 Paniya women in Kerala | |
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 99,079 | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
 India | |
| Kerala | 88,450[1] |
| Tamil Nadu | 10,134[2] |
| Karnataka | 495[3] |
| Languages | |
| Paniya language | |
| Religion | |
| Hinduism,traditional religion,Christianity | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Dravidian,Tamil,Malayali | |
ThePaniya, also known asPaniyar,Panyer,[4] andPaniyan, are an ethnic group ofIndia. They constitute the single largest Scheduled Tribe inKerala and are mainly found in the Wayanad District and the neighbouring areas of Karnataka. They primarily inhabit villages around edge of forestland in Kerala'sWayanad,Kozhikode,Kannur andMalappuram districts. The Paniya speak thePaniya language, which belongs to theDravidian family, closely related to Malayalam. The center of the bonding contracts was the famous temple of the regional mother goddess of theValliyoorkkavu shrine nearMananthavady.[5]
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There is a theory that the Paniyas were brought to Wayand by the Jain Gounders who trained them to be agricultural labourers in their fields (Thurston, 1909).
The Paniya have historically worked as agricultural labourers. They are believed to have been brought to Wayanad by the king ofMalabar, and thereafter tilled the land as serfs. Following the abolishment of the slave-holding system, the Paniya were resettled in different areas established by the government.[6]
Paniyas were also historically reputed for their boldness and recklessness. For this reason, they were often employed as thieves.[7]
The Paniya today are ascheduled tribe.[8] One particular sub-group of theirs, the Kattupaniyar, inhabits the forest region of Nilambur in theMalappuram District. Here, members lead a traditional hunter-gatherer lifestyle.[6]
The Paniya mainly inhabitKerala, and theWayanad,Kozhikode,Kannur andMalappuram districts of India. Others reside inTamil Nadu, the area west of theNilgiris hills, as well as theKodagu District ofKarnataka.[8] Their total population depends on agriculture and agriculture labour for their livelihood.
Their population has remained unchanged during this decade (2003).[8] and nearly 67,948 live in the Kerala hills, notably fringes of Western Ghats.[6] People's Action for Educational and Economic development of Tribal People (PEEP) which has been working among Paniya settlers of Kerala since 2005 to promote literacy and improving economic status of the group.
The Paniya speak thePaniya language as a mother tongue. A member of theDravidian family, it is most closely related toMalayalam,Kadar,Ravula and otherDravidian languages.[8]
Paniya is spoken both at home and during religious ceremonies. Some Paniyas also use other Dravidian languages such as Malayalam,Tamil orKannada.[8]
Paniyas use different writing systems depending on where in India they reside. Those in Karnataka use theKannada script, those in Kerala write in theMalayalam script, while the Paniya in Tamil Nadu use theTamil script.[8]
Paniyas typically live in villages (padis) consisting of a few huts (pire orchala) with courtyards. Each hut settlement contains 5 to 15 families.[9]
For attire, Paniya men wear a lengthy cloth wrapped around the waist, which is known as amundu. A smaller mundu is also slung over the shoulders to cover the body. Paniya women orpanichi don a long cloth, with a smaller one above the breast area and around the armpits. In addition, they wear a red or blackaratti scarf around the waist. Land grabbers and poachers exploit them by encouraging drinking habit, sexual infidelity and other vices. PEEP Wayanad also organises various events to spread awareness on social menaces like alcoholism and chewing tobacco. Street plays in the local language has been staged at several forest settlements.[9]
The Paniyas bury their dead in formal funeral rites. Typically, the place of burial is close to the padi. The interment is accompanied by a seven-day mourning period by family members.[9]
The modern Paniya practice a variety of faiths. Among these areHinduism with local traditional beliefs, and minority followChristianity.[8] Their chief deities areKuttichathan,Kattu-bhagavathi or Kaali of the forest,Mariyamma andAyyappan are the chief God and Goddess.Valliyoorkkavu (temple) is where their prominent festivals take place which can be fall in the months of February, March and April. The worship of banyan tree is very significant in their unseen world, they are considered sacred.[10]
