A STUDY ON “SOLIGA’S LIFE STYLE” WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO B.R.HILLS, CHAMARAJANAR DISTRICT, KARNATAKA STATE

The Soliga Tribe lives in the tropical evergreen forests of South India. Soliga means ‘people of the bamboo’, a name based on their belief that their ancestors originated from the bamboo. It also reflects the Soliga’s close association with nature, referring to the dense thickets they inhabit. Like other tribes around the world, the Soligas have faced their share of struggle. People have misunderstood these fragile communities and sought to integrate them into mainstream life, threatening their way of life and destroying their socio-economic systems. The present study reveals that the culture, tradition, customs and practices of the Soliga community, their educational and economic status, their problems and facilities provided by the government and non-government organizations for the development of Soliga community by taking 150 samples in Biligiri Rangana Hills area. Their relationship with the culture of the plains was minimal – they bartered some honey, tubers, fruits and medicinal plants for clothes, utensils and pottery .They spent their lives sowing and harvesting millets, grains and cereals; harvesting honey , wild fruits and berries in the forest ; foraging for tubers, roots and shoots; and hunting’s small game. However, any person having visited a tribal village will be surprised and thrilled to see a community living close to nature, peace-loving, equitable and with advanced cultural/social forms. Our knowledge about the tribal is very limited, leading us to believe many myths at the cost of their dignity.