Indian tribes are often called Adivaasi. Adivasiis an umbrella term for a heterogeneous set of ethnic and tribal groups considered theaboriginalpopulation ofIndia. Adivasi make up 8.6% ofIndia's population or 104 million according to the2011 census. They comprise a substantialindigenousminority of the population of India. The same term Adivasi is used for the ethnic minorities ofBangladeshand the nativeVedda peopleofSri Lanka(Sinhalese: ).The word is also used in the same sense inNepal, as is another word,janajati(Nepali:;janajti), although the political context differed historically under theShahandRanadynasties.Adivasi societies are particularly present in Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat,Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and some north-eastern states, and theAndaman and Nicobar Islands. Many smaller tribal groups are quite sensitive to ecological degradation caused by modernisation. Both commercial forestry and intensive agriculture have proved destructive to the forests that had enduredswidden agriculturefor many centuries.

Clothes :

In India, the Adivasi people typically wear animal skin as their dresses. However, they've also been known to wear dresses made of sturdy leaves.For example: The people of Jharkhand dont follow the conventional and traditional tribal dressing and try to uphold and exhibit their culture and heritage by using the old costumes such as dhoti, kurta-pajama and shirts.The clothing has imprints or paintings of the various colors of tribal art and life embellished on it. This gives the clothing a special look and appeal. The vibrant colors and high quality fabrics such as silk are some of the important factors that are taken care of by the people while they adorn this costume.On special occasions and events, men wear their traditional tribal dress.

Members of the Lori-speaking ethnic groups, including the Lors themselves, theBatrs, and theBor-Amadsare characterized by similar styles of dress, with variations reflecting differences in tribe and social class of the wearer, variations that can have strong symbolic meaning, particularly among the Batrs. There have been significant changes in the basic male dress in this century, as a comparison of current dress with that observed by travelers in the 19th and early 20th centuries reveals

FOOD:The adivasi takes coarse food and shows no extravagance in this aspect. They eat coarse grain, kodo, andkutki, drinkpej, eat little flour and are normally content with what little that they get. One of the prime foods is pej that can be made from grounding macca or from the water left from boiling rice. Local people gave testimony that this food is much better and healthier than many other food that they eat. Also, beyond doubt they eat several items from the forest that includes primarily Chirota Bhaji, Gular leaves such as Chirota, chinch, chakora, sarroota, peepal etc. They also eat BirarKand, Kadukand and other rhizomes. Mushroom is also a delicacy. Numerous fruits such as mango, char, jamun, tendu are also eaten. They hunt as well, primarily fish and small mammals.[11]

CULTURE :The Kharia live in and around the Hill ranges of the Chotanagpur. Their villages are situated on the hills as well as the plain surrounded by hill ranges covered with thick forest. The Kharia erect their houses with bamboo, wood, mud, Khar grass, straw and rope prepared from the tree bark. The houses are generally rectangular in shape. They do not contain window. They have door made up of wooden and iron bolts. The houses are not arranged serially. They are scattered here and there. The house consists of one room and verandah with courtyard. The same room is used as bed room, store room and kitchen. The verandah is used as guest room and keeping goats, chicks, ducks etc. Attached to the house, they have cow-shed and pigsty.

In side the house, they have earthen pots, aluminium pots, bronze vessel, brass Thali, tumbler and some steel utensils. They have iron-Tawa, knife, Karahi and Chholani. They have Pidha, cot and Machia. They possess mats, baskets, winnowing tray, rope made articles and wooden racks. Lorha-Silaut, Khal-Musali, Denki, Janta are also found in their house.

RELIGION:

Religion[edit]Main article:Tribal religions in IndiaThe majority of Adivasi practice Hinduism and Christianity. During the last two decades Adivasi fromOdisha, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand have converted to Protestant groups. Adivasi beliefs vary by tribe, and are usually different from thehistorical Vedic religion, with itsmonisticunderpinnings, Indo-European deities (who are oftencognatesof ancient Iranian, Greek and Roman deities, e.g.Mitra/Mithra/Mithras), lack of idol worship and lack of a concept ofreincarnation.[89]Animism[edit]Animism(fromLatinanimus, -i"soul,life") is theworldviewthat non-human entities (animals, plants, and inanimate objects or phenomena) possess a spiritual essence. Encyclopedia of Religion and Society estimate 1-5% India's population is animist.[90]India's government recognizes India indigenous have pre-Hindu faith of animist-based religions.[91][92]Animism is used in theanthropology of religionas a term for the belief system of someindigenous tribal peoples,[93]especially prior to the development of organized religion.[94]Although each culture has its own different mythologies and rituals, "animism" is said to describe the most common, foundational thread of indigenous peoples' "spiritual" or "supernatural" perspectives. The animistic perspective is so fundamental, mundane, everyday and taken-for-granted that most animistic indigenous people do not even have a word in their languages that corresponds to "animism" (or even "religion");[95]the term is ananthropological constructrather than one designated by the people themselves.Donyi-Polo[edit]Main article:Donyi-PoloDonyi-Poloi the designation given to theindigenous religions, ofanimisticandshamanictype, of theTani, fromArunachal Pradesh, in north-eastern India.[96][97]The name "Donyi-Polo" means "Sun-Moon".[98]Sanamahi[edit]Main article:SanamahismSanamahismis the worship of Sanamahi, the eternal force/cells responsible for the continuity of living creations. Sanamahi referred here is not to be confused with Lainingthou Sanamahi (The Supreme House-dwelling God of the Sanamahism). The religion has a great and unique traditional history which has been preserved till date for worshiping ancestors as almighty. Thus it signifies that Sanamahism is the worship of eternal force/cells present in living creations.Sidaba Mapu, the Creator God of Sanamahism. Sanamahism is one of the oldest religion ofSouth East Asia. It originated inManipurand is mainly practiced by theMeitei,Kabui,Zeliangrongand other communities who inhabit in Manipur,Assam,Tripura.

OCCUPATION:Occupation of indian tribes are 1. Agriculture 2. Fishing3. Hunting4. Planting5. Selling of bamboos

Example of Jharkhand mundas :

Mundas have remained haunters for centuries. But now they have been converted into the settled agriculturist. Most of the then do not have land of their own. They are largely dependent on the labour work in the fields to earn their livelihood.