This video features a song from the Jenu Kuruba community's puberty ceremony, a significant ritual marking the transition of young girls into womanhood. Hailing from Coorg and Wayanad, the Jenu Kuruba people celebrate this occasion with great importance, treating it with the same seriousness as a wedding.
The ceremony involves the young girl seated in a specially constructed bamboo shed. Girls of a similar age gather around her and sing traditional songs, creating a community event filled with joy and support.
Jenu Kuruba Community:
The Jenu Kuruba community is a traditional forest-dwelling group with a rich cultural heritage. Their name translates to "honey" in Kannada and their language, reflecting their historical occupation of honey collection in the Western Ghats forests. They are classified as a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group.
Cultural Significance:
The puberty ceremony holds significant meaning within the Jenu Kuruba community. It signifies the girl's passage into adulthood and her potential role as a wife and mother. The community's participation through singing and celebration emphasizes the importance placed on this life stage.
Archival Notes:
Community: Jenu Kuruba
Region: Coorg and Wayanad
Ritual: Puberty Ceremony
Song Function: Community Celebration
Singers (from left): Lingi, Susheela, Lakshmi, Gouri, Seethe, Sunitha
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