இனவரைவியலும் தருமபுரி மாவட்ட நரிக்குறவர் வாழ்வியலும்: ஓர் ஆழமான மானுடவியல் பகுப்பாய்வு: Ethnography and the Life of Narikuravars in Dharmapuri District: An In-Depth Anthropological Analysis

Abstract

The Narikuravar community, a nomadic tribe of Tamil Nadu, is a marginalized community possessing a unique language, lifestyle structure, and cultural values. The primary objective of this study is to analyze the social, economic, and educational status of the Narikuravar people widely living in the Dharmapuri district, based on the principles of ethnography.

In the modern era, factors such as illiteracy, lack of proper guiding leadership, and legal restrictions that prohibit them from pursuing their traditional forest-based hunting occupation have severely impacted their economic development. Amidst these existential crises, this paper elaborately explains how this community preserves and protects its ancestral identity—the 'Vaagriboli' language—and their clan worship systems. Furthermore, this study discusses in detail the social impact of the Scheduled Tribe (ST) status recently (2023) granted to this community after a long struggle, and explores how they can be led toward a path of economic progress without compromising their cultural uniqueness.

Keywords

• Ethnography
• Narikuravar
• Vaagriboli
• Nomadic Tribes
• Rituals
• Sami Moottai (Sacred Deity Bundle)
• Social Exclusion
• Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK)