On January 11, 2025, Mahadev Bhoi was conferred with a Doctorate (Ph.D.) degree by the Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS) Deemed to be University, Bhubaneswar. His doctoral research marks a significant academic milestone as the first-ever Ph.D. awarded on the topic of the Literary and Cultural Identity of the ‘Dal’ tribe of Western Odisha.
His research offers an in-depth exploration into the literary and cultural heritage of the ‘Dal’ tribal community, shedding light on various aspects of their identity that have largely remained undocumented in mainstream academia. The study delves into the broader context of tribal life in Western Odisha, placing special emphasis on the historical background and oral traditions associated with the ‘Dal’ tribe. It draws connections between the indigenous way of life and the rich folklore, customs, and legends that define their cultural memory.
The research also incorporates a detailed demographic analysis of the regions where the ‘Dal’ tribe resides. Through a careful assessment of different districts in Odisha, it identifies the geographical spread and estimates the population of the tribe across multiple regions. This aspect of the study provides a clearer understanding of the social and regional footprint of the ‘Dal’ community.
A major portion of the dissertation is dedicated to documenting the cultural identity of the ‘Dal’ tribe. It covers their agricultural practices, food habits, and economic systems, as well as their housing styles and traditional attire. The work also examines the tribe’s unique social structures, governance systems, rituals, and customs. Festivals, journeys, folk arts, handicrafts, and painting traditions of the community are carefully analyzed, offering insights into their vibrant and dynamic cultural practices. Furthermore, the study assesses the scope of education among members of the tribe, highlighting challenges and progress in this domain. In terms of literary tradition, the research provides an extensive account of both oral and written forms of expression prevalent among the ‘Dal’ community. It studies the linguistic characteristics of the Kosali dialect spoken by them, focusing on sentence structures, idiomatic usage, compound word formations, antonyms, and grammatical features such as pronouns and case markers. This linguistic analysis contributes significantly to understanding the intellectual and expressive capacities of the community in their own native language.
Through this pioneering work, Mahadev Bhoi has made a valuable contribution to the field of tribal studies. His research not only documents the literary and cultural richness of the ‘Dal’ tribe but also brings attention to the importance of preserving and promoting indigenous knowledge systems in Odisha. Based on a personal interaction with Mahadev, he shared is personal journey of pursuing education at KISS-DU and he also expressed his gratefulness for Professor Samanta, Hon’ble Founder KIIT, KISS and KIMS. He added that his research work is very close to his heart as he belongs to the Dal tribe and hails from the western part of Odisha.
The fraternity of KISS-DU congratulated Dr. Mahadev Bhoi upon this phenomenal achievement and wishes him good luck in his future endeavour.
