The Minkude is a ceremonial blade used by the Khonds of Odisha, representing India's Museum in Kolkata. It takes the form of a triangular cutting edge, the tip pointing, with another sharp tip: the blade enters the socket of a handle usually fashioned from wood making the grip secure.
This is not a mere knife. It has an important function in tribal ritualistic occasions, especially during their major sacrifice of buffalo to the gods—an offering to propitiate the Earth Goddess, customarily performed as part of fertility rites along with agricultural traditions believed to ensure prosperity and good harvests.
The Minkude is emblematic of how in tribal societies the routinely functional becomes the locus of cultural identity and spiritual significance. It speaks volumes about the tribe’s core beliefs, about reverence for nature, and about their mettle in metal.