Mehndi is a form of temporary skin decoration using a paste created with henna. In the West, mehndi is commonly known as henna tattoo, although it is not a permanent tattoo.
The Santal are an Austroasiatic-speaking Munda ethnic group of the Indian subcontinent. Santals are the largest tribe in the Jharkhand and West Bengal in terms of population and are also found in the states of Odisha, Bihar, Assam and Tripura. They are the largest ethnic minority in northern Bangladesh's Rajshahi Division and Rangpur Division. They have a sizeable population in Nepal. The Santals speak Santali, the most widely spoken Munda languages of Austroasiatic language family.
A bindi is a coloured dot or, in modern times, a sticker worn on the centre of the forehead, originally by Hindus, Jains and Buddhists from the Indian subcontinent.
The Adivasi are heterogeneous tribal groups across the Indian subcontinent. The term is a Sanskrit word coined in the 1930s by political activists to give the tribal people an indigenous identity by claiming an indigenous origin. The Constitution of India does not use the word Adivasi, instead referring to Scheduled Tribes and Janjati. The government of India does not officially recognise tribes as indigenous people. The country ratified the International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention 107 on Indigenous and Tribal Peoples of the United Nations (1957) and refused to sign the ILO Convention 169. Most of these groups are included in the Scheduled Tribe category under constitutional provisions in India.
Chhattisgarh is a state of India with strong tribal traditions of music and dance. The state of Chhattisgarh is best known for its deep roots in folk music, which originated from its long history of tribal involvement.
The Baiga are an ethnic group found in central India primarily in the state of Madhya Pradesh, and in smaller numbers in the surrounding states of Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand. The largest number of Baiga is found in Baiga-chuk in Mandla district and Balaghat district of Madhya Pradesh. They have sub-castes: Bijhwar, Narotia, Bharotiya, Nahar, Rai maina and Kath maina. The name Baiga means "sorcerer-medicine man".
The tribes of Jharkhand consist of 32 scheduled tribes inhabiting the Jharkhand state in India. In 1872, only 18 tribes were counted among the scheduled tribes from which Banjara, Bhatudi, Chik Baraik, and Mahli were marked as semi-Hindu aboriginal and Kora as proletariat Hindu. In the 1931 census, including the above four semi-Hindu aboriginal and Kora, a proletariat Hindu, the number was raised to 26 from 18. They were Birajia, Godait, Karmali and Paharia, but Kisan was excluded from the list. In the 1941 census, Baga, Bedia and Lohra were included again taking Kisan in the annexure and the number came to 30 which prevailed till June 2003. Kanwar and Kol were added on 8 June 2003 in the annexure and the number of Schedule Tribes came to 32.
Tattooing has been practiced across the globe since at least Neolithic times, as evidenced by mummified preserved skin, ancient art and the archaeological record. Both ancient art and archaeological finds of possible tattoo tools suggest tattooing was practiced by the Upper Paleolithic period in Europe. However, direct evidence for tattooing on mummified human skin extends only to the 4th millennium BC. The oldest discovery of tattooed human skin to date is found on the body of Ötzi the Iceman, dating to between 3370 and 3100 BC. Other tattooed mummies have been recovered from at least 49 archaeological sites, including locations in Greenland, Alaska, Siberia, Mongolia, western China, Egypt, Sudan, the Philippines and the Andes. These include Amunet, Priestess of the Goddess Hathor from ancient Egypt, multiple mummies from Siberia including the Pazyryk culture of Russia and from several cultures throughout Pre-Columbian South America.
Ethnic minorities of Bangladesh or loosely termed minority people of Bangladesh are ethnic minorities in Chittagong Hill Tracts (southeastern), Sylhet Division (northeastern), Rajshahi Division (west), and Mymensingh Division (north-central) areas of the country. They are assumed as ethnic group and the tribal races, total population of ethnic minorities in Bangladesh was estimated to be over 2 million in 2010. They are diverse ethnic communities including Tibeto-Burman, Austric and Dravidian people.
Alpana or alpona is a Bengali folk art style, traditionally practiced by women, and consisting of colored motifs, patterns, and symbols that are painted on floors and walls with paints made from rice flour, on religious occasions. Alpona is common to Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal. Amongst Hindu families, alpanas may contain religious motifs with symbolic designs that relate to religious austerity, festivals, and specific deities. Amongst Santal tribal communities, alpanas often contain geometric or symbolic patterns drawn from nature. Although traditionally the domain of rural women, Alpana motifs have been very influential in modern Indian art, and are incorporated into the works of artists such as Jamini Roy, Abanindranath Tagore, Devi Prasad, and in the early illustrations of film-maker Satyajit Ray. In contemporary Bengal, alpanas are created as part of religious festivals such as the Durga puja, in public and private spaces.
Henna is a reddish dye prepared from the dried and powdered leaves of the henna tree. It has been used since at least the ancient Egyptian period as a hair and body dye, notably in the temporary body art of mehndi resulting from the staining of the skin using dyes from the henna plant. After henna stains reach their peak colour, they hold for a few days, then gradually wear off by way of exfoliation, typically within one to three weeks.
Tribal Research Institute Museum is in Ranchi, the capital of the Indian state of Jharkhand.
Sohrai is a harvest festival of the Indian states of Jharkhand, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, and Bihar. It also called cattle festival. It is celebrated after harvest and coincide with Govardhan Puja of Diwali festival. In Santal Parganas it is celebrated in the Month of January. It is celebrated by Bhumij, Sadan, Oraons, Ho, Munda and Santal among others.
Sarnaism is a religious faith of the Indian subcontinent, predominantly followed by indigenous communities in Bangladesh and India's Chota Nagpur Plateau region across states like Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal, Bihar, and Chhattisgarh.
Bulu Imam is an environmental activist working for the protection of tribal culture and heritage in Jharkhand. On 12 June 2012, he received the Gandhi International Peace Award, 2011 at the House of Lords in London. He is also a recipient of the Padma Shri (2019). He is the grandson of Syed Hasan Imam, who was a leading Barrister and Judge of Calcutta High Court (1912–1916), and the President of the Indian National Congress. His daughter, Cherry, is married to Kunwar Ashish Bir Singh Tekari of Tekari Raj.
The Tribal Museum of Bhopal or Madhya Pradesh Tribal Museum is located close to the State Museum, Bhopal, near the Museum of Man/ Museum of Mankind in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. This is a museum dedicated to the living aspects of tribal life, indigenous knowledge systems, and aesthetics.
The Museum of Santal Culture is a private community museum located in the village of Bishnubati, West Bengal. The community-led museum documents the history of the Santal community largely prevalent in the region, which includes their past, their memories, and traditional ways of being. The museum was co-founded by educator Dr. Boro Baski alongside other members of the village of Bishnubati, a Santali village of "less than 700 hundred people" in the Birbhum district of West Bengal.
Lipsa Hembram is an Indian fashion designer. She works on traditional women's Santal's costumes. She started her business in 2014. She is the founder of her Brand Galang Gabaan. Galang Gabaan is a Santali word which literally mean weave and create. Her simple designs bring Santali traditions into the modern fashion industry. Her products are not only retailed across the country, but also used in the Hindi film industry. Her fashion company has brought socio-economic changes to the tribal communities of India. For this she is considered one of the most influential Women from an indigenous community in her home country.
Shanti Devi Paswan is an Indian artist from Bihar, known for her work in the Godna style of Mithila painting. She belongs to the Dusadh caste, a community traditionally associated with this region. Shanti has adapted Godna painting, which has its origins in tattooing practices, into a notable form of Mithila art. Her work has been showcased internationally, including in the United States, Japan, Denmark, Malaysia, Germany and Hong Kong.
