INTRODUCTION:

Culture change is the process by which the basic pattern of a culture is constantly coming in contact with another culture and due to this contact, a significant change takes place in it, although the culture group changing in this way does not completely lose its independent existence or basic uniqueness. Cultural change can also occur due to mutual contact or influence of different cultures. Various changes are seen in human life due to cultural change. Due to urbanization, urbanization and industrialization, there has been a lot of change in the social, economic and political life of humans. People are forgetting their ancient culture. There are characteristics in various dimensions of the tribal community which differentiate the tribal community from other communities. For example, in the context of the political aspect of the Binjhwar tribe, Kumar S and Pradhan A (2019) have published in their research paper that The Bijhwar tribe of Chhattisgarh state is not a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVtGs) but their living style is almost followed Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVtGs). Beachwear tribe is closely related to forest for there all dimensions of life like economy, social-cultural, religious, etc. but in the present era because of modernization, development policies and interaction with non-tribal community they changed in their socio-cultural way. Present research paper is trying to document social-cultural and political dimensions of Bijhwar tribe. The present study is a qualitative study that conducts in Basna blocks of the Mahasamunnd district of Chhattisgarh (India). According to present research paper Bijhwar tribe must follow their political tradition and their political system is directly related to their social-cultural part. But some development policies are affecting their system. Similarly, cultural traits like Lal Bangla, Osamdawa, etc. are also found in the Bhunjia tribe.

STUDY AREA AND KEY RESPONDENTS:

The present study has been conducted in various Kamar inhabited villages of Gariaband district of Chhattisgarh state. In which a total of 226 Kamar families have been selected through sampling. 

In the present study, elders of the Bhunjia tribe have been selected as key respondents because they have the experience of three generations.

METHODOLOGY AND TECHNIQUE USED IN THE STUDY:

Collection of primary data: The following research techniques are used for collection of primary data in the present study.

a) Structured Interview Guide - The study used an interview guide to collect information on various cultural variables relating to material culture.

(b) Interview - The points and information given in the interview guide were collected through interview technique from the members of Binjhwar tribe who were selected as key respondents i.e. elderly women, elderly men, young men and children

(c) Observation - It is hoped that participant observation technique has been used in the present study. In which the facts were collected by living among the study group and studying their various cultures, by joining their various cultures, by taking part in various customs and religious activities and by giving consent.

(d) Central Group Discussion- In the present study, central group discussion is an important technique of qualitative technique. In which the members of the Panjwar tribe were made into six to seven groups and information was collected about the different types of cultures used in their community and the changes in the cultures. In which information has been collected about the changes in various religious activities and various traditions, customs, various rites etc.

(d) Audio-visible video recording - Audio-visible recorder technology is used in the study of cultural change and the effects it has on culture. The changes in the present situation and the changes in the past and present cultures have been compared in which both photography and videography techniques were used.

For collecting primary data, we went to the respondents personally and gathered information about their culture and also collected information about the changes taking place in the culture at present.

Collection of secondary facts - The secondary facts were collected by reviewing previous studies through the internet and the essential elements were collected through various books. For the research paper, the use of Google Scholar, Research Gate, Shodh Ganga, etc. is important for the study.

RESULT AND DISCUSSION:

There is no historical and scientific research on the origin and development of the Bhunjia tribe. Bhunjia means born from the land or produced from the land. K.C. Dubey considers them to be a separate branch of the Halba people of Bastar who have come here due to conflicts with the Dhakars.These people speak Halba. It developed as an Aryan language and was established in Bastar. There is a strange and extreme confluence of languages in the entire Bastar region.

The people of this tribe tell the legend of their origin that the Chaukhutia Bhunjia tribe originated from the marriage of a Halba man and a Gond woman. Risley Chinda believes that the origin of Bhunjia is from the marriage of Binjhwar and Gond. Though Gonds came to this region later, Bhunjia people have marital relations with them. They also adopted their deities and customs. These people live with Gonds, Kamars etc.

The houses of Bhunjia people have two to three rooms. They whitewash the houses with local yellow or white clay. The clay floor is plastered with cow dung. The Chaukhutia Bhunjia people build a separate rotted house and plaster its walls with red clay. Its roof is made of straw. It is also called Lal Bangla. There is a place of worship along with the kitchen. Other people other than family members cannot even touch it.

Reasons for social change in Bhunjia tribe: Bhunjia tribe is going through the same phase of change as other tribes. The residential area of Bhunjia tribe is around other tribal communities. There are two important types of socio-cultural changes of the Bhunjia tribe- the first is the local change in which the Bhunjia tribe is undergoing changes due to the local tribes residing around their place of residence such as Kamar tribe, Gond tribes. The second change is taking place due to other processes like modernisation, westernisation etc.

There are two important types of socio-cultural changes of the Bhunjia tribe- the first is the local change in which the Bhunjia tribe is undergoing change due to the local tribes residing around their place of residence such as Kamar tribe, Gond tribes. The second change is taking place due to other processes. Like modernization, westernization etc.

There has been a change in all aspects of the tribal community such as the market system, transport system, communication system, exchange system etc. The reason for this is the government connecting the tribal villages with roads and communication systems. Due to changes in communication and road system, both positive and negative changes have taken place in the Bhunjia tribe. The positive change is that with the advent of the market system, the members of the Bhunjia tribe are getting many material goods produced by the market, due to which their quality of life has changed. Apart from this, their thinking towards the market system has also developed. Due to which the members of the Bhunjia tribe can also sell the products made by them in the market. Studies conducted earlier have shown the advent of roads, communication and market system as the reason for the change in the socio-cultural elements of the Bhunjia tribe.

In the present study also, changes have been found in the socio-cultural elements of the Bhunjia tribe. But the said changes have been accepted by the members of the Bhunjia tribe themselves. Certainly it is necessary to document the cultural characteristics of the Bhunjia tribe so that their culture can be preserved

Under the developmental schemes, positive changes have been achieved in the Bhunjia tribe in terms of health. Primary facts obtained from the interviews show that the Bhunjia tribe is going to government hospitals for treatment instead of resorting to ghosts and black magic for their diseases. And there has been a positive outlook towards institutional delivery among the Bhunjia tribe. Hence, the developmental schemes have an impact on the treatment and health of the Bhunjia tribe. Tribal community cannot be kept away from development plans but by including tribal community in the development plans, harmony can be established between development plans and tribal culture. Rawat N. (2023) The tribal cultures of Central India are a rich tapestry, firmly ingrained in eco-friendly practices that complement the natural world. These native communities have extensive knowledge of traditional livelihoods like agriculture and handicrafts, biodiversity conservation, and land stewardship. However, their way of life and the ecological balance are in jeopardy due to resource exploitation and rapid modernization. Initiatives for sustainable development must place a high priority on maintaining tribal cultures while improving socioeconomic prospects via infrastructure, healthcare, and education. Giving tribal communities the ability to participate in decision-making processes guarantees that their opinions are heard, promoting inclusive development that honors their cultural legacy and helps Central India's environment remain sustainable over the long run.

CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTIONS:

There has been a change in various aspects of the life of the Bhunjia tribe due to processes of modernization etc. Due to which there is a change in the cultural characteristics and cultural elements of the Bhunjia tribe The widespread result of which is being reflected in the form of changes in the social institutions of the Bhunjia tribe. The Bhunjia tribe resides near the Kamar tribe due to which there is an exchange of cultural characteristics between the Bhunjia and Kamar tribes. Developmental plans have a direct impact on the life aspects of the Bhunjia tribe, which is both positive and negative. The Bhunjia tribe has many cultural characteristics which need to be documented and preserved.

REFERENCES:

1. Rawat, N. An Overview on Tribal Culture and Sustainable Development in Central India. International Journal of Noval and Development. 2023; 8(9): 515:522.

2. Kumar S., Pradhan. A. Traditional Political System of Binjhwar Tribe: A Qualitative Research. Res. J. Humanities and Social Sciences. 2019; 10 (2): 704-708. doi: 10.5958/2321-5828.2019.00116.5.

3. Alang, S. Chhattisgarh ki Janjatiyan. Chhattishgarh Rajya Grant Acadmy. 2021

Received on 22.02.2025 Revised on 20.03.2025

Accepted on 25.04.2025 Published on 04.06.2025

Available online from June 07, 2025

Int. J. Ad. Social Sciences. 2025; 13(2):39-42.

DOI: 10.52711/2454-2679.2025.00007

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