Oraon Religion and Customs

The Oraons form an ethnic community who live in the Chhotanagpur area of South Bihar. Though they are settled among speakers of the Munda (Austro-Asiatic family) group of languages yet they speak Kuruk language which belongs to the Dravidian family. A study of the religious beliefs and socio-religious customs of this tribe is of great value and interest not only to the students of anthropology, ethnology but also the administrators who seek or should seek to understand the forces which govern human activities. No doubt it is full of charm and interest for the general reader who desires to gain knowledge about this community. The author has examined religious beliefs and customs of the Oraons, without any prejudice and passion. He has critically analysed how much of such beliefs and customs belong to the original Oraon traditions and how much is borrowed from the Mundas and the Hindus. The work is quite exhaustive in the sense that it does not treat the religious beliefs and practices as isolated facts but analyses them in the social setting. We, therefore, find accurate information about the deities, spirits and supernatural powers in their religious beliefs, as well as details of their religious feasts and festivals, socio-religious rites and ceremonies and magical elements in the faith. In this book light is thrown on many interesting points like revival movements and modern tendencies in this tribe.