Up on a tree- the tree-house dwellers of India

  • 7 years ago
A house is a permanent structure meant for people to live in, but for a tribe of South India, houses need to be built nearly 40 – 50 feet high above the ground.

In a region in South India, there is a group of people commonly known as tree house tribe. Tribals from this region are known for building their houses high above the ground.

People usually build tree houses for leisure or for style. But for this south Indian tribe to live in tree house is matter of survival – for protection from wild animals.

According to one legend, after the fall of the pallava dynasty many people from this tribe settled down in south India as small land owners and farmers, some tribals took to hiding in the forests of south India and adapted to living in the forest. They developed their own culture and traditions different from others due to their prolonged isolation.

This tribe lives in a remote place. They have adapted perfectly to their environment and choose to build their houses high up in the canopy of the forest. The tribe displays great resourcefulness as all the materials they use to build their tree houses are found in or around the surrounding jungle.

This isolated tribe is the only group of people in India that have established their primary residence in tree houses.

Ramanujam is the head of one such tribal family. Ramanujam is a 42 years old and is the father of a daughter and a son. This is the place where Ramanujam, his wife and two children stay. This forest is their home.

Ramanujam is a labourer who works for daily wages. His 40 year old Wife Ganga works in a coffee farm and his son studies in a Government school. Ramanujam’s daughter takes care of the house.

They have traditionally been food-gatherers, practicing shifting cultivation, leading a nomadic existence. They practice agriculture as a subsidiary occupation. Instead of ploughing the field, they scratch the surface with a bamboo spear.
The tree houses often accommodate as many as a dozen people along with all sorts of family pets. In the harsh environment of the rainforest, being so high up allows the tribe to escape the often unbearable swarm of mosquitoes below. The tree houses also protect the residents from flooding and the tribals have a belief that high up in the trees, they are safe from evil spirits as well.

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