Culture of Andaman and Nicobar Island

India has an extraordinary culture and history which prevails from long back. India has never failed to impress people from its charm and maybe that is the reason we had so many invaders in past. Presently India has 29 States, 6 Union Territories and 1 National Capital territory.

Andaman and Nicobar is one of the 6 Union Territories and it is also one of the favorite tourist destinations in current time. At times we just visit a place without knowing much and it is good to know about a place and its culture before anyone visits a place.

This article explains the culture of Andaman & Nicobar Islands.

This place as the name suggests it consists of the number of islands at the southern edge of Bay of Bengal. Out of these islands, only a few have human populations and this population has mainly consisted of two categories i.e. Tribal people and people who migrated to islands from different countries like Africa. Culture of Andaman is more influenced by visitors from all over the world through its original inhabitants are aborigines. The culture of Andaman can be best expressed as comprising the following:

Origin

Andaman & Nicobar inhabitants can be divided into two major groups of Negroid region and migrated from Africa almost 60,000 years back. The main ethnic groups are

• Andamanese

• Onge

• Jarawa- known for bold and violent nature and use iron tips to sharpen arrows for hunting.

• Sentinelese- these are still believed to roam naked in coastal areas and lead their life by fishing.

People of Nicobar Island are of mainly Mongoloid origin that has migrated from Burma. This place consists of people of religions like Hindu, Christians, and Muslims.

Culture

People of Andaman have rich culture and tradition which is extraordinary in itself. Tourist coming to Island is mainly attracted by the richness, ethnicity, and customs which are properly followed by the people.

Certain things they do are:

• Andamanese paints their face and bodies with clay. They make different designs and also their deities are represented in this. Face painting is done on a daily basis while the body is painted on special occasions.

• People here enjoy chanting while they are on work. They sing special call and response songs at important ceremonies. These songs are sung for colorful pigeons who give a response to them. Elders sing in "crying style" to recall the group's history and legends.

• They entertain themselves with stories at their camps. Together with art of storytelling, they enjoy dancing which feature hand clapping and slapping feet against the ground or the body.

Social Customs and Traditions

Nature holds a strong influence on the social customs of Andamanese. One of the most important festivals of Nicobar is The Ossuary Feast on which homage to departed souls of the family is paid. This festival is also accompanied by Nicobarese Folk Dance which is celebrated on full moon day. Family members dress in the traditional costume of coconut and plantain leaves around their head and waist. They also enjoy canoe racing and pig fight.

Art and Craft

They excel in crafts related to shells, wood, cane, and bamboo. Mat making and basketry is also part of their traditional culture.

Cuisine

Seafood, red and white meat is the main food for nonvegetarians. As they were originally hunters they also hunt birds and wild animals. They also love fruits like Mango, banana, orange, pineapple, and guava. Being a tourist place now they also offer Indian, Chinese, continental, etc.

If anyone plans to visit Andaman should plan in summers and should enjoy the culture of this place.