The paintings of tribal artists from the remote Agency areas of Telangana have literally arrived on a global platform, thanks to Amazon, the largest e-commerce market place.

Bright colours:

• The Gond paintings stand out for use of bright colours and intricate lines. The Gond art mostly represents a tree emerging out of birds (peacocks) and animals (ox, horse, deer, elephant and tiger).
• The Koya artists draw on the surface motifs of their sacred ‘Hariveni’ posts, sacred flags and big bottle gourds.
• The paintings of Naikpod tribals are reflections of face masks of their kings, Pandavas like Bheema, and traditional village temple deities.

Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India Limited (TRIFED):

• TRIFED is a national-level apex organization functioning under administrative control ofMinistry of Tribal Affairs.
• It was established in August 1987 by then Ministry of Welfare under Multi State Cooperative Societies Act 1984 (which has now been replaced by Multi-State Cooperative Societies Act, 2002). It is headquartered in New Delhi.
• Its core objective is to institutionalize trade of Minor Forest Produce (MFP) and Surplus Agriculture Produce (SAP) collected or cultivated by tribals as they are heavily dependent on these natural products for their livelihood.
• TRIFED also works as an agency to the FCI for procurement of Wheat and Rice.
• It also organizes exhibitions like National Tribal Craft Expo called “Aadi Mahotsav” etc. to promote and market tribal products.
• It also facilitates participation of tribal artisans to enable them to interact directly with art lovers to assess market needs.

Gond

• Known for their valor, the Gond tribes are mostly found in Central India in the Chhindwara district of Madhya Pradesh. They are also spotted in the Bastar district of Chhattisgarh, parts of Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, and Orissa. In Madhya Pradesh, muttering and mulling over the titillating sculptures of Khajuraho and Sanchi Stupa respectively and wheeling from majestic palaces to whispering woods of Kanha and Bandhavgarh steer towards the Gondi forest and experience the unique lifestyle of the Gonds. The Gond tribes have a good command over Telgu, Hindi, Marathi, Parsi and many other Dravadian languages.
• The rural colour with mud walls and thatched roof houses, earthen pots, traditional wears – men in dhoti and women in sari and ornaments… the festivals of Keslapur Jathra and Madai and ritual performances are the ones to experience. Kodo or Kutki, which is the staple food of the Gonds; moreover, they are mostly meat consumers.

Koya

• The Koyas are one of the few multi-lingual and multi-racial tribal communities living in southern part of India particularly in the states of Telengana, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and in Lakshadweep islands.
• They are also one of the major peasant tribes of Andhra Pradesh numbering 3.60 lakhs in 1981. Physically they are classified as Australoid.
• The Koya are mainly settled cultivators and artisans, expertise in making bamboo furniture including mats for fencing, dust pans, and baskets.