TRIBES OF NABARANGPUR
PARJA:-
Parajas are one of the well known major tribes of Odisha. The population of the tribe as per 2011 census in Nabarangpur district is 74,253. Paraja tribe is found in Nabarangpur, Nandahandi, Tentulikhunti, Papadahandi, Dabugaon, and Jharigaon blocks of the district.
The Parajas seem to have been inhabiting this country from about the 2nd century of the Christian era. (District Gazetteers, Koraput, 1966). They say that their original home is ‘Bastaria’ as they have migrated from Bastar area of Madhya Pradesh (now Chatisgarh). Paraja is conglomeration of various endogamous sections and is not a compact community. Compared with other tribal communities, they show some cultural differences, especially in respect of their settlement pattern, dress and ornament, economic life, belief and worship, manners, customs and folk tradition.
Their mother tongue Porji is a form of Gondi belonging to Dravidian family of languages which varies according to local tongues like Odia or Telugu. Parajas are generally hill cultivators. But in Nabarangpur district settled cultivation is the main stay of their subsistence economy. They are fond of cattle wealth.
The traditional dress of the tribe consists of loin cloth and napkin for men and coarse and cheap Sarees for women. But because of external contact, they now use modern dresses like shirts, banians, blouses, coloured sarees, ribbons etc.
