{"id":53072,"date":"2022-08-03T14:13:56","date_gmt":"2022-08-03T14:13:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.plantheunplanned.com\/?p=53072"},"modified":"2022-08-17T10:52:30","modified_gmt":"2022-08-17T10:52:30","slug":"nilgiris-tribes-kotagiri-trek","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/plantheunplanned.com\/blog\/nilgiris-tribes-kotagiri-trek\/","title":{"rendered":"Pride of the Nilgiris: Nilgiris Tribes"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sitting at the intersection of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Kerala, Nilgiris is a mountain range that gets its name from the Neelakurinji flower, famous for blooming once in 12 years. The place is a layered home to dry deciduous forests at its base, dense evergreen forests on the slopes, and a mosaic of stunted forests and grasslands on the top. Rising as a bulwark till 1800 m, the district was once impenetrable. Now, the landscape weaves a different story altogether.\u00a0<\/strong>At Present, British influence lingers on the high-end peaks in the form of tea-plantation and heat-relieving resorts that stretch as far as the eye can see. But despite modern developments, Nilgiris tribes shine in pockets and guard nature’s ecstasy. The district claims to have the largest Adivasi population. Todas, Irulas, Kotas, Kurumba, Paniyars, and Kattunayakan.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Their fight is a continuous tug-off between survival and revival, getting swayed by the helm of modernization and protecting their ancestral culture. They have already lost much during colonialism: their homes were turned into cash-crop plantations for selfish motives, and they were forced to work as low-wage workers in tea plantations. Moreover, high malaria rates, practices like early marriage, close relationship marriage, and malnutrition have plagued them.<\/p>\n

Whatever it is, the tribal ecosystem in the Nilgiris calls for protection. The lifestyle of tribals showcases how we have survived to date. Apart from survival, these tribals have carried stories, practices, culture, and knowledge of medicinal plants over generations. We have a lot to learn from them; plus, conserving them for our future would be a bliss \u2013 both for them and our upcoming generations.<\/p>\n

Here are the six major Nilgiris tribes:<\/span><\/p>\n

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Table of Contents<\/p>\n