Kurumba Painting

Why in the News

• Krishnan Raghavan from the Alu Kurumba community was recently honoured with the Padma Shri for his contribution to preserving Kurumba Painting, an ancient tribal art form from the Nilgiri Hills.

About Kurumba Painting

• Kurumba Painting is a prehistoric tribal art form estimated to be over 3,000 years old.
• Traditionally created on: Rocks, Cave walls.
• The earliest documented evidence of these paintings on houses in the Nilgiris dates to 1871–1872.

Natural Pigments Used

The colours used in Kurumba paintings are derived from forest resources:

• Vengai tree trunk essence – yellow, brown, and purple shades
• Pachaikeeda leaves – green pigment
• Red sand – earthy red tones
• Karimaram tree – black colour

Kurumba Tribe

• The Kurumba tribe primarily inhabits the Nilgiri Hills of Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
• They are classified as a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) in India.
• The Nilgiris district is unique because it hosts all six PVTG communities identified in Tamil Nadu.

Alu Kurumba Community

• Alu Kurumba is a subgroup of the Kurumba tribe.
• Known for preserving traditional forest-based livelihoods and cultural practices, including Kurumba painting.

Significance

• Kurumba painting represents ancient tribal knowledge and ecological connection with forests.
• The recognition of Krishnan Raghavan highlights the importance of preserving indigenous art traditions.
• Tribal leaders warn that lack of institutional support could lead to the disappearance of this heritage art form.

Source: IE