Kurichiyas are an agricultural tribal community in the northern parts of
Kerala. They are matrilineal and live in joint families. Their administrative chieftain is called Pittan. They generally prefer cross cousin marriages than any other alliances. The people of this tribe have clean food habits and are keen in keeping their houses, premises and dresses clean.
The members of the extended family work together and put their earnings in the same purse. The social control mechanism in the community is stringent and the offenders are readily excommunicated. But the ground reality is that many of the excommunicated Kurichiyas are now educationally and economically better compared to the traditional Kurichiyas.
