TRIBES

TODAS

                The Toda are known by several names like Tudas, Tudavans, and Todar. They are found only in Nilgiri district.The Government of India has  identified the Toda as one of the six Primitive Tribal groups of Tamil Nadu.  The name Toda is supposed to be derived from the word 'tud', the sacred tud tree of Todas.  The Linguist Emeneau(1958 : 47 - 50) said that, "Toda dialect is an independent language of the Dravidian family affiliated with Tamil - Malayalam. The uniqueness of the half - barrel shaped houses given speculations regarding their origin ranged from Rome to Sumeria. The Toda village is called a mund,  means a herd or a cattle - pen. It is usually a collection of three or five half barrel shaped   huts each 18 feet by 9 feet by 10 feet high with a small doorway measuring only 32 inches by 18 inches. Besides the huts, the mund has another hut with a smaller doorway, called 'Tirierl'  or dairy temple. In the vicinity of the mund is the cattle - pen. Toda people are white (fair) in colour,  being tall, strong built and well shaped. The striking feature of the women is the arrangement of their hair which is dressed in ringlets and flows waving down to the shoulders. The traditional garment of a Toda is known as  put - kuli, is of thick white cotton cloth with red and blue stripes which is embellished further embroidery by the Toda women, is thrown around the body by the men and women like 'Roman toga'.  Jewelry is worn by both men and women.

 

KOTHAS

            The Kothas, live in Seven settlements, generally known as Kotagiri or Kokkal.  Theyare village artisans, who are good in carpentry, black smithy and pottery. But only a few families are engaged in these skills as a means of living. Most others are engaged in cultivation. Happily, most of the Kota families in all the settlement have their own patta land. Unlike Todas,  they do not shy away from personal cultivation and are generally hard working people. In the field of education also they have stolen a march over other tribal communities. Today, many of them are working in the Government and non Governmental departments.

KURUMBAS AND IRULAS

        The Kurumba houses known as "GUDLU" are temporary constructions in the forests. The traditional occupation of the Kurumbas is food gathering, like collection of honey and forests produce. They are also cultivating millets like ragi and samai on a small scale of mainly on hill slopes and mountain ridges. Honey fetches considerable remuneration for the Kurumbas. It is released much by public. Honey is collected mostly in the summer months from the cliffs, rocky crevices and the branches of giant trees. The supplement their usual diet with ample quantity of honey. Kurumbas are known to possess keen eyesight, gained possibly from constant watching of the honey bee to the hives. Now, they are mainly engaged in agriculture and those who do not own lands work as casual agricultural laborers. The Kurumbas are had working people, but the economic condition of the Kurumbas is very poor.

        Irulas with a few subsects among them are living in Masinagudi area, and in parts of Kotagiri and Coonoor Taluks. They are generally engaged in Collection of minor forest products. This is a seasonal operation and they work as casual agricultural laborers on local estates. Some of them are also engaged in looking after the herds of cattle belonging to others. Some are engaged in agriculture in the patta lands, conditionally assigned to them, where they have raised tea, coffee, jack trees, guava etc. However, due to their poor maintenance of their land due to lack of finance, the return from these lands is meager. The general economic condition of these tribes is poor.

        The   Mullukurumbas  of   Gudalur   are  a  District  group  and  are  believed  to  belong  to  a  pre agricultural    tribe,   since   they   still    use   bow    and   arrow    for   occasional   hunting.   They  live in   nine   settlements   in   Erumad    area   and   Cherangodu   village.   They  are   mainly   agricultural labourers.  They  are  hard  working   people  but  their  economic  condition  is  poor.

PANIYAS

        Paniyas(which literally means "workers" in local usage)  are  found  Gudalur  taluk and  many more in  Kerala.  Paniyas  were  found  to  be  coming  under  a  subtle   from  of  bonded  labour.  They were released from bondage and a few have been  since  rehabilitated  in  various schemes. They  are scattered  throughout  Gudalur  Taluk  and  are  one of the most  backward  tribal communities. Under an age old system,  most of the  Paniyas  were  working  under  local  land  owners for  low  wages with little and no  liberty  to work  for others  for  competitive  wages.  After  Independence,  however,  the  majority of the Paniyas  broke  away from their  masters  and started working as  casual  agricultural laborers, bamboo cutters  and  estate  laborers.  The  Paniyas,  by and large,  live in  poverty  irrespective of whether they are  bonded  or  not.  During  1976,  481  Paniyas  in  252  families  were freed from bonded  labour  and they  have  been   rehabilitated  in  the  Paniya   Welfare   Land  colonisation  Co- operative  society and other schemes.

KATTUNAIKANS:-

        This   tribal   community  is  also  found  only  in   Gudalur   Taluk,  they  are  like  Paniyas,   farm labourers   and   their  condition   is  no  better  than,  of   Paniyas.

 

HOME