The issue of clean drinking water remains a major challenge for the tribal communities in Chamarajanagar district, Karnataka, especially in the villages inhabited by the Soliga tribes.
About Soliga Tribe:
The Soliga, also spelt Solega, are a group of indigenous, forest-dwelling people found mostly in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.
The term "Soliga" literally translates to "children of bamboo", which reflects the tribe's relationship with nature and their belief that they too have emerged from it.
They reside in the peripheral forest areas near Biligiri Rangana Hills and Male Mahadeshwara Hills.
They are the first tribal community living inside the core area of a tiger reserve in India (Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple Tiger Reserve) to get their forest rights officially recognised by a court of law.
According to 2011 Census, the population of Soliga is about 33,871 in Karnataka and 5,965 in Tamil Nadu.
Language: The Dravidian language sholaga is spoken by the Soliga. They also speak Kannada and Tamil.
The Soligas live in single-room huts, built of bamboo and mud.
Economy:
The traditional economy of the Soliga is mostly based on shifting cultivation and collection of minor forest produce.
Honey is an important part of the diet for the Soliga people, who still forage large parts of their food from the biodiversity-rich Ghats.
The Soligas believe in coexisting with the environment and have indigenous ways of using nature to make unique utility products, such as the ‘jottai’, which is a cup made out of leaves.
Religion: Along with adhering to Hindu customs, the Soliga people practice naturism and animism.
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