A small hilly state situated in the north-eastern part of India -- Tripura, was originally the homeland of an ancient tribe, Tipera, which was part of the Indo-Mongloid strean. However today, it makes a unique case of demographic metamorphosis with large populations of immigrants from many parts of the country and a massive influx of refugees from across the international borders.

This book presents a comprehensive ethnographic profile of all such communities which have made Tripura their home. A total of 78 communities have been described in the volume, in respect of their history and migration ecology, food habits, social organisation, customs and rituals, religion, language, economy and occupation, and impact of change and development.

The work is an outcome of the first ever ethnographic survey of the state, carried out by a team of experts, under the prestigeous People of India project launched in 1985 by the Anthropological Survey of India.