The Binjhia (also known as Binjhoa, Binjhawar)
is an ethnic group found in
Odisha
Odisha (English: , ), formerly Orissa ( the official name until 2011), is an Indian state located in Eastern India. It is the 8th largest state by area, and the 11th largest by population. The state has the third largest population of ...
and
Jharkhand
Jharkhand (; ; ) is a state in eastern India. The state shares its border with the states of West Bengal to the east, Chhattisgarh to the west, Uttar Pradesh to the northwest, Bihar to the north and Odisha to the south. It has an area of . It ...
.
The 2011 census showed their population to be around 25,835. They are classified as a
Scheduled Tribe
The Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) are officially designated groups of people and among the most disadvantaged socio-economic groups in India. The terms are recognized in the Constitution of India and the groups are designa ...
by the Indian government.
Etymology
According to some sources the name Binjhia is derived from the word Vindhyas meaning Vindhya Hills.
Origin
The Binjhias believe that their original home was Kolanagari in the Vindhya valley.
From Vindhya hills they moved east-wards to Chhotnagpur, Keonjhar, Sundargarh and Barasombar. Long time ago they called themselves as Vindhyaniwasi. But after settling down at Chhotnagpur, gradually they were called as Binjhia by the local people.
Subgroups
The Binjhia are divided into four subgroups. They are Asur-Binjhia, Agaria-Binjhia, Pahariya Binjhia and Dand-Binjhia. These subgroups are further divided into a number of septs.
Culture
The Binjhia settlements are large and homogeneous. They do not practise clan exogamy. However consider each village as an exogamous unit. Adult marriage is preferred in some groups. Where as child marriage is common in others. They also allow cross-cousin marriage, levirate, sororate, remarriage of widows and divorcees. They practise both burial and burning of the dead. There are separate burial grounds reserved for different lineages.
They worship a number of benevolent and malevolent spirits along with Hindu gods and goddesses such as
Jagannath
Jagannath ( or, ଜଗନ୍ନାଥ, lit=Lord of the Universe, Jagannātha; formerly en, Juggernaut) is a deity worshipped in regional Hindu traditions in India and Bangladesh as part of a triad along with his brother Balabhadra, and sister ...
. Their village deity is named Budharaja. They have the cult of ancestor worship – pitru puja at the clan and lineage levels. They still use barter system at the village community level and the weekly markets. Women are an important part in all forms of socio-economic transactions. The structure of clan starts at level of an extended family called . A cluster of comprising a local group of families up to three generations form a - a minor lineage. Several in a village constitute a , a major lineage. The latter make a small clan, a . The clan is composed of and headed by a .
See also
*
Tribes of India
References
{{Reservation in India
Scheduled Tribes of India
Social groups of Odisha
Scheduled Tribes of Odisha
Social groups of Jharkhand
Ethnic groups in India
Ethnic groups in Odisha
Ethnic groups in Jharkhand