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Saora
The Saoras are a Mundari
speaking tribe inhabiting the Ganjam and Vizagapatnam districts. They are medium
statured and dark skinned with marked Mongoloid features. They have flat faces, thick lips,
broad and flat nose, high cheekbones and markedly oblique eyes. The woman have a typically
heart shaped face while the men show super muscular development.
They live in rectangular houses
built in parallel rows, which present an orderly appearance in the jungle. Saoras
practice hill cultivation collect forest produces and even used to migrate to the tea
plantations of Assam as labourers. Marriage is preceded by a ceremonial capture of the
bride. The dead are cremated and stone monuments erected in their honour. Buffaloes are
sacrificed at funerals and feasts held.
The Saora ethnographic materials
include a number of ornaments such as anklets, armlets, head bands, ear pendants, plumes for
head dress, nose rings, and finger rings, a number of bows, arrows, battle-axes, knives, and a
number of cult figures of wood representing parrot, monkey, man, etc. A hut model represents
the rectangular type of dwelling of this tribe. |
| Jewellery
The museum collection of both rural
and tribal jewellery exhibit a wide variety of designs and materials. Coloured glass beads,
wood, fibre, coconut shells and bamboo are some of the materials, which are used in making
tribal jewellery. Jewellery of basic metals like aluminium and brass are common in the
form of necklaces of beads, anklets, bracelets and necklets. On the other hand, rural
and urban people wear jewellery of gold, silver and precious stones in which they invest their
savings. |
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Fishing
Appliances
These fishing appliances are
used by the Assamese tribe.Fishing basket model (local name is Jakhai), used by
the people of Assam in the plains for catching fish. Automatic fishing trap (local name
is Isha), used by the Garo tribe for catching small fishes in the field. |
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Ethnology