Muria people

The Muria are an adivasi (scheduled tribe) of the Bastar district of Chhattisgarh, India. They are part of the Gondi people. Traditionally they are economically homogenous and strive to work as a collective. They have mixed-sex dormitories where adolescents are sent to practice premarital sex, sometimes with a single partner and sometimes serially. They have an omnivorous diet, with liquor playing a key role in their society.

Etymology

Shiva Tosh Das writes that the name Muria comes from the root word mur, which can be translated as either "root" or "permanent"; it may be based on the fact that the Muria are settled, unlike the nomadic Maria.

Social structure

The Muria prioritize collectiveness. They are divided into five phratries: the Nagvans (Snake Race), Kacchimvans (Tortoise Race), Bakravans (Goat Race), Baghvans (Tiger Race), and Bodminkvans (Fish Race). They are not allowed to eat their totem animal, and must mourn it if one dies.

Costume

Male Muria wear clothing similar to that of the Chanda District, while the females often dress in simple garments that do not cover the breasts. The style of the garments appears to have been modified after contact with other tribes.