Dangaria Kandha
Dangaria Kandha is the local tribe of the region named as Niyamgiri, which is characterized by the presence of ecstatic Niyamgiri Hills. Niyamgiri is the local place which falls under the Rayagada District in the south Western Region of the state of Odisha, India. The tribe is a peace-loving tribe known for their simplicity in life . The people practice Horticulture and shifting cultivation.
Dangaria Kandha also known as 'Dongaria Kondh' is a tribe in the south-west part of Odisha, India. They are mainly known in the Niyamgiri Jungle area, which falls in the districts of Rayagada and Kalahandi. They worship Niyamraja, the god of the Niyamgiri Jungle.
The Niyamgiri hill range in Odisha state, eastern India, is home to the Dongria Kondh tribe. Niyamgiri is an area containing densely forested hills, deep gorges and cascading streams. To be a Dongria Kondh is to farm the hills’ fertile slopes, harvest their produce, and worship the mountain god Niyam Raja and the hills he presides over, including the 4,000 metre Mountain of the Law, Niyam Dongar.
The deep reverence and respect that the Dongria have for their gods, hills and streams pervades every aspect of their lives. Even their art reflects the mountains, in the triangular designs found on village shrines to the many gods of the village, farm and forests and their leader, Niyam Raja. They derive their name from dongar, meaning ‘hill’ and the name for themselves is Jharnia: protector of streams.
