Bhubaneswa, Jan 29: ST and SC Development Department has taken up a virtual tour to Odisha State Tribal Museum on every Sunday. This Sunday, the visitors can visit the Oraon festivals and costumes by opening the Facebook and Twitter Pages @stscdev, @scstrti said Director, SCSTRTI, Prof. Dr. A.B. Ota.

The Oraon is an agrarian tribe of Odisha. They have taken advantage of modern techniques adopting fertilizers, pesticides and improved seeds. The Oraon live in mixed ethnicity villages. Their settlements are located in West Bengal, Odisha, Bihar, Chattishgarh and Maharastra. Their houses are specious having verandah at the front and back and an outer courtyard.

The Oraon believe in the importance of human life and its interconnectedness with nature. They celebrate this connection with social systems of interdependence and festivals that marks the change of seasons with ritual dance, music and feasting. Important among these, is the cattle festival held to honour animals, essentials to the livelihood of the community.

The traditional dress of the Oraon is made of coarse white cotton woven with red. The men wear a loin cloth or “Keria”. The women wear the Kanaria, both articles being woven by the local weaver community. Men sometimes also wear a pagdi while the women prefer simple ornaments made of precious metals or alloys. Continued contact with other communities, in recent years led to the decline in the use of traditional garments.

These garments are quickly been replaced by modern clothing like pants, shirts and synthetic sarees. Shirts made of traditional fabrics are now popular on festive occasions, while fake coin necklace and anklets are worn for dances. Tattooing which was once common in Oraon women is also no longer popular.