Gutti Koya tribe

Tags: State News

In the Gutti Koya tribe, stone memorials are erected to honour the passing of their three key figures: the physician, the priest, and the village leader.

An Overview of the News

• In the Red Corridor along the A.P.-Chhattisgarh border, the Gutti Koya tribe keeps their customs and memories alive through their traditional practices.

• It is the tribespeople’s custom to place a stone in memory of a deceased dignitary of the settlement to express their gratitude for their services.

• “They bury the bodies of only three persons in their village - Vejji (physician), poojari (priest) and the community head. When others die, their bodies are cremated in the forest,”

About Gutti Koya tribe:

• The Koya population is primarily concentrated in the states of Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Odisha.

• They communicate using the Koya language, which belongs to the Dravidian language family.

• The significant festival celebrated by the Koya community is the Sammakka Saralamma Jatra, held once every two years on the full moon day of Magha Masam (January or February) in the village of Medaram, located in Mulug taluk of Warangal district.

• The Koya people engage in the Podu form of shifting cultivation, which is a survival-oriented practice adopted by several tribal groups in forest regions.

• While they are recognized as Scheduled Tribes (ST) in Chhattisgarh, they have not been granted the same status in the states where they have migrated, such as Telangana.

• Their livelihood primarily revolves around animal husbandry and the collection of minor forest produce.