Street photography in a sea of faceless Indians

On a visit to Orissa in search of the elusive Dongria Kondh tribe, I chanced upon a weekly market in a remote village called Kakriguma. I was curious about what a flea market in a village populated with mainly tribals would have on display. I knew it would be a difficult experience, what with the summer heat beating down in a place I had no previous experience or limited knowledge of. I was at once captivated by the ladies in their brightly colored sarees and bovine nose rings. The men were nowhere near the charm the ladies exude in these parts.

Perhaps it was her unintended sense of fashion or maybe the sheer ‘Africanness’ in the mood of the frame that drew me to this lady. It’s hard to judge a tribal from a non tribal especially in a terrain known for its political unrest.

The weekly market has a large chunk of tribals engaged in agriculture and fishing. There was a sense of contentment on this old lady’s face. Her personality apart, I loved the cheerful contrast offered by her magenta saree.

I was captivated by the tattoos on this lady’s feet. Women decorate themselves with a great sense of colour and style.

I’m not sure if this pretty woman represents the Dongria Kondh tribe. The nose rings and hand-woven saree seemed to suggest so. Much to my disappointment, there wasn’t a single vendor selling woven fabric or clothing.

This second generation of tribals prefers to wear blouses with their sarees most of which come in from Surat in Gujarat. Sadly, they seem to have given up the traditional blouseless drape so unique to this part of India. It classifies them as a backward class you see.

I was hoping to see some authentic tribal jewellery here. The beads seemed commonplace with hardly any copper, brass, or white metal jewellery I so strongly associated with this region. Locals prefer plastic unfortunately.

Turkish evil eye necklaces on display in this market! It seems to have replaced the original tribal symbols that I had come in search of. The bead necklaces are synonymous with the local culture here.

This picture proves my theory that ladies with blouses are economically better off than the ones without! Frankly I saw a higher sense of aesthetic in the poor woman in the foreground. So much more fashionable and sensible in the hot summer sun.

Dry fish is indigenous to Orissa. It’s salted and dried over 4 days ending up with a strong, cheesy odour. To the less hardy, the odour can be obnoxious in a market like this. The curry made from it with mustard is a delicacy is what I learnt.

Kakriguma has a famous pottery village nearby where tribals make every kind of earthenware for home use.  Sadly, there were no takers for this lack lustre vendor. Most buyers these days prefer Aluminium pots to terracotta.

This was the seconds stall where a poor man was selling old worn sarees to even poorer folk. The lady was happy with her find.

The fast, the cheap, the easy and the fake have found their takers even in what was until recently a remote part of India. No matter where we live the cultural symbols of progress seem to be consumerism. Tobacco and soaps are best sellers here.

I was under the impression that barter was the way the weekly market functioned in this village. Nope, it was all about the money, honey! The new economy does not appreciate the idea of exchanging goods.

In case you thought this happened only in Thailand, on the spot tailoring is one of the features of this market too. Stitching blouses, shirts and bags at breakneck speed in the hot sun, that’s different.

The weekly market affords timeout with friends from neighbouring villages. The land has a history of Maoist attacks and dissent among tribals.