At the end of the 10-day-long family deity festival of the Kothar indigenous community, tribal people in Kokkal village near Ooty performed traditional dance accompanied by music.
The Nilgiris: There are 120 families belonging to the Kothar community living in Kokkal village near Ooty in the Nilgiris district.
The people of this village used to celebrate the Aiyanor- Ammanor temple festival once in two years to their family deity.
Prior to this event, the villagers organized a ceremony “ vara saavu” in which prayers were offered for the soul of the deceased to rest in peace.
On the 23rd of last month, they observed austerity and have not allowed outsiders to enter their village, fasted and performed various rituals on a daily basis and organized the Ayyanore and Ammanor festivals.
On 27 last, an event was held to bring clay to make new pots for worship. In this, more than 100 women carried clay on their heads and made new pots and plates at their homes.
On New Year's Day, food was prepared with saamai, beans and ghee and was offered to the family deities. The Kothars, dressed in traditional attire and ornaments, gathered in the heart of the village and danced enthusiastically accompanied by music.
Moreover, at the end of this 10-day festival of the clan deities, the men dressed up as kings with their headscarves performed a traditional dance, which impressed everyone.