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.The puja was performed by an eight-member group drawn from various tribal settlements, led by M. Palraj of the Kattammudy settlement. Other participants included Ramaswami and Ramaraj from Swamiyaralakudy, S.P. Venkidachalam from Aduvilanthankudy, Paramasivam from Edamalakkudy, Palraj and M. Muthuraj from Chempakathozhukudy, Rajendran from Komalikkudy, and Ravi Chinnathampi from Veliyamparakudy.Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests Pramod G. Krishnan inaugurated the event. According to the organisers, the ritual begins with offerings placed on the tapering tip of a plantain leaf -- wild honeycomb, broken coconuts, betel nuts, betel leaves, and coins. Camphor was lit at the apex, and devotees bowed to venerate the blossoming kurinji plant. Prayers are offered to invoke the blessings of deities including Kurinjiyandavan (Lord Murugan), Ganesha, Shiva, Vishnu, and Meenakshi Amma, followed by touching the earth in obeisance. Concluding with prayers for the well-being of nature and all living beings, the ritual ended with the distribution of wild honeycomb and honey as prasadam to the gathering.The current Neelakurinji season has drawn thousands of visitors to the Munnar hills. This year, the blooms have appeared predominantly along the slopes of Chokramudy under the Forest department and Korandakkad under the Kanan Devan Hills Plantations. Published - October 02, 2026 07:48 pm IST