Bhubaneswar, Sept 26: The Odisha government has granted habitat rights over forest lands to the Mankidia tribe, a primitive and vulnerable tribal group (PVTG) known for their traditional rope-making skills and unique practices such as trapping and consuming monkeys.

The Mankidia community, part of the Austro-Asiatic Birhor group, relies heavily on forests for survival, engaging in food gathering and hunting. Recognized as a PVTG in Odisha, they are among the least known forest-dwelling and semi-nomadic tribes in both the state and the country.

Living in small groups, the Mankidia people move within forests, residing in temporary settlements called tandas. These makeshift homes, known as kumbhas, are dome-shaped huts made from leaves. The community speaks a dialect of the Mundari language, with some also fluent in Odia.

Mankidia spiritual beliefs center around worshiping Logobir and Budhimai as their supreme deities, along with their ancestors, whom they revere for health, success in hunting, and gathering forest produce.

Powered by Froala Editor