 Paniya women in Kerala | |
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 99,079 | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
 India | |
| Kerala | 88,450[1] |
| Tamil Nadu | 10,134[2] |
| Karnataka | 495[3] |
| Languages | |
| Paniya language | |
| Religion | |
| Hinduism, traditional religion, Christianity | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Dravidian, Tamil, Malayali | |
The Paniya, also known as Paniyar and Paniyan, are an ethnic group of India. They constitute the single largest Scheduled Tribe in Kerala and are mainly found in the Wayanad District and the neighbouring areas of Karnataka. They primarily inhabit villages around edge of forestland in Kerala's Wayanad, Kozhikode, Kannur and Malappuram districts. The Paniya speak the Paniya language, which belongs to the Dravidian family, closely related to Malayalam. The center of the bonding contracts was the famous temple of the regional mother goddess of the Valliyoorkkavu shrine near Mananthavady.[4]
- ^ "A-11: State primary census abstract (PCA) for individual scheduled tribes - Kerala". Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
- ^ "A-11: State primary census abstract (PCA) for individual scheduled tribes - Tamil Nadu". Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
- ^ "A-11: State primary census abstract (PCA) for individual scheduled tribes - Karnataka". Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
- ^ "Wild Food Report" (PDF).