Category Archives: badaga

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Lt. Meera, First Badaga Lady Naval Officer

Lieutenant Meera, First Badaga Lady to have become a Naval Officer.

(Wing Commander Bellie Jayaprakash, Air Veteran, first Badaga to have joined Indian Air Force as an Officer in 1972)

I have been mentioning that there is a great opportunity for young Badaga women (as well as men) to join the Indian Armed Forces as officers. With a handsome salary, a safe future, excellent chance to serve the country, it should be the first choice as a job. There are many branches/streams in the three Military Services, including FLYING.

It was a great pleasure to meet Meera from Achanekal, Kethi, the First Badaga Lady to have joined Indian Navy as an officer in 2022. This smart young lady, who is on a short leave, had dropped in at my place and shared some of her thoughts. Daughter of Ravindranath and Malathi, Meera, did her schooling in various Kendra Vidyalayas around the country, since her dad was in the Armed Forces Medical Core (AMC). She did her graduation in Engineering from Hindustan Engineering College, Coimbatore. She worked in a private concern for three years, before deciding to join the Armed forces.

After passing the Combined Defence Services Examination and appearing in SSB (Services Selection Board) Calcutta, Meera was selected to undergo training at Officers Training Course at Naval Academy, Ezhimala, Kerala, in 2022.

Now, she is promoted as a Lieutenant and posted in AP. Surely she will get many more promotions and achieve laurels in her career in Navy. Being an inspiration, Meera is about to tie up the knot in blissful marriage with another Badaga Naval Officer.

We are proud of Meera and wish her the very best.

(Those young Badaga girls who wish to join the Indian Armed Forces may contact her at meeraraveendar08@gmail.com)

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R.Meera, the first woman Naval Officer from Badaga Community, with her parents (DC)

B.Ravichandran wrote in Deccan Chronicle (30 may 2022) : R. Meera, hailing from Achanakal village near here, has become the first woman naval officer from Badagas, the single largest ethnic community in the Nilgiris. The villagers celebrated her rare achievement when she arrived at her native village on Sunday. Meera’s father M. Ravindranath alias Sundar has worked in the army hospital wing as a technical assistant. Meera, who started her education at the Kendra Vidyalaya in Aruvankadu near here, went on to study in the Kendra Vidyalayas at Pune, Delhi and Jammu before joining engineering at Hindustan Engineering College, Coimbatore. After completing her BE, her ambition for a career in the Indian armed forces made her take the Combined Defence Services examination. After clearing the examination, she also sailed through the interview at the staff selection board and was selected to join the Indian Navy. After completing 22 weeks of training, she passed out of the Indian Naval Academy in Ezhimala, Kerala, to become a sub-lieutenant to join duty in the naval armament inspectorate cadre in Kochi. She has thus become the first woman naval officer from the Badaga community. Meera said her life with her parents in north India helped her learn Hindi well and the army environment in which she lived gave her the confidence to try her luck in the armed forces. “Now, I feel proud. There are ample job opportunities for women in the armed forces. Women need to develop confidence and courage to take up a career in the armed forces and serve the nation. To be in the defence services itself is a special pride. They should also develop a strong will to achieve their goals,’’ she added. (https://www.deccanchronicle.com/nation/in-other-news/300522/meera-first-badaga-woman-to-become-naval-officer.html)

Remembering you, Mother !

You would have  been 113 on 2nd September!

Idyammal in 1927

A journey that was extraordinary ! A life full of challenges !!

But you never gave up !

The steely determination with which you faced  fate and life, is an inspiration for many generations!!

Happy birthday to Mrs.Idyammal [Idy Hethe], wherever you are!!

Idyammal -1997

You were everything for us, in all those glorious 99 years and 10 months when you were ‘here’.

As we were preparing to celebrate the ‘century’, you chose to leave this earth just a couple of months earlier….

How time flies!

Elle idhale’yu engava harachu

[Bless us all from where ever you are]

‘Kurinji – Nilgiris’ by the famous photojournalist Raghu Joghee

‘Kurinji – Nilgiris’ by the famous photojournalist Raghu Joghee

Raghu Joghee from Yedapalli Hatti and is personally known to me. He is simple, humble but a great person. He is actively involved in promoting for Badaga Tribal status along with Ganesh Ramalingam. – Wg Cdr JP

Shared from http://www.behance.net

( KATTAE-HU / KURINJI / STROBILANTHES )

The village of Kattae-bettu, nestled in the Nilgiri Hills of Southern India, holds a name deeply intertwined with the natural world and the cultural heritage of the indigenous Badaga community.

The etymology of “Kattaebettu” is derived from “Kattae Hu Bettu,” a phrase that directly

references the unique and ephemeral Strobilanthes kunthiana flower, commonly known as Kurinji or Neelakurinji. This rare bloom, which blankets the hills in a vibrant purplish-blue hue once every twelve years, has profoundly influenced the Badaga people’s traditions, calendar, and sense of place.

The Kurinji Flower and its Significance

The Badaga community, an indigenous group primarily residing in the Nilgiri Hills, the Kurinji flower is more than just a beautiful plant; it is a significant marker of time and a symbol deeply embedded in their cultural fabric. The twelve-year flowering cycle of the Kurinji has historically served as a natural calendar for the Badagas, influencing their agricultural practices, social events, and even their oral traditions.The blooming of the Kurinji signifies a period of renewal and abundance, often associated with specific rituals and celebrations within the community.

Kattaebettu: A Name Rooted in Nature

The name “Kattaebettu” is a testament to this profound connection.”Kattae Hu Bettu” can be broken down to understand its meaning: “Kattae” likely refers to a specific type or characteristic of the flower or its growth, “Hu” means flower in Badaga and other Dravidian languages, and “Bettu” signifies a hill or mound. Therefore, “Kattaebettu” can be interpreted as “the hill of the Kurinji flower” or “the place where the Kurinji flowers bloom.” This naming convention is common among indigenous communities, where geographical features are often named after prominent flora or fauna, reflecting their intimate knowledge and reverence for their environment.

Cultural Influence on the Badaga Community

The influence of the Kurinji flower extends beyond the naming of a village. For the Badaga community, the cyclical blooming of the Kurinji has been integrated into their oral histories, folk songs, and traditional knowledge systems. Elders often recount stories and prophecies linked to the flower’s appearance, and its bloom is sometimes associated with specific agricultural cycles or even significant historical events within the community,

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Gone but not forgotten, Mrs.Idyammal

14th Death Anniversary – Mrs.Idyammal Bellie Gowder

You were everything for us for all those glorious 99 years and 10 months.

When we were preparing to celebrate the ‘century’, you chose to leave this earth just a couple of months earlier ….. to bless us all from the heaven far above.

Elle idhale’yu engava harachu [Bless us all from where ever you are]

Fourteenth Death Anniversary (13-7-2025)


Idyammal Bellie Gowder
BornSeptember 05, 1912
Hubbathalai, The Nilgiris
DiedJuly 13, 2011 (aged 99)
ParentsRao Bahadue HJ Bellie Gowder and Nanji Hethe
Sister ofRao Bahadur HB Ari Gowder
SpouseB.K.Bellie Gowder [Bearhatti]
MOM 5.jpg

[Autographed pencil sketch of Mom by JP in 1964 while she was reading Femina ]

“I know my mother looks much older than what she is but those wrinkles have the charm of their own. They indicate the signs of her great endurance; and the hard life she has to lead through to bring her children to lead a life that is respected and regarded by others” – JP 24-1-68

Dear Hands

[Grace Noll Crowell]

My mother’s hands were beautiful,
They are not always smooth and white
They were so busy making dull
And lusterless things clean and bright.

They reached so often to caress
A hurt child crying in the night
They moved as quick as fluttering birds
Among the cups and spoons at tea

They did a thousand lovely things
And did them all so graciously
There is no way to sum them up
The countless things she did for us.

[photo of  Idy Hethe’s hand by her grandson Abhi Ari -2010]

We pay our homage and respect to Idy hethe !

Proud of you Megha Raman

Proud of you Megha Raman

Megha is, probably, the first Badaga to get into a Indian Institute of Management after clearing the CAT, in the All India level. She has done her graduation in Metallurgical Engineering, from PSG Technology, Coimbatore. She worked for two years at Titan Engineering and Automation Ltd and has freelancing experience in digital marketing which sparked a deep interest in the field and motivation to do MBA.

Hailing from BETHIMORA, a small hamlet located near Kookal, near Kotagiri. Her Parents are Raman and Sivagami, humble farmers who have tirelessly worked and encouraged Megha in her education and to pursue her interest in higher studies.

Megha is wondering if any other Badaga women have pursued a MBA degree from any other IIM or similar institution to that she could learn from their experiences and stories that would incredibly motivating and insightful.

Are there any scholarships or support programs – either from within Badaga Community or elsewhere – that could help students to pursue higher studies? (In case of any info, please send the same to this website (bjaypee@gmail.com) or Megha at 24pgp163@iimraipur.ac.in )

Megha flanked by her parents and sister Monika

We wish Megha all success in her career.

Remembering Ari Gowder

54th Death Anniversary of Rao Bahadur H B ARI GOWDER

Ari Gowder Farmers’ Association

Nilgiris District Ari Gowder Vivasaigal Sangam started

Happy Badaga Day!

Happy Badaga Day – 15th May !

May 15th is celebrated as Badaga day, every year. Many may not be aware that this has been done from 1993 onwards. The Porangadu Seeme (Mainly Kotagiri Area) has been celebrating this day as ‘Ari Gowder Day‘ also, in honour of Rao Bahadur H B Ari Gowder of Hubbathalai [See the link Great Badagas] who had done a lot for the Badaga Community, at Nattakal ‘Naakku Betta Koottu Hane’ (Naakku Betta Meeting Ground) which had seen many historic Badaga gatherings for over 80 years. Nattakal is near Kerben Village [near Kotagiri], on the main road from Coonoor.

As you browse the pages in badaga.co enjoy the music of this all time favourite

Badaga Dance song Mele Kerioge

For more Badaga Songs, visit Wing Commander Bellie Jayaprakash’s weblog

https://badaga-songs.blogspot.com/

Happy Badaga Day!