Nilgiris Kota Tribe Welcomes 2023 With Traditional Dance Around Fire, IAS Officer Shares Video

When someone mentions celebrating the new year, one would think of parties, gatherings with family and friends, or just quiet times with oneself. But not many people think of traditional ways in which a new year is welcomed. Among the numerous videos of fireworks and countdowns welcoming 2023, a clip of traditional celebrations of the Kota tribe from Tamil Nadu’s Nilgiri Hills has evoked interest on the internet. The video features the local tribe performing a traditional folk dance to welcome the new year.

IAS officer Supriya Sahu posted two videos showing the folk dance that featured the white-clad tribe members joyously dancing in sync around a huge bonfire with rhythmic folk music playing in the background.

The videos were shared on Twitter with a caption that read, “Beautiful Nilgiri hills reverberate with traditional music & dance of Kota tribals as they celebrate their local festival. Kotas are ancient inhabitants of Nilgiris. Their striking white attire gives a surreal feel & the graceful dance transports us to another world.” The tweet was shared with the hashtag of Happy New Year

The comments section of the post has several users appreciating the celebrations and wishing the officer a happy new year.

One user commented, “That’s awesome.”

Another user wrote, “A wonderful post. Tribals have largely preserved their religious & cultural norms and values. Their penchant for dance/ other creative activities, segregate them from other tribals. Governmental schemes and programmes have helped them modernise and find footing in modern society.”

“Amazing, everyone in sync!” another individual commented.

The Kotas live across seven villages, six of which are located on the Nilgiri plateau, including Kotagiri, Kil Kotagiri, Todanad, Sholur, Kethi and Kunda. The seventh village is at the northwest hill base of Gudalur. People from the Kota tribe were traditionally artisans involved in various occupations including pottery and cultivation.

Read all the Latest Buzz News here