Anthropological Survey of India builds tribal hut replicas to promote unique heritage

Source: The post is based on the article “Anthropological Survey of India builds tribal hut replicas to promote unique heritage” published in The Hindu on 7th November 2022. 

What is the News?

To showcase the heritage of tribal communities, the Anthropological Survey of India (AnSI) has recreated the huts of several communities at its different regional centres.

Which tribal communities huts were recreated by the Anthropological Survey of India(AnSI)?

Jarawas are indigenous people of the Andaman Islands in India. They live in parts of South Andaman and Middle Andaman Islands. The traditional Jarawa hut is called a chadda.

Shompen or Shom Pen: They are the indigenous people of the interior of Great Nicobar Island, part of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

– Note: Both the Jarawa and Shompen communities are Particularly vulnerable tribal group (PVTGs) living in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. While the population of Shompen people is said to be less than 300, there are about 500 members of the Jarawa tribe.

Khasis: Khasi people are an ethnic group of Meghalaya in north-eastern India with a significant population in the bordering state of Assam and in certain parts of Bangladesh. 

– The Khasi people form the majority of the population of Meghalaya and is the state’s largest community. They are among the few Austroasiatic-speaking peoples in South Asia. A cultural tradition of the Khasi people is that they follow the matrilineal system.

Dorla also called Dora are a tribal people community found mainly in Bastar area of central India. They are mainly found in Dantewada and Bijapur districts of present-day Chhattisgarh.

Betta Kuruba (Betta meaning ‘Hill’, Kuruba meaning ‘shepherd’) tribe lives in the hilly regions of Karnataka and is one of the few indigenous communities of the Nilgiris.

What is the Anthropological Survey of India(AnSI)?

Anthropological Survey of India is the only research organization to pursue anthropological research in a governmental setup. 

Its genesis was from the Zoological and Anthropological section of the Indian Museum which became the Zoological Survey of India in 1916. 

In 1945, the Anthropology section of the Zoological Survey was carved out to eventually become the Anthropological Survey of India (An.S.I).

Headquarters: Kolkata, West Bengal