Latest news with #Todas
India.com
26-07-2025
- India.com
Living The Luxe Life In Kotagiri On A Budget? Here's How Travel Bloggers Are Doing It!
Hidden amid the relaxing Nilgiri Hills is the town of Kotagiri in Tamil Nadu which offers an idyllic escape for budget travelers who want a taste of luxury but can't afford it. With its cool tea plantations, moderate weather and breathtaking sceneries, Kotagiri blends a bit of everything: nature, adventure and relaxation. You can enjoy your visit to Kotagiri without spending too much; here is how. 1. Reasonably Priced Accommodation Begin your journey having enough money by staying at guesthouses, home stays or budget hotels located all over Kotagiri. These places provide not only comfortable stay but also give room to mingle with locals and know their way of life. Look out for accommodation with basic facilities like clean rooms, hot water and proximity to local sights. 2. Exploring Tea Estates The landscape of Kotagiri is painted with vibrant green colors due to its vast spread tea estates. Some estates such as Kodanad and Longwood Shola Tea Estates give guided tours at affordable prices or even free sometimes. Walk through rows of bushes with tea, learn about tea processing while watching beautiful scenes of neighboring hills without spending much. 3. Hiking and Nature Trails Kotagiri has numerous hiking trails and nature walks leading to viewpoints that offer breathtaking views thus making it a perfect match for nature lovers as well as adventure seekers. The Catherine Falls trek is one such path that takes you through forests thick with trees culminating in an exquisite view of falls cascading downwards from a great tracks such as Kodanad View Point and Elk Falls are best for wildlife spotting plus immersing oneself into the natural beauty of Nilgiris. 4. Local Cuisine Have a taste of Kotagiri's culture by indulging in their food. Check out local restaurants and street stalls where you can have traditional Tamil dishes like dosa, idli and vada served with steaming hot sambar and chutneys. To catch up with the tea breaks on a budget, try one of the various locally made tea brands which can be enjoyed with freshly baked cookies or snacks from roadside tea stands. 5. Visit Tribal Villages Kotagiri is inhabited by aboriginal communities namely Todas and Badagas who boast of possessing unique cultures and lifestyles. These villages host traditional crafts, music as well as dances that you may want to see when you visit them. This not only increases your travel experiences but also helps local artists and performers. 6. Botanical Gardens and Parks You could walk leisurely around Sim's Park, a botanical garden filled with exotic species of plants and flowers during an afternoon off. Paths are well maintained among other facilities including benches thereby making it ideal for picnics or just relaxing amidst nature's beauty. Entrance fees are minimal such that it becomes an affordable destination for both small groups of family members or solo travelers alike. 7. Take Photographs as You Relax The wonderful landscapes in Kotagiri offer great moments at every corner for photographers to take pictures any time they want.A photographer's dream is made up of such sceneries including sunrise views from Doddabetta Peak, rain soaked valleys covered with mist vigilantly exploring all day long, simply relax by soaking in the calmness around yourself as well as breathe cool mountain air 8. Seasonal Festivals and Events While you are in Kotagiri, check out your local calendar for festivals and cultural events that may be of interest to you. Some of these occasions will also display customary dancing activities, musical performances and religious ceremonies that give an insight into the area's rich cultural past. It is important to note that attending such functions does not require a payment or just a small amount of money. 9. Shopping for Souvenirs Buy souvenirs made by local crafts people to end your budget-friendly trip on a high note. You may purchase items like pottery, wood-made artifacts, and indigenous clothes which reflect the artistry of the region. Buying from local enterprises ensures one gets back home with valuable gifts while aiding in the economic growth of Kotagiri as a whole. Conclusion Kotagiri proves that life can be enjoyed on a shoestring budget due to its natural beauty and cultural diversity. Therefore, choosing cheap accommodation options within the hill station limits, visiting sites around it, enjoying meals prepared locally there and interacting with other dwellers will provide opportunities for creating enduring moments without draining one's finances. Therefore, cherish simple living amidst peacefulness: let the charm of Kotagiri forever remain imprinted in your budget travel escapades.
The Hindu
03-06-2025
- Lifestyle
- The Hindu
Toda community members in the Nilgiris sensitised to the need to preserve their culture
More than 20 members of the indigenous Toda community took part in a project aimed at the 'Revitalisation of the Toda language in prose, song and cultural ecology.' As part of the initiative, the members were given an overview of their traditional dress and rituals and how over time, many techniques are being lost. Speaking at the event, held with the involvement of the Adi Dravidar and Tribal Welfare Department of Tamil Nadu's Tholkudi scheme, Dr. Tarun Chhabra, founder of the Nilgiris Kuttawady Center, said that the scheme by the government was launched to preserve the culture and tradition of indigenous communities from across Tamil Nadu. 'There are four major distinguishing features that characterise each community, their physical characteristics, their language, dress and culture,' he said, emphasising the importance of preserving the traditional Toda language. Mr. Chhabra, who is the author of the book, 'The Toda Landscape : Explorations in Cultural Ecology,' is an eminent expert on the Toda community, and spoke of the need for the community to take pride in their language. 'I also see that Todas are now adopting non-Toda second names to fit in with the mainstream. Each of you is named after a mountain, peak, temple, stream or other facet that comprises Toda life. It is important that the community takes pride in its culture, traditions and its languages,' he said. He then made a presentation about Toda dress and their rituals and spoke of the different embroidery techniques used in traditional Toda garments such as embroidered cloaks, known as poothkull(zh)y and kefehnaarr in the Toda tongue. The workshop, which will give the Todas a training course on their traditional embroidery techniques, was also used as a tool to speak about quickly disappearing Toda practices such as body-tattooing. Also present at the event was Nilgiris Collector, Lakshmi Bhavya Tanneeru. Speaking at the event, the Collector told members of the community that it was imperative that their culture and traditions were passed down to future generations. 'Despite the huge changes that are transpiring, the Todas are an ever-present entity in the Nilgiris,' said Ms. Tanneeru, adding that it was the responsibility of the community to help in its preservation. She appealed to the community to bring their children to future workshops so that they too would learn about their culture and traditions.
Time of India
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Stalin inaugurates flower show in Ooty
Udhagamandalam: Chief minister M K Stalin on Thursday inaugurated the 127th edition of annual flower show and the renovated Fern House at the govt botanical garden in Ooty. Established in 1894, the Fern House was renovated at a cost of Rs24.6 lakh. Stalin visited all the floral structures, mostly made of roses, carnations and chrysanthemum, across the garden. Themed around royal, the highlight of the show is the replica of a royal castle that is 25ft tall and 75ft long feet long, and made of two lakh roses and carnation flowers. Other attractions include floral structures of a divine swan, an elephant, a throne and Kallanai, among others. At least 40,000 flower pots with various varieties of bloom are on display. The flower show will conclude on May 25. Stalin visited all the stalls put up by various govt departments and interacted with the people incharge of them. He also witnessed tribal dances by Todas, Kotas and Badagas that were part of the inaugural function. "The flower show is spectacular and a treat to the eyes and the mind," said Kumarakurubaran, of Salem. Ahamed Yusuf, another visitor from Calicut in Kerala, said the show was worth a visit. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Book Your Daily Profit By 11 AM With This Superclass By Mr. Bala TradeWise Learn More Undo Ministers M R K Panneerselvam and M P Saminathan, TN chief whip K Ramachandran, Nilgiris MP A Raja and Nilgiris collector Lakshmi Bhavya Tanneeru were present at the event. Earlier, during a road show from Thamizhagam to the govt botanical garden, Stalin accepted greetings from the DMK party cadres, workers and the public.
New Indian Express
03-05-2025
- General
- New Indian Express
The buffalo roams our mythscape
Says Asko Parpola, 'Early Harappan cultures started moving toward the east and south in about 3,000 BCE. That the Harappan water-buffalo cult had reached peninsular India by the late Harappan or Chalcolithic times is suggested by the large bronze sculpture of a water buffalo discovered in 1974 at Daimabad in Maharashtra. Throughout south India, village goddesses have been worshipped through water buffalo sacrifices.' The Vindhyas still have buffalo-totem worshippers like the Marias and Gonds, pastoral herders who wear buffalo horns on festive occasions and were gradually pushed into the forest by food-producers, probably goddess-worshipping Dravidians. The Marias also worship Danteshvari Devi—they worship both the victorious goddess and the defeated deity. Mysuru, formerly Mahisha-ur, is named after Mahisha. A huge statue of a moustachioed figure of Mahisha holding a sword and a snake stands at the foot of the Chamundeshwari Hill, at the top of which stands the temple of Durga as Chamundi. There is a sub-caste called Mahishi in Karnataka, whose followers still worship the buffalo and goddess Chamundi. Less than 100 km from Mysuru are the Nilgiri Hills, home to the pastoral buffalo-worshipping Toda tribe, whose origins are shrouded in mystery. The vegetarian Todas venerate the buffalo, whose horns adorn their temples. So sacred are buffaloes to them that no other nearby tribe was allowed to own any. The cairns of the Nilgiris, deserted by the Todas, are called moriarumane or house of the Morias (Marias). Mahishamati, south of river Godavari where the Gonds live, is also named after Mahisha. Founded by King Mahishmat (meaning rich in buffaloes), the region was ruled by Nila of Dakshinapatha, whose subjects were called Mahishakas. In Maharashtra, the demon Mahsoba (Mahisha+baa or father), killed by Parvati, is venerated by some castes. Both Mahishamati and Mahsoba are situated in the Vindhya region. The Van Gujjars are a vegetarian Muslim tribe who never eat their buffaloes or sell them for slaughter. Buffalo milk is their main source of income and a staple food. Caring for the water buffaloes is the axis around which the tribe's world revolves. Bhils worship the buffalo as Bhainsaasur, who lives in the agricultural fields. It's projected that the gentle buffalo god-king of the indigenous tribes was demonised by the food-producers who worshipped the mother goddess. The two came into conflict over land. The Karnataka communities who worship the buffalo were for centuries compelled by landlords to kill the buffalo and drink its blood as revenge-punishment, till the high court stopped the practice. Before killing, the Devi drank wine. She is described as anarya, or non-Aryan, indicated by her appetite for wine and blood. Durga was a non-Vedic goddess of a non-Vedic people. She is aligned to Kali and the Matrikas, who are wild, bloodthirsty and fierce. She is a warrior who excels in battle. Mother goddess worship is popular in Dravidian cultures, whereas Vedic gods were mostly male. Durga and Mahisha were deities of agricultural and pastoral peoples. Their mythic fight probably signified that of their followers. (Views are personal) Nanditha Krishna Historian, environmentalist and writer based in Chennai
The Hindu
26-04-2025
- General
- The Hindu
Toda tribe of The Nilgiris rethatch their sacred temple with a rare grass
Recently, members of the Toda tribe, the oldest and indigenous tribes of The Nilgiris, gathered at Melgaa(r)sh, an ancient Toda hamlet above the Ooty Botanical Garden for a sacred ritual. The Manajakkal Mund, also called the Garden Mund in recent times, is the principal hamlet of the patriclan. The men, dressed in the ceremonial embroidered shawls, bundled swamp grass called avful, endemic to the wetlands of The Nilgiris and found nowhere else on the planet. 'A re-thatching ceremony of a Toda temple which happens every 15 years is in progress,' says Tarun Chhabra, a retired dentist and an expert on the indigenous Toda culture and local ecology. He is also the author of The Toda Landscape: Explorations in Cultural Ecology. Todas live on the highest reaches in hamlets called munds made of bamboo-vaulted homes shaped like a rainbow and patched with mud and straw, believed to tackle the wind velocity at high altitudes. While the Todas have largely shifted from these traditional homes to modern concrete buildings, the temples are still built with cane, bamboo and avful. Once common in swamps in the main Toda heartland of the Wenlock Downs, this grass has nearly disappeared from the wet grasslands of the mountains. Thin bamboo reeds called theff are bent together in bunches, while still green, to give the temple the typical barrel-vaulted shape. These are fastened with peeled rattan cane. This bamboo reed, seen in many shola pockets of the Nilgiris, is now restricted to some dense jungles on the south-west slopes. Similarly, rattan cane, plentiful on the Nilgiri slopes and some sholas, has virtually disappeared. Todas go into the dense rain forests on the slopes beyond the western catchment and Mukurthi to gather rattan cane. 'When they decide to rebuild a dairy-temple, there will be a minimum of three ceremonies at different stages. When they bend theff and tie it in bunches, it is known as 'kwehll (zh) g-vheell- pattyt' ceremony where only Toda communities take part, especially a particular clan, in this case the Melgaa(r)sh. They understood that the thin theff bamboo has high tensile strength and hence bent it to give the structure its characteristic barrel-vaulted shape. There is also 'waadr-ofst' ceremony where they put horizontal bamboos. And during 'poll(zh)y-veihhst' thatching ceremony, they use the avful to thatch the dairy temples. These structures can last for decades provided the occupant has lit the fire within the building regularly, thus exposing it to smoke,' explains Tarun who is also the founder of Toda Nalavaazhvu Sangam that works with preserving the culture and welfare of the Todas. The front facade of the temple is thatched in an intricate way, a job that is reserved for elderly men of the clan. Before starting this, they make 'toott', a ring-like structure around which they thatch the grass and braid it with stripped cane. This is called 'podhaarr-thittyt' and is done a few days earlier. 'It's an an important occasion, a prelude to the main ceremony,' explains Tarun. Once Toda men start thatching from either sides, they will carry on singing songs till they meet at the the top of the half moon structure. 'In certain places where the focus of divinity is going to be placed, there will be special kind of cross patterns which I have hypothesised as what evolved into the embroidery and many other things,' says Tarun who, along with Ramneek Singh, has also established the Edhkwehlynawd Botanical Refuge (EBR) to further emphasise on conservation and ecological restoration, inspired by traditional Toda knowledge. After thatching, they also put a pointed 'kwakhzh-vheell (zh)' on the 'toott' and clamp it. Once the priest brings a milk churning stick and a bamboo vessel, prayers begin. The shola forests and the grasslands are intertwined with the lives of Todas as they believe that several peaks, slopes, shola thickets, trees, rivers, swamps, paths, streams and caves are sacred. They sing 'konn-ezht', sacred couplets in an impromptu oral poetry form, assemble in a circle and have 'pochazhky' balls made with mashed little millet with a dollop of ghee in the middle that is served on 'kawkwehdd' leaf. The Toda tradition easily dates back to 4000 years, says Tarun as he elaborates on Avful. 'When a study was initiated on this grass, flowering specimens were sent to an expert in the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew for necessary identification. Todas, on the other hand, can readily distinguish specimens from other similar-looking species even at a distance . Elders can identify and name close to 400 floral species in the hinterland. In the olden days, where Todas lived, avful flourished on the west side of the wetlands. When the dams came in, the wetlands got flooded, and eucalyptus, pine trees, plantations, sprung up on the sides,' he says, adding, 'Then everything changed.'
