Context:
The Koyas have moved on from using traditional Indian Bison horns to palm leaves to craft their ‘Permakore’.
Permakore:
- A traditional flute of Koya tribes.
- Made of Bison horn.
- Koya language – Permam (Indian Bison or Guar) and Kore (Horn)
- Only Koya men associated with the Permakore in any phase of its use.
- Bhumi Panduga – A festival to mark the commencement of the agricultural season will not be held without the Permakore.
Koya tribes:
- A tribe of hunter-gatherers, pastoralists and shifting cultivators.
- Areas – Papikonda hill range (Eastern Ghats) in Andhra Pradesh
- Other States – Telangana, Chhattisgarh, and Odisha.
- Language – Gondi (Dravidian language), Odia and Telugu
- Pendul – Commonly practiced form of marriage.
- Importance of Bison horns
- 2 Bison horns are adorned on the head as part of the attire during the Kommu Koya dance
- The Permakore flute is made of a single horn.
Indian Bison (Indian Gaur):
- A largest living bovine species.
- Native – South and Southeast Asia.
- Protection status –
- IUCN Red List – Vulnerable
- Wildlife Protection Act 1972 – Schedule I
Source: The Hindu
Previous Year Question
With reference to Indian elephants, consider the following statements:
1. The leader of an elephant group is a female.
2. The maximum gestation period can be 22 months.
3. An elephant can normally go on calving till the age of 40 years only.
4. Among the States in India, the highest elephant population is in Kerala.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
[UPSC Civil Services Exam – 2020 Prelims]
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 and 4 only
(c) 3 only
(d) 1, 3 and 4 only
Answer: (a)
Explanation:
The average life expectancy of an elephant is 70 years and at the age of 18 years, its adulthood starts. South Indian states dominate in having a number of elephants. Among the south Indian states, Karnataka leads the table with 6,049 elephants followed by Kerala.
