The Debbarma Tribe of Tripura: A Socio-Cultural Study of Tradition, Identity and Livelihood
Moses Debbarma
Ph.D Research Scholar, Shri Nehru Maha Vidyalaya College of Arts and Science, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India.
M. Premalatha
Head, Department of Social Work, Shri Nehru Maha Vidyalaya College of Arts and Science, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India.
The Debbarma tribe, also known as the Tripuri or Borok community, is the largest indigenous tribal group of Tripura, possessing a rich historical and cultural heritage. The study examines the Debbarma tribe by analyzing its historical background, traditional attire, marriage system, cultural practices, food habits, and livelihood patterns. The study adopts a qualitative methodology and is descriptive and analytical in nature, based entirely on secondary data from books, peer-reviewed articles, government publications, and ethnographic studies. The findings reveal that the Debbarma community has preserved its distinct cultural identity through language, customs, festivals, traditional cuisine, weaving practices, and indigenous knowledge, despite modernization and changing livelihood patterns. The study concludes that the Debbarma tribe represents a unique example of cultural resilience, balancing traditional heritage with adaptation to contemporary transformations.
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