The Mavilan are a Scheduled Tribe of the Indian state

Kerala Kerala ( , ) is a States and union territories of India, state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile ...

. They inhabit the hill country of the

Kannur Kannur (), formerly known in English as Cannanore, is a city and Municipal corporation (India), municipal corporation in the state of Kerala, India. It is the administrative headquarters of the Kannur district and situated north of the maj ...

and

Kasaragod Kasaragod () is a municipal town and the administrative headquarters of the Kasaragod district in the state of Kerala, India. Established in 1966, Kasaragod was the first municipal town in the district. It is the northernmost district of Kera ...

districts. They speak Tulu as their primary language and also have knowledge of Malayalam. Mavilan Ladies

Customs

The Mangalam Kali is a traditional dance performed by the tribe, as is the

Theyyam Theyyam is a Hindu religious ritual practised in the North Malabar Region of Kerala and some parts of Karnataka. Theyyam is a ritual performance involving extended chanting of mantras and ceremonial preparations that typically span 8 to 10 hou ...

. Mangalamkali is a dance custom followed by the Mavilans. This work of art is firmly identified with the way of life of the ancestral networks who have joined Dravidian culture into their life. Both men and women take an interest in this dance custom which is performed at specific favorable events like relationships. The entertainers dance musically to the beat of a customary percussion instrument called Thudi and the going with people tunes.

Etymology

The word Mavilan originates from 'Mavilavu' a herb which Mavilans traditionally use in herb medicines. Mavilans were also known as MERA(R)s, in

Tulu language The Tulu language (, Tigalari script: , Kannada script: , Malayalam script: ; ) is a Dravidian language whose speakers are concentrated in Dakshina Kannada and in the southern part of Udupi of Karnataka in south-western India and al ...

Lifestyle

They were traditionally hunter-gatherers and practised

shifting cultivation Shifting cultivation is an agricultural system in which plots of land are cultivated temporarily, then abandoned while post-disturbance fallow vegetation is allowed to freely grow while the cultivator moves on to another plot. The period of cul ...

. In recent times, their way of life has been affected by regulation of forest areas and by incursion of non-tribal communities.

References

{{Reflist Scheduled Tribes of Kerala Hunter-gatherers of Asia Indian castes Ethnic groups in India Ethnic groups in South Asia South Indian communities Social groups of Kerala