FredrickGreig at 00:19, 11 March 2026

2026-03-11T00:19:23Z

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{{Infobox ethnic group
| group = '''Bathudi'''
| image = Bathudi House 01.jpg
| image_caption = House of Bathudi tribes at Adivasi Mela, Bhubaneswar
| total = 220,859 (2011)
| total_ref = <ref name="census 2011">{{cite web|title=Census of India Website : Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India|url=http://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011census/PCA/ST.html|website=www.censusindia.gov.in|publisher=Government of India|accessdate=23 October 2017}}</ref>
| region1 = Odisha
| pop1 = 217,395
| ref1 = <ref name="census 2011" />
| region2 = Jharkhand
| pop2 = 3461
| ref2 = <ref name="census 2011" />
| languages = [[Odia language|Odia]], [[Regional languages]] (Hindi, Bengali, Kurmali, Ho)
| religions = [[File:Aum Om black.svg|16px]] [[Hinduism]]
| related =
}}

The '''Bathudi''' or '''Bathuri''' is a community found mainly in north-western [[Odisha]] in India. Some Bathudis, however migrated to neighbouring states of Jharkhand and West Bengal.<ref name="Minz Hansda 2010 p. 37">
{{cite book
| last1=Minz
| first1=D.
| last2=Hansda
| first2=D.M.
| title=Encyclopaedia of Scheduled Tribes in Jharkhand
| publisher=Kalpaz Publications
| year=2010
| isbn=978-81-7835-121-6
| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=W5dVaq4_cLoC&pg=PA37
| access-date=2019-07-14
| page=37}}
</ref> The 2011 census showed their population to be around 220,859. They are classified as a [[Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes|Scheduled Tribe]] by the Indian government.<ref name="census 2011"/>

==History==
The Bathudis' origin is uncertain. However they could be traced back the Panchpaidh (Panchpir) plateau of [[Mayurbhanj District]] and Simlipal forest range. They migrated to neighbouring areas over time.<ref name="Minz Hansda 2010 p. 37"/>

== Culture ==
The Bathudis believe that they are originated from arms of [[Brahma]].<ref name="Tribes of Orissa 1990 p.36-37 ">{{cite book | title=Tribes of Orissa | publisher=Harijan and Tribal Welfare Department, Government Of Orissa | year=1990 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yStuAAAAMAAJ | access-date=2019-07-14 | pages=36–37}}</ref> A section of Bathudi society have embraced Hinduism and worship Hindu gods and goddesses. While they observe some of the Hindu festivals and rituals, they have kept their animist beliefs.
<ref name="Pati Dash 2002 p. 62">{{cite book | last1=Pati | first1=R.N. | last2=Dash | first2=J. | title=Tribal and Indigenous People of India: Problems and Prospects | publisher=A.P.H. Publishing Corporation | year=2002 | isbn=978-81-7648-322-3 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qxxnZ4XxUbsC&pg=PA62 | access-date=2019-07-14 | page=62}}</ref>

They are an endogamous society with separate exogamous sections.<ref name="Anthropological Survey of India 1998 p.150 ">{{cite book | author=Anthropological Survey of India | title=Anthropology of small populations | publisher=Anthropological Survey of India, Ministry of Human Resource Development, Dept. of Culture, Govt. of India | year=1998 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pUKBAAAAMAAJ | access-date=2019-07-14 | page=150| isbn=9788185579467 }}</ref> Each exogamous section is called a {{Transliteration|or|khilli}}. More than 50 such sections have been recorded. Marriage within the same {{Transliteration|or|khilli}} is proscribed. [[Cousin marriage]] both from the paternal or maternal side is also taboo. [[Sororate marriage]] is practised but not strictly sanctioned by the society. Wedding ceremony takes place either in the house of the groom or the bride. Similar to a Hindu wedding, a Brahmin priest usually officiates in the ceremony. ''Marriage by service''<ref name="Dash 2004 p. 66">{{cite book | last=Dash | first=K.N. | title=Invitation to Social and Cultural Anthropology | publisher=Atlantic Publishers & Distributors (P) Limited | year=2004 | isbn=978-81-269-0323-8 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Szt48jbyr9EC&pg=PA66 | access-date=2019-07-14 | page=66}}</ref> and the system of [[Gharjamai|Gharjuain]] is prevalent among them.{{citation needed|date=November 2020}}

''Karna Guru'' is an important figure in a Bathudi society. A ''Karna guru'' is a [[Vaishnavism|Baishnab]] Guru who initiates them with specific chants both before the start of important events such as education and weddings.

Birth pollution<ref name="Kaphle Hancock Newman 2013 pp. 1173–1181">{{cite journal | last1=Kaphle | first1=Sabitra | last2=Hancock | first2=Heather | last3=Newman | first3=Lareen A. | title=Childbirth traditions and cultural perceptions of safety in Nepal: Critical spaces to ensure the survival of mothers and newborns in remote mountain villages | journal=Midwifery | publisher=Elsevier BV | volume=29 | issue=10 | year=2013 | issn=0266-6138 | doi=10.1016/j.midw.2013.06.002 | pmid=23845450 | pages=1173–1181| hdl=2328/27074 | hdl-access=free }}</ref> is practised for nine days. But the mother is not allowed to enter the kitchen and touch the cooking pots for twenty one days. Naming ceremony of the child can happen on the ninth day or on twenty-first-day. The mother is prohibited from eating fish, sweets and ripe jackfruit for about two years after birth of child. She is, however, allowed to eat meat and leafy vegetables.<ref name="Keonjhar Census Data">{{cite web | title=Kendujhar district census data | date=2019-07-14 | url=https://kendujhar.nic.in/document/keonjhar-district-census-data/ | archive-url=https://archive.today/20190714130101/https://kendujhar.nic.in/document/keonjhar-district-census-data/ | access-date=2019-07-14 | archive-date=2019-07-14 | url-status=live }}</ref>

Tradition of both burial and cremation are practised.

Most of the Bathudis speak a dialect of [[Odia language|Odia]]; a few have taken to [[Ho language]] as their mother tongue. Bathudis of Jharkhand speak a dialect of Hindi and use Devnagari script. Some of them also speak [[Bengali language|Bengali]] and [[Kudmali]].<ref name="Minz Hansda 2010 p. 37"/>

There houses are mainly made of mud walls and thatched roofs. Frequently decoration of multi-coloured floral designs are found on their walls. Typical household holds goods like stringed ''Charpoys''; aluminium, bell metal and earthen utensils; bow and arrow, fishing tools, mats, etc. Male attire include cotton [[dhoti]] and the women wear sari. Women and girls use coloured ribbons, fresh flowers, paper/plastic flowers to style their hair. For ornaments they prefer silver to gold. Tattooing known as ''Khada'' among them, is popular with the women. Bathudi girls tattoo one or two floral designs on their forehead or arm before marriage.<ref name="Keonjhar Census Data"/>

[[File:Bathudi House 01.jpg|thumb|right|A model of a Bathudi house|225px]]

The main source of income in the society is farming or related work. They mostly work as farm labourers. Women weave mats out of date palm leaves and prepare leaf cups and plates both for domestic use and sale. Making and selling rice products such as ''[[flattened rice|Chuda]]'' and ''[[Puffed Rice|Mudi]]'' is also another occupation for lean months.<ref name="Keonjhar Census Data"/>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
*{{Cite book |last=Ota |first=A.B. |url=https://repository.tribal.gov.in/bitstream/123456789/73877/1/SCST_2019_handbook_0065.pdf |title=Bathudi |publisher=[[Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Research and Training Institute|Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Research & Training Institute (SCSTRTI)]] |year=2019 |isbn=9789380705675 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220606123157/https://repository.tribal.gov.in/bitstream/123456789/73877/1/SCST_2019_handbook_0065.pdf |archive-date=6 Jun 2022 |url-status=live}}

==External links==
*{{Commons category-inline|Bathudi people}}

{{Scheduled tribes of India}}
{{Scheduled tribes in Odisha}}
{{Reservation in India}}

[[Category:Scheduled Tribes of India]]
[[Category:Social groups of Odisha]]
[[Category:Scheduled Tribes of Odisha]]
[[Category:Indian castes]]
[[Category:Ethnic groups in India]]
[[Category:Ethnic groups in South Asia]]
[[Category:Social groups of Jharkhand]]

Bathudi Tribe - Revision history

FredrickGreig at 00:19, 11 March 2026