Latest news with #Irula
The Hindu
3 days ago
- General
- The Hindu
A pillar and a peak that are held most sacred by the Irula tribe
In a lesser known part of Kil Kotagiri in the picturesque Nilgiris, a singular spire rises above the surrounding terrain. Measuring over 400 feet, the spire, known as Rangaswami Pillar, is worshipped by the Irula tribe as a deity. The rock formation, along with the Rangaswami Peak nearby, is one of the most sacred of sites for this indigenous adivasi community. The Rangaswami Peak hosts the annual harvest festival of c in May and June every year. It is attended by the Irulas from surrounding regions; but more recently, it has become popular among non-adivasi members too. The five-week festival ends with a special worship performed only by the Irula community. P. Kannan, an Irula from Kotagiri, told The Hindu that he had heard tales of the cultural significance of the Rangaswami Peak and Pillar from his elders. He said the Irulas celebrate the harvest from their 'millet land' in May and June. 'They will perform pujas for five weeks praying to the deity to ensure another good harvest and good spell of rain in the coming year,' he said. Scaling the peak He added that according to adivasi folklore, a particular head of cattle made its way to the peak leaving behind the rest of the herd, leading to the site being worshipped over thousands of years. Writing in his Encyclopaedia of the Nilgiri Hills, anthropologist Paul Hockings says the Rangaswami Peak is the 'holiest mountain' of the Irulas and 'perhaps the seat of the original, indigenous worship of a mountain god'. He says the name of the god worshipped here is Ranga or Ranganada. Other members of the community highlight the lore surrounding the main idol at the site, which had allegedly been broken by a foreigner during his visit to the site. 'It is said he died soon after he reached his home country,' an elderly member said. 'Several conclusions may be drawn from a visit to the Rangaswami Peak. First, it shows, as do other aspects of the Irula religion, a Vaishnava-Saiva syncretism developed around an indigenous Irula deity.' Mr. Hockings goes on to add that the peak is important for other communities too. 'Third... there is the relationship between the Kotas and the Irulas, as suggested by Richard Wolf. He mentions a legend in which the Nilgiri 'god' revealed himself to a Kota and an Irula walking together. Both the Kotas and the Irulas began to worship the Nilgiri god at the same spot until some quarrel separated them: the Irulas began worship on Rangaswami Peak and the Kotas near their village.' The Rangaswami Pillar, located close to the peak, was the site of an air crash in 1950, in which noted statistician Abraham Wald and 19 others died. 'The air crash enhanced the magical aura of the pillar's divinity,' says Czech Indologist Kamil V. Zvelebil. Photographic records S. Udhayakumar, Director (in-charge), Tribal Research Center, Udhagamandalam, said the site was of interest to researchers. 'The Tribal Research Center, on the State government's orders, has completed the video and photographic records of all six of the Nilgiris' adivasi communities, and is set to publish them soon,' he told The Hindu. The exercise will ensure the preservation of the culture, customs, habits, and sacred sites of the Irulas as well as other adivasis in the Nilgiris. With the growing popularity of the temple atop the Rangaswami Peak, activists have become concerned about the impact of temple tourism. K. Mahendran, an adivasi rights activist, said adivasi temples across the Nilgiris are being increasingly patronised by non-adivasi groups. 'While it is still impossible for non-adivasis to worship at the temples belonging to some groups such as the Todas and the Kotas, it should be a matter of concern that this interest in the temples of the Irulas and the Kurumbas could lead to the indigenous people's traditions and culture — inextricably linked with these temples — becoming diluted over time,' he said. Activists also voiced concern over potential damage to the environment in the area around the Rangaswami Peak due to temple tourism. Officials of the Forest Department said the path to the temple cuts through a reserve forest, and is open only during the festival season. 'Strict rules are also in place to prevent littering and minimise disturbance to the wildlife,' an official said.
The Hindu
22-04-2025
- General
- The Hindu
Thampu launches Ooru Kappu yatra to bridge gap between tribespeople and govt. schemes
Thampu, an organisation that focusses on tribal education, development and research, has launched an awareness initiative called Ooru Kappu in Attappady to educate tribal communities about government schemes and laws that benefit them. An Ooru Kappu yatra began from the Kurukkathikallu tribal hamlet on Tuesday. The services made available through government arms such as the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), Public Distribution System (PDS), Primacy Health Centre (PHC), Integrated Tribal Development Project (ITDP), three-tier panchayats, and departments such as Forest, Police and Excise were explained to the tribespeople in detail. The Ooru Kappu yatra also aims at creating awareness among the tribal youths of the ill effects of liquor and drugs. Exclusive projects such as Janani Janma Raksha safe motherhood programme and the ambits of Forest Rights Act are also being explained. 'We are conducting the entire awareness drive in the tribal language,' said Thampu president Rajendra Prasad, who inaugurated the programme. He said that Ooru Kappu was a traditional practice among the tribespeople aimed at preserving their unique way of life and cultural heritage. Tribal activist K.A. Ramu presided over the function. Forest Rights Committee president Ayyappan and secretary Sreeja spoke. Tribal leaders Sudheesh and Revathy Udayakumar led classes in different tribal languages. Attappady has three key tribal groups called Irula, Muduga and Kurumba with distinct languages and cultures. A song composed by tribal singer K. Panali about the Forest Rights Act was adopted as the theme song of the Ooru Kappu yatra. The awareness drive will cover 20 hamlets before concluding on April 24. The Ooru Kappu yatra led by K.A. Ramu and Binil Kumar has 10 members from different hamlets. Suja Gonjiyur, Majju Pattimalam, Kavya Ramu, Revathy Udayakumar, Sudheesh Panali, Selvaraj, Varathan, Ayyappan and Rajendra Prasad are part of the group.
