Kerala, known as God’s own country has been a major tourist attraction for many years and continues to be one. From rivers to hills to tribal areas that one might have never heard of. Here is a list of tribal places in Kerala:
1. Sathram
Sathram located 14 kilometers away from Vandiperiayar in the Idukki district is not a place known to everyone as the potential for tourism in the place has not been identified yet. Sathram is not included among those places that are usually considered tourists spot. However, Sathram is not a new place to the devotees who visit Sabarimala every year. The place also gives you a mesmerizing view from the hilltop. Even though there is a colony in Sathram, there are very few families living in small huts. Most of the tribal families live inside the dense forest itself.
2. Pinayur
The place Kuttampuzha is known to people of Ernakulam district but not the tribal place Pinayur located in Kuttampuzha itself. Kuttampuzha is a proper village area that is home to several tribal communities that are unknown to people living in the city, even today. The place garnered some attention only after it became a shooting location for many films several years ago. With many tribal families living in colonies and in the foot of the hills, Pinayur is an area prone to landslides. The area is also known for its dense forest area and small rivers here and there.
3. Engakandi
Engakandi is a tribal colony located in the Malappuram district with just seven families living on three acres of land. Some of the primary jobs of the people in this area include farming, rubber tapping and daily wage works. As the place does not have any special features, it is not really known as a tourist spot.
4. Attapaddi
Situated in the Palakkad district, Attapaddi is one of the most known and populated tribal areas in Kerala. Even though the place is home to several tribal communities, the main ones here are the Mudugas and Irulas having different dialects of their own. The place which is already a major tourist attraction also has plenty of visitors during the Shivratri festival where the Mudugas perform a particular ritual at night. Other than that, there are separate numbers of visitors who come to see the silent valley only.
5. Echom
Echom is a tribal place near Panamaram in Wayanad. Tribal Unity Development Initiative (Tudi) is an NGO working in this place for the betterment of the tribal communities residing in Echom. The NGO also tries to bring out the culture and tradition of these communities to society. The main two tribal groups in Wayanad are the Kurichiyas and the Paniya. The Kurichiyas stay as groups or joint families in the colony. Some of the tribes are the Kattunayakans and Uloor.
6. Pooyamkutty
Pooyamkutty, a place under the Kuttampuzha panchayat is a well-known tourist place to the people of Kothamangalam. The place coming under the Kothamangalam taluk has been a tourist attraction for a long time. Apart from that, it gained more attention after film shoots started happening here. Two of the films shot here are the Malayalam movies Shikkar and Pulimurugan. The Pooyamkutty River is also a spot to visit and spend some time away from the daily routines. The place has a lot of visitors even with the ongoing pandemic. The tribal people sell handmade products which are also bought by the tourists which in turn become an income for the tribal groups residing here.
7. Vazhachal
Situated in Thrissur district, Vazhachal is known to most people. With the Athirappily waterfalls nearby, Vazhachal has also been able to attract tourists. Natives tell that the place has increased tourists visit after it has been reopened since the pandemic. The tribal community found here is the Kadar belonging to the Scheduled Tribe. These tribal people earn their livelihood from the daily wage jobs offered by the Vana Samrakshana Samithi (VSS). While Vazhachal is popular among the people, there are also other colonies like Kothalapara with around 30 houses and Peringalkuthu with the Peringalkuthu dam in Thrissur district.
Comments