Monthly Archives: August 2012

What is extremely gratifying and gives a lot of happiness is see some brave – hearts Badaga ladies wearing traditional Badaga Jewellery. One such lady is Subbi Hethe of Thogalatty [near Kattabettu] with the mookkuthi and kivi chinna [read all about Badaga Jewellery here]. I had the pleasure of meeting her at Honneri a couple of days back..

Thank you, Subbi Hethe

Click here or on the pix for a fantastic link from RBI to detect Fake Currency Notes

More thoughts on “Bravo, Rajamma of Kethorai”

[see the original post – Bravo, Rajamma of Kethorai  here ]

D.SENDHIL VIGNESHWAR   said on 11/08/2012

Hello maam/maa… I am proud to be your student.. the days when I was put up in a school where no one ever knows my language all I found was Hindi Hindi and Hindi.. You came IN to save me and help me.. now I stand still with my head held high, in MUMBAI.. managing with the Hindi that you first taught me..Proud to be your student maam

and Rajamma, who has made all of us proud replies :

Dear JP,

Nice to read your reply and the comment posted by my student. Teaching is not my job , it is my passion. 32 years in the same line, handled thousands of students. As an inspiring teacher, filled with empathy towards the underprivileged and the so called back benchers, I had stolen their hearts. I hold my head high and make my students too. Senthil is a sample.

All these years, never I have called any student nalayak/stupid/ incapable/ idiot… and on adjectives used towards slow learners.Never will I call also. It is nothing but empathy…IN God’s creation every child is unique , original and has some talent or the other.
It is the duty of the teacher to identify it and groom the child. ” A child’s mind is not a vessel to be filled,It is a lamp to be ignited.” Each child is master piece and the Master’s piece. I respect them and love them irrespective of their background, caste, creed and capability.  Jai Ho. 
 
With regards,
rajma.[

Photo from the Hindu

Rajamma, your reply makes us “DOUBLY PROUD OF YOU. BRAVO” – Wg Cdr JP

‘Even people with considerable education are often wholly unable to answer certain quite simple questions about their language. For most people language is primarily a tool to be used, rather than a subject for close and critical attention’ (Gleason 1974:1).Actually in a society which has unlettered language like Badaga, the study of language plays a major role to understand its ethnology, tradition, ethos, culture, tribal character etc., Other than language the society has very little records to show its antiquity etc., In many places we have to deduce certain things through language only. So it is inevitable to study the Badaga language at least to some extent when we try to say something about Badaga society.

Badaga is one among the 26 languages of the Dravidian family. Badaga, a tribal language of the Dravidian family preserved more of its archaic features. Its prolonged isolation might be the cause for this. However to understand these features we have to compare them with the ancient forms found in any other Dravidian language. Among Dravidian languages Tamil, Kannada, Telugu and Malayalam are literary languages. They have recorded history. And also these languages were studied thoroughly by experts. Being that is the case; there is no doubt that we can have a clear picture of the Badaga terms when we compare them with the corresponding terms of the languages of the Dravidian family.

‘Tamil language being probably earliest cultivated of all the Dravidian idioms, the most copious and that which contains the largest portion and the richest variety of indubitably ancient forms, it is deservedly placed at the head of the list’ (Caldwell 1856:6).‘Tamil has usually been considered to be the Dravidian language which has preserved most traces of the original forms of speech from which all other Dravidian dialects are derived. It seems certain that no other Dravidian language has developed the common Dravidian principles with so great consistency as Tamil’ (Linguistic Survey of India, vol.iv. p.283).

‘Words of Dravidian origin occurring in all the languages are without any great difference of form. The original Dravidian speech seems to have split up in to these languages. Tamil is probably nearer to the original tongue than any other member of the group and it has preserved the older forms of the Dravidian roots knowledge of it is essential to the proper study of the South Indian languages’ (Brown, Telugu-English Dictionary,Int.).

Of course there are hundreds of common words in Badaga and Kannada. On the other part Kannada adopted Sanskrit words enormously. Whereas Sanskrit borrowing is less in Badaga and Tamil. Anyhow there are few borrowed items in Tamil too. In that case, we have to compare Badaga with indigenous things of Tamil and not with borrowed ones. I hope, then, we shall have a clear idea about Badaga when compare with Tamil. E.g. the word habba (festival) is found in Kannada and Badaga. But the prior form paruvam (season, the festival celebrated in a particular season) is found only in Tamil. In the same way the word maduve (marriage) is in Kannada and Badaga. But its older form vaduvai is attested in Tolkaappiam, the earliest available grammar of Tamil. Badaga ganige (finger-ring, signet-ring) is nothing but Tamil kanaiyaazhi. Badaga oppottu is nothing but Tamil orupozhudu. Badaga korali batta (small millet,setaria italica) is Tamil kuraal tinai.  Badaga baambullu (andropogon schananthus) is Tamil vizhalpul. Badaga sarangana (orderly,nicely) is nothing but Tamil siiraaga. Badaga ugilu (finger nail) is in literary Tamil ugir

              Badaga                                           Tamil 

• korambu (a last rite)               karumaandiram ;
  
• beggaayi (wind alone)            verum kaatru ;
• sutrigaayi (whirl wind)           suzhal kaarru       
• sere mee (drizzle rain)             saaralmazhai ;         
• hola (field)                                  pulam ;
• gudu,guttu (plough share)     kozhu ;                       
• kirugaayi (eastern wind)       kiizhkaarru ;
• karambe (curry leaf)               kariveeppu ;              
• netturu   (blood)                      neyttoor ;                 
• manaarna(heartful)               manamaara ;          
• maggilu (side)                          marungil ;                
• koolu (flute)                              kuzhal ;                     
• orage (equal age)                    oor agavai                     
• paame (story)                           pazhamai ;                
• hemmakka (women)              penmakkal
• heroodayya (Lord Siva)        peruvudaiyaar
• haayola (fertile land)             pazhanam
• neegilu (plough)                      naanjil
• angay (palm)                            agangai (agam+kai)
• pottuguude(small basket)      puttukkuudai
• emmehatty(buffalo camp)     erumaippatti
• koomekallu(sharp stone)        kuurmaikkal
• taave (fern)                               taagai ;                     
• batte (cloth)                              vattudai
• monakaalu (knee)                    muzhangaal
• darsepetti(granary box)           davasappetti

Like these many single and compound words are better known by comparing with Tamil. Other than word level, to our wonder, the glimpse of Badaga culture, tradition etc., are seen in Tamil literature. The thing is, we have to study it in depth to get the relevant points. For example, the good old marriage system of the Badagas was depicted in Sangam (aganaanuuru 86 and136) literature. Kannagi worship is similar to Badagas’ Hethe worship. The Tamil word peyaran or peeran (grand’son) indicates the usage of christening grandfather’s name to grandson. In the same way peyartti or peetti indicates the usage of naming grandmother’s name to granddaughter. To our astonishment, this practice is still vogue in Badaga. In Badaga society a new born male child gets first his grandfathers’ names(father’s father and mother’s father).In the same way a new born female child gets first her grandmothers’ names (father’s mother and mother’s mother).

In ancient Tamil society there was no caste system. The concept of karma was not there. It advocated neither vegetarianism nor sobriety (absent from toddy consumption). In the same way the society didn’t encourage renunciation. These are all relevant to Badaga society even today. The ancestor worship is common to both Badagas and ancient Tamils. More or less the religious activities are same for both Badagas and ancient Tamils. However the Badagas preserved and maintained the good old systems in every sphere of their life due their prolonged isolation. In this background, I hope the study of Tamil literature, grammar etc., will help us to describe Badaga thoroughly.

[Exclusive article]

Here is an email from Vinoth Kumar that calls for our attention :

Hi JP,

Saw the Posts. Christians read Bible and Pray to have these characters. But without even knowing of Jesus, your people have these characters. Really I miss you all. One day you will definetely find me serving the Badaga community.

After learning Badaga language, I will mail to you in Badaga language. That will be my next mail to you. But it will take some time. May be even 6 months. Bye till then.

Thanks – AR

This article is reproduced as I consider Ms.Rajamma as a role model and inspiration to generations. Many comments on this post are a proof of the esteem her students hold her in.

She is another Badaga woman who has made us all very proud.

D.SENDHIL VIGNESHWAR sent these comments Bravo, Rajamma of Kethorai on 11 Aug 2012

hello maam/maa… i am proud to be your student.. the days when i was put up in a school where no one ever knows my language all i found was hindi hindi and hindi.. u came IN to save me and help me.. now i stand still with my head held high, in MUMBAI.. managing with the hindi that u first taught me..Proud to be ur student maam.

Kethorai Rajamma, who made all  those who had known her , especially the Badagas, very proud by winning an award from the President of India, recently has written to say,

Dear Mr.JP…,
My earnest greetings..Your efforts for the beautiful bagadas of the the most beautiful Nilgiriis make me elated beyond Doddabetta’s height…May the sway of tall dignified trees, the tinkling water falls, the smiling colourful flowers and the hugging chill breeze shower wonderful and abundant blessings to you by laying a green carpet welcome by the tea plantations. God bless you..
With regards,
Kethorai Rajma

Thank you ever so much for these kind words. If I could achieve a small percentage of what you have achieved [that has been recognised by all], then I am truly blessed. With the warmest of regards, JP

Rajamma of Kethorai village has made us proud once again. She won an award from the President of India.

Santhosh Kumar JB has sent the info and the link in ‘The Hindu’ and we have great pleasure in sharing the same with all Badagas.

Dictionary is the only Place where
The word Death comes before Life 

End comes before Start 
Child comes before Parents 

Divorce comes before Marriage 
Evening comes before Morning 

Result comes before Test 
Destination comes before Struggle 

Dinner comes before Lunch 
Doctor comes before Fever

However, the THING I consider right in Dictionary is that  
Friends comes before Relative.

[recd as a fwd email]