Cultural Archive

Paliya Ulsavam is the annual festival of the Paliyar community in Kerala, held every April. Rooted in forest traditions and ancestral worship, the festival today blends temple rituals with cultural expressions like Kummi-adi and Paliya Nritham. From the sacred pilgrimage to Kalluveriyar to votive offerings such as Mulapayaru, Maavilakku, and Theechatti, the celebration reflects the community’s deep faith, resilience, and collective identity.

At Chakkupallam in Idukki, the Paliyar community comes together each April to celebrate Paliya Ulsavam, their annual harvest-season festival at their newly built Sree Badrakaliyamman Temple.

Paliya Nritham, a dance form practiced by the Paliya community in Kerala in their settlement at Kumali, is an example on how the community builds livelihood by upholding their cultural practice and identity. Tucked away from the hectic tourist spots of Thekkady, Vellayankaani Paliya Parambaragatha Nritham, a team of 20 + enthusiastic individuals from Paliyakudi, Kumily practices their dance form of Paliya Nritham to their set of songs with various traditional instruments. He

Each year, the Mannan tribal community gathers for Meenoottu—a sacred river-based ritual that seeks protection from disease and blessings for the entire community. Held just three days after their major cultural celebration Kaalayoottu, Meenoottu is more than a ritual. It’s a spiritual gathering and an ecological dialogue rolled into one. Once performed across various sub-kingdoms of the Mannan region, Meenoottu is now practiced only at Kozhimala and Kumily. WATCH EPISODE ON

Among the Mannan tribal community of Kerala, a rich cultural tradition continues to beat to the rhythms of drums and the chants of ancient tales. This is Mannan Koothu, a traditional dance-drama that weaves storytelling, music, and ritual into a unique form of cultural expression. At its heart lies the retelling of the legendary Kannaki - Kovalan saga, a story rooted in Tamil Sangam literature but uniquely adapted by the Mannan people into their own version of the epic. WATCH

‘Koothu Kondakari’ is a traditional composition of the Irular community featuring the National award-winning singer Nanjiyamma along with...