Sora tribe
Encyclopedia
The Sora are a tribe from Southern Orissa
,North Coastal Andhra Pradesh India
. They are also found in the hills of Bihar
, Madhya Pradesh
and Maharashtra
.
The Souras are second most prominent tribal community in the Rayagada
district of Orissa
and specific pockets of Koraput
and Gajapati Districts. They are in Srikakulam, Vizianagaram and Visakhapatnam districts also. They are also sometimes called Lanjia Souras due to their dress pattern wear a loin cloth hanging from behind & which could be mistakenly identified as a tail by a stranger. They inhabit blocks of Gunupur
, Padmapur
and Gudari
. Their highest concentration is found in the Puttasingi area, approximately 25 km away from Gunupur NAC. Although, they are close to the assimilation process, yet some interior GPs like Rejingtal, Sagada and Puttasingi have Souras who still retain their traditional tribal customs and traditions.
They are known by various names such as "Savara", "Sabara", "Sora" and "Soura". They are concentrated in parts of Gunupur adjoining to the blocks of Gumma, Serango of Gajapati district. The Saoras speak a Munda language
. However, written language in saora is not followed by all. They practice shifting cultivation
, with a few gradually taking up settled agriculture. Like Dongorias they belong to Proto-Australoid
racial stock.
They are endogamous and the clan, although absent, is related to "Birinda", which is exogamous. Families are nuclear although joint or extended families are also found. Marriages are made by bride capture, elopement and by negotiations.
The Sora people are a dwindling jungle tribe with a distinctive shamanic culture. According to an article in Natural History, "a shaman, usually a woman, serves as an intermediary between the two worlds [of the living and the dead]. During a trance, her soul is said to climb down terrifying precipices to the underworld, leaving her body for the dead to use as their vehicle for communication. One by one the spirits speak through her mouth. Mourners crowd around the shaman, arguing vehemently with the dead, laughing at their jokes, or weeping at their accusations."http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1134/is_n2_v106/ai_19360546
The Saoras practice swidden or shifting cultivation. They are more adept or skilled in terraced cultivation where they grow varieties of cereal and pulses.
The Saora family is polygamous. The total household economy revolves around the woman member who is hardworking and who helps her husband in ploughing and harvesting crops in addition to attending household chores exclusively.
The tribals of Rayagada observe a string of festivals. Some are closed affairs, relating to a birth or death within the family or daughter attaining puberty. Others relate to sowing or harvest time and these involve the entire community. Mostly, a festival is an occasion for a good of Mahua liquor or HANDIA liquor, a game roasted on the spirit and a night of song and dance and reveling. But that is not the end. There is an animal sacrifice too for the deities and spirits must be appeased first, particularly the malevolent ones so that they will not face drought or sickness of land.
However, in the last two or more decades many of the traditional Sora beliefs have been superseded by Chritianity that was introduced by missionaries. In many areas the shamanic and animist beliefs are distant memories, and in some areas, particularly around Puttasingh the graveyards of the ancestors have been destroyed. There is nowadays a move by nationalist Hindu groups to convert the Sora to Hinduism. This conflict has given rise to great tension in the area.
Orissa
Orissa , officially Odisha since Nov 2011, is a state of India, located on the east coast of India, by the Bay of Bengal. It is the modern name of the ancient nation of Kalinga, which was invaded by the Maurya Emperor Ashoka in 261 BC. The modern state of Orissa was established on 1 April...
,North Coastal Andhra Pradesh 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...
. They are also found in the hills of Bihar
Bihar
Bihar is a state in eastern India. It is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size at and 3rd largest by population. Almost 58% of Biharis are below the age of 25, which is the highest proportion in India....
, Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh , often called the Heart of India, is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal and Indore is the largest city....
and Maharashtra
Maharashtra
Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
.
The Souras are second most prominent tribal community in the Rayagada
Rayagada
Rayagada is a municipality in Rayagada district in the Indian state of Orissa. It is the administrative headquarters of Rayagada district.-Geography:...
district of Orissa
Orissa
Orissa , officially Odisha since Nov 2011, is a state of India, located on the east coast of India, by the Bay of Bengal. It is the modern name of the ancient nation of Kalinga, which was invaded by the Maurya Emperor Ashoka in 261 BC. The modern state of Orissa was established on 1 April...
and specific pockets of Koraput
Koraput
Koraput is a town and a Notified Area Council in Koraput district in the Indian state of Orissa.-History:The district of Koraput derives its name from its headquarters the present town of Koraput. In ancient times when the Nalas were ruling over this tract, Pushkari near modern Umarkot was the...
and Gajapati Districts. They are in Srikakulam, Vizianagaram and Visakhapatnam districts also. They are also sometimes called Lanjia Souras due to their dress pattern wear a loin cloth hanging from behind & which could be mistakenly identified as a tail by a stranger. They inhabit blocks of Gunupur
Gunupur
Gunupur is a town and a notified area committee in Rayagada district in the Indian state of Orissa.-Geography:Gunupur is located at . It has an average elevation of . It is located in the lap of the Eastern Ghat and on the banks of river Vamshadhara. It has a mixed climate of mountains & Coastal...
, Padmapur
Padmapur
Padmapur is a town and a notified area committee in Bargarh district in the Indian state of Orissa.-Geography:Padmapur is located at . It has an average elevation of 205 metres .-Demographics:...
and Gudari
Gudari
Gudari may refer to:*Gudari, Rayagada, a town in Rayagada District, Orissa, India*Euzko Gudarostea, an army commanded by Basque Autonomous Community...
. Their highest concentration is found in the Puttasingi area, approximately 25 km away from Gunupur NAC. Although, they are close to the assimilation process, yet some interior GPs like Rejingtal, Sagada and Puttasingi have Souras who still retain their traditional tribal customs and traditions.
They are known by various names such as "Savara", "Sabara", "Sora" and "Soura". They are concentrated in parts of Gunupur adjoining to the blocks of Gumma, Serango of Gajapati district. The Saoras speak a Munda language
Sora language
Sora is a Munda language of India, spoken by some 288,000 native speakers in South Orissa in eastern India, mainly in the Ganjam District, but also in the Koraput and Phulbani districts; other communities exist in Andhra Pradesh , Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, and the...
. However, written language in saora is not followed by all. They practice shifting cultivation
Shifting cultivation
Shifting cultivation is an agricultural system in which plots of land are cultivated temporarily, then abandoned. This system often involves clearing of a piece of land followed by several years of wood harvesting or farming, until the soil loses fertility...
, with a few gradually taking up settled agriculture. Like Dongorias they belong to Proto-Australoid
Proto-Australoid
The Proto-Australoids are a hypothesized group of ancient hunter-gather people descended from the first major wave of modern humans to leave sub-Saharan Africa ~100,000 years ago...
racial stock.
They are endogamous and the clan, although absent, is related to "Birinda", which is exogamous. Families are nuclear although joint or extended families are also found. Marriages are made by bride capture, elopement and by negotiations.
The Sora people are a dwindling jungle tribe with a distinctive shamanic culture. According to an article in Natural History, "a shaman, usually a woman, serves as an intermediary between the two worlds [of the living and the dead]. During a trance, her soul is said to climb down terrifying precipices to the underworld, leaving her body for the dead to use as their vehicle for communication. One by one the spirits speak through her mouth. Mourners crowd around the shaman, arguing vehemently with the dead, laughing at their jokes, or weeping at their accusations."http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1134/is_n2_v106/ai_19360546
Occupations
Instead of clan organization they have their extended families called Birinda, which consists of descendants from a common ancestors of four to five generation. Marriage by negotiation is held ideal, though expensive. The Saoras' religion is very elaborate and deep rooted. They are polytheist and believe in large number of deities and ancestral spirits. They practice both Podu and terraced cultivation with varieties of cereals. They also collect minor forest produce for their livelihood. They are very artistic people and are famous for their wall paintings called EDITAL. Dance and music constitute part and parcel of their rich aesthetic life.The Saoras practice swidden or shifting cultivation. They are more adept or skilled in terraced cultivation where they grow varieties of cereal and pulses.
The Saora family is polygamous. The total household economy revolves around the woman member who is hardworking and who helps her husband in ploughing and harvesting crops in addition to attending household chores exclusively.
Religious beliefs
Like the Dongorias, the Saoras are highly religious with each and every natural phenomenon attributed to the works of some Gods, deities or spirits. Therefore, the customary law, values, norms are highly respected by all members of the society for the fear of inviting personal or communal harms. The social control mechanism revolves around the religious beliefs, which are very strong.The tribals of Rayagada observe a string of festivals. Some are closed affairs, relating to a birth or death within the family or daughter attaining puberty. Others relate to sowing or harvest time and these involve the entire community. Mostly, a festival is an occasion for a good of Mahua liquor or HANDIA liquor, a game roasted on the spirit and a night of song and dance and reveling. But that is not the end. There is an animal sacrifice too for the deities and spirits must be appeased first, particularly the malevolent ones so that they will not face drought or sickness of land.
However, in the last two or more decades many of the traditional Sora beliefs have been superseded by Chritianity that was introduced by missionaries. In many areas the shamanic and animist beliefs are distant memories, and in some areas, particularly around Puttasingh the graveyards of the ancestors have been destroyed. There is nowadays a move by nationalist Hindu groups to convert the Sora to Hinduism. This conflict has given rise to great tension in the area.
Their society
The saora have a traditional political organization at each village and region, having hereditary post of Gomango (secular head), Buyya (religious head), Mondal, Raito and Barik (messenger) discharging the function of a tradition court of law, by hearing both sides and awarding punishments. However, unlike the Dongaria, the Saoras in Rayagada have adopted Christianity in large numbers and therefore the traditional economy, polity and religion is at a cross road. Due to its impact, they have adopted modern ways of life by joining Govt. and non-govt. services. Their traditional dress pattern has been changed drastically, leaving behind only few people in the interior villages retaining their traditional cultural life style. The Saoras have made history in pre-British and British period and post independence as a community known for their economic and political integrity.- Sinlung Sinlung – Indian tribes