Tribes of India :: essays research papers

Indian Tribes Among the 68 million citizens of India who are members of tribal groups, the Indian tribal spiritual concepts, terminologies, and traffic patterns are as varied as the hundreds of tribes, but members of these groups have sensation thing in common they are under constant ram from the major organized religions. Some of this pressure is intentional, as outside missionaries transaction among tribal groups to gain converts. Most of the pressure, however, comes from the process of integration within a national political and economic system that brings tribes into increasing contact with otherwise groups and different, prestigious belief systems. In general, those tribes that remain geographically isolated in desert, hill, and forest regions or on islands are able to retain their conventional cultures and religions longer. Those tribes that make the transition away from hunting and gathering and toward sedentary agriculture, commonly as low-status laborers, find thei r ancient religious forms in decay and their coiffe filled by practices of Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, or Buddhism.One of the most studied tribal religions is that of the Santal of Orissa, Bihar, and West Bengal, one of the largest tribes in India, having a population estimated at 4.2 million. match to the 1991 census, however, only 23,645 people listed Santal as their religious belief.According to the Santal religion, the supreme deity, who ultimately controls the entire universe, is Thakurji. The weight of belief, however, falls on a court of liquor (bonga ), who handle different aspects of the world and who must be placated with prayers and offerings in holy order to ward off evil influences. These spirits operate at the village, household, ancestor, and subclan level, along with evil spirits that cause disease, and can inhabit village boundaries, mountains, water, tigers, and the forest. A characteristic feature of the Santal village is a sacred grove on the edge of the settlement where many spirits live and where a serial of annual festivals take place.The most important spirit is Maran Buru (Great Mountain), who is invoked whenever offerings are make and who instructed the first Santals in sex and brewing of rice beer. Maran Burus consort is the clement Jaher Era (Lady of the Grove).A yearly round of rituals connected with the agricultural cycle, along with life-cycle rituals for birth, marriage and burial at death, involves petitions to the spirits and offerings that include the sacrifice of animals, unremarkably birds. Religious leaders are male specialists in medical cures who practice divination and witchcraft.