The Ethnographic Life of the Mathangar Community in Veerayuga Naayagan Velpaari

Abstract

The lifestyle changes of tribal communities are the footprints of history. In Veerayuga Naayagan Velpaari, Venkatesan portrays the cultural identity of the indigenous tribes. This novel presents the moral and ethical way of life followed by tribal groups. The ancient tribes, who once lived independently, were destroyed by the dominance of great empires; their distinct ways of life were suppressed, and they were turned into slaves, losing their identity. However, the remnants of those tribes could never be completely erased by time — this is vividly reflected in the life of the Mathangar community The Mathangars, who originated from the Vedars, lived as Panars — musicians and performers. The novel Velpaari describes how the Cholas enslaved these people and forced them into seafaring labor. This paper aims to examine the lifestyle transformation of the Mathangar community through an ethnographic lens. The study, through the Velpaari novel, emphasizes that nature-based living and the spirit of unity among tribal groups can protect them from forces of domination.