Contents
PEOPLE
Contents
Angul district has a total population of 11,39,341 consisting of 5,86,903 males, 5,52,438 females as recorded by 2001 census. This is 3.10 percent of Orissa’s total population of 36,706,920. The population density stands at 179 per sq .km. against the state average of 236. The decade 1991 to 2001 witnessed population growth of 18.55 % against the state average of 15.94%.
There are 1922 villages in the district out of which 1635 are inhabited and 287 are uninhabited. The total rural population of the district is 9,80,954 out of which 5,01,012 are males & 3,79,942 are females.
The
total urban population is 158387 which lives in three municipal areas namely
Talcher,Angul and Athamallik and 9 no. of census towns namely Talcher, Angul,
Athamallik town, TTPS township, Dera Colliery township, FCI township, Rengali
Dam Project township, Ghantapada town, NALCO town.
Because of the industrial and mining landscape of the district people from all
parts of the country stay here. Oriya is the predominant language and the mother
tongue of the natives. Hindi is also widely spoken especially in the industrial
and mining belt. Sambalpuri dialect has influence over Oriya spoken in
Athamallik Sub-division.
Oriya is the only script used by the oriya speaking population of the district. The tribal people inhabiting in this district have no script of their own. They are using oriya script. People speaking other Indian languages use their respective scripts.
The important
castes inhabited in this district are Chasa, Khandayat, Karana, Brahmin, Gouda,
Paika, and Kumbhara. Owing to urbanization and industrialization some of the
castes have changed their traditional occupation, age-old practices and customs.
A brief account on principal castes is g iven below.
CHASA
The Chasas
constitute the major community in the district. They are found in all the
sub-divisions. They are par excellence the cultivators of the district. Almost
all of them hold lands, and they constitute the well to do peasantry of the
villages. The Chasas are thrifty and industrious cultivators. Cultivation is in
fact, their hereditary occupation. O’Malley, mentioned in Angul District
Gazetteer, 1908 that; there were 40337 Chasas living in Angul Sub-division.
Cobden Ramsay wrote in the Feudatory States of Orissa that the population of
Chasas was 8000 in Athamallik, 5000 in Pallahara, 17000 in Talcher. They are
divided in various sub-classes. The Khandayats wear sacred thread at the time of
marriage and claim to be superior to other groups. Other sub-classes of the
caste do not wear the sacred thread. The Chasas do not marry within the same
family.
KARAN
The Mohanty or Karan is the writer class of Orissa. The Karanas performs the same functions in Orissa as the Kayasthas do in Bengal and Bihar. Marriage in the caste is regulated according to the table of prohibited degree in vogue among higher castes. The caste has no exogamous divisions but has totemistic gotras.
KHANDAYAT
The
Khandayats are the martial castes of Orissa, the name being derived from the
word Khanda, meaning a sword. They are found in all the sub-divisions of this
district. They are mostly the Paiks, a caste formed by military service. The
best Khandaits now aspire to Rajput rank. Their principal occupation is
cultivation. They wear sacred thread at the time of marriage.
KAMARA
They are blacksmith. They make agricultural implements in, open furnace. They are now included in Socially Economically Backward Class category.
BHANDARI
They are village Barbars. The chief occupation of this caste is hair cutting, nail trimming and shaving and service under higher caste people. On ceremonial occasions they perform all types of menial services. They are three types of Bhadaries in the district 1) Lanahatia, 2) Kanuthia 3) Chamarmuthia. Many young Bhandaries belonging to BPL category are availing assistance under government sponsored programmes and opening saloons in market places of rural areas.
BRAHMIN
The Brahmins of this district are of two classes 1) Srotriya and 2) Asrotiya or Sevaka Brahman. The Brahmins have right to read Vedas and hence are known as Vedic Brahmins or Namaskaraniya. Thje Srotriya Brahmins are subdivided into two sub-classes i.e a) Dakshinatya, the Brahmins who have come from regions nearby Puri and b) Jajpuri, the sub-class which has come from Jajpur area. These two sub-classes are eligible to perform Vedic rites and they do not intermarry. The Asrotriya section of Brahmins are divided into five subsections namely a) Debalaka(Deulia) whose chief occupation is the service of the Gods and Goddesses, b) Panchadesi (Jhadua) who are also known as Aranyaka. C) Athagadia, those who have come from Athagarh area, d) Paniyari (Panda) engaged in business and trade of Agricultural produce )Balaramgotri (Halua) , those who are engaged in agriculture.
GAUDA(The Gaudas are the chief pastoral caste of Orissa.)
The chief occupation of the Goudas of the district is taming of cows and bullocks, agriculture being their subsidiary economic occupation. There are three types of Gaudas in the district namely a) Gopapuria (b) Mathurapuria c) Magadha. They claim that they are the descendants of Yadava tribe in which Lord Krishna was born in the Dwapar Yuga. The Gopapurias and the Mathurapurias are superior than the Magadha class Gaudas. In this district they are known by the titles of Bhutia, Das, Palai,Parida, Rout and Mahakuda.
PAIKA (Padatika)
There are many Paikas in this district. The word Paika is the abridged form of the word Padatika or infantry. Paikas were recruited in, the past from various castes, such as Gond, Bhandari and Pana. The Khandayats form the majority of the Paikas. At present some of them claim to be Kshyatriyas and some are even known as Karana caste. All the Paikas wear sacred thread at the time of marriage.
KUMBHARA
The name of the caste derived from “Kumbha” meaning a water-pot. They prepare earthern pots and earthern wares. Some of them are also engaged in agriculture. They are known by titles Behera, Sanapati,Muduli etc.
GURIA
The caste is derived from ‘Gur’ meaning unrefined sugar. They make sweets which are acceptable by other castes. They prepare different kinds of sweets on different festivals and religious functions. They are included among the SEBC classes.
KANSARI
Kansaries derive their name from Kansa (bell-metal). Production of Aluminium goods has resulted in a serious economic set-back in their business.
Other castes like Tanti,Badhei,Teli(oilman) are also found in this district and they belong to SEBC category.
SCHEDULE CASTE
There are 52 Schedule castes of which the most numerous are Pana, Tanla ,Dhoba, Hadi, Ghasi, Bariki, Ghamar, Gonda, Dom, Siyal. Tiar, Godra, Bhoi, Pantanti and Dewar.
PANA
They are found in all the Sub-Divisions. O’Malley in Angul district Gazetteer, published in 1908, states that the Panas are low caste and aboriginial class. The caste is subdivided into six sub-castes viz-Buna, Ganda,Patra, Sonai, Samal and Jena. Each claims to rank higher than the others, they do not inter-marry, and members of one sub-caste will not eat with members of another. The first two weave coarse cloth Patras make brooms and ropes, and the last three work as grooms and drummers. The Panas claim to be Hindus.
TANLA
Cobden Ramsay, mentions about the Tanla as follows,
“ The Tanlas appear to be a low occupational caste of mixed origin, but derived principally from the Khond tribe. Formerly their profession was military service, and it is probale that like the Khandaits and Paiks they formed the levies of some of the Oriya Rajas and gradually became a caste ".
DHOBA
Dhoba belong to Hindu community of the district. They discharge their services on jajmani system in almost all parts of the district. Their services are indispensable on ceremonial occasions.
HADIS
They are found in all the subdivisions . They are divided into a number of sub-castes. But the Mehntar- Hadi alone acts as sweeper. They are known as drum beaters.
GHANTRA
They are mostly found in Angul Sub-Division. Their main occupation is making household articles of Brass and iron. Their favorite deity is Goddess ‘Kali’.
GODRAS
Godras, a small caste of basket makers, are found mostly in Barasahi G.P. of Chhendipada Block. They make winnowing fan, grain container etc.
SCHEDULED TRIBES
According to 2001 Census, the population of S.Ts in the district is 1,12,000 which is 11. 6 % of the total population. Out of the 26 Schedule tribes, Shabar,Kond,Gond, Saora,Juang,Khaira,Munda,Kilha,Kisan, Bhuiyan,Kora, Matya, Bhumij,Ho and Santal are numerically important.
The general structure of some of the important tribes of the district is discussed below.
SANTAL
The Santalas can be grouped under the category of pre Dravidian or Proto-Australoid. According to Risely, their physical characteristics are as follows,
“Their skin colour varies from dark to very dark brown, Zygomatic arches are prominent. The root of the nose is depressed. The average nasal index is 88.8 with a range from74 to 110. The average cephalic index is 76.1 with a range from 69 to 88. The average stature is 161.4 cm with a range from 151.0 to 177.0cm”
The language of the Santal is known as Santali and it belongs to the Mandari group. They use Oriya as their subsidiary language.
The father is the head of the family. Their family usually consists of husband, wife and children but in several cases parents and married children continue to live together in a joint family. Family pattern might be termed as patriarchal in nature.
Various kinds of rituals are observed in the Santal family after birth of a child. Name giving ceremony ordinarily occurs on the fifth day after birth in the case of a boy or on the third day if the child is a girl. They perform this name giving ceremony before new moon. After this the child enters the second month of its life. To name a child during that period is harmful. So the Santala observe the name giving ceremony on the first day after birth if the child is born one to three days before the new moon. On the day of the rite the villagers are invited to the house. The barbar shaves the males of the village in the following order, first the priest, then the headman, next other officials, then other villagers in need of a hair-cut and finally the father of the child. Lastly, the hair of the child’s head is shaved. The men and women take their bath in the nearest pond. The midwife soaks a cotton thread in turmeric water and ties it round the child’s waist. She next purifies the assembled people by sprinkling a mixture of flour and water first on the child, then on the men beginning with the priest and finally on the women beginning with priest’s wife. At the end of this sprinkling of flour-mixture the midwife declares the name of the child. The name of the sons are given according to the name of the paternal grand-father, maternal grand-father, paternal grant father’s brother and the maternal grand-father’s brother. Similarly, the daughters are given the names of the equivalent female relatives and in the same order.
BHUIYA
They are mostly concentrated in Talcher and Pallahara Sub-Divisions. This tribe is divided into 4 principal classes namely Desh Bhuiya,Khandait Bhuiya,Rajkoli Bhuiya and Paraja Bhuiya. The Desh or Pahariya Bhuiyas generally live in hills and are known as Pauri or Hill Bhuiyas. This is the present clan and retains almost all characteristics of tribe. They distinguish themselves from the other sections of the Bhuiya by adopting the ‘Danghy’ or wooden carrying - pole as their symbol whereas the other groups have either the sword or the axe for their symbol. The other three classes- Rajkoli, Khandait and Paraja or Rautali- live mostly in the plains and cultivate wet lands. They are called plains Bhuiyas. They are considered by their tribal brethren of the hills as a degenerate type of their own tribe. They have lost many old customs and practices by coming in contact with Hindu castes.
Bhuiyas both male and female are well-proportioned -muscular, medium height and rather tall built. The hair is black and plentiful on the head but generally scanty on the rest of the body. The hair is ordinarily wavy and it has a general tendency of curl. Their dolicocephalic head and thick lips, light brown tint skin, broad and concave nose and little facial prognathism are remarkable. They have racial affinities and cultural similarities with the ‘kol’ group of tribes.
The Bhuiyas have no language of their own. They speak dialect of Oriya language, which they have strangely distorted.
The Bhuiyas have simple family consisting of father, mother and children. Extended families are found more among the plains Bhuiyas than Pauri Bhuiyas. Patrilineal and Patrilocal type of family is prevalent in, their society. The parents having no sons adopt a son from one of their agnatic group. The son, thus adopted enjoy all privileges like a true son and inherits the paternal property.
Females do not inherit property. Ownership to all property vests in, men. The widow gets maintenance till her death or remarriage. Unmarried daughters are entitled to maintenance, out of her deceased father’s assets until her marriage.
Among Pauri Bhuiyas though exogamy exists, totemic organization is absent. In lieu of clan-exogamy, they practise village exogamy. Their social organization is the village consisting of families, which is known as Kutumbas or agnates. According to norm, they will not enter into marital alliances in their own Kutumba villages. So they have to bring a bride or bridegroom from the other villages where cognatic relations or Bandhus are found. Thus a village for marital alliance is called Bandhu village.
The headman of the village is called Nayak or Padhan. He acts as representative of the villagers. The Dehuri is the village priest. Besides public worship he also take active part in social socio-religious and socio-political matters with their Nayak.
Religion of the district can broadly be classified into I) Hinduism (ii) Islam (iii) Christianity (iv) Sikhism (v) Jainism (vi) Buddhism and Mahima Dharma (vii) Nath cult.
Hinduism
The majority of people in this district profess Hinduism. They believe in the existence of Supreme God and worship Brahma, Vishnu, Maheswar and other minor deities.
Chinmaya Mission, Divine Life Society, Prajapita Iswariya Viswavidyalaya have their organization in all the sub-divisions of this district. Followers of Sri Aurobinda, the Mother, Thakura Anukula Chandra, Swami Nigamananda have their organizations in the district. They come under the fold of Hinduism.
Christianity
They are found in all the Sub-divisions of this district. The Deputy Commissioner of Angul during 1900 A.D. brought some Christian clerks and settled them in Similipada of Angul town, known as Similipada Christian sahi. They were about 8 to 10 families mostly hailed from Cuttack. Presently it is known as church lane. In the year 1916 Angul Baptist church was established by the local Christians. Presently there are about 50 families residing in Angul town.
In the year 1902 Christian Missionaries had started their work in Angul. They were given a piece of land behind post office area, on present girls school road. Mission bunglow, which was used by the missionaries, after independence has been taken over by Police Training College, Angul. There were two burial grounds allotted, one for foreigners, namely Gora Kabar, located near present Matiasahi and other one for Indian Christians, located on Gandhi Marg, Angul. During 1915 the Salvation Army (a Christian mission) was brought to Angul by the British Government to work among Pan community and carry out reformation works in them.
Due to industrialization Churches have come up at number of places in MCL, FCI and Nalconagar. All the churches mentioned above are of protestant groups.
Catholic churches have also come up in the district after independence and after industrialization in the district. They have helped developing two leprosy colonies one each at Angul and Talcher. They have established public schools in the district like Amarvani school at Angul, St. Lawrence school at Talcher and St. Mary school at Kaniha.
Islamic
They believe kin Monism. A Muslim has no other God but Allah and his messenger, the Prophet Mohammed. But Pir worship has become a common feature among the Muslims.
Sikhism
They are mainly found in the industrial & mining belt of Talcher and Angul Sub-Divisions. There are three Gurudwaras in Talcher Sub-Division i.e. Gurudwara at Deulbera Colliery which was a temporary one and established in 1939 which is now in permanent shape, Gurudwara at Talcher Colliery was established in 1940 and is permanent one. The third Gurudwara is found at South Balanda Colliery.
Jainism
Followers of Jainism are mostly migrants and found in Angul town only.
Mahima Dharma
This religion is also called “ Alekha Dharma”. It’s founder was Mahimas Gosain, whose name, parentage and place of birth as well as caste are not known. He appeared as a young-man at Puri in 1826. His disciples believe that he was living in the Himalayas and is an incarnation of Param Brahma. After 1826 he moved about Khandagiri, Udayagiri and Dhauligiri for 12 years. Then he went to Kapilas in the district of Dhenkanal and lived there for 24 years. After spending 36 years in preparation he started teaching his gospel of Mahima from ;1862. He traveled widely till 1876, when he passed away at Joranda in Dhenkanal district. During his travels he made many disciples and destablished many centers of Mahima cult known as Tungi in Angul Dist.
Natha Cult
They are the followers of Gorakhnath. They are mainly found in Angul and Talcher Sub-Divisions.
a) Connected with Child Birth
Among Hindu caste, the mother is considered unclean for 12days after giving birth to a child. Only mid-wife contacts her during this period. The umbilical cord is cut by a ‘Dhai’(midwife) or ANM with the help of knife. It is then secretly buried underground near the house or within the court-yard. On the 6th day, a ceremony called ‘Sasthi’ is observed in which Sasthi Devi, the goddess of fate is worshipped in the labour room by five or seven women. The period of pollution ( Chhutika) ends on the twelfth day, after which, normal life of the mother is resumed.
On the 21st day, Ekoisa or the name giving ceremony is observed. (The first hair cutting ceremony is performed usually after completion of 4 years 4 months and 4 days.)
b) Mortuary Rites
The Hindus generally cremate the dead body. The corpse is carried to the cremation ground on a bier called Kokei by relatives. Before being carried to the cremation ground the body is given a sacred bath and is wrapped by a piece of new cloth. The washer man accompanies the body, cuts the fuel for cremation. The funeral pyre is lit by the eldest son who applies fire to the mouth of the dead. The performance is called Mukhagni. After cremation all return home after taking bath. A period of pollution is observed for ten days. On the tenth day, ablutions take place. Shaving and nail trimming is done. Earthen cooking pots are thrown away. After this, the family members become purified. To mark this, a feast to the kith and kin is given on the eleventh day.
Joint family system predominates the Hindu society although there are certain exceptions to it. The members of the family contribute a portion, of their net income to a common pool for the benefit of the entire family. If some members live outside for earning, the joint family system gets modified. In case of frequent quarrels this system tends to break down. It so happens that the brothers with different levels of income do not pull on well together as a result of which joint family system disintegrates.
The Tribes follow their traditional rules for transfer of property. They are not much affected by the civil rules. They take shelter of the rules whenever any dispute regarding the transfer becomes acute. Transfer of property through wills is very rare. When an old father thinks it necessary to provide for any dependant daughter, he at times takes resorts to a will giving her a part of his property as equivalent to her dowry.
Communal dances are many dimensional, such as marital, ritualistic, ecstatic, and funeral etc. Such dances are always accompanied by music which makes them more enjoyable. It is generally said that music is the dance of words and dance is the music of limbs, and so dance and music are complementary to one another.
The ‘animal-ballet’ of the Juangs has been described by Dalton, “They made their appearance at night and danced by torch light, it was wild weird-like sight”.
In the Juang community there are many types of dances. As observed by Dr. Elwin, there are pigeon dance, Kod dance, Peacock dance, Vulture dance and cock and hen dance etc. Now-d-days, dance has degenerated to a great extent, they are now under the influence of outside contact.
Ganesh puja, Durga Puja, Laxmi puja, Depavali, Shiva Ratri, and Holi Chandanjatra are the principal festivals of the Hindus. In these festivals a number of tribals also participate. The Muslims observe Muharram,Shabe-barat,Ramzan,Id,Bakrid and Feteha Dwazdahum. The important festival of Christians are Christmas, and Easter. Tribals observe festivals like Magha Jatra, Amb Nua, Akhin Pardhi, Gamha, Guda Bua Nua, Gunda Dia, Pus Punei.
a) Monogamy,Polygamy and Polyandry.
Monogamy is the law and is the general rule. Polyandry does not exist.
The practice of keeping concubines or kept women is seldom found among the tribes.
b)Traditional restrictions on marriage alliance.
Among the nontribals the members follow gotra exogamy and although this is generally followed by the Brahman caste, other castes often ignore it. Marriage with the maternal uncle’s daughter is not allowed among the higher castes.