Kurukh people

The Oraon tribes उरांव or Kurukh कुड़ुख tribe (Kurukh: Oṛāōⁿ and Kuṛuḵẖ), also spelled Uraon, Oran, or Oram, are tribal aborigines inhabiting various states across central and eastern India, Bangladesh and Bhutan. Traditionally, Oraons depended on the forest and farms for their ritual and economic livelihood, but in recent times, a few of them have become mainly settled agriculturalists. Small numbers of Oraons have migrated to the northeastern part of India, where they are mainly employed in tea estates.

Origins

According to the Indian Anthropological Society, Konkan is said to be the original home of the Kurukh tribes, from whence they migrated to Northern India. A Kurukh substratum is very prominent in the language of the Konkan or the Konkani language.

People

The Kurukh or Oraons are the tribals of Chota Nagpur Plateau. Oraon appears to have been assigned to them as a nickname by Mundas of Chotanagpur, or possibly with reference to their many migrations and proneness to roam, however, they prefer to be called Kurukhar.