Dances like kathak, Bharatnatyam, kathakali, chhau are very popular and much loved in our country for their grace and beauty. Tribal dances of these regions are as beautiful and diverse as folk and classical dances.

Tribal dances have a beautiful history and a deep connection with the divine. Dance is an important part of several religious rites and rituals and there is a different dance for each festival. There are several stories telling us about the history and origin of folk dances in India.

The Natya Shastra says that the Divine couple Shiv and Parvati were the Gurus of Tandav and Lasya, respectively, and they form the foundation of all other dances that originated further.

Today we will visit the tribal regions of Madhya Pradesh, Charttisgarh abd Maharashtra and have a little peek into their dances and spiritual beliefs.

When it comes to sports, along with sports like cricket, football, basketball etch, tribal people are no novices to inventing amazing games too. These games, which do not require sporting equipment, and are easy to play.

The indigenous people are outdoorsy and have a good time hanging out in nature, near rivers, mountains and trees. These earthly elements also form the basis of many of their games, creating a strong bond between them and mother nature. While indigenous people worship nature, they also explore their creativity and design games to learn life lessons while playing outdoors. Some of their games are played during the day, while others take place on full moon nights.

Indigenous people of Western Madhya Pradesh are noted for their fair play as the games do not have a referee. Both teams play honestly and own up to mistakes and fouls when there is one. This is something I find really amazing because I was under the impression that without a third party, teams often end up fighting more than playing.. well, these were gully cricket lessons I had learned as a kid, so, are probably not very true. Heh, so much for playing outside, well.

Coming back to the point, these referee-free games ensure they learn how to function as a team and be a good sport. As they say, these games teach them how to lose, but also how not to be a loser.

Being considered an important part of beauty, tattoos also hold spiritual importance for tribal communities of central India. Women especially consider tattoos of utmost importance as it is said in their culture that while all the beautiful clothes and ornaments would be left behind, the tattoos on their skin will go with their soul.