Kothar tribe of Kollimalai within the Nilgiris
| Photograph Credit score: Naveenraj Gowthaman
For 2 years now, Chennai photographer Naveenraj Gowthaman has been documenting tribal life throughout Tamil Nadu. He’s notably drawn to their festivals, and the way regardless of altering instances, celebrations stay the identical. Naveenraj is ready to show 35 images from his sequence at a present titled ‘Roots & Rhythms: Tribal Tales’ at DakshinaChitra Heritage Museum.
Masi magam competition at Mamallapuram
| Photograph Credit score:
Naveenraj Gowthaman
Naveenraj has been spending a whole lot of time at distant tribal settlements within the Nilgiris to {photograph} the Todas and Kothars, aside from the Irulas at Chengalpattu, Viluppuram, and Tindivanam. His present, being held as a part of World Folklore Day on August 22, will characteristic images of the annual competition of the Todas. “They rejoice it to hope for a very good harvest the subsequent yr,” he says, including that on the second day of the two-day competition, the pastoral tribe pray for his or her cattle, notably, their buffaloes.
Naveenraj Gowthaman
| Photograph Credit score:
Particular association
He has additionally documented the Masi Magam competition celebrated by the Irulas in the course of the Tamil month of ‘masi’. “The individuals pray to their deity Kanniamma, gathering on the Mamallapuram seashore close to the Shore temple,” says Naveenraj, including that the younger and the previous come collectively to prepare dinner pongal in pots over firewood to supply it to their deity. “They take sea water again dwelling as a blessing from Kanniamma,” he says.
Naveenraj says that even women and men who’ve moved to far off locations for work make it a degree to journey to Mamallapuram to take part within the competition. “Many households stroll for over a day from their hometowns to succeed in the seashore for the festivities,” he explains, including that nothing has modified over time. “They firmly maintain on to their traditions and perception programs,” he says.
The Todas of the Nilgiris
| Photograph Credit score:
Naveenraj Gowthaman
Naveenraj, who additionally does marriage ceremony photoshoots, needs to doc the day by day lives of each tribe in Tamil Nadu. “There are 36 tribes within the State and I hope to cowl each side of their life — proper from delivery to dying,” he says. He is aware of this can be a monumental job, and says “This can take me a minimal of 15 years of labor.”
Roots & Rhythms: Tribal Tales is on until August 28 at Kadambari Gallery, DakshinaChitra Heritage Museum, Muttukadu. The museum is open from 10am to 6pm on weekdays and from 10am to 7pm on weekends.
