Koya tribe

Current Context : Koya tribe faces a cultural crisis as raids by the Special Enforcement Bureau threaten their cherished tradition of Mahua liquor consumption.

ABOUT KOYA TRIBE :

• Koya are one of the few multi-racial and multi-lingual tribal communities in India.
• They are indigenous tribes of Andhra Pradesh.
• 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.
• The Koya are migrated to central India from their original home in Bastar, northern India.
• They speak Koya language, also called Koyi, is a Dravidian language.
• Occupation : pastoralists and shifting cultivators.
• They grow Jowar, Ragi, Bajra, and other millets.

ABOUT MAHUA :

• The flowers of the Mahua tree are fermented to produce an alcoholic drink also called Mahua.
• Scientific name : Madhuca longifolia
• Tribal men and women in various parts of India traditionally make this liquor.