Munack, a traditional Nicobari village on Kamorta island in 2002. This village was destroyed in the tsunami of 26 December 2004.
The decorated poles among the houses are part of one of the many traditional Nicobari rituals.
The Nicobar Islands
The Nicobarese photo album
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Table of Contents
The Nicobari people |
The Nicobarese
Photos courtesy of Univers Magazine, Vienna, unless
otherwise noted
Photographer: Dr. Simron Jit Singh
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Munack, a traditional Nicobari village on Kamorta island in 2002. This village was destroyed in the tsunami of 26 December 2004. The decorated poles among the houses are part of one of the many traditional Nicobari rituals. |
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Another traditional Nicobari villageon Kamorta island in 2003, smaller than the one shown above but with more elaborately decorated poles. Photo courtesy of the Indian Institute of Remote Sensing (IRRS), Government of India Dehradun Closeup of a typical Nicobarese house, on Trinket island |
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A traditional Nicobari house. This one was photographed 2004 on Trinket island.
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A characteristic traditional Nicobari house on Kamorta island, 2004. Photo courtesy of the Indian Institute of Remote Sensing (IRRS), Government of India Dehradun Closeup of a typical Nicobarese house, on Trinket island. |
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A traditional house on Trinket island, ca. 1900. |
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A group of Nicobari on Chamorta island posing for a photographer, ca. 1900. The islands then were one of the remotest possessions of the British Crown. Among the few visitors there was the occasional photographer. Early photographs from the islands are rare. |
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The Nicobars have always been "islands of festivals". While the Nicobaris are mostly Christian or Muslims today, they see no reason for their own religion to get into the way of their very own numerous and ancient festivals. Here a scene from the Ancestral Bones festival of Pilpillow village, Chowra island, 2004. |
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Throughout the Nicobars, standing kareau figures represent the head of a family, while sitting kareau represent important ancestors. They are cultiic figures of great importance to all Nicobari.
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Among the few kareau figures to survive the tsunami of 26 December 2004 are those shown here. They were found and rescued after the disaster. |
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The Nicobars are islands of ritual festivals. The many festivals are based on the cycles of food resources. For the Nicobari, not only living things have a soul but inanimate items such as canoes do, too. |
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Dr. Simron Jit Singh (top picture, right) watches a pig
fight with friends. |
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Last changed 21 August 2005
