Anthropological Study On Toda Tribes Of Blue Mountain, Tamil Nadu, India

Abstract

The mountainous region of Nilgiris is not only well-known for its lush greenery and marvels of nature but also for its wider in-depth exploration of its traditional and cultural values of different tribal community. Blue Mountain has beenthe ancient dwelling place for indigenous tribes like Kurumbas, Irulas, Todas, and the Kotas. These tribal communities are widely scattered and have diverse
culture and practices. It is evident that these tribal communities belong to the Dravidian ethnic group, as their language has the Dravidian imprint and is similar to the languages of Tamil, Malayalam and Kannada. Out of the other four tribes of Blue
Mountains, it is believed that Toda people own a rich heritage. This article presents the cultural heritageof Toda people and recommends extending support to Toda people to maintain their traditional values.