Monthly Archives: April 2015

Here is a simple question from ‘TWINKLE‘

How to say -” I love you” in Badaga ?

“Naa ninna gava/priya maadinay” –

more translations for this question are welcome –

Wg Cdr JP

Ooty- Mysore Kallatty Road

Nilgiri Heritage and History  Tour

Dharmalingam Venugopal, Director of Nilgiri Documentation Centre, writes : ‘the Nilgiris is not just famous for its salubrious weather and greenery; it has a significant role in the modern history of the Madras Presidency and India and all that have been well recorded over the last two centuries’. Mrs.Nanji Bellie Gowder, a Badaga lady with a British Lady at Hubbathalai (pix taken around 1920)

Nilgiri Documentation Centre will organize for the first time specialised Nilgiri Heritage and History Tours during May to cater to the demands of the informed visitors to the Nilgiris. The one day tour beginning from Kannerimukku village in Kotagiri, where the story of modern Nilgiris began in 1819, will cover the major heritage and historical landmarks of  Nilgiris in Kotagiri, Ooty and Coonoor.

Coonoor Railway Station then and now

The tour will start with a lecture in the Nilgiri History Museum. Participants can join at Kotagiri or Ooty. The tour group will consist of not more than 20 participants. For details contact dharmalingamvenu@gmail.com or 9444365360.

(photo from the internet – theguardian.com)

The powerful message is when MOTHER NATURE lets out her fury, nothing can remain the same. The Nepal earthquake of 7.9 magnitude is truly devastating. The more you ‘see it’ on the 24×7 TV channels [I prefer ‘TimesNow’] your heart is filled with sadness.

I feel much more ’cause I have traveled to Nepal three times and have very good friends there.

We had three Nepali students who had come to study in GCT, Coimbatore under the COLOMBO plan as the student exchange was known then. I was very friendly with all of them -Upendra Prasad Dhital, my course mate who went on to head the Nepal Airport Authority, Gautam Bahadur Amatya, who rose to head the Kathmandu water board as Chief Engineer and Girija Prasad Ghimire, who became a minister as he was a Nepali Congress leader.

The first time I went to Kathmandu was in 1970 after completing my engineering course from GCT along with Upendra. I remember the long train journey from Coimbatore, the couple of days halt at Calcutta [we stayed at RG Kar Medical College hostel where Upendra’s cousins were studying, at the height of Naxal Problem in West Bengal], reaching Raxaul, Bihar by train and crossing over to Birganj a  Nepal border town. Due to bad weather, our flight was cancelled and we had to take a bus that reached Kathmandu in the night. When we reached UP’s house in Paknajole, Naya Bazaar the children in the house were very curious to see his South Indian friend. After a couple of days, when I became familiar with the family, I asked his elder brother- Dhaju in Nepali, why was the rather strange and curious reception by the childern, he laughed and said,’since they were told that a South Indian friend was coming, they expected to see a very dark skinned person and not a fair skinned one’. I was treated as part of the family and I still carry very pleasant memories of my First Trip.

The second time was in 1980. I did my Basic Mountaineering Course at HMI,Darjeeling as an Indian Air Force Officer. After completion of the course, I had called my wife to join me at the beautiful Darjeeling and along with my son who was about three, flew to Kathmandu. Upendra was away but Gautam and Ghimire looked after us well for the couple of days we spent in Kath.

The third time was in 2000. By then, I had taken voluntary retirement from IAF and living in New Delhi. We were invited by Gautam to stay with him at his house in Kopundole, Lalitpur, Kathmandu. Along with his charming wife Kenny and children Sarina and Karina, he treated us in royal style. Along with his family, Upendras and other friends, we had a wonderful 2000 New Year bash. Sadly, my great friend Gautam passed away a few years back.

When I heard the news about the latest earth quake on 25th April, our first instinct was to find out about Kenny and the girls. After what appeared to be a long wait, atlast, Kenny answered the mobile call towards the afternoon and confirmed that she and her daughter were safe. Along with the neighbours, they have moved to a open ground as a precaution. We were greatly relieved to know that they were safe.

And, Kenny Gautam Bahadur Amatya was very grateful and felt happy that her family friends living so far away in South India remembered and had a word of comfort for them.

We, as Indians, never forget our friends where ever they are in this world and remember the adage ‘a friend in need is a friend indeed’.

We are also happy and proud that Prime Minister Modi has galvanized the entire government machinery to render all possible help to Nepal at this hour of need.

Nepal, we are with you to share your sorrow and sufferings!

Now you can access our website www.badaga.co on your smart phone.

Remember to access many multi media posts like Badaga Songs and Dance.

Enjoy! Your feedback is most welcome!!

ARI JOGHEE from Bangalore sends this interesting information :-

There are many places in the name of Badaga and all are touching the Western Ghats and ending in Udupi –Mangalore

[For confirmation, please go through Google Map – walking (research on olden days hence walking) direction starting with Ooty or Masnagudi] 

Badaga Bellur, Karnataka
Badaga Yekkar, Karnataka
Badaga, Karnataka
Badagabanangala, Karnataka
Badagakajekar, Karnataka
Badagakaranduru, Karnataka
Badagannur, Karnataka
Badagarahally, Karnataka
Badagarakeri, Karnataka
Badagaulipady, Karnataka
Badagayedapadavu, Karnataka
Badagumane, Belle, Karnataka
Badagumijaru, Karnataka
Badagupet Road, Udupi, Karnataka

_________

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One of the greatest achievements of Badagas in the last 100 years or so is the importance accorded to Education by  the community. And to a great extent, girl children are encouraged and equal importance given to their education.

Risk and Return in Farming in the Nilgiri Mountains of south India The presentation of Nilgiri Documentation Centre on ‘Risk and Return in Farming in the Nilgilri Mountains of South India’ has been accepted for oral presentation at the global conference ‘Perth III: Mountains of Our Future Earth’ to organized at Perth, Scotland on 4-8 October 2015. A total of 620 abstracts had been submitted from participants around the world. Mr. Dharmalingam Venugopal, Director, Nilgiri Documentation Centre who will be making the presentation said, ‘The indigenous people of the Nilgiri mountains of south India were traditionally herders and small millet cultivators. Around 1800 the British colonists converted them profitably as ‘English’ vegetable growers catering to local European settlers and markets outside. Around 1840 Tea and coffee were introduced as plantation crops. Around 1930 some small cultivators were induced to convert to small tea growers. Around 1980s a windfall Russian demand for tea lured the small cultivators almost en masse to convert to tea growing. The naturally flavored local teas were sold as mere additives to strong outside blends’. ‘By 2000 the market collapsed leaving the small growers highly risk prone to weather and price fluctuations. The extension of tea to their kitchen gardens, growing of shade trees and high dose (taste )of fertilizer brought the man-animal ( monkeys, wild boar, bison and leopard) conflict to the door-steps’ According to Mr. Venugopal, ‘the way forward is finding a niche market for their own value added flavored teas, reducing fertilizer use and going organic. Successful initiatives in the direction are growing but it requires a big push to policy and promotion to save the small mountain tea growers’.

The connection between Badagas and Farming needs no elaboration. The history of Badagas will always mention about the inseparable bond between ‘Hola, Vellamay, Kanje Godhumay, Gaasu and Avare and now ‘Tea Thotta ‘. And herein comes the importance of what Venugopal feels. Time, we have a rethink on our ‘agricultural practices’ and regain our glorious past and place in this important field. We must take maximum benefit of Modi government’s initiatives.- Wg Cdr JP

I received the following email from, obviously, a disappointed girl. Can some learned friends who have intimate knowledge of ‘MORAY’ system, clarify whether there is a BLANKAT ban/bar on any marriage arrangement between Kunday Seemay and Ketti Ooru? Are there any exceptions? Is it just a convention or are there some particular/specific reasons like same ‘kula’ etc

I am aware of ONE Particular marriage between two villages belonging to the SAME OORU in Porangaadu Seemay which the ‘community’ seemed to have accepted.

Please kindly respond – may be we can help a young girl.

Wg Cdr JP

I belong to Kunday seemae and I am in love with a boy from ketti. We love each other sincerely and only after 4months we came to know that we don’t have moray. But I can’t marry anyone other than him, I love him a lot. Now its nearly 2 years since we are in loveCan you please explain why can’t we marry from Kunday Seemay to Ketti. Both are two different semmae, then why is it so?

Emerald Bhojan Hariharan [ebhari@gmail.com] comments :

As far as my knowledge is concerned, irrespective of Seemey, “Kula” or “Kola” (as we called in Badugu) defines one’s Patrilineal bloodline and has the final say in marriages. Every Kola is Exagamous, meaning, one cannot marry within the Kola and has to seek marriages outside the Kola. In all, there are 12 Kolas.

For example, Jakkanare in Porangadu Seemey and most villages in Mercunadu seemey belong to Manikka Kola. So, marriage between Jakkanare & Nundhala/Bakola/Mudugula is not allowed, although they are in different Seemey. At the same time, Nattaru of a different Kola may be living within Jakkanare itself, sometimes in the same Thara (Street), but that marriage is allowed since they trace their ancestry to different Kola.It is imperative to check the Kola to which one belongs and cross check if the other party belongs to the same kola or to a different Kola.

God willing, I will come up with a web based solution to ascertain one’s Kola and Moray at the earliest. Cheers!

Hello Hari, Nice to hear from you – thanks for the imputs.

My biggest crib is that there are many of us who are concerned about our community issues like morey, script etc but are not able to work together and find common solutions that are acceptable to most if not all.

Another example is that of Badaga Origin. Like, I am totally convinced that MOST Badagas are original inhabitants/aborgines [as Senthil also keeps writing] of the Nilgiri hills and NOT ALL are MIGRANTS from Mysore as many of us are ‘sort’ of forced to believe.

With some concerted and consistant efforts, we can bring changes in our community. Why wait for others when we can be the ‘changes’ ourselves?

Wg Cdr JP