The author of this book, Lyudmila Vasilievna Shaposhnikova (1926–2015), is a famous Indologist scientist, philosopher, writer, and a major researcher of the Roerich family. In the 1960s, her scientific interest turned to the tribes and peoples inhabiting the Indian Peninsula, in particular the mountains of East and South-West India. For a long time, the tribes living there, located in inaccessible mountainous areas, were isolated from the outside world and therefore retained primitive communal relations and a unique culture. L.V. Shaposhnikova became the first Russian scientist to visit these tribes in 1963–1965 and collected valuable information about their history, culture and mythology, as well as the features of their clan organization. The book is written in a lively, fascinating language and illustrated with the author's photographs. This publication is dedicated to the 90th anniversary of the birth of L. V. Shaposhnikova and opens a series of reissues of her works dedicated to the culture and history of the peoples of India.