Culture is the shorthand version of the rules which guide the way of life of the people. The tribal culture is very simple and portrays a subtle side of Orissa. More specifically culture can be thought of as the common learned way of life shared by the members of a society.
The tribal people of Orissa are strong, industrious and very hospitable in nature. They usually don’t intermingle with outsiders, since they are not too advanced and are quite shy. This people express their cultural identity and distinctiveness in their social organization, language, rituals and festivals and also in their dress, ornamentation, art and craft. The men folk are engaged in activities like agriculture, hunting and fishing to earn a living. They have retained their own way of managing internal affairs of the village mainly through two institutions namely, the village council and the youth dormitory. The dormitory is the core of tribal culture and it reinforces the age-old traditions. In Orissa this institution occurs among many tribal communities in some form or other. It is variously called by different tribal groups. The tribal people live a life without any luxuries that the urban city provides and yet are content with it.
The tribal culture of Orissa is also abundant is the celebration of festivals. Being God-fearing people, they worship numerous deities for their well-being. The festivals are celebrated with much excitement and happiness and the traditional rituals are closely followed in order to please the Gods. The most important festivals are Chaita Parab and Push Parab when the men folk go on hunting expeditions. The different customs and lifestyle is what makes the tribal culture truly distinctive and fascinating.
