Paithrukotsavam-2013, a State-level tribal festival being organised by the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes departments in association with KIRTADS and the Youth Affairs department here, is drawing crowds.
The festival is aimed at conserving the tribal culture as well as the traditional art forms of the tribes and creating awareness among the new generation of the art forms.
Close to 80 stalls have been put up on the Paithrukotsavam tribal hamlet here as a part of the festival, of which a tribal museum of the KIRTADS and ethnic food stalls of the tribesmen are the major attractions.
The museum provides rare information to the new generation on different articles associated with tribal life in the State. Articles used by 36 tribal sects in the State such as various types of hunting traps, bangles, ear ornaments, necklaces and musical instruments have been displayed at the museum. The agriculture implements, fish collecting bags and cow bells used by the tribal people in the district are also on display.
At the ethnic food corner, the tribal chefs cook alluring cuisines that no one can find in the menus of the modern restaurants. While N. Vellan, a tribal chieftain of the Nellarachal Kuruma Colony, who is also an award winner of the Folklore Academy, is preparing seven varieties of chicken fry for the visitors, Velayudhan of Ambalavayal is making seven types of boiled tubers.
Nearly 17 varieties of food items of different tribal sects in Wayanad such as boiled wild tubers with honey, bamboo rice payasam, grilled chicken, fried rock crabs, fried mushroom, ‘muddha ada,’ ‘muddha vada,’ ‘karakkundappam,’ kallu puttu, coconut rice, and ‘pollayappam’ are also available at the stalls.
The stalls selling traditional handicraft items of tribesmen, a nursery of Aralam farm with different herbal plants and medical camps of traditional tribal healers from Attappadi, Wayanad and Kasaragod are the other attractions of the fest.
Seminars, cultural programmes, including the presentation of various tribal art forms, are also part of the fete. The eight-day festival will conclude on Sunday.
