Original Source: https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/watch-kota-tribe-of-the-nilgiris-celebrate-aiyanoor-ammanoor-festival/article66355893.ece

This is the “Aiyanoor Ammanoor”, a week-long festival celebrated by the Kota tribe of the Nilgiris. 

The Aiyanoor Ammanoor festival started on December 23 in Kokkal village. The villagers go and collect mud to make mud pots. Once the mud pots are made, they open their temple. They then cook in the mud pots and serve food for the whole village. 

After prayers are over in the temple, the men and women dance separately during the day and night wearing their traditional clothes. The festival ends with this dance. 

The pot-making ceremony is held once in two years.

Reporting, pictures and videos: M. Sathyamoorthy

Production: Shibu Narayan