Adiyan or Adiya people live in the northern hill districts of
Kerala. It's an
exonym, people prefer to be called as
Ravula. Linguistically and ethnically they are related to
Ravula language speaking
Yerava tribe living in the neighbouring
Coorg district of Karnataka. The word Adiyan means “service class” in
Malayalam. The Adiyans are found in the
Wayanad and
Kannur districts of Kerala. Most of them are agricultural workers and are in the process of detribalizating. It is believed that they were agricultural serfs in the past. During the annual festival at the Valliyurkkavu temple in
Mananthavady, Wayand, the Adiyar people used to gather where they trade services with landlords.