2025/02/10 by K R Sreehari, Eswarappa Kasi · 1 voice
Social Sciences · #Anthropological Studies and Insights #South Asian Studies and Conflicts #Southeast Asian Sociopolitical Studies
paper · doi:10.1177/00302228251319828
openalex publication_date 2025/02/10 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/05/21
The Irula, a Dravidian ethnic group, reside in the Nilgiri Mountains of the Western Ghats, spread across Tamil Nadu and Kerala, India. It is the fifth-largest tribe in Kerala. Each tribe has unique cultural practices and beliefs; the Irulas are no exception. The Irulas observe distinct rituals during crucial life events, particularly death ceremonies. Death, marking the cessation of an organism's independent existence and its return to a nonliving state, is observed by the Irulas in a unique ceremony known as cheeru and an annual feast ceremony for the ancestors known as Kanji Seeru. This paper aims to delve into the underlying practices of the Irula death ceremony and the associated ritualistic practices and the transformation of traditional practices are also enquired based on empirical research. The research adopts a qualitative methodology, with primary data gathered through ethnographic fieldwork and the secondary data is collected from the published sources.