Mudugas form the second largest tribal community in
Attappady. There are 18 Muduga hamlets in Attappady. A few Muduga families are in the
Nilgiris and
Coimbatore of
Tamil Nadu. The Mudugas were the original inhabitants of Coimbatore and later moved westward due to persecution and exploitation by more dominant communities.
The Mudugas live in clusters with twelve or so households in each settlement. The huts of the Mudugas are very sparsely furnished and consist only of mats made of grass and bamboo splinters. The Mudugas speak a common language similar to Tamil, interspersed with many Tulu words and phrases.
Mudugas do not co-operate with non-tribal people in the plains. They consider themselves superior to the Irulas and Kurumbas, the other two tribes of the Attappady tribal area. Their occupations include agriculture, hunting and fishing.
Land alienation is the major problem faced by this community. They have a limited culture of their own. Literacy rate among Mudugas is higher than that among other tribal groups. All the ceremonies are presided over by the headman in the tribe. Mudugas cannot have marriage alliances with any other group.
