Dr.Haldorai and Nellikolu Trust

Dr.Haldorai, along with Nellikolu Trust has been doing a great service to Badaga Community.

Kiya Kauhatti Dr.Haldorai (married from Hubbathalai Ooru), also a scholar in Tamil, has written many books on and about Badaga, the unique & one of the original tribes of the Nilgiri Hills and Badaga (Badagu), the language. Nellikolu Trust has been publishing his books and making it available at an affordable price.

Of late, Dr.Haldorai has revived the traditional Badaga Ballads like ‘Koli Tippae‘ and ‘Udugu Jogi‘ and given them both in Badaga [used Tamil Script] and in Tamil translation. Obviously, the trigger seems to be a gifted lady – Devhennu, wife of Jogi Gowder, from Kekkatti and daughter of Nunduva Nanjaiyya, who can sing Badaga Ballads in her beautiful voice. Nanduva Nanjaiyya Rama mentions that when she sings these Badaga ballads like the story of the sufferings of Koli Thippae, ‘everyone is touched and eyes wellup with tears’.

The stories of ‘Koli Thippae’ and ‘Udugu Jogi, recorded by Nellikolu Trust and written by Dr.Haldorai from the songs of Devhennu are indeed treasures that we can be proud of.