THE BIRHOR’s

The Tanda : The settlement whether permanent or temporary are known as tandas which consists of usually half a dozen or more huts. The huts of the Uthlu’s are more improvised leaf sheds (Kumha) in form of low triangular tents with conical spaces. The individual house in a Janghi tanda is of a permanent nature. Tanda is comparatively more commodious with rectangular ground plan and two sloped roofing.
Tanda has a headman called naya who is also the priest of the groups. He has his assistants known as the Kotwar or Diguar. The members of the tanda group go out together for communal hunting, the most important of which is the monkey hunt or geri sendra. .

The Family : The family is invariably of the simple type with father as its head.

Women :The Birhor women are hardy and industrious by nature. They are the custodian of family income, expenditure, customs and traditions. They not only do household chores and rearing caring of children, but they also take active part in the collection of food, traping of birds, agriculture, agriculture labour and basketry and rope making. In the maintenance of family, their contribution is not less than their male couter parts. But as women, they have to observe a number of taboos is collection of MFP, house erection, agriculture, ceremonies, festivals they do not take part in sacrificial rtuals, but they perform white magic for the place and prosperity in the family

Children :The Birhor children play a number of folktales like Bagh-Bakari, Goti Barah Gharawa, Chor-Sipahi, Dol-Patta, Guli-Danda, Toy making etc. In early childhood, they are left for playing.

Youth : The Birhor youth are the real workforce of the community. The responsibility to feed the children and the old disabled parents is shared by the youth. The youth struggle hard to maintain the family.

Aged : The Birhor aged are valuable parts of the society. Due to physical disability, they do not enjoy economic value, but they have suggestive and ritualistic value. On the basis of their experience, they guide the young generation to lead life happily even in poor condition. They tell stories, idioms and riddles to the children. They look after the house when youth men and women go to perform work

Religen : The corpses of children and women dying in a child birth are buried. The magico-religious beliefs and practices are practically identical with those of the Ho’s. The Birhor's whole life, economic, domestic and socio-political, is pervaded by his belief in super-naturalism. Typical Mundari deities like Sing Bonga (Sun God), Haprom (Ancestral spirits). Buru Bonga (Ancestral family spirits) rank highest in Birhor religion. Contact with Hindu neighbours has left some impression on the essential structure of their belief in super-naturalism. Some Hindu deities like Debimai, Kalimai and Mahadeb have been included in their pantheon.

Marrige : 

S.No	Types of Marraige	Meaning
1	Nam-Napam Bapala	love Marriage
2	Udra-Udri Bapala	elopement marriage
3	Balo-Bapala	intrusion marriage
4	Sinipundur Bapala	forcible annoitment of sindur
5	Singha Bapala	widow re-marriage
6	Hirum Bapala	second marriage of man while the first
7	Kirig Javai Bapala	brought son-in-low marriage
8	Golhat Bapala	marriage by exchange of mates from two families
9	Bing Kaihi Bapala	a marriage without payment of bride price
10	Sadar Bapala	a regular by negotiation between the guardians

Agriculture/Economy : The Uthlu Birhors do not practice any form of agriculture and are entirely dependent upon the collection of forest products for their living. Occasionally they also do a little bit of hunting with small basket traps. A Birhor must abstain from killing, destroying, maiming, hunting, injuring, eating or otherwise using the animal, plant or other object that form his clan totem, or anything, made out of or obtained from it. From the forests they collect edible roots, fruit, honey and barks of Bauhinia for the manufacture of rope baskets. The Birhors are noted for their love of monkey's flesh and skill in trapping these animals. They procure a staple food rice from the neighboring agriculturists in exchange of forest products.

Political Organisation : The Birhor Tanda is a collection of different families of different clans for the purpose of good collection, hunting, rope making etc. Each Birhor Tanda has a head. The head of the Tanda is known as Naya. He is social, political and religions head of the Tanda. He has an assistant called kotwar or Diguar. The main work of the Diguar is to inform the people about the day and time of the occurrence of the Panchayat. The head of the families of Tanda take part in the Panchayat. The Panchayat looks after the customary laws. Those who do not obey the customary laws are declared as guilty. They are punished as per the decision of the Panchayat. The cases related to rape, adultery, divorces, cruel behavior, etc. are decided in the Tanda Panchayat. For the settlement of enter Tanda dispute, inter Tanda Panchayat is held. The decision of the Panchayat is obeyed because the community members are involved in the punishment as well as its abeyance.