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Dress
and Ornaments
The men generally wear a cloth round the waist and cover
the body above with a coarse sheet. A ceremonial dress is more colourful. A
geometrically designed scarf type broad piece of cloth is thrown
round one of the shoulders and the ends allowed to hang down from one side. A
turban of cotton or silk cloth is also worn. The feather plumes are also
adjusted to one side. The woman wear a home-made piece of long cloth with
artistic borders and wrapped round the body from the bust down
to the knees, making it pass below the armpits and over the breasts and tucked
on the left side or may be adjusted by means of a piece of another
cloth by giving knot to it one side. The piece of cloth is also
wrapped round the waist down to below the knees. The knot, to keep it fixed, is
given on one side, the ends are not sewn together so the vertical flap of the
cloth from waist down ward is free except for its being tied at the knot. It
thus offers a free movement to the legs; while walking. The above garment
is a choli type garment. Nowadays the young and also married women prefer
knee-long synthetic imported skirts and blouses.
The women are very much fond of ornaments. The brass armlets are
fantastically strong and raised into a long chain of rings in spiral order. The ear-rings of brass and other metal, with
flat globulous, wired and long circular shapes are common favourites. Precious
beads and glass bead necklace are also liked by them. Nostrils in any case were
not seen pierced or ornamented with any kind of ornament. The modern girls wear
a variety of ear-rings, bangles or rings generally available in shops.
Profession
The chief is the owner of the land and the forest
of a certain area in that locality. The land is divided amongst the
willing tillers. They have to give the chief a certain portion of paddy as tax. If
the forest produce is utilized by any villager in his area then the user will
have to pay the tax. Cultivation is done by the method of slash-and burn, Jhum
cultivation. The terrain where the Kukis live is so uneven and hilly that it
cannot be developed into terraced fields. The existing system of agriculture is
simple and rain water serves for natural irrigation. Animal traction is also not
introduced anywhere. Rice, maize, millet, potato etc are grown by Kukis in the
hills.
Food
Rice is the staple food. They have certain restrictions in eating animal
flesh. The intoxicating drink is rice beer, both men and women enjoy it. It is
served to the guests on all ceremonial occasions. Smoking is common among the
men and women.
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