Bhunjia
Encyclopedia
The Bhunjia are a scheduled tribe found in the state of Orissa
in India
. There homeland is the Sunabeda
plateau which is roughly between 21° 25° North and 21° 30° north latitude and 82° 35° East longitude. It was a part of Khariar Zamindari, which formed the eastern and the southeastern region of Raipur district
of Chhatisgarh division in Central Province till 1 April 1936, when it was transferred to Orissa
on its creation. It is now in Komna block of Nuapada district in Orissa.
Nearly 62 tribal groups are living in Orissa
, out of which 10 tribal groups may be identified in Nuapada
. The Bhunjias, a primitive tribe of Orissa, are found in Nuapada. Nuapada is considered as the homeland of the Bhunjias. 75 percent of the total population of this tribe lives here. They are living in the uphill range of Sunabeda plateau in Nuapada.
According to the 1981 Census the population of Bhunjia was 7000 and now it must be around 10000. Accordingly 75 percent of populations i.e. about 7500 Bhunjias are living in Nuapada. According to the tribe, the term "Bhunjia" means growing out of land or origin from the earth.
s of Orissa. There are so many myths among the Bhunjia and the Gond, which speak of strong relationship among the Gonds and the Bhunjias. On setting in the Sunabeda plateau, the Bhunjias did not have marital relations with any tribal group, but in course of time, when the Gonds came in to their area, marital relation was established with them. From this the population was divided in to two inter-marrying groups, namely Markam and Netarn. Due to this close proximity with the Gonds, Bhunjias have adopted many of the Gods and Goddesses of the Gonds as their own. The two groups worship God and Goddesses common to the locality such as Budharaja and Sunadei.
, Marathi
and Chhatisgarhi. However K.C.Dubey analyzing the myth and oral tradition
of Chhatisgarh, considers the Bhunjia as a branch of Halbas of Baster, who fled from Baster due to their quarrel with Dhakars
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...
in 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...
. There homeland is the Sunabeda
Sunabeda
Sunabeda is a township in the state of Orissa, India, ensconced in the lush valleys of the Koraput region. It is also home to Engine Division - Koraput of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited , an aircraft manufacturing company...
plateau which is roughly between 21° 25° North and 21° 30° north latitude and 82° 35° East longitude. It was a part of Khariar Zamindari, which formed the eastern and the southeastern region of Raipur district
Raipur District
Raipur district is a district in the Chhattisgarh state of India. Raipur is the administrative headquarter of the district. The district is rich in mineral resources. There are many wild life sanctuaries and sight seeing places worth visiting...
of Chhatisgarh division in Central Province till 1 April 1936, when it was transferred to 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...
on its creation. It is now in Komna block of Nuapada district in Orissa.
Nearly 62 tribal groups are living in 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...
, out of which 10 tribal groups may be identified in Nuapada
Nuapada
Nuapada,is a city in Koshal region of Orissa state of eastern India. It is the headquarters of Nuapada district. It is part of Orissa, liguistically & culturally.-Politics:...
. The Bhunjias, a primitive tribe of Orissa, are found in Nuapada. Nuapada is considered as the homeland of the Bhunjias. 75 percent of the total population of this tribe lives here. They are living in the uphill range of Sunabeda plateau in Nuapada.
According to the 1981 Census the population of Bhunjia was 7000 and now it must be around 10000. Accordingly 75 percent of populations i.e. about 7500 Bhunjias are living in Nuapada. According to the tribe, the term "Bhunjia" means growing out of land or origin from the earth.
History and origin
The Bhunjia, have racial and cultural affinity with the GondGondi people
The Gondi, Goindi or Gond people are people in central India, spread over the states of Madhya Pradesh, eastern Maharashtra , Chhattisgarh, northern Andhra Pradesh, and Western Orissa. With over four million people, they are the largest tribe in Central India.The Gondi language is related to...
s of Orissa. There are so many myths among the Bhunjia and the Gond, which speak of strong relationship among the Gonds and the Bhunjias. On setting in the Sunabeda plateau, the Bhunjias did not have marital relations with any tribal group, but in course of time, when the Gonds came in to their area, marital relation was established with them. From this the population was divided in to two inter-marrying groups, namely Markam and Netarn. Due to this close proximity with the Gonds, Bhunjias have adopted many of the Gods and Goddesses of the Gonds as their own. The two groups worship God and Goddesses common to the locality such as Budharaja and Sunadei.
Subdivisions
Bhunjias are divided in to two main sections i.e. Chinda Bhunjia and Chaukhutia Bhunjia. The Chaukhutia Bhunjia are confined exclusively to the hills of the Sunabeda plateau in ecologically secluded areas for which they maintain distance from the outsiders. But the Chinda Bhunjia generally lives in the plains and have close contact with the tribal and non-tribal communities. The religious life of Bhunjia is very simple. They believe in many Gods and Goddesses who are worshipped in different months on different ritual occasions.Language
They speak Halbi language, a mixture of OriyaOriya language
Oriya , officially Odia from November, 2011, is an Indian language, belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European language family. It is mainly spoken in the Indian states of Orissa and West Bengal...
, Marathi
Marathi language
Marathi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people of western and central India. It is the official language of the state of Maharashtra. There are over 68 million fluent speakers worldwide. Marathi has the fourth largest number of native speakers in India and is the fifteenth most...
and Chhatisgarhi. However K.C.Dubey analyzing the myth and oral tradition
Oral tradition
Oral tradition and oral lore is cultural material and traditions transmitted orally from one generation to another. The messages or testimony are verbally transmitted in speech or song and may take the form, for example, of folktales, sayings, ballads, songs, or chants...
of Chhatisgarh, considers the Bhunjia as a branch of Halbas of Baster, who fled from Baster due to their quarrel with Dhakars