Tuḷuvarŭ | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Total population | |
| c. 1.8 million | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
 India | 1,846,427 (2011 census)[1] |
| Languages | |
| Tulu | |
| Religion | |
| Majority: Hinduism Minority: [2] | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Pancha-Dravida,Dravidian,Malayali,Kannadigas,Konkanis,Kodavas[3] | |
| Person | Tuḷuve |
|---|---|
| People | Tuḷuverŭ |
| Language | Tuḷu |
| Country | Tuḷu Nāḍŭ |
TheTulu people orTuluvas are an ethno-linguistic and ethno-cultural group fromSouthern India. They are native speakers of theTulu language and the region they traditionally inhabit is known asTulu Nadu. This region comprises the districts ofDakshina Kannada,Mangalore, andUdupi inKarnataka, part ofKasaragod district inKerala,[4][5][unreliable source?] withMangalore,Karnataka being the commercial hub. The Census report of 2011 reported a population of 1,846,427 native Tulu speakers living in India.[1]
According toKeralolpathi, the nameTuluva comes from that of one of theCheraman Perumal kings ofKerala, who fixed his residence in the northern portion of his dominions just before its separation from Kerala, and who was calledTulubhan Perumal.[3][better source needed]
According to mythology,Tulu Nadu was reclaimed byParashurama from the sea.[citation needed] According to the 17th-centuryMalayalam workKeralolpathi, the lands ofKerala and Tulu Nadu were recovered from theArabian Sea by the axe-wielding warrior sageParashurama, the sixthavatar ofVishnu (hence, Kerala is also calledParashurama Kshetram 'The Land of Parashurama'[6]). Parashurama threw his axe across the sea, and the water receded as far as it reached. According to legend, this new area of land extended fromGokarna toKanyakumari.[7][better source needed] The land which rose from sea was filled with salt and unsuitable for habitation, so Parashurama invoked thesnake kingVasuki, who spat holy poison and converted the soil into fertile lush green land. Out of respect, Vasuki and all snakes were appointed as protectors and guardians of the land.P. T. Srinivasa Iyengar theorised, thatSenguttuvan may have been inspired by theParashurama legend, which was brought by early Aryan settlers.[8]
Tulu speakers are divided into various castes. The major Tulu speaking castes are:
Mangalorean Protestants are also Tulu speakers.[9]
Tuluvas follow amatrilineal system of inheritance known asAliyasantana, where inheritance is from uncle to nephew, except forBrahmins,Tulu Gowda, Shettigar caste andVishwakarmas.[10] It is similar to theMarumakkathayam ofKerala.[11][12][13] Other distinctive features include the rituals ofYakshagana,Bhuta Kola,Nagaradhane[14]Aati kalenja andKambala.[15]Bhuta Kola is similar toTheyyam inNorth Malabar region.[16][17]
Tuluva New Year, calledBisu Parba, falls on the same day asBaisakhi,Vishu and theThai New Year.[18]
Tuluva Paddanas are sung narratives, which are part of several closely related singing traditions inTulu language. They are sung during occasions which describe the evolution of Tulu tribes and Tulu culture.[19]
Bhuta-aradhana (lit. 'spirit worship' or 'soul worship'; abhuta orbhoota is a supernatural creature, or spiritual entity, especially of ancestors)[20] in Tulu Nadu is similar to the rest of South India, though thebhutas and forms of worship differ. The kola or nema is the yearly ceremony celebrating the festival ofbhutas. They have attained a godly status among some worshippers, mainly non-Brahmins, and even have their ownbhuta-sthanas (a place of abode similar to temples). However, in many villages the Brahmins, who consider these spirits as their protectorates, conduct the yearly ceremonies.
Bhuta, who may be considered local deities, can be animistic as inPanjurli (boar) orPili-bhuta (tiger). A second variety can be representatives of characters taken out of the Puranas like Bermer (Brahma), Lekkesiri (Raktesvari, Kali) or Vishnumurti. A third category is deified human beings like Gulige, Annappe, and Koti-Chananye. The fourth kind is strictly local characters like Male-Chandi (from the male-Nadu), Ullaldi (from Ullal), and Malaraye (from the Ghats). Then there arebhutas that provide comical relief during nemas, namely Marlu-Jumadi (crazy Jumadi) or Potte (mute–deaf demigod). Newerbhutas also have been added, likePosa-bhuta (new demigod), Vokku-Ballala, and Muttappe.[21][better source needed]
The 2022 filmKantāra, directed and acted byRishabh Shetty depicts the ritual, as well as cites the importance ofKul Devtās (Clan Deities)
FromIndia's independence and following the reorganization of states, the Tuluvas have been demanding national language status for Tulu[22] and a separate state for themselves calledTulu Nadu ('land of Tuluvas'), based on their language and distinct culture. Though somewhat subdued for a while, this demand has grown stronger in recent years. Several organizations like the Tulu Rajya Horata Samiti have taken up the cause of the Tuluvas, and frequent meetings and demonstrations are held across towns in Tulunadu (such asMangalore andUdupi) to voice their demands.[23][broken footnote][24][25]
{{cite book}}:ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)Invocation of thebhuta spirits that involves, in addition to daily worship, a periodic propitiation in the form of possession rituals
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Media related toTulu people at Wikimedia Commons