IGRMS's exhibition on the Uthlu Birhors of Jharkhand

In the on-going

online exhibition

being organised by the

Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalaya

(IGRMS) an exhibition was recently organised where the livelihood and settlement patterns of

Jharkhand

were showcased. Dr. Praveen Kumar Mishra, Director,

IGRMS

said that the exhibition focuses survival strategies and distinctive livelihood patterns based on their traditional economic activities . In this episode, a collection from the Birhor tribe of Jharkhand showcasing their traditional way of foraging life is presented for the visitors. The collections include simple households, tools, weapons, snares, baskets, and nets used by the tribe in their foraging activities. One of the exciting aspects of the exhibition is the display of a twin hut known as Kumba. This typical house type was prepared by the Uthlu Birhors themselves at the time of making the exhibition.

The temporary settlement of the Uthlu Birhors is called Tanda. It may consist of a few groups of Kumbas (family house) headed by the headman or the priest called Naya, who is believed to have the ability to connect with the spiritual world and avert the misfortunes from the ill-ailments of the spirits. Except in the rainy season, they move from jungle to jungle in small groups with families and their belongings. Men carry fowls for occasional sacrifices to the spirits, hunting tools, weapons, and nets. In contrast, women carry on their heads the items like palm-leaf mats, baskets, wooden mortar & pestle, baskets with grains they have, and cooking pots for carrying water. Children are allowed to carry snares to train them for catching small animals.