Category Archives: badaga

A Place For Writing: Documenting, Cultivation and Literacy in Badaga Language’s domain
– Dr.R.K.Haldorai

In the Nilgiri district of Tamil Nadu alone, more than ten tribal/unlettered languages are spoken and one among them is Badaga. In the Nilgiri linguistic area, Badaga tops in the number of speakers. Badagas have separate hamlets of their own and due to this almost all the Badagas who live in these hamlets, for at least a few years, can speak and understand Badaga language. During the recent past many Badagas have migrated to other places and the Badagas who are living outside the Nilgiris, identify these hamlets as their native place. Hence, except a few, all are having the natural inclination towards this language and culture. With over four hundred Badaga villagers and few others, Badaga consolidated its language domain and kept its linguistic area almost intact despite many strong negative influences. In recent times, the idea of cultural awareness has increased and this trend induced many indigenous people to look to Badaga as prestigious.

Making Badaga as a written language, in addition to the desideratum of the community, is to actually use the language and to expand its domains. Of course as a spoken language, Badaga speech area expanded its territory considerably over the last few decades. Badaga population too is increasing day by day and now the Badaga speakers are more in numbers compared with the Badaga population found in beginning years of last century. The definition of the Badaga as a single language is not a problematic. Since whatever major dialect language variations may have existed earlier, now the language is spoken more or less uniformly in all Badaga hamlets, which are sparsely located in the entire Nilgiri hills. Continue reading →

I am not a very religious person in the ’strictest’ sense of the word. But I am a proud Hindu and a staunch believer of HETHAY [HETHE Amma] – the deity of Badagas. In my [late] mother, I see the great Hethe and pray to Her everyday. 

‘GAYATRI CHALISA’ is supposed to be the most powerful 40 verses of prayer along with GAYATRI MANTRA. They are in Sanskrit and I do not understand them fully.[The English translation gives some idea]

The similarities of HETHAY AMMA and GAYATRI MATA are striking and too numerous to list, elaborate and explain.

For one, BOTH are clad in spotless white and formless.

Listen to these great Hethe Songs if you want to be truly blessed

Songs uploaded in Soundcloud by Suresh M

Can somebody help in giving the name of the SINGER so that due credit can be given? – Wg Cdr JP

Gayatri Mantra

AUM BHOOR BHUWAH SWAHA TAT SAVITUR VARENYAM | BHARGO DEVASAYA DHEEMAHI | DHIYO YO NAHA PRACHODAYAT ||

ॐ भूर्भुव: स्व: तत्सवितुर्वरेन्यं ।

भर्गो देवस्य धीमहि, धीयो यो न: प्रचोदयात् ।।

ஓம் பூர் புவ ஸவ

தத் ஸவிதூர் வரேண்யம் |

பர்கோ தேவச்ய தீமஹி |

தியோ யோன பிரசோதயத் ||

[Oh God! Thou art the Giver of Life, Remover of pain and sorrow, The Bestower of happiness, Oh! Creator of the Universe, May we receive thy supreme sin-destroying light, May Thou guide our intellect in the right direction]

Gayatri Mantra, the most  important prayer, inspires wisdom and is also a prayer to the “giver of light and life” – the sun (savitur), ‘Hothu’ in Badaga.

Aum = Ohm [Brahma] bhoor = embodiment of vital spiritual energy(pran) ; bhuwah = destroyer of sufferings ; swaha = embodiment of happiness ; tat = that ; savitur = bright like sun ; varenyam = best choicest ; bhargo = destroyer of sins ; devasya = divine ; dheemahi = may imbibe ; dhiyo = intellect ; yo = who ; naha = our ; prachodayat = may inspire!

Listen to Gayatri Mantra here

[Information above, from various sources, is taken from the net]

Go here for more information and to see the complete Gayatri Chalisa

Update to the page on FIRST BADAGA

It will be very interesting,  informative and educative to list all those BADAGAS who were/are the ‘FIRST’ in any field. Where I am not sure about some details, I have put a question mark, so that some reader may supply the correct information.

The following list, by no stretch of imagination, is exhaustive or exclusive. I am sure that there are many more Badagas, both men and women, who deserve to be called ‘FIRST BADAGA’ for their pioneering work in many fields.

If some have not been included, it is due to the problem of not getting ‘correct/authentic’ information. My request to all Badagas or those who know about Badagas is, please forward the deails/names of individuals [if possible with photos] whom you think should be featured in this page. It will be a great pleasure and honour to include them in this list. After all, the idea behind this topic of FIRST BADAGA is to serve as an inspiration and motivation to young Badagas. – Wg Cdr JP

Rao Bahadur HJ Bellie Gowder
[Hubbathalai > married Nanji Ammal from Jakkadha, 18?? – 1935]

-First Badaga to be honoured by the British with ‘ Rao Sahib & Rao Bahadur’ titles ( late 1920s)

• [probably] First to speak and write in Eleven Languages including Badaga, Toda, Kotha, Kuruma, Kannada, Tamil, Malayalam,Telugu, English, Hindi & Spanish WITHOUT ANY FORMAL EDUCATION (his mother stopped him from attending a make shift school run by a Badaga in his verandah – thenay as she was scared that the teacher would punish Bellie Gowda because as a child, he was a prankster).
• First to open a school at Hubbathalai (later named as Rao Bahadur Bellie Gowder Board High School) basically to cater to Badaga students [a hostel was also built for them].
• Credited with building tracks for the Nilgiri Mountain Railway from Mettupalayam to Ooty in early 1900s. A railway bridge near Lovedale station is named after him.
• Brought many path breaking reforms in the Badaga Community.
• He was the undisputed ‘King [Naakku Betta Leader]’ of the Nilgiris during his life time. A musical gramophone record was brought out by HMV titled ‘Bahadur Bellie Gowda, Naakku Bettaga Raja’. The singer was from Jakkadha.
• It was said, ‘Bellie Gowda Ayyana mane kitchu, kedodhe illey – The fire in the hearth/kitchen in Bellie gowda’s house was always burning’ meaning there was a constant stream of visitors to his house. His wife Nanji Hethe, a stickler for cleanliness, would personally fetch fresh water from a stream at a considerable distance from Hubbathalai Hatti though there plenty of servants.
• He would present a gold block semi conical shaped like a jaggery – bella piece to any hubbathalai girl who was getting married.
• He was one of the very few who had a phone connection in the Nilgiris in early 1900s. His phone number was in two digits and less than 20. The phone he had was the old classical two piece type – separate ear piece and hand held mouth piece.

Rao Bahadur HB Ari Gowder
[Hubbathalai > married Gauri Ammal from Jakkadha, 4-12-1893 – 26-6-1971)

– First Badaga Graduate, Presidency College , Madras (1920?)

• First Badaga to tour the world (1930)
• First Badaga to lead an Indian Delagation (World Scout Jumboree in Hungary)(1930)
• First Badaga MLA & MLC (1940)
• First son (after his father Rao Bahadur HJ Bellie Gowder) also to be honoured with Rao Bahadur title.

N.Lingan
[Thangadu >13 Nov 1908 – 1964]

KM Sevannah Gowder
[Bearhatty > married Sarojini Madhan from Hulikal, 1915 – 1999, Mrs.Akkama Devi’s elder brother]

– First Engineer [B.E (Mech) – Madras University]

• First Professor (?) Engineering College Guindy & GCT, Coimbatore,

Mrs. Akkama Devi
[Bearatty – married > HB Joghee Gowder [HB Ari Gowder’s brother] from Hubbathalai, 1917 -2012 ]

photo from The Hindu

– First Badaga woman graduate

– First Badaga woman MP

Continue reading →

I had written earlier that:

Prof.Paul Hockings has been the most authentic scholar/researcher whose studies on Badagas may be considered to be very comprehensive. May not agree with some of his findings especially about the Badaga origin [that Badagas migrated from the Mysore plains] but the wealth of information that he has exposed in his books is greatly appreciated. If I have to choose a single book out of many of his works, without hesitation I would go for ‘Counsel from the Ancients: A Study of Badaga Proverbs, Prayers, Omens and Curses‘. Unfortunately, this book is very expensive but you can access most of the pages online.

Prof. Paul Hockings in his email [3/3/2015] writes :

Dear J.P.,

It was really very generous of you to devote so much space to my work in your Badaga website. I do appreciate it.

I noticed that you again mentioned the high price of my two large books on the Badaga language. While the price has no doubt always been high, there is a reason for it, and it is not my profiteering. Linguistic texts like these are very difficult to get published by the most reputable publishers, because they see the market for such books as a very small group of linguistic specialists. I was thus very fortunate to be able to get the world’s top linguistic publisher, Mouton, to bring out both books. The problem however is a straightforward one: because the books were printed in Berlin, the printers had to be paid German printers’ union wages; and these are extremely high. On the positive side, the Dictionary is held y 125 research libraries worldwide, which means that data is available on the Badaga language in very many countries..

Thank you Paul for the email. Since I feel that your books, particularly, ‘Counsel from the Ancients: A Study of Badaga Proverbs, Prayers, Omens and Curses‘ must find a place in every Badaga home, I wished that it was easily available and affordable. Thanking you once again for making Badagas known to the world.- Wg Cdr JP

An appeal sent by Dr.Haldorai on behalf of Nellikolu Trust

Dharmalingam Venugopal [NDC, Kotagiri] informs about the sad demise of Mr.Basavaraj

[26-02-2015]. Just heard the sad news that Basavaraj of Kalhutti, Kotagiri is no more. He was perhaps the last of the Badaga bards who sang for almost all of his 80 plus years. He had  an impressive repertoire and could hold the crowd spell bound for hours, often throughout the night.

He was a original researcher of Badaga history and took much pains to put down his findings, thoughts and views on record. He was an authority on several Badaga matters and took active part in promoting and preserving Badaga tradition.

He was a great admirer of Rao Bhahadur Bellie Gowder and Ari Gowder and never missed an opportunity to spread their fame and contributions.

He was related and very close to my father A.Dharmalingam often entertaining him with his moving  Badaga songs.

He was featured nicely in the video on Sullivan Memorial.

While Basava is no more, the memories of his music and his eyes loaded with mischief would remain cherished in our hearts.

May his soul rest in peace.

We join Venugopal in paying our respectful homage to Basava Gowder on behalf Badaga Community as well as on behalf of Rao Bahadur Bellie Gowder, Rao Bahadur Ari Gowder and Mr. H.A.Bhojraj family. – Wg Cdr JP

The Nilgiri Documentation Centre honoured Prof Hockings, in absentia, with the The Nilgiris Lifetime Achievement Award 2015 on February 23 when Prof Hockings turned 80 at a function at Lawley Institute, Ooty.

Dharmalingam Venugopal presenting the award to Mrs. Shubha Somasundaram, Prof.Hockings’s friend from San Francisco, USA. Others in the photo are Dr.Sundaradevan, first Badaga IAS officer and Prof. Frank Heidemann, Professor of Social and Cultural Anthropology at the University of Munich, a German researcher of/on Badagas and author of ‘AKKA BAKKA’, who had visited me at Coonoor in 2011.

In my opinion, Paul Hockings has been the scholar/researcher whose studies on Badagas  may be considered to be very comprehensive. May not agree with some of his findings especially about the Badaga origin [that Badagas migrated from the Mysore plains] but the wealth of information that he has exposed in his books is greatly applaudable. If I have to choose a single book out of many, without hesitation I would go for ‘Counsel from the Ancients: A Study of Badaga Proverbs, Prayers, Omens and Curses‘. Unfortunately, this book is very expensive but you can access most of the pages  online.

In this book, Prof. Paul Hockings, probably the most authentic researcher on and of Badaga, lists more than a thousand Badaga proverbs, 1730 to be precise. He feels that 1730 could be a complete figure containing all the proverbs there are.
Though I find his collection extremely interesting and educative, I do not agree with some of the conclusions he draws on certain proverbs. For example, on the proverb, ‘Odhidhama Niddhana, Oddidhama Erandina’ Prof.Hockings interpretation is quite different to what I feel is the correct meaning. I think ‘a person who spends time learning and ponders (over a problem) is better than the one who runs away (in a hurry) and thus trips over. [Odhidhama – one who has learnt (spent time learning), Niddhana – stops to ponder over[think], Oddidhama – one who runs, Erandina – trips over]. We can hear mothers telling their young children ‘Oda beda , Erandire’ – Donot run, you will trip over (a stone or any obstruction). That is ‘ do not be in a hurry and take a hasty decision’.

Another one is ‘Michidhavaga Morande Kolu Bangara’. In my opinion . the lady who does not listen to any one (Michidha Hemmathi) is bound to land up as a widow (when ‘Morande Kolu – a small stick of morende tree – replaces her jewellery (bangara) during the Ole Kattuva ritual of husband’s death / funeral ceremony). Prof.Hockings feels Mechidhavaga (see the difference between michidhava – one who does not listen- and mechidhava – one who is appreciated by all – even a morende kolu is enough as jewellery. Is it a case of wordplay (pun) by our ancestors?? – Wg Cdr JP’s review

Continue reading →

Prof Paul Hockings is the Professor Emeritus of Anthropology at the University of Illinois, USA. He is also the Adjunct Curator of Anthropology at the Field Museum of Natural History and Editor-in-Chief of ‘Visual Anthropology’.
Prof Hockings has been researching the Nilgiris, particularly the Badagas, since 1962 resulting in a number of authoritative publications including Encyclopaedia of the Nilgiri Hills, So Long a Saga: Badaga Social History, Badaga-English Dictionary, Counsel from the Ancients: A Study of Badaga Proverbs, Prayers, Omens and Curses, Blue Mountains: The Ethnology and Bio-geography of a South Indian Region and Blue Mountains Revisited: Cultural Studies on the Nilgiri Hills.

Prof. Hocking’s massive contribution has paved the way for the Nilgiri studies being classified today as Nilgiriology.

The Nilgiri Documentation Centre will honour Prof Hockings, in absentia, with the The Nilgiris Lifetime Achievement Award 2015 on February 23 when Prof Hockings turns 80.

The function will be at Lawley Institute at 11-30am on February 23 at Ooty.

Dharmalingam Venugopal

[Honorary Director, Nilgiri Documentation Centre]

There are many women who have sacrificed everything so that they can devote all the time to look after the well being of family, friends and others. Their selfless sacrifies even under very trying times is an inspiration to many. Their struggle to maintain family dignity comes at a very high sense of responsibility. Mrs.Rukmani Bhojraj is one such Badaga woman.

Daughter of a great Badaga leader from Kundhah Ketchigatty B.K.Bella Gowder and daughter in law of another great Badaga Leader Rao Bahadur Hubbathalai Ari Gowder, she has lived a life full of grit and determination, in-spite of severe physical impediments. She has been a source of strength to all those who have known her.

As this ever friendly lady, steps into her 82nd birthday today, we seek her blessings and wish her many more happy returns of the day!