India: Dongria Kondh’s jewelry & costume by Avik Mitra
The Niyamgiri hill range in Odisha state, eastern India, is the home of very ancient tribes called Dongria Kondh. Niyamgiri is an area of densely forested hills, deep gorges and cascading streams and mines. Though Niyamgiri has many mines of bauxite within its every fold, but the dongria protected the mines and the surrounding natures very well. If you actually go there, you can feel the off bit touch of this region.
Dongria Kondh lived in villages like kuruli, khamashi, kelendaguda etc. The wearing of this tribe is unique and very colourful and eye-caching. The Dongria have distinctive jewellery, tattoos and hairstyles. Women wear many rings through their ears and three through their noses, while boys wear two nose rings. Dongria girls wear clips in their hair and rings and beads around their necks.
You must be logged in to use lightbox functionality