Tulu people
The Tulu people or Tuluvas are an ethno-linguistic and ethno-cultural group from Southern India. They are native speakers of the Tulu language and the region they traditionally inhabit is known as Tulu Nadu. This region comprises the districts of Dakshina Kannada, Mangalore, and Udupi in Karnataka, part of Kasaragod district in Kerala, with Mangalore, Karnataka being the commercial hub. The Census report of 2011 reported a population of 1,846,427 native Tulu speakers living in India.
Etymology
According to Keralolpathi, the name Tuluva comes from that of one of the Cheraman Perumal kings of Kerala, who fixed his residence in the northern portion of his dominions just before its separation from Kerala, and who was called Tulubhan Perumal.Mythology
According to mythology, Tulu Nadu was reclaimed by Parashurama from the sea. According to the 17th-century Malayalam work Keralolpathi, the lands of Kerala and Tulu Nadu were recovered from the Arabian Sea by the axe-wielding warrior sage Parashurama, the sixth avatar of Vishnu. Parashurama threw his axe across the sea, and the water receded as far as it reached. According to legend, this new area of land extended from Gokarna to Kanyakumari. The land which rose from sea was filled with salt and unsuitable for habitation, so Parashurama invoked the snake king Vasuki, who spat holy poison and converted the soil into fertile lush green land. Out of respect, Vasuki and all snakes were appointed as protectors and guardians of the land. P. T. Srinivasa Iyengar theorised, that Senguttuvan may have been inspired by the Parashurama legend, which was brought by early Aryan settlers.People and identity
Tulu speakers are divided into various castes. The major Tulu speaking castes are:- Bunts
- Mansas
- Billavas
- Madivala
- Shettigars
- Tulu Gowdas
- Devadigas
- Kulalas
- Koragas
- Mogaveeras
- Tulu Brahmins
- Vishwakarmas
- Naiks
- Tulu Bhandary
Culture
Tuluvas follow a matrilineal system of inheritance known as Aliyasantana, where inheritance is from uncle to nephew, except for Brahmins, Tulu Gowda, Shettigar caste and Vishwakarmas. It is similar to the Marumakkathayam of Kerala. Other distinctive features include the rituals of Yakshagana, Bhuta Kola, Nagaradhane Aati kalenja and Kambala. Bhuta Kola is similar to Theyyam in North Malabar region.Tuluva New Year, called Bisu Parba, falls on the same day as Baisakhi, Vishu and the Thai New Year.
Tuluva Paddanas are sung narratives, which are part of several closely related singing traditions in Tulu language. They are sung during occasions which describe the evolution of Tulu tribes and Tulu culture.
Buta Kola
in Tulu Nadu is similar to the rest of South India, though the and forms of worship differ. The kola or nema is the yearly ceremony celebrating the festival of. They have attained a godly status among some worshippers, mainly non-Brahmins, and even have their own . However, in many villages the Brahmins, who consider these spirits as their protectorates, conduct the yearly ceremonies., who may be considered local deities, can be animistic as in Panjurli or . A second variety can be representatives of characters taken out of the Puranas like Bermer, Lekkesiri or Vishnumurti. A third category is deified human beings like Gulige, Annappe, and Koti-Chananye. The fourth kind is strictly local characters like Male-Chandi, Ullaldi, and Malaraye. Then there are that provide comical relief during nemas, namely Marlu-Jumadi or Potte. Newer also have been added, like , Vokku-Ballala, and Muttappe.
The 2022 film Kantāra, directed and acted by Rishabh Shetty depicts the ritual, as well as cites the importance of ''Kul Devtās''