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JENU KURUBA

The Jenu Kuruba are a tribal community from the Nilgiris that numbers roughly 37,000 people. They are concentrated in districts that border the states of Kerala and Karnataka. 'Jenu' means 'honey' in Kannada, referring to their traditional job as honey collectors in the jungle.

Description

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survivalinternational.org

Context:

Jenu Kuruba families have lately begun the long-awaited reoccupation of their ancestral houses within Nagarhole National Park.

About Jenu Kuruba

  • The Jenu Kuruba tribe, which numbers roughly 37,000, is largely found in the Nilgiris region, which borders Kerala and Karnataka.
  • Their traditional activity is harvesting honey in the jungle, as reflected in their name, 'Jenu', which means 'honey' in Kannada.
  • In the early twentieth century, they lived in forest huts and cultivated.

Social Organisation

Aspect

Details

Language

Jenu Kurumba language; related to Kodava or considered a rural dialect of Kannada.

Traditional Occupations

Food gathering, collecting minor forest produce, handling elephants.

Settlement Pattern

Small settlements known as Hadi.

Agriculture

Practice shifting cultivation.

Lifestyle

Semi-nomadic.

Social Organization

Decentralized authority structure.

Leadership Roles

- Head-man (Yajamana): Oversees community matters.

- Ritual Head/Shaman (Gudda): Handles rituals and spiritual matters.

Beliefs:

  • The Jenu Kuruba belief system encompasses religious practices related to supernatural creatures.
  • They have distinct identities and names, and the Jenu Kuruba people have a strong attachment to them.
  • Their songs and dances explore themes like agriculture, marriage, mythology, and religious beliefs.

Practice Question

Consider the following pairs :

Tribe: State

1. Limboo Limbu : Sikkim

2. Karbi : Himachal

3. Dongaria Kondh : Odisha

4. Bonda : Tamil Nadu

Which of the above pairs are correctly matched?

(a) 1 and 3 only

(b) 2 and 4 only

(c) 1, 3 and 4 only

(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

Correct answer: (a) 1 and 3 only.

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