The Kota are a Scheduled Tribe and also one of the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs),who hail from the Nilgiris district of Tamil Nadu. Based on the 2011 Census, the Kota community is comprised of 2,024 individuals and live only in the group of seven simple settlements—Menad, Kurgoj, Kolmel, Kalasu, Porgad, Thiskad and Kenad. These seven settlements are collectively known as the 'Kokkal' which means village in their dialect. The Kota people, according to their oral tradition, came from the gods Aynor and Amnoor and they are proud of their artisan heritage. The name 'Kota' means 'King' in another regional dialect. The Kota people speak 'Kovmanth' which is classified as a Dravidian language with no written script; but when interacting with outsiders they commonly use Tamil which is the dominant and official language of Tamil Nadu. The Kota have always lived near streams and fertile grasslands in the mid-altitude areas of the Nilgiri hills. They mainly practice agriculture, cultivating e.g., ragi, potatoes, vegetables, and tea, alongside dairy farming. The Kota also have traditional craftsmanship skills including blacksmithing, pottery, carpentry and music that further recognizes the Kota as a family of artisans.