IDUKKI: Every tribe has its own unique dressing style and accessories which form part of their tradition and culture. Similarly, for members of the Muthuvan tribe settled in Devikulam taluk of Idukki, their turban made of white cotton, is their identity and pride.
Perhaps, that explains why the SC/ST parliamentary committee led by chairperson Faggan Singh Kulaste was welcomed with a turban by the tribals when he visited the Komalikkudi settlement in Bisonvalley on Wednesday.
Komalikkudi tribal settlement chief Subramanian offered the headgear to the team comprising 7 MPs, officials of the SC/ST department and SC/ST development department director Renu Raj, when they arrived for a visit.
According to members of the tribal community, a shirt, a long dhoti and a turban comprise the dress code of male members of the Muthuvan tribe, an ancient community of cultivators living in the hills of Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
However, a change in the lifestyle has resulted in the young generation of Muthuvans adopting new dressing styles. But the old generation still continues to stick to their sartorial traditions, Ramachandran, a resident of the settlement, told TNIE.
Urumalkettu or the turban ceremony is a popular function among the tribes and it is celebrated when a boy enters adulthood at the age of 18. During the function, the cousins of the boy wrap a turban on his head which will be followed by a grand feast and merrymaking.
District Panchayat member and a Muthuvan community member C Rajendran said, as per the tribal custom, a Muthuvan man should marry only after his Urumalkettu ceremony is over.
“Moreover, when he completes Urumalkettu, the community starts giving him more responsibilities and he needs to start saving to meet the needs of his family and himself,” he said.
He said that compared to other tribal communities, Muthuvans are distinguished by their dress which is the symbol of their identity and culture.
Rajendran said, although guests are welcomed in various ways by the tribes, the settlers of Komalikkudi decided to offer them turbans to showcase their culture and tradition. “The turban is also worn during important socio-cultural occasions to symbolise the identity of the tribe,” he said.
Devikulam alone has over 85 Muthuvan tribal settlements. There are 135 such settlements in Idukki, Ernakulam, Thrissur and Palakkad districts.