soliga

Soliga is a tribal community of southern India, concentrated in Karnataka's Biligiriranga Hills (BR Hills) in the Chamarajanagar district and adjacent areas. They are recognized as a Scheduled Tribe by the Indian government. The Soliga speak the Soliga language, and most are bilingual in Kannada, the region’s dominant language.

Historically forest dwellers, the Soliga have relied on a mix of agriculture, gathering non-timber forest products, honey collection, and other forest-based activities for subsistence. Their ecological knowledge of the Western Ghats has long informed local resource management, and cultural life traditionally centers on kinship networks, forest rites, and seasonal festivals tied to planting and harvest. Distinctive crafts and dress exist, though practices vary with locality and exposure to broader society.

In modern times, education and government welfare programs have brought changes in livelihoods. Some Soliga pursue wage labor, small-scale farming, or artisanal work in nearby towns, while others participate in conservation and ecotourism initiatives around the BR Hills and the Nilgiri biosphere region. The community faces contemporary challenges, including access to healthcare and education, economic diversification, and tensions around forest rights and land tenure in the context of protected areas and development projects.

As with other indigenous groups in the Western Ghats, Soliga rights and cultural heritage are addressed within broader policies on tribal welfare, forest rights, and biodiversity governance. The Soliga are part of Karnataka’s diverse tribal landscape and continue to influence and be influenced by conservation, culture, and local governance in the BR Hills region.