Bhubaneswar: Take a virtual tour of the Odisha State Tribal Museum this Sunday (Feb 13) and get a glimpse of the unique hairdos of various tribes of the State.
Visitors can take a rare peep into the hairstyles of these tribes while making their Sunday informative and pleasurable in the comfort of their homes by opening the Facebook and Twitter Pages @stscdev, @scstrti said Director, SCSTRTI, Prof Dr A B Ota.
Long hair is an indicator of health and beauty. The Dongria Kondh men and women take care to style their long hair with hair clips, flowers, and pins. The traditional bun is secured by the neck with several pins. Often a scissor-like sipna is used as decoration, with the more utilitarian milakatri being secured within the neatly combed locks.
The Lanjia Saora women are equally particular about their hairstyle. Sweeping it into a flat bun at the base of the neck. The bun is then covered with two chains secured behind the ears and a long hairpin is secured in it both as ornamentation and a possible weapon of self-defense. A leaf pipe is also tucked into the bun by older women to be retrieved and lit wherever they desire a quick smoke.
The Santal uses a large hairpin crafted in silver to decorate the back of a tightly coiled bun. While the Kutia Kondh uses a variety of smaller hairpins, combs, and chains to adorn their lovely dresses.
The Didayi prefer to sweep their hair into a smooth bun with nose studs accentuating their bold features. Other communities like the Kharia, Paudi Bhuyan, and Dharua use a similar array of hairpins to decorate their hair.
