Categories of Kurumba
No script1. Jenu Kurumba
- Meaning: “Jenu” means honey in Kannada.
- Other names: Also known as Ten Kurumba or Kattunayakan (Kattunaika).
- Occupation: Traditionally honey gatherers and forest gatherers.
- Location: The forests around the Karnataka-Tamil Nadu-Kerala border, including parts of the Nilgiris, Wayanad and the Mysuru-Kodagu forests.
- Language: Their speech is close to Kannada.
- Lifestyle: Historically dependent on forest resources, skilled in honey collection and gathering wild produce.
2. Betta Kurumba
- Meaning: “Betta” means hill in Kannada.
- Other names: Also known as Urali Kurumba or Kadu Kurumba (“kadu” means forest).
- Location: The Nilgiris and the neighbouring forests of Karnataka and Kerala.
- Language: Close to Kannada. Linguists consider it endangered, as younger speakers shift to the regional languages.
- Lifestyle: Traditionally forest-based, with small-scale cultivation; today many work as labourers.
3. Alu Kurumba
- Location: The slopes of the Nilgiris in Tamil Nadu.
- Language: Alu Kurumba is also close to Kannada. The German linguist Dieter B. Kapp wrote a full grammar and an etymological dictionary of it, and on that basis it has been described as an independent South Dravidian language.
- Lifestyle: More settled than the forest-gathering groups, engaged in farming and wage labour today.
- Culture: Alu Kurumbas appear often in older accounts of the Nilgiris, including their relations with the Badagas.
4. Mullu Kurumba
- Other names: Also known as Mullu Kuruman.
- Location: Mainly the Wayanad district of Kerala, close to the Nilgiris border.
- Language: Their speech is close to Malayalam.
- Lifestyle: Settled cultivators, traditionally known as hunters.
5. Palu (Attapady) Kurumba
- Location: The Attappadi valley in Palakkad district, Kerala, just west of Coimbatore district.
- Language: Their speech is mutually intelligible with Muduga, which belongs to the Irula-related group of languages.
Summary Table
| Subgroup | Also called | Main area | Language closest to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jenu Kurumba | Ten Kurumba, Kattunayakan | Karnataka-Tamil Nadu-Kerala border forests | Kannada |
| Betta Kurumba | Urali Kurumba, Kadu Kurumba | Nilgiris and nearby forests | Kannada |
| Alu Kurumba | - | Nilgiris | Kannada (an independent language per Kapp) |
| Mullu Kurumba | Mullu Kuruman | Wayanad, Kerala | Malayalam |
| Palu Kurumba | Attapady Kurumba | Attappadi, Kerala | Muduga (Irula group) |
Official Status
The hill Kurumbas are recognised as Scheduled Tribes. Each state lists them under its own names: Tamil Nadu lists the Kurumbas of the Nilgiris district (and the Kattunayakan separately), Karnataka lists the Jenu Kuruba and Kadu Kuruba, and Kerala lists groups such as the Kurumbas and Mullu Kuruman. For any certificate or reservation question, check the current official list of your state.
Beliefs and Neighbours
Kurumba religion centres on local deities and forest spirits; see Kurumba worship and gods. For how the Kurumba languages compare with Badaga, see Badaga vs Kurumba language comparison.
Sources: Wikipedia, "Kurumba language" and "Kurumba people"; Dieter B. Kapp's work on Alu Kurumba; state Scheduled Tribe lists.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What are the types of Kurumba?
The main groups are Jenu Kurumba, Betta Kurumba, Alu Kurumba, Mullu Kurumba and Palu (Attapady) Kurumba, living in the Nilgiris and the neighbouring parts of Kerala and Karnataka.
Are Kurumba and Kurumba Gounder the same?
No. The hill Kurumbas are Scheduled Tribes of the Nilgiris region; the Kurumba Gounder of the Kongu plains are a shepherd community listed in Tamil Nadu as a Most Backward Class.
What does Jenu Kurumba mean?
Jenu means honey in Kannada; the Jenu Kurumba were traditionally honey gatherers. They are also called Kattunayakan.
What language do the Kurumbas speak?
Their own Kurumba languages. Jenu, Betta and Alu Kurumba are close to Kannada, Mullu Kurumba to Malayalam, and Palu Kurumba to Muduga.