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NILGIRIS
The People
Many people call the Nilgiris home, with indigenous communities, farmers, and villagers living in harmony with the region's mountains and forests. Their lives are deeply intertwined with the environment, shaped by centuries of tradition, sustainable practices, and cultural exchange.
The Tea Industry
The modern tea industry started in India only during the second half of the nineteenth century, and today India is the largest individual tea-producing country, growing nearly 30% of the world’s tea. In the higher elevations of the Western Ghats, vast areas of ecologically rich shola grassland habitat were destroyed and used for cultivation of tea to satisfy the British taste for this exotic drink from the east.
The Toda People
Todas are among the most ancient human inhabitants of the Western Ghats. They have lived here for centuries tending to buffalo and simply living simply amidst the high plateaus of the Nilgiris. They believe their ancestors have dwelled here since the very beginning of humankind.
The Connection Between the Toda and Buffalo
The relationship between the Toda people and the buffalo forms the very foundation of their social, economic and spiritual system. The water buffalo provides the people with milk, which they use to produce butter and ghee. They use these milk products to barter for items like food grains and pots, and as offerings to the gods. In fact, dairies are considered temples. The buffalo are adorned with ornaments, some symbolising the goddess that created the great beasts.
Toda Homes
The igloo shaped Toda huts are built of cane, bamboo, wood, and mud. Thick layers of grass thatch the roof and help keep the hut insulated and dry. There is only one opening to the hut — a single 3-foot height entrance. Apparently this is to keep them safe from wild animals.
Toda Traditions
Although it is uncertain how long the Todas can hold on to their traditional ways, for now they endure, albeit blending slowly into the rapidly modernising Nilgiri hills. Tourism has brought about a huge demand for traditional Toda art, shawls and stoles that are popular items at shops in Ooty.
Huli Vesha
Throughout India the tiger symbolises a powerful force in nature, one that is revered and respected. In many parts of southwestern India, humans paint themselves as tigers and dance through villages in an act known as Huli Vesha. It depicts humankind’s intrinsic tie to the natural world and shows a deep-rooted respect for the creatures that live within.
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