Narikuravar
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The Narikuravar are a Tamil speaking group of people, found among craggy areas of Tamil Nadu and bordering hills of Kerala, South India. They are nomadic and largely impoverished.
The main occupation of the people, who originally belong to the indigenous tribes, is hunting. But as they were prohibited to entry into the forests to pursue this livelihood, they were forced to take up other alternatives such as selling beaded ornaments to survive. Hence they migrate from place to place to find a market for their beads. Children accompany the adults wherever they go, which means they never get to attend school.
[edit] Silambam
Silambam is a stick fighting, part of southern style of kalarippayattu. This style supposedly originates from the Kurinji hills, present day kerala Kerala, 5000 years ago, where natives Narikuravar were using bamboo staves to defend themselves against wild animals.Link[1]. They were using a staff called Silambamboo as a weapon to defend themselves against wild animals, and also to display their skill during their religious festivals. The Hindu scholars and yogies who went to the Kurinji mountains to meditate got attracted by the display of this highly skilled spinning Chilambamboo.