Ambu is a traditional arrow among the Khond, an indigenous people mostly living in hilly and forested areas of Odisha. The Khond cling in pride to their self-sufficiency and their close interdependence with nature. The arrows, along with other hunting instruments, were made by them based on their indigenous knowledge of materials and crafts. Of all these tools, the Ambu is one worthy example and an effective means of killing game and, in antiquity, against their enemies.
Ambu consists of two well-defined parts, namely shaft and head. The shaft is made of reed, a lightweight but fairly sturdy plant material since it is required to give speed and distance during flight. The hind end of the shaft has a slight notch carefully carved so as to rest the arrow on the bowstring. The head, on the other hand, is made from iron having a sharp pointed tip and two barbs designed intentionally for inflicting deeper injuries and for preventing easy extraction of the arrow after impact.
The iron tip is fastened to its shaft with strong bark fiber, tightly wound around the joint for stability and alignment. The amalgamation of natural and forged materials makes it an unfailing design for the Ambu arrow, striking its targets with pinpoint accuracy and certainty.
Largely used for hunting wild animals in the densely forested interiors, Ambu reflects the Khond' harmonizing use of local resources with their secret knowledge about traditional metallurgy and tools.