About kerala :: Tribes of Kerala

Today, Kerala population is the melting pot of various races, religions and ethnic groups. The vast majority of Keralites carry three racial strains in their genetic make-up; Munda, Dravidian, and Aryan. Of this, majority of today's Keralites have a Dravidian ancestry. Nevertheless, many of them pride themselves on their Aryan descent. The major tribes who inhabit the mountains of Kerala are Kanis, Uralis, Kadar, Kanikkar, Paniyar etc.. They are considered to be the descendants of the Negrito race.

Kerala is a homeland of various tribal communities.

Adiyas
Kattunayakans
Kurichiyans
Mudugan
Paniyas
Paliyan
Uraali Kurumas
List of Tribes

The Adiyas
The Adiyas are known as 'Ravulayar' traditionally. The Adiya, like the Paniya, is one of the slave sects in Kerala. In the nuclear Adiya tribal family the husband is the head of the house. Bride price is given to the parents of the bride by the groom. Divorce, widow marriage etc., are permitted. Polygamy is also practiced. No punitive measure (like ostracizing of the sex offender, as one can see among Kurichias) is prevalent among the Adiyas for sex offences. Even if their woman commits such offences they are allowed to undergo purificatory ceremony known as 'Kalachu Veypu' to join their community back.
The Kattunayakan
The Kattunayakan community is found in Wayanad, Kozhikode and Malappuram districts. They are also called Cholanaickan, in the interior forests of Nilambur area of Malappuram, and Pathinaickans, in the plains of Malappuram districts. As their name denote, the Kattunayakan were the kings of the jungle regions engaged in the collection and gathering of forest produces. They are known as Ten Kurumar since they collect honey from the forest. They have all the physical features of a hilltribe. Their language is a mixture of all Dravidian languages. They worship animals, birds, trees, rock hillocks and snakes. They are firm believers in black magic and sorcery. They also worship their ancestors, along with worshipping Hindu deities.
The Kurichiyans
The Kurichiyans are an agricultural tribal community. Up to some decades ago untouchability had been fairly and widely practiced by these tribals. They have clean food habits and keep their houses, premises and dress always clean. They are matrilineal and live in joint families, under the control of their chieftain called 'Pittan'. The members of the extended family work together and put their earnings in the same purse. The Kurichiyans prefer cross-cousin marriage to any other marriage alliances. They do not practice polyandry. Their social control mechanism was most efficient, offenders being excommunicated. Many of the excommunicated Kurichians are now educationally and economically better compared to the traditional Kurichians.
The Mudugan
These Mudugan tribes mostly live in deep forests of Kerala Mountains. Kerala itself is a place of tourism, its mountain is more beautiful and greenery all the places worth visiting as tourist. Mainly three types of tribes Mudugan, Urumban and Irulan. Many tribes are taking the advantage of privilege being Aadivasis (Scheduled tribes) many of them are in education especially young generation. But still the efforts needed to uplift them as many in interior forest are still deprived. These Dravidian tribes have been in these forests for ages depend on forest resources and agriculture, breeding bees for honey and wax and hunting. Main food is raw millet (chama) and roots and meat and of course liquor (which has been banned by Government yet we can see secretly in some places); they normally after morning food rush to the forest for work and come back in the evening. In normal occasions both men and women drink in evening and dance to celebrate. I requested them to dance so I could video to show you which they neglected saying enough people arent to perform.
The Paniyas
A vast majority of tribes in Kerala state hail from the Paniya tribal sect. Paniyas inhabit in the regions of Wayanad and the neighboring parts of Kannur and Malappuram. As bond labourers, the Paniyas were once sold along with plantations by the landlords. They were also employed as professional coffee thieves by higher castes. The name 'Paniyaan' means 'worker' as they were supposed to have been the workers of non - tribes. Monogamy appears to be the general rule among the Paniyas. In marriage bride price is practiced like many other tribal communities. Widow remarriage is allowed. They do not practice pre-puberty marriage.They have only a crude idea of religion. Their major deity, is called 'Kali'. They also worship Banyan tree. They hesitate to cut such trees and if anyone attempts to cut such trees, they fall sick. Due to the various tribal welfare programmes by the government, a change has set in the lives of Paniyas.
The Paliyan
The Paliyan are Adivasi Dravidian people living in the South Western Ghats montane rain forests in South India, especially in Tamilnadu and Kerala. They are traditional nomadic hunter-gatherers, honey hunters and foragers. Yams are their major food source. In the early part of the 20th century the Paliyans dressed scantily and lived in rock crevices and caves. Most have now have transformed to traders of forest products, food cultivators and beekeepers. Some work intermittently as wage laborers, mostly on plantations.
The Uraali Kurumas
Uralikuruma, the most versatile and colourful tribal people, is one of the rarest artisan tribes in Kerala. They are mostly found in the Wayan region. Uralikuruma is one of the three subdivisions of 'Kurumba' and the two others being 'Mulla' & ' Jen Kuruma' tribals. Uralikurumas herald themselves as the followers of ancient 'Kurumba' or 'Pallava' which were once so powerful through southern India. Uralikurumas are also called Bet Kurumas. While Bet Kurumas, found now in the Mysore district of Karnataka speak Kannada, these tribals in Wayanad speak a mixture of Kanada and Malayalam languages. Amongst the Kuruma tribals in Wayanad The Mulla Kurumas consider themselves superior to the other Kuruma sects. The Uralikurumas choose their life partners from their tribe itself. When a person dies they believe that the soul of the good become gods and that of the bad become devils. They worship deities as 'Bettu Chikkamma' and 'Bamadu' and also demons and ancestral spirits.
The list of tribes in Kerala
Adiyan Arandan/ Ernadan Eravallan Hill Pulaya Irular, Irulan Kadar Kammara (in the areas comprising the Malabar district as specified by sub-section (2) of section 5 of the States Reorganisation Act 1956 (37 of 1956)) Kanikaran, Kanikkar Kattunayakan Kochu Velan Konda kapus Kondareddis Koraga Kota Kudiya, Melakudi Kurichchan Kurumans Kurumbas Maha Malasar Malai Arayan Malai Pandaram Malai Vedan Malakkuravan Malasar Malayan (excluding the areas comprising the Malabar district as specified by sub-section (2) of section 5 of the States Reorganisation Act, 1956 (37 of 1956) Malayarayar Mannan Marati (in Hosdrug and Kasaragod taluks of Cannanore district) Muthan Mudugar Muduvan, Muthuvan = Muduvan, Muthuvan Paliyan, (Palleyan), (Palliyar), Paanan Paniyan, Parayan Ulladan Uraly. Cholanaickan ( In the Reserve Forests of Nilambur South    and North Forest Divisions of Malppuram Districts) Kattunaickan ( In the Reserve Forests of Nilambur South and North Forest Divisions of Malppuram Districts)