The Bharias - Tribe of Madhya Pradesh

Tribal Tour...Bharia

Bharia is one of Dravidian-speaking tribes of Madhya Pradesh in India. The Bharias live in Patalkot, which is completely isolated valley some 400 metres below Tamia in Chhindwaradistrict of Madhya Pradesh. This valley is the source of Dudhi River. Patalkot is totally inaccessible by road and one enters along a foot-path only.But recently The Madhya Pradesh government established good road inside the Patalkot valley.

There are hundreds of medicinal plant species in the Patalkot valley, and the Bharias have a deep knowledge of the herbs and medicinal plants growing within their valley. Herbal healers from Bharia community are known as Bhagats. According to Deepak Acharya, Bhumkas can treat various human disorders.

 Bharia Tribe is a Dravidian tribe. They have been given the status of being one of the scheduled tribes of the Indian subcontinent. The name 'Bhumia', meaning Lord of the soil, is another name for this tribal group. Some of the tribal communities of the Indian subcontinent also identify Bharia Tribe as 'Bharia Bhumia'. Bhumia refers to priest of the village Gods and is thus considered as a very respectable designation for the people of this tribe. Bharia Tribe is further categorized into clans like Thakaria, Angaria, Bapothia, Bhardia, Bijaraia, Mehania, Amolia, Papchalia, Nahal, Raotia and Gadaria. Several stories are associated with the origin of Bharia Tribe. Some records suggest that they belong from the phylum of Bhartribe. Eminent anthropologists have conducted numerous researches on the lives of this Bharia tribal community and have revealed that this tribe is one of the indigenous tribes of the region.

People of Bharia Tribe are highly religious by nature and worship several Hindu deities. They celebrate festivals like Shivratri, Diwali, Holi, Akhati and many more. Most of the people have adapted to Hinduism. Like most other tribal communities, the Bharia Tribe is also greatly inclined towards religion and spiritualism. 

Following the tradition of most of the tribal communities of the Indian subcontinent, the Bharia Tribe has adapted to the profession of cultivation. Mainly, shifting cultivation is practiced by them in order to sustain their livelihood. Thus, it is needless to say that the Bharia tribal community is agrarian. Apart from cultivation, many people of this tribe also collect various forest products like tubers, roots and fruits to meet the demands of their daily survival. 

Source of Information is Internet, Might vary, Kindly crosscheck/reconfirm before finalizing the Tour Plan.