MAHA MALASARS are habitants of the Palaghat district. They are seen at Sungam,Thekkadi and in the Parambikulam and adjoining forests of Coimbatore District of Tamilnadu. They speak a dialect of their own, and use a mixture of Tamil and Malayalam with others. The major natural resources of the Maha Malasar is the forest. It is controlled by the government. At present some small plots have been allotted to them by government on which they raise some tapioca. The main occupation was collection of minor forest produce. It can be categorized into two; one meant for consumption and subsistence and the other for barter. The Maha Malasar is not specialized in any form of art and craft. Their material culture is rudimentary. They have oral tradition in the form of folk songs, sung by both men and women. Maha Malasars have yet to have a definite conception about God and religion. An enthusiastic group of young men when asked about religion wanted to know where the gods reside and emphasised that they could disclose what they wanted only if they know their location and environment. According to the 2011 census, their population can be estimated to be 154.
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