Kinnakorai – the beautiful village !

Anand.N.R [from Kinnakorai] writes :
I have recently visited your website and interested in knowing about us Badagas and our origin. Your website gives us many useful   information about Badagas . I have been to many hattis in Ooty and collected some information about thier places and cultures. One correction in your details on Badaga Hattis…. The people from Kinnakorai  came from Porangaadu seeme and settled there.. So they cant be included in Kundhae seeme . They should be included in Porangaadu seeme..

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Kinnakorai & Hiriaseege Villages – photo by Bellie Jayaprakash

Hello Anand, I am aware of the fact that there is ‘some confusion’ aboutwhich SEEMAY Kinnakorai belongs to. My info is mainly based on Prof.P.Hockings’s study. It is quite possible that Kinnakorai originally belonged to Porangadu. I am at a loss to say anything definitive. May be, people like you or the elders in Kinnakorai could throw more light on this.
Incidentally, Kinnakorai is one of the most beautiful hattis and is right at Kerala border in the silent valley region. As of now, I gather, some of the property – including hola – of this Badaga villagers is located in Kerala.

Before reorganisation of states in 1951, Kinnakorai and rest of Malabar area of North Kerala was in Madras presidency [from British days]. That also included Mysore province [see the map of Madras presidency (province) as given in Wikipedia]. Though, I have seen this hatti from a far of distance [near Manjoor], my ambition has been to visit this hatti with so much of history – Wg Cdr JP

Anand adds further :

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Its quite interesting to learn about Kinnakorai…Kinnakorai was formed in the mid 18th century.. Heriyasegai was first formed and later people started building their small houses inside the deep forest of Kinnakorai.. Now there are totally 7 hattis in Kinnakorai and nearly 500 houses… The oldest man in the village Mr. Bellie Gowder is still alive. There is a temple in the village which was also built in the 18th century and a tree which is 600 years of age. Kinnakorai shares the border of Kerala forest department… Most of the tea gardens of kinnakorai are inside kerala state… There is a silent deep valley known as Sispara from which the state of kerala is visible clearly.. Merely it takes 4 hours by walk to reach kerala (a place called Nelagadu). The climate in the village changes rapidly as it is inside the forest. Now a days Kinnakorai is becoming one of the tourist spots in ooty..

Sispara, Peacock Travellor’s Bungalow [Photo from Wikimedia]

Anand, thanks a lot for the info. This is the type of information that is highly educative. It will be wonderfu if you can send photos ofthe oldest resident Bellie Gowda Iyya as well as close ups of kinnakorai and other hattis around. I remember Kinnakorai Bella Anna [with a black Badaga Kovili(cap)] who was associated with Rao Bahadur Ari Gowder. Memory goes back to fifty odd years.