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Paraja tribes of orissa:

The parajas are one of the well known major tribes of orissa .The parajas bear many features in common with the neighbouring major tribes namely the gond, the khondh and gadaba.In Koraput the parajas live with other communities like the Rana, paika, mali , dumb, the gadaba and the kondh.

But broadly the tribe is divided into two section namely Bada paraja and sana paraja. Apart from their respective cultural differences the major distiction between both the sub division is that the bada parajas following the hindu traditions , do not eat beef or buffalow meat and observes elaborate purificatory rituals even when a cow or buffallows dies in their household while the sana paraja eats the flesh of both these animals.

The parajas in general are strong , stout and hard working .Compact with other tribal communities , they show some cultural differences especially in respect of their settlement pattern, dress and ornaments, economic life, beliefs and worship, manners, customs and folk traditions. They are simple and friendly and hospitable but like to remain aloof from the people of other communities as they feel shy of them . Men usually wear loin cloth, napkins, and women wear coarse and cheap saree .Common ornaments used by paraja women consists of bangles , armlets, bracelets, necklaces, rings, hair pins etc usually made of silvers, alluminium , and brass. A number of brass ear rings dangles from each ear and the nose.The practice of tatooing is preavalent among paraja women . Girls above 5 years are found with tatoo mark in their faces and hands.

Parajas are not nomedic in nature but often they shift from one place to another in order to get relief fro the natural calamities , attack of wild animals, and other disasters which affect their well beings. In some villages houses are scattered here and there whilke in some other villages the individuals houses run in two parallel rows facing each others on a common street. In the open spaces between houses , sheds are built to accommodate domestic animals like cattle, sheeps, pigs, and fowls.The parajas are fond of using red or white coloured soils mixed with cow dung or ashes for colouring the house .The dormitory system is prevailing in the paraja society and the boys and girls spend nights in their respective dormitories to know each other more and develope intimacy . whenever they like they meet at the communal dancing ground at the center of the village and rejoice themselves by dancing together or simply hold song competition. Songs are mostly question, answer type. Through romantic love songs the boys and girls communicate their ideas and feelings. Sometime the whole night is spent on dancing.

The parajas have exogamous totomic septs (clan) such as bagh (tiger), kachim(tortoise), bokda(goat), netan (dog) , gohi( ligard) , and so on ...They highly respect their respective totomic species and observe taboos against killing or harming them .

The parajas are dedicated to alcoholic drinks and beverages.Use of liquour is a customary practice in all the magico religious rituals . They have a well organised socio political system, which functions as an independent autonomous unit.Parajas worships a number of gods and deities for their well beings.Parajas observe many festivals with pomps and ceremony round the year in order to propitiate their deities and ancestors as well as their own enjoyment.
The most significant festival of the year are the chaita parab and push parab .The day following chaita parab like all other tribal communities such as bondo, gadaba,kondh etc, all able bodied men of the village proceed on a hunting expedition .Dance, song and music are a characterstic feature of their aesthetic life without which they feel their life is meaningless.So far the parajas have more or less retained their own way of life which distinguish them from the other tribal and non tribal groups.

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