Waynad district had different types of hill tribes of which the kurumbar and the kattunayakar are the most prominent. They perform a special type of dance which is staged in connection with marriages.

Paniyar Kali Panyar are another set of tribel inhabiting the hilly forests of Wayand district. Their dance is highly masculine and only men participate. Hear the dancers numbering about eight or ten stand in a circle with hands linked together.

Man Kali is a tribal dance. It is mainly of two kinds. In one version, the Ramayana episode in which Sita is being enchanted by Maricha in the guise of a golden deer is enacted in graceful movements. In the second type, one man takes the role of a deer while another that of a hunter.