The culture of the city of Dantewada includes the traditions and customs followed by the local tribes of residing here. In spite of being surrounded by states like Andhra Pradesh and Odisha, Dantewada has managed to preserve its own cultural identity. The people residing in this part of Chhattisgarh are mostly non vegetarians. Their lifestyle, costumes, food habits and folk arts each represent their unique appeal of the local culture. Some of the many tribes of Dantewada includes Halba, Mariyas or Muriyas, Dorla,etc.
Languages in Dantewada
The tribal groups in the Dantewada speak a
number of different dialects and languages. Even though they do not
have any official recognized language, a dialect derived from Hindi is
largely spoken by the tribes here. Some of the local dialects of the
tribes residing in Dantewada includes Aboojhmarhi, Parji, Bhatri,
Damdami and Dharvi are the many other dialects. Hindi is language of
common people in Dantewada.
Folk Songs and Dance Forms of
Dantewada
The rich cultural heritage of
Dantewada District is reflected in its music, art, dance, and craft etc.
Folk Songs in Dantewada occupy an important place in the culture of the
people residing here. Tribes of the region indulge in dance and music while celebrating
various festivals and occasions. Some of the folk songs of Dantewada include Dhankul Geet, Leja, Mariro, Jhaliyana Geet, Kotni, Reelo, Chait Parab Geet and others. Bastaria dance, Gedi, Dandari, Karsad, Gurgal, Dandami-Maria are prevelant folk dances of the regiom. People of the region are fond of folk dramas like Dandari, Giti, Bhatrawhich as they form major source of entertainment in the region.
Festivals and Customs in Dantewada
The culturally rich district of Dantewada loves celebrating various festivals where the tribes here rejoice in the gaieties. The tribal inhabitants in this District love to celebrate every day of their lives and thus have grand festive celebrations almost every day. Most of the festive celebrations here are consumed with lots of food, drink, dance, music, mirth and merriment. The tribes of the region are firm believers in God. They also believe in evil spirits and black magic. There are also several kinds of marriages held amongst the tribes residing in Dantewada District like the Dharjiya Vivah, Bahu-Vivah, Vridh Vivah, Apharan-Vivah, etc. Apart from theses Mahla Jane is another form of marriage which is common here. After a person is dead the tribals follow the tradition of burning the corpses. Although, the little children are mostly buried. The residents of this city or the tribes celebrate a number of festivals like Diwali, Ratha Yatra, Goncha, Holi, Dussehra, Fagun, Pandum and many more. The festivals are celebrated with much delight including a lot of traditions.
Religion in Dantewada
Hinduism is the major religion in
Dantewada even though Muslims, Buddhists and Christians form a sizeable
group in this particular District. The tribals residing in the district
of Dantewada worship many religious
deities like Bhairam Dev, Ghat Dev, Mawli Mata, Seethla Devi, Bhima
Dev, Aanga Dev, Danteshwari and others. Apart from these deities, nature
worship is also performed by the tribes living here. Jainism and
Christianity are also two other religions followed by the
people living here. It is believed by these people that religion greatly
influences the political system of a place.
Costumes of Dantewada
The District of Dantewada has different
tribal groups living together in the same city. These groups have
contributed to the culture of the District which is greatly influenced
by the costumes worn by the tribes residing here. Clothes worn by the
locals here are mostly made of fabrics like cotton, linen and silk.
Along with that, various colors are also used in the clothes worn by the
locals here. Both the tribal men and women wear bright and colorful
costumes. The main feature of the costumes worn by the people in this
particular district is the use of a variety of colors in the costumes.
The women here love wearing jewelleries like phuli
which is basically a hanging nose ring made of the silver, gold or
metals, necklace with a garland of black pearl or karipot, ear pots
which are known as khinwa, mahar mela which is a garland of coins and
chudiya or bangles which are made from brass, clay, silver, wood, gold
or aluminium. Apart from these some of the tribes decorate their bodies
with tattoos of different beautiful designs.