IDITAL TRIBE – SOURA 1981

INTRODUCTION:
The soura  tribe is one of the most primitive and major tribes of orissa. They have a radial affinity  with the proto Austrialoids division of the Austric language family.They have also developed a script which is known  as soura sompen – Guru Mangei Gomango.

COUNTRY AND THE PEOPLE:

According to the census (1981) the souras population was around three lakhs seventy thousand at that time .The soura region begins from south Orissa in the districts of Ganjam ,Koraput and Rayagada. Another location is Chandigarh area,as are approches,from Berhempur on the Berhempur R-Udayagiri road leading to Paralakhemundi.The road then streches out to Gunupur which has the most density of soura villages.

The largest concentration of the tribes is in the district of Rayagada and it’s nearest villages like Putasing , Patilli, Ragintal, Talana, Digarjang, Talasing,Gundurba, Apaising and some tiny villages situated on the hill top of Manigulu.Besides in the district of Gajapati thereare some villages likeChandragiri, Jagannathpur, Sagada,  Kankorda, Baunsuni, Chakadhar etc.

They are primarily agriculaturist-About 50% are agricultural labourers and 41% arecultivatiors.They cultivate the dry lands in the foothills and grow vegetables in small areas of their  homestead land.According to the social existence,they are divided in to various flocks viz : Savara, Lanjia soura, jadu, Mane, Raik,Sarad,Kindal,Arasi, Juari, Kancher, Kurumba, Sadha,Jara and Kampo.  The duty of all the fluks is to provide for their own food andclothes.They are in title of Gamango, Dalabehera, Karji and Savar.

LIFE STYLE:

The lanjia soura is one kind of most primitive tribe among the soura caste.The soura villages are generally small.Even five to ten houses can make a village.The villages on  the hills  has a fairly well defined  boundary with stone piled walls running around , which reflects their artistic sensibility.

The soura houses,which are small and rectangural in ground plan are grass thatched and mud walled. The plinth of the houses is raised high to allow free drainage.The village head Gamango lives in the biggest house.The dress of soura man is very simple.His loin cloth hangs down in two strips,the one at the back being longer.The women wear skirts of coarse cloth touching the kness.

The souras practise two types of agriculture,shifting cultivation of the hill – slops bagl and terraced cultivation in the gentle slops of the foot hills.

They eat vegetables grow in kitchen gardens and fruits,roots,leaves and other edible materialscollected from forests. They rear chickens,pigs,buffaloes and now a days in the plains,goats and cattle.Handia (juice of rice – water) is their favourite drink.Soura festivals and ceremonies, in fact their entire  life is intimately connected with agriculturaloperations.