Paliyar Tribe

About Paliyar Tribe:

• The term ‘Paliyar ’ has been derived from the word ‘Palaniyan’ , which in Tamil language means a man from Palani.
• They are and have been known by multiple names such as the Paliyans, Pazhaiyarares and Panaiyars.
• Location: They are distributed in the districts of Madurai, Thanjavur, Pudukkottai Tirunelveli and Coimbatore of Tamil Nadu.
• Language: They speak Tamil and use the Tamil script for both inter-group and intra-group communication.
• Occupation: Traditionally, the Paliyars were hunters and gatherers, residing in the forests of the Western Ghats.
• The tribal people offer prayers to the Vanadevadai in the interior forest. They also worship god Karuppan by visiting a remote area of the forest along with the families.
• The Paliyar tribes never burned the dead bodies. They had the customary practices of burying the dead bodies in an area near to their residential area on the western side.