The Todas

The Todas live in the Nilgiris, the highest range of hills in southern India. Their barrel-shaped houses and unusual marriage systems made them well known among Europeans who sought refuge from the summer heat in adjacent "hill stations". Much of their ceremonial life is centred around the dairies and barns of the buffalo they traditionally herd. The handsome embroidery that distinguishes their clothing is the responsibility of Toda women.

The Warlis

The Warli tribe lives in the foothills of the Sahyadri Mountains in the Thane District of Maharashtra, north of Mumbai (Bombay). Its members practise subsistence agriculture in small villages whose headman is often overshadowed by the priest/shaman. They are well known for their rich mythological traditions.

The Gonds

The Gonds, a large and diverse group of tribes, live in at least four states in modern India, but they are concentrated in the forested hills of Madhya Pradesh, at the geographic centre of the country. Although they farm and raise livestock like their Hindu neighbours, their independent and egalitarian social system sets them apart.

The Nagas

The linguistically distinct tribes known as the Nagas number about one million people, who live in hills and forested valleys in northeastern India. They are shifting cultivators and hunters, and have maintained a high level of craftsmanship and artistic vitality, their best-known objects centring aroundpower in battle.