Paraja

Paraja is a tribal community in India, primarily concentrated in the eastern state of Odisha, with smaller populations in neighboring states such as Chhattisgarh. They are recognized as a Scheduled Tribe by the Government of India, reflecting their distinct cultural practices and historical marginalization within the region’s social structure.

The Paraja traditionally rely on a mix of shifting cultivation, forest produce gathering, and small-scale agriculture, with many members also participating in wage labor in rural and urban settings. Their language, the Paraja language, is considered part of the Munda sub-branch of the Austroasiatic language family, though many Paraja are also fluent in Odia or regional linguae francae. Social life centers on village communities organized around kinship and clan networks, with rituals and festivals tied to agricultural cycles and forest traditions, supplemented by Hindu influences through long-standing cultural contact.

In historical terms, the Paraja, like other Adivasi groups in eastern India, have faced land dispossession, development pressures, and integration into broader state systems. Today they participate in government welfare schemes and cultural preservation efforts while balancing traditional livelihoods with contemporary economic opportunities. The Paraja continue to maintain distinct folk music, dance, and artisanal traditions that contribute to the region’s cultural diversity.