Kurumba Tribe Gods and Kula Deivam

Kurumba Worship Gods

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The Kurumba tribes of the Nilgiris have a spiritual tradition that combines nature worship, ancestor worship and Hindu deities. Their family gods (also called kula deivams, or clan deities) vary between the Kurumba groups and between villages. This page brings together what published sources record, and notes where the sources are old or limited.

Please note: the Nilgiris Kurumba tribes (listed as Scheduled Tribes) are a different community from the Kurumba Gounders of the Coimbatore and Erode plains, who are listed in Tamil Nadu as a Most Backward Class. If you are looking for the kula deivam of a Kurumba Gounder family, the deities below may not apply - ask the elders of your own family.

Who Are the Kurumba Groups?

Published accounts list several Kurumba groups in the Nilgiris and nearby hills, usually named after their traditional work or home: the Alu Kurumbas, Palu Kurumbas, Betta (hill) Kurumbas, Jenu (honey) Kurumbas, Mullu Kurumbas and Urali Kurumbas. Each has its own dialect, customs and shrines, so there is no single list of "Kurumba gods".

Common Features of Kurumba Worship

Ancestor stones: ancestor or memorial stones (nadukal) play a central part in Kurumba worship, and ancestors are honoured at them.
Nature worship: animals, birds, trees, rocky hillocks and snakes are revered alongside Hindu deities.
Shiva as Bhairava: published accounts name Lord Shiva, worshipped as Bhairava, as an important deity of the Kurumbas.
Spirits of the dead: the dead are believed to appear in dreams, and offerings are made so that the family stays well.

Deities Recorded for Particular Groups

1. Betta Kurumba

The Betta Kurumbas are recorded as worshipping the forest deities Narali and Mastamma.
Offerings are made to a mother goddess of the hill, recorded as Bettada Chikkamma; failing to make them was believed to bring illness.
The early twentieth-century survey Castes and Tribes of Southern India (Edgar Thurston, 1909) also mentions a deity it calls Airu Billi, "the bow-wielding Airu".

2. Jenu Kurumba

Thurston's survey records the Jenu Kurumbas' titular deity as Ranga of Karamadai - the Ranganathar of the well-known Karamadai temple near Mettupalayam.
Honey gathering is the Jenu Kurumbas' traditional livelihood, and the forest itself is central to their life and beliefs.

3. Other Kurumba Groups

For the Alu, Mullu, Palu and Urali Kurumbas, family deities differ from village to village, and reliable published detail is limited. Family shrines, sacred trees and ancestor stones near the settlement are common.
Like many communities in the region, many Kurumba families also worship widely known Hindu deities and visit the large temples of the plains.

General Themes Across Kurumba Groups

Aspect	Details
Nature Spirits	Forest trees, hills, rocks, snakes and animals revered.
Ancestral Worship	Ancestors honoured at memorial stones (nadukal).
Hill and Forest Goddesses	Mother goddesses of the hill and forest, with offerings for health.
Syncretism	Blend of local worship and mainstream Hindu gods such as Shiva (Bhairava) and Ranganathar.

A Note on Sources

Much of what is written about Kurumba religion comes from colonial-era surveys such as Thurston's, which used terms and judgements that are outdated today. Older Badaga and colonial writing also described the Kurumbas as "sorcerers"; that reflects how neighbouring communities saw them, not what the Kurumbas believe. Practices have changed over a century, so the best source for any family's deity is the family and its elders.

Finding Your Own Family Deity

If you are trying to trace your kula deivam, start with the oldest members of your family: ask which temple the family visits for first tonsures, weddings and annual worship, and which village the family came from. Temple records and the priests of that village temple can often help confirm it.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Which god do the Kurumba tribes worship?

Published accounts describe ancestor stones (nadukal), nature worship and Hindu deities, with Lord Shiva worshipped as Bhairava as an important deity. Deities differ between Kurumba groups and villages.

What is the deity of the Jenu Kurumbas?

Thurston's 1909 survey records their titular deity as Ranga of Karamadai, the Ranganathar of the Karamadai temple near Mettupalayam.

Are Kurumba tribes and Kurumba Gounders the same?

No. The Nilgiris Kurumbas are Scheduled Tribes; Kurumba Gounders of the Kongu plains are listed in Tamil Nadu as a Most Backward Class, with their own family deities.

How can I find my Kurumba family's kula deivam?

Ask the oldest members of your family which temple the family visits for tonsures, weddings and annual worship, and check with that temple's priests.