Rapid Fire
Kandha Tribe
- 20 May 2025
- 2 min read
Facial tattooing among Kandha tribal women in Odisha’s Kandhamal district is a fading tradition, reflecting both past trauma and present-day empowerment.
- Facial tattoos among Kandha women, applied from age 10 in geometric patterns, served as a form of protection against sexual exploitation (not decorative) by landlords, royals, and British colonizers.
- About Kandha Tribe: It is numerically highest among all the 62 tribes of Odisha, making up 17.13% of the state’s tribal population according to the 2001 Census.
- They speak Kui or Kuvi (Dravidian languages) and call themselves ‘Kui loku’, ‘Kui enju’, or ‘Kuinga’ from the Dravidian Kui and Kuvi languages.
- Nuclear families are common and joint families are rarely found.
- Their population is concentrated mainly in south and central Odisha, especially in Kandhamal, Rayagada, Koraput, and Kalahandi districts.
- Among Kandha communities, Kutia Kandha and Dongria Kandha are recognized as Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs).
- PVTG is a more vulnerable sub-group of Scheduled Tribes. India has 75 PVTGs, with Odisha having the most (13), followed by Andhra Pradesh (12).
- Dongria Kandha are recognized for opposing mining in the Niyamgiri hills, while Kutia Kandha reside in distinct homes with floors situated about 2 ft below the village road level.
| Read More: Dongria Kondh Tribe |
