third smallest state of India, according to area. Tripura is surrounded by Bangladesh on the north, south, and west. The Indian states of Assam and Mizoram lie to the east. The capital is Agartala and the main languages spoken are...
.
Sarnaism
The Oraon AdivasiAdivasi
Adivasi is an umbrella term for a heterogeneous set of ethnic and tribal groups claimed to be the aboriginal population of India. They comprise a substantial indigenous minority of the population of India...
followed the 'Sarna' Dharam (Sarna religion) but due to the influence of Hinduism and Christianity some of the groups started following Sarna in Hindu style, as Bishnu Bhagats, Bacchinda Bhagats, Karmu Bhagats and Tana Bhagats; others accepted Christianity. The Oraons have established several Sarna sects. Oraons worship Mahaedeo (a name given for Dharmesh). Oraon believe every thing in nature has its own deity or god. They are adopting Hinduism in most places.
Kamru Bhagats (Oaron or Munda devotee) originated when Oarins acquired special powers after making a pilgrimage to Kamakhya
Kamakhya
Kamakhya is an important Tantric mother goddess closely identified with Kali and Maha Tripura Sundari, according to the Tantric texts that are the basis for her worship at the Kamakhya temple, a 16th century temple in the Kamrup district of Assam...
in Asom to pay respect to the Durga
Durga
For the 1985 Hindi Film of Rajesh Khanna see DurgaaIn Hinduism, Durga ; ; meaning "the inaccessible" or "the invincible"; , durga) or Maa Durga "one who can redeem in situations of utmost distress" is a form of Devi, the supremely radiant goddess, depicted as having eighteen arms, riding a lion...
.
Tana Bhagats were formed by Oaron saints Jatra Bhagat and Turia Bhagat. The Tana Bhagats opposed the taxes imposed on them by the British and they staged a Satyagraha (civil disobedience movement) even before Gandhi's satyagraha movement. All Tana Bhagats were the followers of Mahatma Gandhi during the Independence movement and participated in the movement. Still Tana Bhagats wears khadi
Khadi
The term khādī or khaddar means cotton. khādī is Indian handspun and hand-woven cloth. The raw materials may be cotton, silk, or wool, which are spun into threads on a spinning wheel called a charkha. It is a versatile fabric, cool in the summer and warm in the winter...
kurta, dhoti and Gandhi topi (cap) with tricoloured flag in their topi. All the Tana Bhagats are performing pooja to the Mahadeo and the tricolour with charakha symbol on it fixed at their courtyard.
Religious Beliefs
Most of population are SarnaAdivasi
Adivasi is an umbrella term for a heterogeneous set of ethnic and tribal groups claimed to be the aboriginal population of India. They comprise a substantial indigenous minority of the population of India...
(following Sarna Dharma, in which Dharmesh is the supreme almighty).
Sarna perform religious rituals under the shade of a sacred grove
Sacred grove
A sacred grove is a grove of trees of special religious importance to a particular culture. Sacred groves were most prominent in the Ancient Near East and prehistoric Europe, but feature in various cultures throughout the world...
. Sarna worship The Sun as Biri and the Moon as Chando. Chando Biri are the words which been used in the Sarna Puja. They called the earth Dharti Aayo (Earth as mother).
A large number of Oraons abandoned their original beliefs of Sarna .In fact, the 19th and 20th century troubles were mainly due to the hoarding malpractices of the British traders . These led to indirect deaths of millions of Biharis and Bengalis.The Christian missionaries found the Oraon community depressed and without food. Due to their missionary activities, many of them turned Christians. Many turned to Christianity due to greed of money.
External links
- Sinlung Sinlung - Indian tribes
This article includes material from the 1995 public domain
Public domain
Works are in the public domain if the intellectual property rights have expired, if the intellectual property rights are forfeited, or if they are not covered by intellectual property rights at all...
Library of Congress Country Study
Library of Congress Country Studies
The Country Studies are works published by the Federal Research Division of the Library of Congress , freely available for use by researchers. No copyright is claimed on them; therefore, they have been dedicated to the public domain and can be copied freely. Note that not all the pictures used...
on India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
.