ABSTRACT
This chapter outlines first the climate, vegetation and fauna of the Ghat forests, and discusses the important social and environmental changes which have taken place there during the past century. It discusses the Hill Pandaram and offers some introductory notes on their culture, focusing particularly on their present distribution. The chapter concentrates the discussion on those who live in the southern section of the Pandalam Hills. It describes what Gardner has termed the intercultural setting. The chapter discusses the patterns of social interaction between the Hill Pandaram and surrounding peoples. It indicates the prevailing attitudes of the higher-caste communities towards the Hill Pandaram, stressing the disabilities which the community undergoes at the present time. The chapter ends by briefly discussing the relation of the 'tribal' communities to the caste-system.
