PALLIYAR

PALLIYARS are habitants of the Kottayam district. They are seen in tribal settlements at Kumali, Periyar range, Chekupalam and Anakara of the Vendemedu Range in the udumbinshola Taluk. They are not now seen in their original settlements at sinnamala, Periyamala and Sinnasundam. Those in Kerala speak a poor dialect of Tamil with many Malayalam words and phrases. According to the 2011 census, their population can be estimated to be 1,464. Palliyars of Kerala have no scope for hunting and collecting hill produce for the forests. Settled groups are clever agriculturists with good knowledge of the conditions of the mountains they inhabit. Much of the fertile land in the Cardamom Hills of Travancore was brought under cultivation by them. Settled palliyars have fairly satisfactory huts in or around the land they own or where they work. A few families have been provided with masonry houses in the Kumali Tribal settlement. Palliyars are animists and totemists. Some worship various deities and devils. Mariamma, Kuruppuswami and Kali are the popular deities.