  The Gond community is considered to be one of the most ancient tribes of
India with a continuing history of several thousand years. They are also known
for their largely isolated history which they have retained through the
millennia. Several of their intellectual traditions therefore are a record of
parallel aspects of human intellectual growth, and still preserve their
original flavour and have not been homogenised by the later traditions of
India. In view of this, the Gonds provide a special window to the different
currents that constitute contemporary India. In the present study, we summarise
their mythology, genetics and script. We then investigate their astronomical
traditions and try to understand this community through a survey of 15 Gond
villages spread over Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. We show
that they have a distinctly different view of the sky from the conventional
astronomical ideas encountered elsewhere in India, which is both interesting
and informative. We briefly comment on other aspects of their life as culled
from our encounters with different members of the Gond community.
