Rituals and realities: Valliyurkkavu a historical enquiry

Rituals are the reflections of human thought. In every society we can observe some rituals that determine the basic structure of a society. Kerala society believed in rituals, oracles and myths. In Kerala religious institutions are the nerve centre of social discourse. In Wayanad valliyurkkavu became a key centre through which the whole social interactions took place. The largest tribal population of Kerala is in Wayanad. Tribes of Wayanad blindly believed in rituals and customs of valliyurkkavu. To them rituals and beliefs are their life breaths. The rituals practiced in valliyurkkavu were utilized by the upper caste to establish their social domination. Rituals that followed in Valliyurkkavu like Nilpupanam, Valliyurkkavu oath and Dhaivam paadi created a power structure in which the tribes became acquiescent. Through discourse analysis this paper is an attempt to interpret realities behind the origin of rituals that practiced in Valliyurkkavu.