Smithsonian magazine's 22nd Annual Photo Contest | Made possible through the support of MPB.com

19th Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest People
where eyes speak

The Sabar of Purulia are indigenous people of the Munda tribe. They are mostly hunters and gatherers. They have settled in Purulia where they mostly make their living through cultivation, hunting and making local wares out of natural resources. They are still among the poorest section of the diaspora. The Sabars here still practice hunting by laying indigenous small bamboo traps to catch small critters like field rats to feed themselves. I visited a Sabar village in Purulia while travelling to document their lifestyle. I came across these two women talking to each other. I asked them to show the mouse traps, which they held out. I captured this candid moment as they were sharing a light banter.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 09.2021
Date Uploaded: 09.2021
Photo Location: Purulia, West Bengal, India
Camera: NIKON D750
Copyright: © Soumya Ranjan Bhattacharyya