Ahead of the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, also known as World Tribal Day, observed on August 9, a two-day cultural festival showcasing the heritage of indigenous communities was held at Vellalar College for Women here on Thursday and Friday.

The festival, themed Kaattukuyil, was organised by the Tribal Welfare Centre (TWC) of the college in association with the Department of Tamil, the PG and Research Department of English, the Nilgiris Adivasi Welfare Association (NAWA) and the Sathyamangalam-based non-governmental organisation Service Unit for Development Activities (SUDAR).

District Collector S. Kandasamy inaugurated the event. S.D. Chandrasekar, secretary of the college; Sudalaimani, District Adi Dravidar and Tribal Welfare Officer; V.P. Gunasekaran, State committee member, Tamil Nadu Tribal People Association; S.C. Nataraj, director, SUDAR; M. Alwas, secretary, NAWA; and Toda writer Vasamalli Kurtaz participated. A. Vanitha, Coordinator, TWC, welcomed the gathering, while J. Sumathi, a member of the TWC, proposed the vote of thanks.

Traditional music and dance performances by members of the Toda and Urali tribal communities marked the inaugural day of the festival. An exhibition-cum-sale of handicrafts made by tribal artisans from the Nilgiris and the Thalavadi region was also organised on the college campus. Mr. Kandasamy visited the stalls and interacted with the artisans.

The tribal communities showcased their cultural heritage through performances featuring traditional musical instruments and folk dances. More than 100 tribal women participated in the cultural programmes.

A State-level inter-collegiate event featuring indigenous talent and tribal cultural performances was also held on Friday as part of the festival.

Published - August 07, 2026 06:46 pm IST