Andaman Tour: A Review of Andaman’s Major Tribe Communities

by Amrita S. SEO Executive

Andaman is widely known for its interesting tribe cultures and is thronged by culture enthusiasts from far and wide. This article gives you a sneak preview of the major tribe communities of Andaman: The Jarawa, Onge and the Great Andamanese.

Andaman is literally a hidden pearl of Indian subcontinent situated in between the Bay of Bengal. Beautiful sandy beaches, gorgeous coral reefs, pulsating adventures and unique tribal cultures – an Andaman tour encapsulates it all, and gives tourists a remarkable holiday experience.

A large number of people visit this territory to see its tribal communities and their unique set of traditions and customs. The island is home to mainly 6 tribe communities including 4 Negritos and 2 Mongoloid. Many of these groups still shy away from outsiders and live a hunting-gathering lifestyle. Among the most ancient groups are the Jarawa, Onge and the Great Andamanese, who are believed to come here from Africa about 6000 years ago. They still live with their own set of customs and social values, which are quite similar to Negritos and Mongoloids in African forests.

If discussing in detail, there is no harm to back the statement that the Great Andamanese wre the first to settle in this isolated territory followed by the Onge and later on by the Jarawa. Have a sneak look at their lifestyle and traditions!

Jarawa: They are about 350 in number and quite away from the modern glare and limelight. They use to live in oval huts amidst the thick forests of middle Andaman, and are often seen with rafts. First time, jarawa people were seen in 1997 who popped out from the jungles of middle Andaman and reached to nearby village for food. The language they used was completely alien, and they were just pointing to their bellies for food. The name ‘jarawa’ was given this community by the neighbouring tribes, which literally means ‘the other people’. Language and the lifestyle of these people are quite strange. Though a few of them have now picked up Hindi due to contact with other outsiders.

Onge: They used to live in two separate regions in Little Andaman before Tsunami hit the Andaman. Now they have moved to further inside of forests and live a quite interesting lifestyle. The number these people have fallen to just 95, and it is therefore they are agree for remarry in their group, which was considered as a taboo initially. During British time in India, Onge were more than 600 in numbers who used to work for the company.

Great Andamanese: This tribe community has seen many fatal cataclysms over the year. Initially, they were as many as 5000 in numbers, but just in a century and half this number has come down to just 50. This group is said to be a part of Negorities, which are believed to be the first habitants of the island. With passage of time, the cultural and linguistic identies of this group have been lost, and its members now speak Hindi or other regional language.

Culture enthusiasts from far and wide take Andaman tour to explore distinct and enchanting cultures of these tribe groups.

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