Amongst various tribes who have settled down in the heartland of Bihar state, Pahari Korwa deserves worth mentioning. Like most of the tribal communities of India, these Pahari Korwa tribes too practice cultivation, thereby, producing various crops.
Some of the Anthropologists have tried to trace the origination of these Pahari Korwa tribes. According to them, these tribes belong to the Austro- Asiatic family group. If one divides the whole of the Pahari Korwa tribal community, one can find that there are two sub tribes, popularly known as Pahari Korwa and Dihari Korwa.
The anthropologists have given a vivid description of their physical stature and form. According to them, these Paharia Korwa tribes have got medium to short height and have a dark brown or black skin.
The society of the Paharia Korwa tribes is further segregated into 5 `totamistic clans`, namely, Hansadwar, Samar, Edigwar, Ginnur and Renla.
The society of the Paharia Korwa has a rich heritage of culture and tradition, as depicted in the their fairs, festivals, music and dancing forms. The villages that these Paharia Korwa tribes built are usually selected on the top of the hill. Sometimes they are being constructed in the fringes of the forest areas. Most of the families of Paharia Korwa follow the nuclear family structure. Just like any other tribal communities of Indian subcontinent, the religious practices of these Paharia Korwa is restricted to ancestral worship and to the worship of a handful of gods and deities.
Another remarkable characteristic of these Paharia Korwa tribes is that magic and invocation of the spirits are being practiced in the whole of the society. In fact most of the Paharia Korwa tribes are really scared of executing any type of magical fetes or shows. However, these tribes have had tremendous faith on various deities. The significant gods being sigri Dev, Gauria Dev, Mahadev and Parvati. Khudia Rani is the supreme god of this Paharia Korwa tribal community. The reasons behind revering these deities are many. They want to get recovered from sickness, have better crops, and also to get protection from several natural disasters.
Due to their huge accessibility to the forest provinces, it is only natural that these Paharia Korwa are going to take up the occupation of hunting and gathering. Maximum of these Paharia Korwa tribes collect several items from the forests including Sal, mahua, gum, tendu leaves, amla, harra, bahera ets. During the monsoon times, these Paharia tribes involve themselves in collecting some of the forest roots, leaves and vegetables.
However, in order to keep themselves at par with the modern trends and practices, in the contemporary times, they adapt to the farming and irrigation and too with the aid of the ancient tools and techniques only. Fishing too is exercised as occupation by some of the Paharia Korwa tribal communities. At times when they are free from the burden of undertaking agricultural works, these Paharia Korwa tribes work in the fields as laborers.
They have developed the habit of taking several food grains. Also at the time of the odd season, they fulfill their hunger on leaves, fruits, tubers namely Gainth, Pitharu, Nakwa, katharu, kulthi, konge, charhat, bilar etc. During the months of October and March, they get the supply of better food which includes makai maize, kutki,arhar(pigion pea),and other pulses etc.
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