Wayanad Tribal Tourism

Wayanad has always been a pleasant surprise. Natural and beautiful, a delight of the tourists. The more we try to learn about Wayanad the more curious we become about the original inhabitants of the hill country. Few centuries ago there were no one except them. It was Tipu’s soldiers who came down the hills from Mysore making way for his march to conquer the coast and its harbours. Then came the British who knew how to work the hill, magnificent plantations came up, labourers from all over the south found a means of bread and settled. Within a few years, Wayanad became a fashionable European settlement. Few of the names of the hills and the places were changed but mostly the old ways and names remained. By the turn of the 20th century, came the flood of local migration, centuries long tribal heritage of the place was lost for ever.

Enchanting Wayanad always had the tourism potential; it was realized early became operational with policy change when the tourism focus shifted from south to North Kerala. Besides the natural beauty what captivated the tourists were its original people. At last an enterprise had come up celebrating the heritage, tradition and lives of the tribes of Wayanad.

A charitable trust formed with the leadership of Sub-collector and 13 tribal leaders has formed a tribal heritage centre “ Enna OOru” formally making a platform to interact, experience the tribal way of life including 10 tribal huts for the visitors to stay in. The centre has shops to sell tribal products of medicine, art, crafts etc. a cafeteria to taste tribal foods, space to hold events and performances in tribal culture.

It is a beginning in a way. Let us hope, the tribes themselves could set up their own enterprise and truly change the face of Wayanad tourism. 

 

Sri Venkaiah Swamy of Golagamudi

Saturdays at Golagamudi, a village near Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh on the east coast of India,  comes alive with hundreds of devotees visiting the temple abode of their saint, Sri Venkaiah Swamy. They come and spent the night over at the samadhi (tomb) of the saint in gratitude for the favours received and in supplementation.

Devotees making their dance offering on Saturday night. They come from all over Andhra Pradesh and neighbouring states. 

The saint died on August 24th, 1982 but his memory and the "Kundam" (the fire worship) is kept alive by his devotees. The trust that looks after the temple shrine continues the "Anna Dhaanam" (free food) and runs an excellent school which imparts quality education to the children of the village free of cost.

Devotional items. The shops selling them are busy on the weekends. 

A visit to Golagamudi is an excellent opportunity to understand and experience the spiritual, social and cultural lives of the Incredible Villages of India.