KONDHS

From amongst all these tribes, the Kondhs are the most numerous; racially of Proto Australoid stock, and from amongst the Kondhs the Desia Kondhs are larger than the other two Kondh groups, the Kutia and the Dongria Kondhs.

The latter two Kondh groups still remain their status as micro-tribes, that is, they are tribes with strong individual identity and cultural status as they have persisted in their isolation the longest. In contrast, the Desias have been denuded of this status due to their frequent interaction with non-tribal people of the plains, mainly Hindu.
The Kondhs as a whole are a Dravidian tribe and speak Kuvi language with varying dialects. The Desias, however, can be found speaking colloquial Oriya mixed with Kuvi and telegu words.

KUTIA KONDHS

The Kutia Kondhs live in remote and often inaccessible hills in the extreme south-west corner of Phulbani district, mainly Belghar. Some also live in Kalahandi district. The Kutias are a peace loving and docile people.

There medicine man, Jani, has a dominant role to play in their society. Magic and voodoo are his forte. He arrives at every door that reports a sick person or a child and conduct his rituals.

Kutias are scared of tiger attacks. They consider it an evil omen. It is their belief that the attack could be the conspiracy of an evil sprit. Such dead bodies are always buried, Never cremated, as is their practice. The desia Kondhs often tattoo their faces toward off the evil, and if you look closely at the pattern you are likely to discern a pattern resembling a tiger's whiskers. The kutias do believe that a person killed by a tiger can himself or herself become an evil sprit that takes on the form of a tiger and comes back to kill. Unlike the desias, the Kutias do not do any elaborate tattooing of their faces to ward of evil.
 
Kutias love their drink called Kuer. If its colour turns red while brewing, then Kutias get very excited because it is a good sign, and augurs well for their immediate future. They celebrate such an occasion with drums, and trumpets made of bison horn. It is an occasion for great rejoicing. Their women also join in for the dance.

DONGRIA KONDHS

The dongrias live near Bisamkatak in the Niyamgiri Hill range. They are very aggressive and are quite different in their attire and hairstyle. The men grow their hair long and tie it into a knot at the back. Young men oil themselves well and slide a comb into their hair. Earlier the comb was of wood, but now it has been replaced by plastic ones.

These men with neat hair and comb in place, walk from their village to another village where the dormitory is and where they can meet the girls who are waiting for them. They walk the distance beating their drum (changu). They also wear a scarf on this special occasion, one that is Knitted by their own sister. The motifs on their scarf resembles the ones on their walls. The red triangle symbolises sacrificial blood, the green is for trees and the environment, and yellow for mutual harmony.

Their dormitory system of meeting and mating helps them in finding the right partner. It is undoubtedly a very succesful pre-marriage institution for both young men and women.

In the pre-independent days the maria sacrifice involved the death of a human being at the altar of an wooden pillar representing mother earth dharani penu.The British banned human sacrifice. Although the chant is still the same, but instead of a human being only a buffalo is sacrificed since a long time now.