Documenting the Intangible Heritage of the Saura Tribe, Odisha

In 2018, the Tribal Fund for Documentation and Conservation conducted a study on the intangible cultural heritage of the Saura tribe, supported by the Intangible Cultural Heritage Division of INTACH’s Delhi Chapter. 

The Saura (or Saora) tribe is one of India’s ancient tribes. According to legend, Saveri, a devotee of Lord Ram mentioned in the Ramayana, belonged to this tribe. While the Saura are primarily concentrated in Odisha, particularly in the Gunupur division of Rayagada and Parlakhemundi in Gajapati, they are also found in Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, and Assam. The Indian government classifies the Saura tribe into 25 sub-divisions based on factors such as occupation, food habits, dress patterns, and social customs. However, the tribe itself recognizes only two main divisions: the Lanjia Saora, who reside in the hills and maintain their traditional customs, and the Sudha Saora, who live in the plains and have integrated into mainstream society.

The traditional language of the Saura tribe is Sora, a Munda language that belongs to the Austroasiatic family. What makes Sora unique is that it is one of the few tribal languages with its own script, developed by S.P. Mangei Gomango in 1966 and known as ‘Sorang Sompeng.’ The project undertaken observed variations in dialects and word usage among the Saura people, although the locals were not fully aware of the specifics of these dialects. Through increased interaction with the outside world, many Saura individuals have also become fluent in Odia and Telugu, and those with formal education can speak English as well.

Traditional Saora villages consist of thatched houses made of mud and stone, arranged in rows facing each other. These small hamlets, containing 15-20 houses, are called sahi and each sahi belongs to a specific birinda, or lineage, in Saora society. Inside the houses, tutelary deities are represented by small clay pots tied with ropes and hung on the walls, which are adorned with iditals, or sacred murals.

Iditals are painted icons on the interior walls of houses, traditionally created to appease gods and ward off evil spirits. These murals depict scenes of village life, including daily activities, animals, hills, forests, and community events such as sowing ceremonies, harvesting, music, and dance. However, with many Saora people converting to Christianity and Hinduism, the practice of painting iditals on their home walls is gradually disappearing. Despite this decline, the art form has found a new life as a source of livelihood, with iditals now being created on canvas, cloth, and paper, and marketed with the support of various agencies.

The Saora people have diverse sources for their food and nutritional needs. They grow millets, pulses, and oilseeds on highlands as mixed crops. They consume liquor made from ragi (finger millet), mahua (Madhuca indica), and salpa (Caryota urens). Rice and sitri khudu (millet soup) form their staple diet. A wide variety of vegetables, such as gourd, eggplant, pumpkin, and green leafy vegetables, are part of their diet. The arasal drink, made from the sap of the fishtail palm, acts as a vitamin supplement when taken in the early morning and becomes a mildly alcoholic drink by the end of the day.

In terms of livelihood, traditionally the Saoras are agriculturists and practice shifting cultivation, which they call bagado chaas. However, due to ecological imbalance and a growing population, many have shifted to settled cultivation. The women are primarily responsible for agricultural activities and generating income for their families. The khuradi, or axe, is frequently seen in the hands of these women engaged in agriculture. Men are more involved in hunting and gathering minor forest produce. Nowadays, the people of the tribe also practice paddy cultivation and cash cropping. Nonetheless, they still use the barter system of trade within their community. For their shopping needs, they visit the haat, or local weekly market. The commercial sale of their agricultural goods is never handled directly by them; middlemen or panosare involved in this process.

Clothing-wise, traditionally the Saora people wore very minimal clothing; the men only wore a loincloth called kordiol, while the women used a white cloth called gatunga to wrap around the lower part of the body. They mostly did not wear clothing on the upper part of their bodies, but occasionally donned a piece of cloth called sarunga. Those who still follow the traditional style are called the Lanjia Saora, while those who have adopted a more modern style are referred to as Sudha Saora. The men of this sub-division prefer wearing trousers and shirts, and the women prefer wearing salwar-kameez. The researchers of the project were only able to find individuals wearing traditional garments in the interior villages of the Gunupur division. Available literature indicates that the Dom weavers traditionally made the garments for the Saoras, but they are now difficult to trace and contact. The art of tattooing, called Tantangbo, was earlier performed on women as soon as they reached puberty. This was done to make them look unattractive and ensure they were not captured by the region’s Rajas. The tattoo included two big dots on the cheeks and two on the forehead, with a line running down the middle. However, Saora women no longer believe in this practice. A similar trend is observed in jewelry; earlier, women would adorn themselves with multiple rings in their nostrils and have many ear piercings. Traditional jewelry included pagoda (a thick ring worn on the neck), jatang (a silver chain), piripiriya (silver earrings), and many others.

The Sauras have no supreme deity but worship many different deities on various occasions, such as the idols of Jodisum, Lurnisum, and Manduasum. In their traditional religion, the role of the shaman is essential. The male shaman is called kudun, while the female shaman is referred to as kudun boi. An interesting burial ritual called the guar ceremony is observed by the Sauras, during which eating, drinking, dancing, and merry-making take place, and the kudun performs key rituals and sacrifices a buffalo. In recent years, however, many have converted to either Christianity or Hinduism. The Saura tribe, known for its rich culture and unique traditions, is working to adapt to modern changes while keeping its distinct identity and way of life.