Beyond the Veil of Death: Evolving Traditions in the Ancestral Rituals of the <i>Irula</i> Tribe of Attapadi, South India

The Irula, a Dravidian ethnic group, reside in the Nilgiri Mountains of the Western Ghats, spread across Tamil Nadu and Kerala, India. It is the fifth-largest tribe in Kerala. Each tribe has unique cultural practices and beliefs; the Irulas are no exception. The Irulas observe distinct rituals during crucial life events, particularly death ceremonies. Death, marking the cessation of an organism's independent existence and its return to a nonliving state, is observed by the Irulas in a unique ceremony known as cheeru and an annual feast ceremony for the ancestors known as Kanji Seeru. This paper aims to delve into the underlying practices of the Irula death ceremony and the associated ritualistic practices and the transformation of traditional practices are also enquired based on empirical research. The research adopts a qualitative methodology, with primary data gathered through ethnographic fieldwork and the secondary data is collected from the published sources.