Culture and Cultural Life of the Kandha

Kandha- the Tribe: The word 'Kandha' is derived from the Telugu word 'Konda' which mean a hill. Originally the Kandhas are hill dwellers. There are mainly three sub-groups of the Kandha. These are Dongaria Kandha, Kutia Kandha and Desia Kandha. Kandha high landers are mainly shifting cultivators. From among them the Dongaria Kandhas are expert horticulturists. The Desia Kandhas are settled agriculturists. There are also other sections of the Kandha like the Malwa Kandha and Penga Kandha who are in between adopting shifting cultivation and settled agriculture. The Kandhas: Their concentration and Division Numerically, the Kandhas form the largest group among the tribal communities in Odisha. As per the census 2011, total population of the Kandha in Odisha was 16,27,486 of which the male population was 7,90,559 and the female population was 8,36,927. They are largely concentrated in the central and Rayagada sections of Eastern Ghat Region of Odisha. Particularly, they are concentrated in Rayagada, Kandhamal, Kalahandi and Koraput districts. They are also found sporadically throughout the state of Odisha. Besides Odisha, the Kandhas also live in Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh. Racial Affinity: Racially the Kandha are more closely related to the Proto-Australaid stock with considerable Mongoloid admixture. The tribe is mainly divided into two linguistic groups i.e. Kui and Kuvi. The Kutia Kandha inhabiting mostly in Kandhamal district speaks Kui dialect. Kuvi is spoken mainly in the eastern part of undivided Koraput district. The primitive sections of the tribe are largely found in Kandhamal and Rayagada districts of Odisha. The Kutia Kandha of Kandhamal district and the Dongaria Kandha of Rayagada district belong to PVTGs.

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