INTRODUCTION

Context (current, traditional)

The Kurumbar hamlets are located in the northwest part of Attapady valley
adjoining to Silent Valley National Park, which constitutes the southern part of
Nilgiri biosphere, with a general slope towards south from the fringes of the
Nilgiri plateau. The area is located in Mannarkad Taluk, Palakkad, Kerala.
1991 census – 1820 Kurumbars
2002 AHAD survey – 398 Kurumbar families
Kurumbars of Attapady belong to Palu Kurumbar section, the other two being
Alu Kurumbar and Mudugar.
 Site plan w/ analysis
 Sun path
 Wind direction
 Drainage

WHY ATTAPADY KURUMBAR TRIBES?

 The Kurumbar tribes of Attapady are bearers of unique customs,
traditions and techniques, waning as there is little effort taken to
preserve them.
 We realise our responsibility to uplift this section of society from their
current grieving state.
 The government interventions have not benefited their lives effectively
and does no justice to their history.
 An overall effective growth of the tribe takes place only if they take
pride in their rich cultural heritage.

SETTLEMENT PATTERN with respect to:

a. TOPOGRAPHY
The area has an elevation 1000 to 2000 ft above MSL with steep slopes and
deep gorges. River Bhavani takes its origin from the flat lands on the top of
the Nilgiris and flows southward into the plains of Attapady.
 Kurumbar hamlets are located close to streams that join the river Bhavani
on its rapid flowing stretch with the height from the riverbed varying from
100 to 200mts.

b. CLIMATE
Both SW and NE monsoon are received with annual rainfall of 3000 –
4000mm. [heavy rain - June to August, cold season - November to
December, summer – April to March. Pre monsoon showers – April]
Pre monsoon winds cause damage to the huts and standing crops. The
extremely cold rains and winters, and the swollen Bhavani river during
monsoon limit their movement to the plains. The clustered hamlet life

HOUSING
Traditional – Mono ethnic clustered hamlet life
Kurumbars lived in linear structures having 3-6 dwellings/ compartments,
each of the compartment occupied by a nuclear family. These are
constructed in rows facing each other with a broad courtyard in between
called Kalam for social gathering.
During the growing period, they move from their permanent cluster of
homes (for 5-6 months) to field huts called CHALAI at vantage points to
guard crops // sketch
Current
From clustered to scattered housing with houses alongside trekking route.
Independent houses are built of brick and mortar thatched with tiles, asbestos,
tin sheets, concrete slabs. Pucca concrete houses are also built.

ECONOMY, LIVELIHOOD PROFILE // chart showing percentage

a. CULTIVATION
Traditional
Earlier the Kurumbar tribes shifted their hamlet locations for convenience
of slash and burn cultivation. The hamlet land was owned communally but
cultivation was done independently by each family on separate plots. At a
time one – fifth of the total hamlet land was cultivated, remaining area left
unused. Shifting of plot happens every 2-3 years and after 12-13 years they
would return to the first plot that would have regained its lost fertility.
Crops cultivated: ragi, thena, chama, avara, red grain
Cultivation period: May- September- October

Current
In the early 1920s, they were compelled to settle down by the forest
authorities assigning forest ranges 40-300 hectares per hamlet. Though
protested vehemently by Kurumbar, the Forest Department had taken up
monoculture teak plantation activities up to the Kurumbar hamlets during
1980s. The area is rich in bamboo extracted for industrial purposes. Due to
the high pay, some have become labourers under clandestine ganja
cultivators. Small scale ganja cultivation is undertaken around their
homesteads for personal use and in the name of medicine. Cash crops like
pepper and coffee are cultivated in their homestead plots.

b. COLLECTION OF NON-WOOD FOREST PRODUCTS (NWFP)

They collected dammar resin(kunkilam), honey, ginger, bee wax,
gooseberry, cheekapodikaya(soap nut) and transacted to the KGSCS worth
Rs 3000 to 4500 annually by 25% adult males. // sketch
Honey collection – April to June; gooseberry, soap nut- March to April
Varieties of honey collected: perinthen, thoduvathen, karinthen, kolthen,
vendiva
Peak nwfp collection – October to December, March to June

c. CATTLE REARING
 The Palu Kurumbar section of the tribe was adapted to the rearing of milk
yielding animals like buffaloes, cows, goats for milk products, goat rearing
for sale. Drought animals of non-tribal farmers of plains are nurtured for
fattening. // sketch

d. FOOD GATHERING & HUNTING

Roots, tubers, green piths like perukka, noore, cholatheetta, eratheetta,
kavalatheetta, mushrooms like keenambe, koyiyambe,
kooleambe,puttanambe, karavandu and green leaves like keera, kaduku,
mullukeera soppu, pattikeera soppu, chowthe, vellari are collected due to
food value and seasonal abundance. Staple foods- pith of karode, bamboo
seeds (nayapandi, narayari). //sketches
Animals like iguana, civet cat, barking deer, mongoose, porcupine, scaly
anteater and birds like perukku, chora pakki, kottala pakki are hunted.

e. INDIGENOUS CRAFTS // sketch

Musical instruments like flute, percussion instruments are made from the
age of 14.
Boys and girls learn basketry (Carry baskets, granary baskets, winnowing
fans) and mat weaving while they work with their parents in the fields.

SOCIAL PROFILE
a. EDUCATION
Education here remain below the expected levels with 2 LP schools which
are thinly attended due to lack of interest among students, absenteeism of
non-tribal teachers and marriage at an early age.
Traditional scenario;
//charts
Current scenario;
These days education is given importance. The two
L.P. Schools located in their habitat are;
Anavay tribal L.P.School &
Gottiyarkandi tribal L.P School
Few students at MRS-specially for kurumbar students.
#decline in progress due to teachers’ absenteeism
// chart
b. OLD AGE
Kurumbar gave importance to patrilineal ties. The youngest son expected to
look after aged parents. Once an old person gets bed ridden or
incapacitated, no special attention is given to them.
c. CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS
Language – Kapp with Tamil/ Malayalam and a strong influence of Kannada.
Kurumbar were seen as wielders of magical powers, sorcery, as guardians
against malevolent forces for the Badagas; believed to cure maladies
through magic.

GOVERNEMENT INTERVENTIONS
a. FREE RATION
Every family is granted free ration rice (20kg per month) during July to
September.
#No jeepable road links to the growth plains
#Threats from wildlife
#Annual fires from slash and burn spread to the nearby forests and
convert them to grasslands
# The quality of forests in the neighbourhood has been diminishing due
to clandestine ganja cultivation.
#Only a section of the Kurumbar use ration due to trekking difficulty
during monsoon and availability of food grains for consumption.
DEMOGRAPHIC COMPOSITION
Schematic diagrams required
#pregnancy affects the health of mother and baby
Refer table 2.1

EDUCATIONAL STATUS

SOCIAL STRUCTURE
Clan Organisation
The Kurumbar society, is constituted by eight exogamous
kulams(clans)
these clans are;
1.aarumooppan
2.devanar
3.peradasa
4.karattiga
5.kurunaga
6.sampar
7.kuppili
8.vellaga
Patrilocal residence pattern
Every clan has its own diety - guruv
Custodian of diety - guruvan