A dimension within Indigenous Forest Living
This theme explores the indigenous cultural heritage, traditions, and spiritual connection to the forest and nature worship within communities.
150 voices speak to this
Each dimension splits this theme further — keep drilling to see how it breaks down.
Neutral
Overall Community Sentiment
Our tribe is unique because we worship nature, we worship the forest and the land.
— Kachala Choudhary
We, the people of the tribal community, are worshippers of nature and are connected to water, forest, and land. Our culture and traditions are unwritten, which makes us different from others.
— Rupesh Maravi · Mandla, Madhya Pradesh
Our tribe is different from other castes in that we are in our forest far from the city.
— bachcha lal · Shahganj, Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh
We are the Kharia tribal community. And we worship the trees, pillars, and soil of the forest. And accordingly, our festivals, our language are also different. That's why we are separate.
— Anjana Khadia · Sundargarh, Odisha
We tribals are completely different from other castes; our ancestors used to live in forests and sustained themselves by eating fruits, flowers, etc., from the forest.
— Ram Kumari · Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh
The factors that define our tribe are mostly living around the forest, along with our dress and traditional attire.
— Sunil oraon · Ranchi, Jharkhand
Our tribe is completely different from other castes. Our lifestyle and food habits are completely different. We are completely dependent on nature. We also get various food items from nature. We worship nature.
— Ram Kumari · Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh
We, the tribal people, worship nature. We worship trees and plants. We are always with nature.
— PRADEEP KUMAR KANHAR · Boudh, Odisha
Our tribal Gond community are nature worshippers who protect water, forest, and land, which indeed makes our society completely different from others.
— Rupesh Maravi · Mandla, Madhya Pradesh
We live in these forests, originating from our ancestral settlements.
— Kachala Choudhary
We are the tribal people of Jhara forest. We have strong faith. Our worship rituals are distinct. We belong to this land.
— Parikshit Majhi · Balangir, Odisha
Adivasi is neither a caste nor a pretense; it has its own civilization and culture. It relies entirely on nature. We Adivasis live in forests, live an independent life, and have a unique art of living.
— Ram Kumari · Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh
We are all tribal people, we live in forests. We collect our food from the forests. With that, we sustain ourselves. This is indeed our life's goal.
— KusaPradhani · Anakabadi, Rayagada, Odisha
We are of the Kharia Adivasi tribe. And we worship the trees, posts, and soil of the forest. Accordingly, our festivals and our language are also different. That's why we cannot mix with other communities.
— Anjana Khadia · Sundargarh, Odisha
We are indigenous people and we worship nature.
— Manjusha Marko · Dudhi, Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh
The heritage of the tribals was the forest.
— Amar Lal Dhurwey · Mandla, Madhya Pradesh
Our community lives by building homes in the forests, hunting wild animals, and sustaining themselves by eating tamarind, mango, guava, and other produce found in the forest. Thus, they belong to a different way of life.
— bachcha lal · Shahganj, Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh
Our tribe is different from other tribes because our festivals, food, lifestyle, worship, and everything else is different. We live our lives according to our own ways; our eating and drinking habits are also different, and we also eat tubers and fruits from the forests.
— Ram Kumari · Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh
The main factors defining our community are mostly settlement in forest areas.
— Sunil oraon · Ranchi, Jharkhand
Our tribe is different because our language and culture are different, and we are nature worshipers.
— Sukhdas Mandavi · Mohla, Mohla-Manpur-Ambagarh Chowki, Chhattisgarh
Our tribe is mainly nature-worshipping. Our culture, customs, attire, tradition, and spoken language have a distinct identity that is different from others.
— Rupesh Maravi · Mandla, Madhya Pradesh
Our environment is the tribal community dependent on water, forest, and land.
— Ram Maravi · Mandla, Madhya Pradesh
Tribal people generally live in forests, live in hills, eat forest products, so they lead a different life from ordinary people.
— Kunakanta Behera · Dashapalla, Nayagarh, Odisha
We are tribals, we are nature worshippers. We always depend on trees and plants to live. We sustain our livelihood by eating its tubers, fruits, and roots.
— PRADEEP KUMAR KANHAR · Boudh, Odisha
The tribal community is different from other communities because its lifestyle, diet, and worship methods are connected to nature.
— SUKDEV HEMBRAM · East Singhbhum, Jharkhand
Our tribal communities live their lives on the edge of the forest.
— Amar Lal Dhurwey · Mandla, Madhya Pradesh
Our rituals and environment are different from other tribes.
— Sukhdas Mandavi · Mohla, Mohla-Manpur-Ambagarh Chowki, Chhattisgarh
Firstly, our lifestyle is nature-centric. Forests, hills, rivers, soil—we have a daily connection with all of these. We see nature not just as a resource, but as a life-giving companion. Secondly, our customs and traditions, traditional knowledge, festivals, songs, dances, and folk tales have made our identity unique. These cultural aspects distinguish us from other tribes. Thirdly, our collective philosophy of life—“Everyone eats together, works together, and supports each other”—this is our strength. The community is considered senior to the individual. Fourthly, our intimate connection with land, forest, and water. Considering the hills as deities, the forest as life, and wildlife as fellow travelers—this is the root of our culture. Therefore, my tribe is different from others because of: Traditional forest food and medicinal knowledge, Collective way of life, Life principles based on ancestral advice and folk tales, Religious perspective based on self-realization and natural relationships, Traditional agriculture, forest livelihood, and indigenous practices. All these elements make my tribe known as a distinct cultural, identity-rich, and glorious community.
— sudhir gamanga · Kharlingi, Housingboard Colony, Rayagada
Our culture, customs, attire, and spoken language are our identity. We are worshippers of nature, protectors of water, forests, and land, and this very identity makes us completely different from others.
— Rupesh Maravi · Balaghat, Madhya Pradesh
We are from the Gond tribe and we worship nature.
— Manjusha Marko · Dudhi, Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh
According to the cultural tradition here, we live in this tribal area. Our identity, food, and lifestyle are also kept distinct here. We are considered different among all Indian people.
— Anil pargi · Bargama, Dungarpur, Rajasthan
We are nature worshippers who follow tribal customary practices. Our culture, customs, attire, and traditions are unwritten, which are unique.
— Rupesh Maravi · Mandla, Madhya Pradesh
Our society is like this due to living in the forest and education.
— Sunita Kumari · Ghorawal, Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh
Forest, worship, tradition, customs and rituals, food and eating habits, religious ceremonies.
— Devisingh Solanki · Alirajpur, Madhya Pradesh
Our tradition is connected to nature.
— Amar Lal Dhurwey · Mandla, Madhya Pradesh
Our caste lives in the jungle, far from villages and cities, and consumes things from the jungle, and that is why they are different.
— bachcha lal · Shahganj, Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh
Our spoken language, attire, food, lifestyle, our culture, customs and traditions, and system are completely different from others, and it is unwritten. We, the people of the Adivasi Gond community, are worshippers of nature, which sets us apart from others.
— Rupesh Maravi · Mandla, Madhya Pradesh
I live in Ponoba tribal forest, everyone is different.
— Sunita Kumari · Ghorawal, Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh
We tribals cut down forests to build our homes and live in the forest itself. From the forest, we get roots, flowers, and delicious fruits, and we sustain our lives from them, and we also do farming.
— Ram Kumari · Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh
People of our community live in villages far from the city, building their homes in forested areas, and eat coarse grains, which makes them distinct.
— bachcha lal · Shahganj, Sonbhadra, Uttar Pradesh
