Masi Magam: an auspicious day for Irular community to reconnect with their roots on Mamallapuram seashores

For the Irulars, the Masi Magam festival is deeply tied to their culture and collective identity.

They gather in their thousands on the shores of Mamallapuram to perform marriages, naming ceremonies for children, ear piercing, and tonsuring.

In fact, they come in search of their patron deity Kanniammal, who they believe had left them ...