The tribespeople living in 190-odd hamlets on the hills of Attappady are excited and enthusiastic about the upcoming monsoon. They have revived a traditional agricultural festival named Kambalam by celebrating the pre-monsoon preparations for cultivation.
With the support of the Kudumbasree Mission, the tribespeople of Attappady have started planting the seeds of their traditional millet crops such as finger millet, little millet, foxtail millet, corn, kodo millet and pearl millet by invoking a festival mood.
They sang and danced while tilling their farmland, and planted seeds by merrily invoking their traditional custom. “Kambalam has been a custom observed by the Adivasis for centuries. It represents the significance of agriculture in their lives, their cultural identity, and their means of livelihood,” said Manoj B.S., assistant project officer of the Kudumbasree Mission in Attappady.
