Yelagiri Hut: A Testament to Hill Tribe History

Yelagiri Hut: A Testament to Hill Tribe History

Subject History

Section: Art and culture

Introduction

• Over 200 Malaiyali tribespeople built clay huts on Yelagiri hill 200 years ago.
• System for shelter, storage, farming, and cattle.
• Only one antiquated hut remains today, highlighting tribe’s evolution.

The Last Traditional Hut Owner

• Govinthasamy owns and maintains the last remaining hut.
• Tribe’s huts replaced by concrete houses over time.

Evolution of Malaiyali Tribe

• Malaiyali tribe settled in upper Nillavur region of Yelagiri.
• Transition from foraging to cultivating food.
• Red loam clay abundant in hills used for hut construction.
• Simple 16×22 feet one-room structures built.

Significance of Red Clay

• Red clay used for hut construction and burial rituals.
• House built with red clay on teak wood structure.
• Thatched roof made of bamboo leaves, waxed with cow dung.
• Roof’s deceivingly small appearance hides spacious interior.

Hut’s Multi-Purpose Function

• Originally a living space, turned into seed storage.
• Seeds collected before sowing season stored in hut.
• Space occupied by grains after harvest.

Unique Stilt Structure

• Hut stands on stilt-like structure made of teak wood.
• Keeps house two feet above ground to prevent flooding.
• Stilts offer extra storage space for grains or poultry.

Cultural Preservation and Evolution

• Hut attracts tourists interested in tribe’s culture.
• Reflects transition from traditional to modern lifestyle.
• Tribe adapted to changing times with education, jobs, resources.

Anthropological Survey of India (AnSI) recreates tribal huts at regional centres

• Focus on Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) and their heritage.

Variety of Huts: Diverse Insights into Tribal Lives

• Huts depict different tribal communities’ lifestyles.
• Distinctive designs and materials used in construction.
• Provides rare insight into inaccessible tribal cultures.

Authenticity and Involvement

• Huts designed authentically, using tribal materials.
• Huts constructed with participation from local tribal communities.
• Aims to accurately depict tribal lifestyle and practices.

Examples of Recreated Huts

• Jarawa Tribe’schadda hut with traditional baskets, bows, and arrows.
• Shompen Tribe’s hut with paste from pandamus fruit (food source during scarcity).
• Nicobarese Tribe’s beehive-shaped huts, preserving traditional craftsmanship.
• Dorla Tribe’s participation in constructing their traditional home.
• Betta Kuruba Tribe constructing their hut in Mysore.
• Use of monoliths to represent Khasi culture at AnSI’s Shillong office.

PM PVTG Development Mission: 

• Part of ‘Reaching The Last Mile‘ initiative in Union Budget 2023-24.
• Aims: Enhance lives of 75 PVTGs in 31,000 villages across 18 states and 1 UT.
• Focus: Basic needs (housing, water), healthcare, education, livelihoods.
• Budget: Rs 15,000 crore over 3 years from Development Action Plan for Scheduled Tribes.
• Targets: Benefit 3.5 lakh tribal people, reducing disparities.

Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs):

• Origin: Designated as “Primitive Tribal Groups” by the Dhebar Commission in 1973.
• Renamed as Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) in 2006 by the Indian Government.
• Characteristics: highly vulnerable, inhabit remote areas with limited infrastructure and administrative support.
• Traits:
  • Declining or stagnant population,
  • Low levels of literacy,
  • Pre-agricultural level of technology and
  • Economic backwardness.

Identification: Among 705 Scheduled Tribes, 75 groups are classified as PVTGs due to their unique vulnerabilities.