MANNAN Tribe of Kerala
The Mannan tribe is largely found in Idukki’s Kumily Panchayat, with smaller groups living in Adimali and Devikulam. Though they were moved from their ancestral forest homes to the outskirts of the Periyar Tiger Reserve due to government regulations, they have successfully preserved their distinct rituals. A standout feature of their culture is their enduring monarchy; the community continues to recognize and deeply respect their own king to this day.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: About the community
Chapter 1 : About The Community
We travelled to the mid ranges of Idukki in the Western Ghats to collaborate with the Mannan comm...
Chapter 2 : Social Life
During our fieldwork, community members recalled that in the early days the Mannan lived a nomadi...
Chapter 3 : Mannankoothu & Koothu Paattukal
Mannankoothu is a traditional cultural dance performance of the Mannan community, combining expre...
Chapter 4 : Governance System
When we arrived in the Mannan settlements, the first thing that struck us was how deeply decentra...
Chapter 5: Belief System
“We pray to all gods, to the Maladaivangal as well as the Malayalam daivangal,” says Rajappan fro...
List of Documentaries
Since initiating our collaboration with the Mannan tribal community of Idukki, we have produced a...
Mannankoothu : Performance and Songs
Mannan Koothu is a traditional ritualistic dance performance of the Mannan tribal community in Ke...
Mythological Origin of Mannankoothu
According to the beliefs of the Mannan community, Mannan-Koothu was founded by two ancestral brot...
Costume and Makeup in Mannankoothu
Mannan-Koothu features different types of characters, including male, female, and comedian roles....
Mannankoothu Songs and Structure
The Mannan community believes that there are about eighty-five Koothu songs in existence. These s...
Musical Instruments in Mannankoothu
Three main musical instruments or accessories are integral to Mannan-Koothu:(i) Mathalam(ii) Chil...
Women in Koothu
Traditionally, women of the Mannan community did not perform Mannan Koothu. One major reason for ...
Tourism and Koothu
MannanKoothu has found a new platform through tourism initiatives in Kumily, supported by the Dep...
Mannan Festivals
Kalavoottu
The name Kalavoottu is derived from the words Kaalam (meaning a year or season) and Oottu (meanin...
Payayil Iruthal: Mourning Ritual of the Mannan Community
Payayil Iruthal (also called Payel Iruthal) is a traditional mourning ritual observed by the Mann...
Meenoottu: Annual Ritual of the Mannan Community
Meenoottu is an annual ritual performed by the Mannan community to seek protection from diseases ...
Pongal Festival in the Mannan Community
Pongal is one of the major festivals celebrated by the Mannan community, alongside Kalayoottu. Th...
A Unique Governance System
The governance system of the Mannan community is unique, traditional, and deeply rooted in its cu...
4 Mannan and Regional Divisions
This system of governance — combining kingship, councils, law enforcement, and divine intermediar...
The King (Valiyamoopan / Varakkumalan)
The elders narrate that the four Moopans, who were initially equal in power, once met at Thollayi...
9 Kaani
The Kaanis are senior advisors to the King administrative, spiritual, and social matters, represe...
4 Vaathi
There are four main Vaathis in the Mannan governance structure. They serve as intermediaries betw...
10 Ulamthari Ulamtharichikal
The Kulamthaari group is responsible for maintaining law and order within the Mannan community. T...
Credits
Prepared by Anjana, Sociologist Vysakh Seluraj, Anthropologist Community collaborators from ...