The Bhumia people group primarily inhabits the southern region of Madhya Pradesh, including districts like Anuppur, Sehdol, and Umaria. They are forest-dwelling Scheduled Tribe in Madhya Pradesh. The community have various clans which regulate marriage alliances.
Life of Bhumia people
The Bhumia people mainly rely on agriculture as their main occupation to make a living. Some of them work as daily labourers in others’ fields since they don’t own their own. Early in the morning, women prepare food and get their children ready for school. They usually send their children to government schools, where mid-day meals are provided. In case the children are not going to school, they take the animals out for grazing. Their diet mainly consists of rice, wheat, vegetables, forest herbs, and maize. On special occasions such as festivals and marriages, meat is cooked. Despite having only a few landowners in their community, all members depend on daily labour in the agriculture sector or private work to sustain themselves. To put it differently, their livelihoods are largely dependent on manual labour.
Cultural Features
The Bhumia community lives in small, hut-like houses and tattoos their bodies, which can be used to identify them. Men wear dhoti-kurta while women wear sarees and a necklace made with old coins. They worship deities like Hanuman and celebrate various festivals such as Holi, Diwali, Bhujalia, Akhati, Shivratri, and Rakhi. However, their literacy rate remains very low.