Kurinji puja held in Munnar hills

The Neelakurinji puja held at the Munnar Government College in Idukki on Thursday. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

As another Neelakurinji blooming season unfolds across the Munnar hills, a rare ‘Kurinji puja’ was held at the Munnar Government College on Thursday. The ritual was performed by members of the Muthuvan tribal community in reverence to the iconic flower. Deeply intertwined with the heritage of the Muthuvan community, the puja is traditionally observed during every flowering season in the region.

Writer and journalist M.J. Babu noted that the Muthuvan community has observed these rituals for generations. “During the 2018 Neelakurinji season, a Kurinji puja was held at Vattavada near Munnar under the leadership of Muthuvan community elders. The life of the community is deeply connected with the kurinji, and they recognised its ecological and cultural significance long before it gained widespread popular attention. Even the Kurinji Andavar Murugan temple in Kodaikanal, Tamil Nadu, is historically associated with this flower,” Mr. Babu said.