Key Facts about Koya Tribe

About Koya Tribe: 

• Koya are one of the few multi-racial and multi-lingual tribal communities in India.
• They live in the forests, plains and valleys on both sides of the Godavari River, in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Chhattisgarh and Odisha. 
• They are said to have migrated to central India from their original home in Bastar, northern India.
• Language:
  • The Koya language, also called Koyi, is a Dravidian language. It is closely related to Gondi and has been strongly influenced by Telugu.
  • Most Koya speak either Gondi or Telugu, in addition to Koyi.
• Occupation: 
• • Traditionally, they were pastoralists and shifting cultivators, but now-a-days, they have taken to settled cultivation supplemented by animal husbandry and seasonal forest collections.
  • They grow Jowar, Ragi, Bajra and other millets. 
• Society and Culture:
  • All Koya belong to one of five subdivisions called gotras. Every Koya is born into a clan and he cannot leave it.
  • They have a patrilineal and patrilocal family. The family is called "Kutum". The nuclear family is the predominant type.
  • Monogamy is prevalent among the Koyas.
  • They practice their own ethnic religion, but also worship a number of Hindu gods and goddesses.
  • Many Koya deities are female, the most important being the "mother earth."
  • They maintain community funds and grain banks at the village level to help the needy families and provide food security.
  • They either bury or cremate the dead. They erect menhirsin memory of the dead.
  • Their main festivals are Vijji Pandum (seeds charming festival) and Kondala Kolupu (festival to appease Hill deities). 
  • They perform a robust, colourful dance called Permakok (Bison horn dance) during festivals and marriage ceremonies.