Tribe of India: Dhodia Tribe

HISTORY

There exist many theories on the origin of the term "dhodia" . One is that they were originally from Dhulia. The alternative theory is that Rajputs from the Dholka Taluka married indigenous women and their descendants became known as Dhodia. However, none of these claims have been backed up by scientific or historical evidence. Another tribal group, the Naikda, claims lineage from the Dhodia.

ORIGIN

The most of Dhodia tribes live in Gujarat's southern districts, including Surat and Valsad, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, and Daman and Diu, as well as Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Rajasthan. They are mostly found in Maharashtra's Thane area. The Dhodia language is their native tongue. It is a language that consists of a combination of original terms as well as those influenced by Gujarati and Marathi. There is no written tradition in their language.

RELIGION AND CUSTOMS

The majority of dhodia adhere to traditional religious practices. The majority of Dhodia adheres to Hinduism. However, some people adopted Christianity. Some people follow Adiwashi traditions and revere nature. Within Dhodia, there are numerous subcastes/kuls. Dhodia women traditionally wear the 'Kachhedo' or 'Dhadku' kind of saree, which is similar to the Marathi saree.

FESTIVALS

They participate in all of the Hindu festivities. Some examples include Diwali and Holi. The majority of Dhodia adhere to "Kanasari" or "Kanseri" and are dedicated to it (Goddess of food). At harvest time, they celebrate the "Kanseri" celebration. Most Hindus refer to the Goddess of "Kanseri" as Goddess "Annapurna." "Divaso" is also celebrated by the Dhodia.

In some Dhodia villages, Vagh baras is also celebrated in a unique way, with males wearing stripes to depict the Vagh (tiger) and others wearing plain white or other colours to signify livestock. The livestock are pursued by the tiger. Finally, at the conclusion of the sport, the villagers gather to eat and rejoice. On this day, people also make Bhakhras for pooja rituals to their Kuldev.

FOOD

Dhodia are generally non-vegetarians. Rice, wheat and jowar are there staple food.