Khond Adivasi
The Khond, one of the Scheduled tribe of the Jharkhand State, are found in the districts of Singhbhum and Hazaribagh, they are minor tribe. They have probably migrated from the Orissa. In the State of Orissa, Khond is a major community. Racially they belong to Proto-anstraloid and linguistically to Anstro-Asiatic family.
Culture
The khond are not found in a single village. They are found in mixed villages with other tribes and castes. They have own home stead land houses. The house is rectangular in shape. The house is erected with mud, wood, bamboo, rope and tiles. There are atleast two rooms and a verandah and courtyard in each house. The rooms have no widows but wood door filled with iron nails. They close the door when they go out to work. The verandah is also used for cooking and sitting, and for keeping Denki, Janta, Khal Musali, Loraha Silaut etc.
Dol, Nagara, kartal, thali and flute, Whistle etc. are their musical instruments.
The men wear half dhoti and ganji when they are in house or at work place. But they wear full Dhoti, Ganji and Shirt when they go out of the village to meet relatives, friends or they go to Haat. Women wear Sari, Saya and blouse. The boys wear Ganji, Paint and Shirt. The girls wear frock and paint and Salwar suit. The children below 5 years of age generally remain half naked. They wear plastic shoe and slipper.
The Khond women are fond of ornaments. They wear ornaments in hair, neck, nose, ear, wrist, finger and feet. There ornaments are made of brass, bronze, steel, nickel, thread, shell, seeds, bass, gold and imitation of gold and brass. They purchase ornaments from the local haat.
Kinship
The kinship system of the Khond presents a model of relationship based on parentage and marriage. They believe that the blood of the parents flows to the offsprings through reproduction. The blood relation is present right from the birth of an individual. On the basis of blood, there is relation between the early ancestors and the present descendants.
After marriage, the husband and the wife becomes consanguineal kins. Their blood flows in the offsprings through reproduction. But marriage also creates sets of affinal relatives. The husband is related to all family members.
Family
The family is the smallest form of society. It is nuclear in structure. It consists of father, mother and unmarried children. The married children establish their own house away from the parents. They earn and cook on separate hearths. The joint family is rare. Father is the head of the family and he has final say in family but he use to involve his elders, wife and grown up children for final decision.
In orer to run the family smoothly all family members work and cooperate each other. The husband perform work generally outside the house. The wife generally performs work of cooking. The children assist their parents and old persons look after kids, chicks, goat, ducks, etc, when children and young persons are out of the village.
The family is based on the faith and cooperation of the family members. Cordial relation among the family members is essential for the management and maintenance of the family. The relation between husband and wife is generally good. Both love each other and cooperate each other. They get up early in the morning and go to bed by 9 PM. During this period, they perform work in the house, own work in the field or earn wages to raise the family income and to provide food, clothes and shelter to the family members. The cooperation of both is essential for the healthy development of the family, both contribute in the family income. The relation between husband and wife gets bitter on development of extra marital relation. Neither wife nor husband tolerates the extra marital relation. It leads to serious conflicts between the couple and ultimately results in divorce. On divorce, they are allowed for remarriage, but the children remains with father.
The relation between the parents and the children is also very cordial. The parents love their children very much. They provide them full freedom to play and enjoy childhood. Their demands are to met within economic limits. Maximum punishment is scolding. The children love their parents very much, obey and assist in household works. Premarital sex relation within the tribe but outside the clan is not taken bad by the parents and the society because such relations result finally in marriage. But pre marital sex relation outside the tribe and inside the clan is taken as social offence. Such children are punished in the form of fine and feast to the community members. The fine is paid by the parents.
The relation of the Khond family with the families belonging to same tribe but different clans is good. They share joy and sorrow together. They maintain relation by exchange of invitation on ceremonies and worship.
The relation of the Khond with other tribes and caste of the village is also generally good. They exchange news and views. They extend help during trouble and being the members of the same village they have kind feeling. The relationship gets bitter on rape, adultery and extra marital sex relation.
The Khond also have good relation with the people of neighbouring villages. They exchange news and views after meeting. They also show hospitality when they visit at the door of one another for any kind of work. The relationship gets sour on rape, adultery and extra marital sex relation. Such incidence leads to violent behaviour.
Marriage
The Khond believe that marriage has been initiated by the Burha Deo and Burhi Dei for the continuation of lineage, descent, family name and race. For the purpose of marriage, the Burha Deo and Burha Dei send a boy and a girl in two families of the same tribe but of different lineage and clan. The marriage age in the Khond is between 15 to 25 years. The Khond practice monogamy but in exceptional situations like barrenness, widow, widower, witchcraft, divorce etc., they practice bigamy and polygamy. The Khond practise the rule of endogamy at the time of marriage. According to endogenic rule a Khond boy is allowed to marry only a Khond girl and vice versa. For the purpose of the marriage, the Khond are divided into numerous exogamous totemic clans named after plants, trees, animals, birds, natural things etc. Some important clans of the Khond are Hembram, Hansa, Bedia, Beck, etc. Before marriage, the girl belongs to father’s clan and after marriage the girl is included in the father-in-law’s clan. The husband and wife become consanguineal kin and give birth to children.
When the proposal of marriage is accepted by the father of the bride, discussion of bride-price goes on. The bride’s father demands in bride-price in cash and kind. The bride-price in cash varies between Rs. 51 to151 along with ornaments and dresses for bride, bride’s parents, grand parents, brothers and sisters. Rice pulse, vegetables, goat etc. are also demanded to provide feast and to the community members. When the demand of the bride price is accepted by the groom’s father, the marriage is declared as negotiated and settled. The Baiga priest is called to fix a suitable date of marriage. The bride-price is paid a week before the marriage. The marriage date fix between January to May. The Baiga priest gets a pot of Handia for this purpose. When the bride is not paid, the marriage is declared cancelled and a fresh marriage deal takes place.
A week before the marriage date, the father of the groom along with his agnatic kins pay a visit to the house of the bride’s father along with bride-price in cash. They are accorded a warm welcome by the agnatic kins of the bride’s father. They are requested to wash hand, face and feet. They are served Handia, Dal-mot and Lakatho sweets. They take Handia upo full wishes. They share a feast of rice and meat organised in their honour.. In the morning, they are offered Vidai along with breakfast and Handia.
After the payment of the bride price, the fathers of the bride and the groom send invitation in the house of their respective paternal, maternal and affinal kins and friends to participate in the marriage. An agnatic kin goes to render invitation orally along with sunfried rice and Haldi. Visiting village to village, he serves invitation to all kins and friends. The kins start coming with money, food items, gift etc. To participate in the function of marriage. First of all the ritual of digging soil is done to make hearths.. The female kins go in a neighbouring fields singing songs with a spade and basket. The Phua digs out the soil. The mother collects soil in the basket and brings it home on ger head. The female kins prepare hearths from the soil. After this, start the ritual of applying oil, Haldi paste and pulse paste called Ubatan. This continues fill a day before the marriage. The bride and the groom have to follow a number of taboos in this period. The taboo is imposed on food, walking, visit and bath.
A-day before the marriage, the male kins erect Marawa in the houses of both the bride’s and the groom’s father. The Marawa is erected with the help of bamboos, leaves, rope and Khar grasses. All deities are invited to take abode in the Marawa by the Baiga priest to make the marriage successful and joyful. While the male kins erect the Marawa , the female kins sing the songs. All members present there sing the songs. All members present there sing the songs.
In the morning of the marriage day, the bride and the groom are allowed for purificatory bath. The male kins bring water from the pond. The female kins wash the body of the groom and the bride properly. They are given new dresses to wear. Their hands and fingers are decorated with Mehandi and nail polish. Kajal is prt in eyes. The hair is decorated with hair pins and flowers.
The groom sirs in Palanquin is carried by the Mahli or Turi or Bhuiya. The female kins of the groom make the occasion auspicious by spraying sunfried rice, water, flowers etc. The palanquin carriers take Handia upto full wishes. The male kins of the groom wear new dresses. They share food and Handia and accompany the groom in the form of Barat Party. They have Dol, Nagara, Kartal, Thali and flute to play .
As soon as the members of the Barat Party and the groom reach in the village of the bride, the male kins of the bride accord a warm welcome. They shake hands and offer flowers to each members. They are brought at the gate of the bride’s father’s house amidst the scene of dancing, singing and playing musical instruments. They are offered worship by the Baiga, the father of the bride and the female kins spray sunfried rice. After this, they are brought at a suitable place for night halt. They are requested to wash hands, face and feet. Then they are served the plates of breakfast and Handia in hospitality. The female kins of the bride come to bring the groom in the Marawa. The groom accompanies them. In Marawa, he is ask to take seat at a mat. The companion of the bride cut jokes and sing Gali songs . Now the bride is brought in the Marawa. She offers a beads of flowers on the neck of the groom. The groom repeats it for the bride. The Baiga priest enchants Mantras. The female members sing song. The young people clap their hands to express joy. The groom is asked to put vermillion in the forehead of the bride. The bride and the groom make round of the fire tank seven times. This marks the end of the marriage. Now members of the community share the final round of Handia and go to share the feast of the marriage. The bride and the groom are brought in a house to seek the blessing of the family deity. Then they seek blessing of all elders present there. Now, all members go to take rest.
In the morning the Vidai of the groom is made. The kins of the bride meets with the groom one by one and offers some cash in blessings. Amidst the scene of tears in eyes, the bride sits in Palanquin. The groom follows her. The box containing the dresses and cosmetics if the bride is also put in Palanquin. Some food materials are also put with a Lota of water. All kins see the Palanquin carrying the groom and the bride going out of the village.
After the Vidai of the bride and groom, the Vidai of the members of Barat Party is also done. The male kins of the bride go with breakfast and offer Vidai by embracing all members one according to age and relation. They seek Pardon if not extended hospitality in proper manner.
As soon as the Palanquin carrying the bride and the groom reach at the gate of the groom, the female kins of the groom offer worship and welcome to the couple. The bride and the groom are brought in the Marawa putting step after step in baskets. In the Marawa, the ritual of Chumawan is done. The couple seek blessings of the all deities invited in the Marawa . They also go in a room to seek the blessing of the elders. They also seek the blessing of all elders present there. Then all members share the feast.
The bride stays in the house of the father-in-law for a week. After a week, father or brother of bride comes to see and take back Mayake. The father-in-law of the bride makes Vidai of the daughter-in-law. The bride stays in mayake for a year. After a year, the father of the groom sends a message to the father of the bride to bring her back in Sasurala. The father of the bride accepts the date of the Vidai. The groom comes to bring the bride. The vidai is made with new dresses, money and sweets. Thereafter, the bride starts living in sasurala. After few months, she is given a separate house to live and hearth to cook food. She cooks food from the earning of the husband. Both husband and wife reproduce children and struggle hard to maintain their existence and the maintenance of the family.
Birth
The birth in the Khond society is regarded as very joyous occasions for the couple, family and the society. It washes the stain of barrenenness of the couple. It brings marital success and happiness in the life of the couple. It carries the family name from one generation to the next. It also maintains the continuity of the community. In this way, birth is regarded as very happy occasion in the family.
The birth generally takes palace in the supervision of a Dai or chamain who has some knowledge of attending delivery. The navel is cut with the help of a bamboo knife made for this purpose. Now-a-days, new blades are also used. All delivery wastes are buried in the ground at a lonely place. The attendant cleans the body of the child with clean cloth. The attendant is allowed to go freely in the delivery room. But other family members are not. The attendant massages the body of the mother with oil thrice a day. She also applies oil over the body of the child thrice a day. The mother is served hot water, Khichari, Halua and Haldi . The breast feeding is started within an hour. In order to protect the child from the attack of evil spirits, a number of Totaka are performed. A small branch of the thorny plant is placed at the door of the room. The fire is kept burning round the clock. The lamp is kept lighted for the whole night. An iron knife is kept by the side of the mother.
The delivery brings pollution for the mother and the child for five days. On 6th day, the entire house, cloths of mother and child are washed. The mother and the child are allowed for a purificatory bath. All female members are invited to participate in the function. The mother performs bath and wears clean dress. The child is also covered in clean cloth. The members sing songs and the attendant plays Thali. The mother along with the child seeks blessings of the family deity. She also seeks the blessings of the elder members. After this, feast is shared by all community members and pollution period ends.
The naming ceremony of a new child takes place after a month. The food serving is held after the eruption of the first tooth. The Munndan ritual occurs after two years and the ear boring ritual occurs after three years. The marriage is held between 15 to 25 years.
Death
The Khond are well aware of the universality of the death. They know well that every birth is followed by a death. But between birth and death an individual has to pass through the stages of infancy, childhood, adolescence, younghood, adulthood and oldhood. After death, there is rebirth or a peaceful stay in the ancestral abode. The death during old age is expected, so it is not taken bad. But death in infancy, childhood, younghood and adulthood is not taken good and natural. The souls of such dead persons do not get place in the ancestral abode. They also do not get rebirth till the remaining years of life. They are called Bhuta–Preta. They are dissatisfied souls. They remain wondering from place to place. They make attack on children, women and milch cattle. They are sriven out by the Ojha.
The Khond cremate as well as bury the dead. The Christian Khond bury their deads. The dead bodies of children, pregnant woman and persons suffering from pox, cholera etc. are not cremated. They are buried. The graveyard is known as Sasan. Ancestral spirits reside there. The bones and the ash after cremation are brought in the graveyard and a stone slab is placed over it in the memory of the deads.
The death brings pollution in the family, lineage an clan for nine days. The members of the family, lineage and clan do not eat meat, oil and Haldi in the pollution period. The males do not shave. The females do not perform bath, on 10th day, entire house, clothes, furnitures , utensils etc. are washed properly. The females go to perform bath at the pond. The males go to Ghat to get their hairs, beard, mustache shaved. All get their nails cuts. All members go in the house of the diceased and touch oil and Haldi. They apply oil over their body. They cook food and share the purificatory feast. After this, the pollution period ends.
Economy
The economy of the Khod is dependent on agriculture and labour. Each Khond family owns some agricultural land, besides homestead land and Bari-land. The agricultural land is two types- Don and Tanr. The Don land has move water storing capacity so Jarhan or Agahani paddy are cultivated in it. The Tanr land has less water storing capacity. So, Vadai paddy, maize, marua, Kurathi, Surguja, Til, Arahar, gram, etc. are cultivated in Tanr land. In the Tanr land crops are cultivated by dry cultivation method, while in the Don land, cultivation of crops is done by wet cultivation method. There is no assured means of irrigation. They are dependent in rain fall .Now a days, some Khond families have wells and diesel machine. They have been attracted towards the cultivation of vegetable crops. They use HYV seeds, fertilizer and pesticides in the cultivation of the vegetables. The agriculture is generally not profitable, but they are able to grow paddy for their consumption. They are hot in a position to sell the yield of the paddy because they do not have more yield. The agriculture provides them engagement only for 6 to 8 months in a year. For another 6 to 4 months, they are dependent on setting their labour as Reja, Coolie in the forest, field, construction site, brick kilns, mines, industries etc. But as labour, they do not get work regularly. They do not get minimum wages as fixed by the Government time to time.
The Khond staying in the forest also have some income from the collection of MFP. But in the collection of MFP, they face problems due to Forest Regulations and Acts.
The Khond are also indebted to the Mahajan. They take loan from the Mahajan for consumption purposes. They repay the loan from the wages.
The Khond visit the local Haat for doing marketing of essential commodities. Men, women and children go to Haat. They enjoy there by purchasing Lakatho sweet, Jilebi, Duska and Bhunja. In the Haat, they avail credit facilties.
Religion
The Khond religion presents a mixed picture of tribal animism, Hinduism and Christianity. The Sing Bonga is the supreme deity and Dharati Mai is her consort. The village deity is Thakur Deo and Thakur Dei. The Burha Deo and Burha Dei are the ancestors. Borang Buru is the God of mountain. They also believe in river bonga, moon bonga, star bonga, Tila bonga, Bhagbonga etc. These bongas control the events in the life of the Khond and events in and around their habitat. They also believe in Bhagwati, Durga, Lakshmi, Mahadeo. They celebrate festivals like Sarhul, Sohraj, Jitia, Karma, Dusehra, Diwali, Nawakhani, Phagu and Ramnawami. The Christian Khond believe in Christ. They visit Church on every Sunday. They celebrate Christian festivals and are controlled by the Church authority. The Khond believe in good and bad omens in journey, birth, marriage, agriculture, domestication of animals etc. They perform a number of white magic for peace and happiness in the family.
Political Organisation
The Khond are found in mixed villages. They do not have dominant numerical strength in any village. So, they are the integral part of the village Panchayat with the head belonging to the major tribal community, particularly the Munda. They are the members of village Panachayat. They participate in village Panchyat. For solving the problems of own community, they have inter village Panchayat in which the Khond of the neighbouring villages are members. They elect one of the members as the head of the inter-village Panchayat and try to solve te problem of the community particularly adultery, rape, break of incest taboo, divorce, inter-tribe marriage, intra-clan marriage, etc. The Khond also go to Thana and Court against the decision of the Panchayat. They are politically conscious. They participate in the election of MLA and MP. But as they do not have numerical strength, they are not in a position to send MLA and MP from own community. They have some tribe leaders who influence their voting behaviour.
Woman
The Khond women are industrious by nature and play significant role in raising the family income by earning wages. They struggle hard to maintain the family. They are illiterate and unorganized. They are exploited and oppressed. They are also subjected to domestic violence. There is need to organize them under the Mahila mandal and self help group so that they can become independent economically and conscious towards their rights.
Children
The Khond children enjoy their life in playing. They are not punished. They are given full freedom. They are also enroll in school. As a result, incidence of non attendance and drop outs comes into existence. A good number of them become illiterate and have to survive by working as labour, Reja and coolie.
Youth
The Khond youth are the work force of the community. They work hard to maintain the family. But they are facing the problem of unemployment and regular work. As a result, they are bound to live in utter poverty. Some compromise with their fate and work as others. But some get deviated from the normal path. They become drunkard and abnormal. They feel deprived and frustrated.
Aged
The aged of the Khond are well aware of the economic condition of family. So they do not put pressure on the family members to spend more on their disease and treatment. They know well that oldhood is full of disease and trouble. The only thing that can save them is death which will transform their body from old to new by rebirth. The aged are respected. They are served food first, worshipped on the occasion of ceremonies, festivals. Their blessings are sought by the young generations. The children spend their time mostly with grand parents than their own parents.
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