India is one land where there is a diversity of people, language, religious, and social constructs. As time has changed, the diversity has further enhanced, and there are people of a lot more than one could even depict. Similar is the case when it comes to talking about the different tribes living on the Indian mainland. As times have progressed and modernized, the awareness of people has reduced comparatively, but Damburu Sisa, in his “The Didayi Tribe’s Cultural Contours and Heritage: Isolated Primitive Tribe,” attempts to capture the essence of one tribe and share his understanding and research about this one tribe through the medium of his work.
Didayi tribe, by its name, may sound unfamiliar to most of the readers, and the author’s primary purpose is to enlighten them so that they get an understanding to the Didayi tribe who reside in Odisha. The author keeps the book detailed and has done thorough research on the lives of Didayi and their lifestyle etc. “The Didayi Tribe’s Cultural Contours and Heritage” covers vital details about the lives of the Didayi people and all the possible questions the readers could have in their minds. He answers questions about their origins, their lifestyle, their ceremonies from birth to marriage to death. The reader is likely to gain a thorough and deep understanding of the culture and traditions of the Didayi tribe.
In the very beginning, the author discloses that the book shares the results of the research and hard work that he has done in his study on the Didayi. He clears it to the readers that this tribe is as vital as any other tribe as they too have been present on the landscape for a very long time, and with time, they have also evolved and changed. The readers become aware that they are going to get a close experience of the Didayi life, their ways and all that is a part of their cultural system. In “The Didayi Tribe’s Cultural Contours and Heritage”, the author talks about the societal setup, the family setup, the medical systems, the care and upbringing of children, the beliefs of the people, the lifestyle of the people, the food, and the eating habits of the people. In addition to this, Sisa also mentions the systems of marriage and customs that people follow on various occasions. In between all this, he also mentions about who can talk to whom and how in light of their relationships, the naming ceremony of children after birth and the necessary things to be kept in mind, the hard-working and highly hospitable nature of the Didayi people, and the challenges they face in the present time.
Other than this, the author has also talked about the efforts that the government is making for their betterment and shares statistical data of how far they have come. He shares the fact that since the Didayi are not well educated, they are innocent and end up getting exploited by the hands of the city people. It can be said that the readers get an opportunity to visit the heart of the Didayi tribe by the medium of the book. The details that the author shares are only things that people who have been a part of a particular system can understand. Therefore, Sisa’s efforts, research, and hard work are appreciable. The sharing of accurate data from reliable sources makes the “The Didayi Tribe’s Cultural Contours and Heritage” more of a book that provides practical experience and knowledge to the readers.
The author takes a language that is simple and easy to understand for the readers. They are likely to understand the concepts and ideas the author shares in one reading and are bound to retain the details for a longer time. The land of India has a lot of many kinds of people that one can think of. Apart from the linguistic differences and the differences of dialect, many tribes like the Didayi add to the diverisity of the Indian culture and gives an idea of its richness. “The Didayi Tribe’s Cultural Contours and Heritage” is suggested to every reader whether they read fiction or nonfiction. Every reader, old or young, should try reading Sisa’s work. The book may seem a little more than the usual length of books, but the fact can’t be ignored that it is a research, it is supposed to be in detail. The understanding of one tribe out of the many may not be enough but it may be a beginning to explore a new field of writing through “The Didayi Tribe’s Cultural Contours and Heritage”. The knowledge of the tribes of the country is not just important from a knowledge point of view but also necessary so that everyone can extend their help and support in helping the smaller groups preserve their age-old culture, tradition, and practices.
Author Name: Dambaru Sisa
Book title: The Didayi tribe’s Cultural Contours and Heritage
Reviewed By: Akhila Saroha at Criticspace Journals
Publisher: Evincepub Publishing
Order On: Amazon