Odisha is home to as many as 62 scheduled tribes. In the ethnographic map of India, Odisha occupies an important place, for the settlement of the largest number of tribal communities here as compared to the other states and union territories.
The tribes of Odisha, have retained the rich and varied heritage of their life style, colourful dance and music forming an integral part of their festivals and culture. Each tribe has a cultural identity of its own.
With mindless industrialization causing rapid urbanization, the cradle of these tribal culture is no more the rustic hamlets of the countryside. As an intimate part of the tribal socio-cultural milieu, one needs to go through the tribal culture of the country to genuinely understand the spirit of tribal Odisha. They have an authenticity and a charm of their own and are among the most valuable legacies of our long and varied ethnic life style. Many have unfortunately become extinct and some tribal cultures are waiting helplessly at the down step of extinction.
