The Kondhs, or the Kui as they call themselves, are the largest tribal in Odisha. They have a great cultural heritage and values which respect nature. Maliah Kondhs are majority among the Kondh sub-groups. Their Kui language is Dravidian and spoken with only slight regional variations.

Their height is about the average standard of the persons of the Peninsula.
Their forms are characterised by strenght and symmetry. The musculus of the limbs and body are clear and glossy, it’s colour ranging from light bamboo to a deep copper shade, the heel in a line with back of the leg. As regards their character, the Kandhas possess a great love for liberty. They are faithfull to their friends. Kutia Kondhs dwell in remote hills in the extreme south-west of Kondhmal district.

Dongria Kondhs inhabit the steep slopes of the Niyamgiri Range of North-West Koraput (undivided) district and over the border into Kalahandi. They work entirely on the steep slopes for their livelihood. The Niyamgiri Range provides a wealth of perennial springs and streams which greatly enrich Dongria cultivation.

Kuvi speaking people reside in the villages that spread widely over the hills and valleys of north Koraput district. Kuvi is extremely nasal form of the Kondh langauage and also contains a ew Telugu words, being alongside the state of Andhra Pradesh.