Eleven traditional early duration varieties of rice, collected from four tribal dominated hilly districts of Orissa, were compared with the high yielding improved check in respect of yield and nine component characters. Among the traditional cultivars, Chheligudia produced highest grain yield of 429 gm^-2 that was at par with that of the high yielding improved check variety Swarnaprabha. Significant variation was observed for leaf area index, specific leaf weight, tillers m- 2, total dry matter at flowering stage and panicles m ^{- 2}, spikelets m^-2, 1000-grain weight and yield at harvest.