Guardians of the green

The Hindu

11-05-2025

In the Niyamgiri Hills of Odisha, the indigenous tribe of Dongria Kondh lives in quiet harmony with nature, preserving ancient traditions, worshipping mountain spirits and nurturing the land.
Known as worshippers of Niyam Raja, the supreme deity who resides in these verdant hills, the Dongria Kondh live in scattered hamlets nestled amidst thick forests and terraced slopes. Traditionally agrarian, they practise podu cultivation, a centuries-old shifting form of farming where forest patches are cleared and burned to plant millets, pineapple, turmeric and seasonal vegetables. Life here follows the rhythm of nature and ancestral wisdom passed through generations.
Their attire is as distinctive as their culture. The Dongria women are strikingly adorned, their attire is minimal yet symbolic. A single piece of cloth wrapped around the body, once worn without blouses, reflects a deep-rooted cultural ethos. While many elders still adhere to this, younger women increasingly wear stitched blouses, mirroring the subtle seepage of urban influences. Yet, their fierce love for adornment remains unchanged. Metallic nose pins, often several at once, dot the faces of even young girls, while women wear rows of earrings along the length of their ears, their foreheads often marked with distinctive permanent tattoos. The men, equally striking, wear colourful turbans and a simple loincloth, some decorating their bodies with traditional tattoos. These accessories are expressions of identity and reverence for their ancestors.
The Dongria Kondh speak Kui, an ancient Dravidian language, and preserve their heritage through oral narratives, songs, and dances.
In a historic battle to save their hills, the Dongria Kondh rose in defiance against Vedanta Resources, a mining giant that sought to extract bauxite from the Niyamgiri range. Their resistance became a global symbol of indigenous rights.
Backed by activists and legal advocates, the community took their fight to the Supreme Court, which in 2013 upheld their right to decide the fate of their land. In a series of landmark village council meetings, the Dongria unanimously rejected the project, a rare victory of grassroots power over corporate might.
Smartphones have made their way into these remote hills, capturing tribal festivals and connecting youth with the outside world. But amid the changing winds, the Dongria Kondh continue to guard their forests and faith, living on the edge of modernity without letting it blur the contours of their unique identity.
Piercing look: A girl from the Dongria Kondh tribal group of the Niyamgiri Hills of Odisha has traditional nose pins on. It is common for women of the community to wear three nose-rings.
Colours of life: Showcasing the tribal community's love for ornaments, a woman flaunts her traditional metal nose pins, earrings, bangles, necklaces and other colourful accessories on her hair, neck and hand.
Shaking a leg: Young women from the tribal group, clad in traditional wear and accessories, dance to drumbeats during a festival near the Niyamgiri hills of Odisha.
Shared interests: The women help each other in dressing up before a festival.
Deft climber: A tribal girl standing by a hill where podu cultivation was done near the Niyamgiri range of Odisha.
Traditional vibes: Two women of the particularly vulnerable tribal group Dongria Kondh sitting outside their homes.
Drift from the past: The attire of the Dongria Kondh women is slowly becoming more mainstream due to influence from the urban areas nearby.
Old and new: Dongria Kondh women check their mobile phones after dressing up in traditional attire for a village festival.
One for the album: A mother, with her child, clicks a selfie on a smartphone, reflecting the changing times in the tribal heartland.