Tribal Tour to India

Tribal Tourism to India is inter connected and blends with the indigenous tribal culture, values and traditions, tourism products owned and operated by tribal people. Tourism which includes tribal habitat, heritage, history and handicrafts, typically involves small tourism businesses benefitted by tribes or families. Tribal Tourism focused on indigenous knowledge of their inheritant culture and nature. Modern India has many indigenous tribes, that even today, have retained their primitive customs and their lives are directly associated with their natural surroundings. Mentioned below is an overview of tribes and tourism in India and its importance.

What is tribal tourism
Major Tribes of India
Significance of tribal tourism in India
Major tribal destinations in India

Globally, various anthropologists have been using different terms to describe the indigenous groups include Ethnic Minorities (China, Vietnam, Philippines); Tribes (Africa, Americas); Hill Tribes (Thailand); Scheduled Tribes or Adivasis (India); Native American, Indian or Amerindian (North and South America); Indigenes (Latin America); Aboriginal (Australia, Canada, Taiwan) and First Nations (Canada). This historical continuity is based on occupation of ancestral lands, common ancestry, cultural practices and language. Indigenous people are also economically and culturally marginalized and often live in extreme poverty.

A tribe is viewed, historically or developmentally, as a social group existing before the development of, or outside of states. Many anthropologists used the term, tribal society, to refer to societies organized largely on the basis of kinship, especially corporate descent groups. Tribal tourism is a showcase of tribal life, art, culture and heritage. Tribal tourism enables interaction between the tourists and the local residents for an enriching experience. In his 1975 study, The Notion of the Tribe, anthropologist Morton H. Fried provided numerous examples of tribes the members of which spoke different languages and practiced different rituals, or that shared languages and rituals with members of other tribes. Similarly, he provided examples of tribes where people followed different political leaders, or followed the same leaders as members of other tribes. He concluded that tribes in general are characterized by fluid boundaries and heterogeneity, are not parochial and are dynamic. Indigenous tourist attractions include museums and cultural villages, nature-based tours, Indigenous fairs and festivals or events and art galleries. Cultural, environmental and spiritual aspects of Indigenous heritage and traditions are especially featured in Indigenous tourism. The UN Commission on Sustainable Development highlighted the key role of the indigenous peoples in the conservation of natural areas and species on their lands. Indigenous people comprise five percent of the world’s population but embody 80% of the world’s cultural diversity. They are estimated to occupy 20% of the world’s land surface but nurture 80% of the world’s biodiversity on ancestral lands and territories. India has a large number of tribal people who still belong to a social set-up, of which very little is known. These tribes who stay in different parts of the country are still to come out of their traditional way of life and join the mainstream. Not-with-standing this apparent aloofness, these tribes are very much a part of Indian society. Having a culture and tradition that is distinctly different from others, the tribes still occupy the yet to be discovered horizons.

Many of these tribes have unique traditions, festivals, music and modes of artistic expression. Tourists can experience these diverse communities and their heritage, through tribal tourism. The tribal tours in India are most refreshing and energizing. The other side of tribal tourism, if not managed properly, will lead to many negative social impacts on these communities. Modern India has many indigenous tribes, that even today, have been able to retain their primitive customs and their lives are directly associated with their natural surroundings. The tribals in India, are the pro-environmental communities who are fighting to protect rivers, lands and forests that are the sources of their livelihood. The congruity that exists between local tribal and Nature only helps in making tribal territories full of exotic biodiversities. In the western part of the country, in Rajasthan and Gujarat one can witness a way of life that is colorful, while in South India, the skillful craftsmanship of Todas of Nilgiri Hills will fascinate. Their pastoral way of life clearly brings out the beauty in simplicity. In Central India, in the picturesque Jharkhand, you will get to see the Santhals and the tribals of Bastar. The Santhals are one of the oldest tribals living in India. Again, the north-eastern tribes of India are known for their traditional songs and dances, their colorful handmade clothing and intricately woven bamboo handicrafts. There are often more to be seen than what meet the eyes. The tribal society is always a thing of great interest. With a well chalked out tour to any of these places you will be able to explore the roots of a multicultural and multilingual India, where unity in diversity is the essence of national spirit. The Census of India, 2011 has notified 705 scheduled tribes (tribal groups and subgroups) in 30 States / Union Territories in India including 75 primitive tribes in India. The total population of the scheduled tribes in India is 10,42,81,034 which forms 8.6 per cent of the total population of India. The Gonds and the Bhils are the major tribal groups in India and majority of them are settled in Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh. Dhurwa tribe is one of the sub-groups of Gond tribe residing in Chhattisgarh and Orissa. Tribal communities are mostly forest dwellers. Their health system and medical knowledge over ages, known as traditional health care system, depend both on the herbal and psychosomatic lines. The majority of India‟s tribal groups are present in central, northeast, western and east India. Tropical central states of Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh are home to the Gond, the region‟s largest tribe.. In Eastern India, almost one fourth of Odisha‟s population belongs to tribal community. India‟s tribes are known for their arts and craftsmanship. Tobe informed citizens of our rapidly changing multicultural world we must understand the ways of life of people from cultures different from our own. The objective of our conducted tours are to showcase : • The traditional ways of life of India’s ethnic cultures • It acquaints one with the contemporary ways of life throughout the world • to gain a general understanding of India’s culture

Keep in mind that restrictions for visitors apply to some of the regions inhabited by tribal communities. While planning your visit to a tribal community, please have a look at the following checklist: 1. Check the website of the Indian Embassy in your country 2. Note that the Government of India defines restricted areas from time to time (e.g. in some of the north-eastern states bordering other countries and Orissa / Odisha) 3. Follow the travel advice for India issued by your government (e.g. the website maintained by the foreign ministry) 4. India’s tribal schools and welfare organizations are required to follow certain procedures before accepting offers from foreign volunteers 5. Wherever volunteer work is an option, you may also want to make a contribution towards hospitality expenses “We envision forms of tourism which are non-exploitative, where decision making is democratized, and access to and benefits of tourism are equitably distributed. Everyday we hear that tourism brings economic development, it creates jobs and revenues. But who really benefits from it? The local community, the village elite, or the owner?” India is known for its hospitality and cultural diversity. Tribal communities are officially known as Scheduled Tribes (ST). They cherish their own cultural heritage and speak distinct languages of their own. This does not necessarily mean that they have been isolated from India’s “mainstream” society in living memory. It is wrong and does not help the tribal cause either to reduce the image of the Indian tribal society to that of destitute remnants, on the verge of dying out. – Voices from the Periphery, a multidisciplinary book on “reversing the gaze” >> As more “exotic” destinations are becoming accessible to a globalizing tourism industry, the ecological, economical and social impact on tribal communities can no longer be ignored. Some inhabit regions known for their biodiversity, lands that are ecologically fragile by definition, • Tribal Tourism in India • Description of various tribes in India • Experiences offered to tourists • How to choose a tribal tour • Pros & cons of tribal tour Cultural tourism is all movement of persons outside of their place of residence with the goal to learn, experience and contribute to the cultural, religious and idea heritage and live culture of the host culture and widen their cultural understanding and emotional pleasure of encounters with a culture, different or similar to theirs. Carefully formulated tribal tourism can act as a powerful medium towards the social and economic inclusion of tribes. Similarly, it would also provide for the tribes to have a sense of belonging to the nation and live a life of dignity and respect. While satisfying tourists’ interests and demands may be a top priority, it is also imperative to be culturally sensitive towards local tribes and their environs. Development pressures consequential to tribal tourism should be anticipated and set to their minimum level so as to conserve the area’s resources and prevent a saturation of the destination as to not abuse the product and the residents correspondingly. All tourism plans should incorporate the locals, especially the tribal youth, training and employing them and in the process encourage them to participate and benefit from travel business. Tourists should be made aware not just about the tribal areas as tourist destinations but also about how to help sustain the native character while broadening their travelling experience.