Children of the Forest God

First Online: August 15, 1997
Last Updated: November 16, 2024

Over hundred or so different tribes spread over India have suffered the indignity of caste discrimination for centuries. It was Mahatma Gandhi who fought hard to recognize them as free citizens of India and called them the Girijans or the Children of the Forest God. Upon independence in 1947, the Government of India spent a lot of resources to improve the life of the native Indians or Scheduled Tribes, as they are known in India today. While  much progress is made in reforming the tribals, the forced change gave rise to numerous unforeseen problems in India, including social conflict, loss of identity, and coerced religious conversions.

The following is a potpourri of topics on the Tribals of India, mostly based on the first person studies and photographs by my father K.L.Kamat. Many tribes believed (in the 1960s and 1970s) that posing for the photograph caused their death, and the extent and the pains Kamat has taken to document these itself is a subject for a volume; he has shared meals with the poorest of the poor in their habitat, waited hours to take natural photographs, coaxed and coerced the villagers into providing information, and has studied works of other anthropologists. 

Kamat has claimed that interaction with tribals provided him with "true fulfillment of life" (see his introduction), and by keenly studying this exhibit at Kamat's Potpourri, we hope that you will learn about the little known, but very rich traditions and cultures of the tribals of India.

-Vikas Kamat

Table of Contents

Stories of Bastar Travel Krishnanand Kamat travels and lives among tribals of Madhya Pradesh. Read about the enrichment, and exploitation.	Women in Tribal Societies Jyotsna Kamat's eye opening research paper on the role of women in tribal societies of Central India, and what we can learn from them.
Tribal World of Verrier Elwin Story of a Christian missionary turned anthropologist who devoted his life for the betterment of the tribals of India.	Halakki Tribals of Karavali Articles and pictures of a farming tribe on the Indian west coast.
Photographing Tribals Dr. Kamat on his difficulties and joys of photographing the primitive lifestyles of tribals during 1976-77.	Kingdom of the Young Article on the fascinating system of tribal education involving free sex, hunting, dancing, and music.
Indigenous Indians Primary sources such as diary entries, letters, sketches, and photographs documenting the various tribes of India.

Index of Pictures

• Bangles that resemble Anklets
• Bastar Tribals, 1962-63
• Bells of a Adivasi Dancer
• Bison Horn Maria Drummer
• Born in poverty, raised in poverty….
• Buffalo-horn head gear, Madhya Pradesh
• Dancers Walking on Stilts
• Dancing Tribal Women
• Daughter of the Forest
• Decorated Headgear of a Tribal Student
• The Female of the Tribe
• Finely Crafted Bangle
• A Girl Belonging to the Santhal Tribe and her Pet
• Gramokkal Lady of Hebbar Hittal, 1987
• A Halakki woman going to market to sell vegetables
• Halakki Women in a Group Dance
• Halbi Tribal Man Praying in front of a Tulasi
• Korku Tribal with his Stick Tool
• A Lambani Woman and her Jewelry
• "Light heart cures poverty"
• Long Distance Walking
• A Male Dancer and his Tangi (Axe)
• Man Belonging to the Korku Tribe
• Man Belonging to the Kadu Kuruba Tribe
• Santhal Tribal Habitat, Bengal
• Silver Jewelry of a Gondati
• A Sundi Tribal
• Tattoos of a Tribal Woman
• Toda Tribals at Embroidery near Ooty
• A Toda Village Elder in Nilgiri Mountains
• Tribal Dancer at a Tribal Education Institution
• Tribal Beauty
• Tribal Girl in Unicloth
• A Tribal woman wearing self-made jewelry, Madhya Pradesh
• Tribal Women in Town trying to Get a Glimpse of Inside of a House
• Tribal Women Gathered for All-Night Long Dance
• Tribal Women at a Weekly Marketplace
• Tribal Women on their Way to Market
• Tribals decorating a head-gear
• Western style dating is an integral part of tribal education system among the Murias of Madhya Pradesh
• "What is Nuclear Testing?"
• A Youngster belonging to the Gonda Tribe

See Also:

• Tribal Picture Gallery-- Picture stubs of tribals of India

• Masks of India -- enjoy the masks of many tribal communities