Joy of field work

I am been questioned by many of my friends and colleagues that ‘what I do in the villages? What for I travel a lot in tribal areas?’ my only reply to them is ‘field work’. The word engraved in me since my college days, when I first started knowing the subject Anthropology. My foremost field work was in the village named Raghurajpur, Odisha in the year 2001 where I studied the marriage system of the people in the village. Since then the journey had never stopped, field work has its own charm and the rich experience has its own beuty. I have travelled many parts of the country for field work it indeed has taught me the best things in life. Let me share my recent field work experience in Chhattisgarh and Mayurbhanj 

among the Baiga and Khadia tribes. The villages were distance of where I was staying and there were transportation problem as well. The roads were muddy and slippery I literally had to hold my breath to walk the roads to reach the villages and having experience falling on those muddy roads. It was certainly one of the best experiences with Baiga and Khadia tribes, spending entire day with them and having their traditional food made me feel like one among them. The Khadia tribes in Mayurbhanj taught me their language and food habits. I also took stroll around the local weekly market to understand their livelihood. One thing I learned from both the tribes that weekly market is one of the main source of social networking with people from distant villages, it is also a source of entertainment for many. Most commonly thing observe was people enjoying the weekly market days with country liquor, food and colourful attire. However, festive period is one of the best times to visit the tribal villages one can indeed get to see colourful attire, locally knit ornaments, tribal folk songs and dance. My feet could not stop to join the young girls dancing on the festive songs, though it is the time when the young boys and girls choose their partner, well I got narrowly escape for being someone's bride while dancing with those young girls in Mayurbhanj!! Field work not just remain my research but also a public speaker. Some organization and village leaders invited me to their local village meeting to aware the village people of the things I know and educate them

One of the best moments was of having food in a tribal hut on one rainy day. Yes the food that was cooked whole heartedly by one of my tribal friend named Ranga who was my true inspiration. She had inspired me in many occasion and the bonding I have with her is truly heart wrenching. Nothing tastes best than the indigenous food. Apart from my research work the entire field work has taught me the joy of living simple life. While narrating the experience I long to go back to those villages, my heart goes on singing

The little feet’s of children running to stand in front my camera

The wrinkled old faces smile on funny questions of mine

The young girls shying away on my questions to them

The young boys question of my visit to their village

The smell of drenched earth, green trees, muddy roads

The hot food on veranda of tribal  hut and playing with kids

My heart goes on singing, life is so beautiful!!