Context:

• In Kunnapattu, Tamil Nadu, many Irula families who have lived on this land for generations face the threat of eviction and lack legal recognition, with nearly half still without official ownership rights.

About the Irula:

• The Irula are an ancient Dravidian ethnic group primarily inhabiting the Nilgiri Mountains of the Western Ghats, spanning Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
• They are one of India’s oldest indigenous communities and constitute Tamil Nadu’s second largest Adivasi group.
• Classified as a “Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group” in Tamil Nadu, they have various names — they call themselves Erlar or Poosari, while neighboring communities refer to them as Eralollu, Irulas, Shikari, or Pujari.

Language and Culture:

• The Irula speak the Irula language, which is related to Tamil and Kannada within the Dravidian language family.
• Spiritually, they are pantheists who acknowledge the presence of spirits in both humans and objects. Their principal deity is Kanniamma, a virgin goddess strongly linked with the cobra.

Living Arrangements:

• Irula families live in small, closely-knit villages called mottas, usually located on the edges of steep hills.
• These settlements are surrounded by dry fields, gardens, and nearby forests or plantations.

Traditional Knowledge and Livelihood:
 

• The Irula have a rich heritage in healing and traditional medicine, and are especially renowned for their expertise in catching poisonous snakes.
• Their extraordinary knowledge allows them to track snakes by their trails, scent, and droppings. They skillfully capture snakes, extract venom, and safely release them back into the wild without harm.
•  This expertise has been institutionalized in the Irula Snake Catchers’ Industrial Cooperative Society, which produces about 80% of the venom used in India’s anti-snake venom (ASV) production.
• Besides snake-catching, the Irula also engage in cattle rearing and collect forest products such as honey, frankincense, and firewood to sustain their livelihoods.