MUTHUVA HOME

PHOTOS

MARAYOOR JAGGERY

Sarkara is made up of condensed sugarcane juice , it is also known as jaggery or gud. Each ball of jaggery might wiegh up to 2 kg. Sugarcane is a majour crop of marayoor and kanthalloor .In sugarcane farms , there are small jaggery factories that manufacture jaggery.

THOOVANAM WATERFALL

In kerala three rivers are flowing eastward, they are pambar, kabani and bhavani. The pambar river originates in the Anamudi hills and flows between Kanthalloor and Marayoor villages.It become the amaravathi river in Tamil nadu and eventually join the kaveri river.

ROCK CARVINGS

ROCK PANITINGS

Anicient rock paintings are seen in Attala, Ezhuthu guha, Kovil kadavu .Attala is situated in the western part of marayoor town and more than 90 paintings are present here. Most of the paintings at Attala are abstract designs except for a few human and animal figures.

Ezhuthu guha rock paintings are sited in the Koodakavu sandal wood forest at marayoor .Here you can see 90 or more painted motifs.Ten painted motifs are located on the south western slope of the plateau over looking the pambar river.

This region has several types of Dolmens.Large number of them are overground with 70 to 90 cm height, another type has a height of 140 to 170 cm height. Fragments of burial urns are also available in the region near the dolmens.The big dolmens are the burial sites of high social status peoples.The dolmens with raised roof might have been used for habitation of people

MEGALITHIC DOLOMENS

Marayoor claims to be part of stone age civilization that is as old as 10, 000 .B.C. Marayoor and its surrondings have alot of dolomens , caves, rock paintings etc.

Dolomens also called as Muniyaras , these are belong to the megalithic age. These dolomens were burial chambers made of four stones placed on edges and coverd by a fifth one called as the cap stone. Some of these dolmenoids contain several burial chambers. Dozens of dolmens around the Kovil kadavu temple and banks of the river Pambar area.

DANCE 'ATTAM'

HILL PULAYA TRIBES

Hill pulayans or Mala pulayans are the most back ward tribal community in marayoor. They stay in smal huts in forest areas, they speak tamil and follow their own unique and traditional customs . Their dance perform is known as ' ATTAM'.

TEMPLE PRIEST

When the dynasty of madurai was defeated in war, the surviving royal members migrate to kerala and established the Poonjar dynasty.On the way to kerala , hey carried the idols of Madurai Meenakshi , the deity of the royal fa,ily in their backs. The word Muthuvans comes from '' Muthuku'' which means backs in malayalam and tamil languages. These tribes settled in the forest near Tamil nadu , and come to be known as Muthuvans.

MARRIAGE CEREMONY

Muthuvans Colony

Crushing grains

MUTHUVANS

Muthuvans tribe is very independant and reluctant to contact with outside world. They do not trust the civilized society and no connection with other tribal communities.The tribal womens are strictly prohibited to have contact with outsiders especially other men.

TRIBES IN MATRAYOOR

The majour tribal communities are Muthuvans and Hill pulayans.The language that they speak had very little connection with malayalam and more similarity with tamil. These tribes are highly supersitious, beliving in animism and totem worship. These tribes are using herbs for treatment.

SANDAL WOOD FOREST

Mrayoor is the only place in kerala where natural sandal wood forest is seen. Sandal wood forest or Santalum album is a parasitic tree having a fragrant , the sandal wood oil also known as LIQUID GOLD. Oil is extracted from the roots and wood of sandal wood and it is a costly perfume.

The 93 square kilometer marayoor reserve forest have about 60, 000 naturally grown sandal wood trees.

FLORA

In Marayoor you can see rain forest , deciduous forest, riparian forest, scrub forest, paddy fields, water falls, rocky hills, shola forests, and hamlets.

HISTORY OF MARAYOOR

The Madurai king Thirumalai Naicker was defeated by Tippu sulthan in the 18 th century.Then some peoples are migrated to kerala and created five villages whch are known as Kanthalloor, Keezhanthur, Karayur, Marayoor and Kottakudi.These villages were called as ANJU NADU, literally meaning five lands.

The name Marayoor is said to be derived from two words, Mara and Oor.Mara means hidden and oor means land. Another argument is that the name Marayoor is derived from two words Mala nad Oor , Mala means mountain and oor means land. ie , '' The land of the mountains''.

The most probable meaning is the place name is the Uru of Maravas [ a tribe lived in this mountain during the turn of christian era, they attacked travellers for looting and hiding in the forest ].