Tribal society - class-VII

There are many tribes in India that live in the forest. These tribal people are referred to as Adivasi and are poorest of the rest of the communities. These tribal communities mainly survive and depend on agriculture, fishing and hunting for their food. The tribals in forest areas live in huts spread over the forest area.

The ‘Baisakhi’ festival of Punjab is celebrated with great pomp by all. The festival marks the time for harvest of rabi crops and they celebrate the day by performing joyful bhangra and gidda dance. This festival also has tremendous religious significance for the Sikhs.

 The Eastern and North Eastern areas hold huge potential for improvement of agribusiness, agriculture, animal husbandry, and fisheries. In the Eastern locale, permanent cultivation in the fields and shifting cultivation in slopes are the two overwhelming examples of land use. Valley agribusiness is rehearsed all through the bumpy landscape both at low also, high heights.

East India is a region of India consisting of the Indian states of Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal,Odisha and also the union territory Andaman and Nicobar Islands. People live traditionally in these regions engaged in conventional work and reside in rural areas with the least expensive lifestyle. Many of the men are labourers while women handle household chores.

The people of South  India are benefitted by a long sea coast. They are short and sturdy in built. Rice is the staple diet, with fish being an integral component of coastal South India. They prefer to eat on banana leaves on all important occasions. Idli, dosa, sambhar, vada are some of the famous food items and are very well-known and popular.

Different languages are spoken in Southern India. English and regional languages like Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada are widely spoken. Tamil is spoken widely in Tamil Nadu, Kannada in Karnataka, Telugu in Andhra Pradesh and Malayalam is spoken in Kerala.

South Indian women traditionally wear the sari and adorn their hair with sweet-smelling garlands of flowers whereas men wear either a white dhoti or a colourful lungi.

The houses in South India are made of bricks, wood, bamboo, stones and mud. They have sloping roofs as it rains heavily in these areas. Sloping roofs are seen as a solution to this problem, as the water does not collect anywhere on the roof, and flows down freely.

Bhangda, the folk dance of Punjab is lively and liked by all. It is the folk dance of the agriculturist class of Punjab. Traditionally this dance is associated with the harvesting season and was performed on a full moon day.

India’s coastline is roughly 7,500 km with Arabian Sea on the West and Bay of Bengal in the East. A long coastline attracts tourism for several southern states in India like Goa, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Sea transport is much cheaper than land transport and it implies low cost of import and export interstate. There are plenty of resources like Mineral and fishing and many people engage in this work. There are variety of beaches in these states.

Traditionally an integral part of the Tamasha folk theatre of Maharashtra Lavni is the most popular and best-known folk dance form of the state. The term Lavani derives from the word Lavanya which means beauty and is usually performed by women.

Angrakha translates to ‘body protector’. It is worn in Rajasthan by men as a traditional attire which is usually a shorter shirt or frock like upper garment ideally made of cotton to withstand dry and hot weather conditions in Rajasthan. The garment is usually made of a material that can withstand heat and absorb sweat, which typically is cotton.

The staple food of North India is wheat which is consumed in the types of rotis or chapatis with sabzi or curry. The greater part of the North Indian individuals incline toward vegetarian diet aside from the Kashmiris.

In Maharashtra, women wear the nine-yard, divided sari (Nauvari / Kachhoto). The Nauvari style saree has its roots in war. In earlier times, Maratha women fought battles alongside the men and felt the need for a garment that aided free movement. This idea gave birth to the Nauvari saree.

Kathiyawad thaali is a famous food in Gujarat and Dal Bati is a traditional dish from the State of the Rajasthan.

Ghummar is a folk dance of Rajasthan. It is a community dance performed by groups of women on auspicious occasions. The name is derived from the word ghoomna which is an act of spinning.

Apartheid was South African government policy that sanctioned racial segregation among white minority and non-white majority population. The Population Registration Act of 1950 classified South African's as Bantu (black African), colored (mixed race), white and Asian (Indian & Pakistani). Under administration of President Frederik Willem de Klerk legislation supporting apartheid was repealed in 1990. Klerk and Nelson Mandela jointly received Nobel Prize for peace in 1993 for their efforts in establishing non-racial democracy in South Africa. 

People in Western India speak  Gujarati, Marathi, Konkani, Rajasthani and Hindi. Gujarati is mainly spoken in the state of Gujarat, Marathi in the state of Maharashtra and Rajasthani in the state of Rajasthan. Konkani is widely spoken in Maharashtra and Goa whereas Hindi is spoken in most parts of Western India.

Costumes of Jammu and Kashmir are well known for their embroidery and intricate designs. The form of clothing is designed to counter the cold climate of the region. The traditional Pheran which is a long tunic stretching upto their feet with full, long sleeves is the most popular form of dress among both men and women. Men also wear Mughal type turbans or headgear whereas coloured scarf called Tarangas are worn by women on their heads. 

The word "Punjab" is a combination of the Persian words panj (five), and "aab" (water), giving the literal meaning of the "Land of Five Rivers".The five rivers which gave Punjab its name are Beas, Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, and Sutlej. The chief occupation in Punjab is Agriculture. People work hard to maintain their fields and grow crops.

Houseboats are seen in the backwaters of Kerala. It is one of the most predominant ways to experience the backwaters of Kerala. Alappuzha in Kerala is famous for houseboats.

Agriculture and agriculture-related activities are the principal occupations of most of the people of North India. Apart from agriculture, people are engaged in the cottage and small industries too. 

The people of South  India are benefitted by a long sea coast. Rice is the staple diet, with fish being an integral component of coastal South India. They prefer to eat on banana leaves on all important occasions. 

Saffron is an important cash crop cultivated in Jammu and Kashmir. It is also one of the oldest commodities of Jammu and Kashmir having a large percentage of total share in income realizing of the state.

Hindi is widely spoken in north India. But besides Hindi, Punjabi, Sindhi and Kashmiri languages are also spoken. Local dialects such as Bhojpuri is spoken in eastern Uttar Pradesh while Bihari is spoken in Bihar, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh.

Costumes of Jammu and Kashmir are well known for their embroidery and intricate designs. The form of clothing is designed to counter the cold climate of the region. The traditional Pheran which is a long tunic stretching upto their feet with full, long sleeves is the most popular form of dress among both men and women. Men also wear Mughal type turbans or headgear whereas coloured scarf called Tarangas are worn by women on their heads. 

Jammu and Kashmir is famous for its natural beauty since time immemorial and has been aptly described as heaven on earth. It is India’s one of the most picturesque state and lies on the peaks of Himalayan Ranges with varying topography and culture.

South Indian women traditionally wear the sari and adorn their hair with sweet-smelling garlands of flowers. Apart from the sweet fragrance, the women wear Jasmine flowers mostly in south India as it is believed the flowers bring happiness and prosperity to the household.

Bamboo and wood are locally available in the eastern part of India. Thus, most of the houses of Eastern India are made of bamboo and wood, though some are also made of brick and cement.

Bihu and Ojapali are the famous folk dances of the state of Assam. Bihu is a colourful folk dance which is celebrated to mark the advent of Spring and Assamese new year. Ojapali is the most distinctive folk dance from Assam, representing the rich tradition and cultural heritage of the state.

Kuchipudi was created in the 15th century and is based on the description of women's beauty. Different poses and gestures performed by male and female dancers are woven in the foundation of this dance. Kuchipudi is famous in Andhra Pradesh. Guru Prahlad Sharma, Raja Reddy, Shobha Naidu are well-known dancers who have preserved this ancient tradition.

The origin of Bharatnatyam is believed to be Tanjor, a district in Tamil Nadu. There are two books Natyashastra by Bharatmuni and Abhinav Darpan by Nandikeshwar, which are the original sources of Bharatnatyam. Apart from Gopi Krishna and Mrinalini Sarabhai, actresses like Hema Malini are considered to be preserves of this heritage.

The backyards of most houses in Eastern India have small ponds known as Pukur. Pisciculture or fish breeding is practised in these small ponds.

South Indians are famous for their passion for religion, tradition, customs and culture. They follow a very ritualistic lifestyle. Therefore, festivals of South India make them popular all over the globe. Festivals like Onam, Pongal, Boat Races, Dussehra and Diwali are celebrated with great enthusiasm.

Assamese, Bengali and Oriya are commonly spoken by the people of Eastern India. Hindi and English are also spoken marginally. Assamese is spoken in Assam, Bengali in West Bengal and Oriya is spoken in the state of Orissa.

Rasgulla is an Indian syrupy dessert popular in the Indian subcontinent and regions with South Asian diaspora. It is made from ball-shaped dumplings of chhena (an Indian cottage cheese) and semolina dough, cooked in light syrup made of sugar. Rasgulla, a traditional Indian sweet made of homemade cheese dumplings soaked in sugar syrup. This dessert is common on the Indian subcontinent, especially in West Bengal and Odisha.

Bihu and Ojapali are the famous folk dances of the state of Assam. Bihu is a colourful folk dance which is celebrated to mark the advent of Spring and Assamese new year. Ojapali is the most distinctive folk dance from Assam, representing the rich tradition and cultural heritage of the state.

Kathakali and Mohiniattam are the classical dance forms of the Kerala state. Kathakali is basically a dance drama and is famous for its huge elaborate costumes, amazing make-up style, face masks, and ornaments. Mohiniattam is a dance form with soft, calm and gentle movements and is usually done by women.

The backyards of most houses in Eastern India have small ponds known as Pukur. Pisciculture or fish breeding is practised in these small ponds.

The Dal lake is situated in the city of Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir. Apart from the natural beauty, Dal Lake attractions are the colourful shikaras which is a wooden houseboat used for multiple purposes including transportation of people.

Hindi is widely spoken in north India. But besides Hindi, Punjabi, Sindhi and Kashmiri languages are also spoken. Local dialects such as Bhojpuri, Bihari are spoken in Uttar Pradesh.

The festivals and fair are indeed celebrated by great enthusiasm and excitement by North Indians. They take holidays, decorate their homes, interact with one another, plan trips and spend money to enjoy the festive season. They go shopping and wear a new dress and welcome festivals in an energetic environment. Some famous festivals  of North India are Diwali, Holi, Lohri, Baisakhi, Teej etc and Taj Mahotsav at Agra, Urs Fair at Ajmer, Cattle Fair at Pushkar are some fairs celebrated in North India.

Hindi is widely spoken in north India. But besides Hindi, Punjabi, Sindhi and Kashmiri languages are also spoken. Local dialects such as Bhojpuri, Bihari are spoken in Uttar Pradesh.

Shri Guru Nanak was the first Guru of the Sikhs (the dominant religion in Punjab), All Sikh Gurus after him have worn turbans. Wearing a Sikh Dastaar or turban is mandatory for Sikh men to take care of their uncut hair, and preserve their identity.

Lassi is a form of sweetened buttermilk from Punjab and is a delight to the taste buds. The combination of the refreshment, the energy boost and the digestive aid offered by lassi have made it increasingly popular among people around the world.

The dance forms of Ras and Garba belong to Gujarat. It is very popular all over the world. Garba originated in Gujarat and is performed during Navratri, a 9-day festival of Goddess Durga. The Ras is also performed during Navratri and is played with colourful wooden sticks.

In Rajasthan, men wear a dhoti and a short, pleated frock-shirt called Angarkhu. Women wear colourful, pleated ankle-length skirts called Ghaghra and long, waist-length blouses.

Although the long coastline of Gujarat ensures a huge variety of seafood, the influence of Jain culture and philosophy makes the region a predominantly vegetarian barring some communities. Gujarat has one of the largest population of Jains in the world and their practice of vegetarian cuisines, along with traditional Hindu cuisines, influence the people of Gujarat, in general, to tend towards a vegetarian diet.