Tribes of Madras Presidency

Exit the Indus Valley Civilisation Gallery and walk towards the 'Ethnology Gallery' on the other side. Play this story as you enter the gallery.

Did you know that there are over 100 million tribals in India, belonging to over 600 different tribes? India has been home to many native tribes for thousands of years. The Ethnology gallery of this museum showcases some of the tribes of south India.

In the Nilgiri mountains of Tamil Nadu, live one of the most ancient tribes of South India, the Todas. Recent studies indicate that they might have come to these mountains about 3500 years ago. Today there are only about 2000 Todas. You can see a typical Toda hut in this gallery. Todas are buffalo herders who live in small clearings at the edge of the shola forests. Buffaloes play a central role in the Toda community and many Toda rituals revolve around the buffalo and its milk. Milk is venerated in their Dairy-Temple and the Holy Milkman or the priest is highly respected. Over the years some Hindu customs have also become part of their belief system.

Until the 19th century, Todas practised fraternal polyandry. This meant that if a bride married a groom, the groom’s brothers automatically became co-husbands. Occasionally a wealthy Toda would take another wife. These practices probably resulted from a skewed gender ratio among the Todas back then. The Todas of today live in simple monogamous families. The delicate embroidery that was traditionally crafted by Toda women is unique and has been awarded its own GI tag.

Also living in the Nilgiris are the Kota tribe. For the Kotas, music is an integral part of their culture, not only in life but also in death. When someone in the Kota tribe dies, they are cremated along with their musical instrument. This way, the Kotas ensure that the spirit of the deceased can play their favourite music even in the afterlife.

The Kanikkars in the forests of Agastyamalai of the Western Ghats in Kerala are a physician tribe. Since the forests are a treasure trove of medicinal plants, most Kanis have a rich knowledge of the medicinal herbs found in the forest. Each village has its own chief Kani physician who is the supreme authority on the traditional medicinal knowledge.

These are just some of the tribes living in south India. Over time, many such tribes have merged seamlessly with the urban population, while others have stayed in their ancestral settlements and continued with their ancient traditions.