Kolha is numerically the most important tribe of
Keonjhar District, in
Orissa. Most of them reside in the Bhuyan Hills and the adjoining areas of
Nayagarh. Kolhas have a separate language of their own, but most of them use
Oriya and
Hindi as a subsidiary language.
Majority of the Kolhas follow Hindu customs and rites. They eat all kinds of flesh and are fond of Handia, fermented liquor. Agriculture is the main occupation; some of them work as field laborers.
