Category Archives: badaga

‘Kundhe Seemay’
Also known as ‘Eera Jilla Seemay’

Naakku Betta – pix by JP

In an effort to give the exact and correct names of hattis/villages under each of the four SEEMAYS, given below is the list under Kunde [Naadu] Seemay. I would request our friends to verify and vet the list and send corrections to bjaypee@gmail.com or add them as comments to this post – LEAVE A REPLY box given at the bottom.

We may separate the hattis as per Badagas, Odeyas and Thorayyas and group them under ‘OORU’ [a group of hattis form an ooru and many oorus constitute a seemay].

At present the focus is on hattis of Badagas [Gowdas] who can marry Badagas from other seemays. Please note that some hattis like HOSAHATTI appear to be repeated but there may be more than one HOSA Hatti in a seemay.

Kerappaadu – Photo by JP

Please also see the page on HATTIS for more and exhaustive info

‘Mekku Nadu Seemay‘
Also known as ‘ Asala Bisalagiri Seemay ‘

Naakku Betta – pix by JP

In an effort to give the exact and correct names of hattis/villages under each of the four SEEMAYS, given below is the list under Mekku Naadu Seemay. I would request our friends to verify and vet the list and send corrections to bjaypee@gmail.com or add them as comments to this post – LEAVE A REPLY box given at the bottom.

We may separate the hattis as per Badagas, Odeyas and Thorayyas and group them under ‘OORU’ [a group of hattis form an ooru and many oorus constitute a seemay].

At present the focus is on hattis of Badagas [Gowdas] who can marry Badagas from other seemays. Please note that some hattis like HOSAHATTI appear to be repeated but there may be more than one HOSA Hatti in a seemay.

Please also see the page on HATTIS for more and exhaustive info

Porere – photo by JP

[Reproduced from the page Learn Badaga – ]

A couple of days back, I received the following email from a young mother [name withheld] who wrote to say :

Dear Sir,   It gave immense pleasure for me to visit your website. I was always amazed to know about the community and the culture.

I am a Non Badaga and married last Dec to a Badaga from ………..

And Recently on the ….. of this month I gave birth to a baby. My husband and my in laws want me to learn Badaga  as I have to talk to the baby in Badaga for her to pick up the language.

Please help me learn the language by sending me some day to day conversations .

Thanks in Advance. Best Regards.

Let us learn Badaga

Naakku Betta – pix by JP

In an effort to give the exact and correct names of hattis/villages under each of the four SEEMAYS, given below is the list under Porangaadu seemay. I would request our friends to verify and vet the list and send corrections to bjaypee@gmail.com or add them as comments to this post – LEAVE A REPLY box given at the bottom.

We may separate the hattis as per Badagas, Odeyas and Thorayyas and group them under ‘OORU’ [a group of hattis form an ooru and many oorus constitute a seemay].

At present the focus is on hattis of Badagas [Gowdas] who can marry Badagas from other seemays. Please note that some hattis like HOSAHATTI appear to be repeated but there may be more than one HOSA Hatti in a seemay.

Please also see the page on HATTIS for more and exhaustive info

Hubbathalai Hatti – Photo by JP

“Porangaadu Seemay”

In an effort to give the exact and correct names of hattis/villages under each of the four SEEMAYS, given below is the list of all hattis under the four Seemays.

The names are given, to the extent possible, as pronounced by Badagas and not as ‘badly twisted’ by others. Like – the original name of Eethoray being called Elithorai.

There may be some omissions/additions/corrections required.

I would request all friends to verify and vet the list and send corrections to bjaypee@gmail.com or add them as comments to this post – LEAVE A REPLY box given at the bottom.

We may separate the hattis as per Badagas, Odeyas and Thorayyas and group them under ‘OORU’ [a group of hattis form an ooru and many oorus constitute a seemay]. At present the focus is on hattis of Badagas [Gowdas] who can marry Badagas from other seemays.

Now, marriages between Gowdas with Haaruvas,  Lingaites, Kanakkas etc sects from different seemays [ in some cases, within the seemay] are common. In my opinion, it is high time, we had only three broad groups among Badagas. Namely, Gowdas[including the other sects mentioned above], Odeyas and Thoraiyas and in the distant future, just BADAGAS.

Please note that some hattis like HOSAHATTI appear to be repeated but there may be more than one HOSA Hatti in a seemay.

Please also see the page on HATTIS for more and exhaustive info.

1.’Thodha Naadu Seemay ‘ (Supposed to be our “Dodda Ooru”. Also known as ‘Raja Padagiri Seemae’. The boundaries are from Solur to Kookkal Thore. The names given as known and pronounced by Badagas)

Oorus under Thodhanaadu Seemay : Thooday Gui, Kadanaadu, Ebbanaadu, Solur, Kagguchi, Honnadhalai, Kookkal,  Poosay Coonoor, Thrichigadi [??}, Solur Kokkal [??]- these appear to be Kotha settlements.

Hubbathalai Hatti – Photo by JP

“Porangaadu Seemay”

‘Mekku Naadu Seemay‘
Also known as ‘Asala Bisalagiri Seemay’

Please also see the page on HATTIS for more and exhaustive info

Porere – photo by JP

Kerappaadu – Photo by JP

Please also see the page on HATTIS for more and exhaustive info

Ravindran Jevanah(ravindranj62@gmail.com) writes to ask :-
Coming to Jewellery, apart from Chinna, Mookuthi, Belli Ungara, I would like to know about the ‘Cheripenigai and the other broad Belli Bangle which the ladies wear on the lower arms. The Cheripenigai is of two or three designs nowadays we do not see any. Can we have a picture of these if possible?

Please see  Badaga Jewellery and the links given

The gold or silver bangle or rather bracelet around the wrist is known as ‘ KADAGA ‘ or ‘ CHIPPU BAE ‘ and the thick flat armlet just above the elbow is ‘BAE’.

When I took this picture of late Kothiben Hatti Laxmi ‘Karuppi’ Hethai on 09-04-07 and mentioned that the photo had come out well, she mentioned with a great sense of humour, ‘ potto olange bandu ena maaduva, utti enbudhu tha kappu edhaga’ – So what can we do if the photo has come out well, but from birth [I am]  black [colour]’

Thank you Kothiben Karuppi Hethe, it was wonderful meeting you !

– Wg Cdr JP

Today is a clear day with bright sunlight in the hills. The hills, I am referring to is the Nilgiris, my native place. Every time I drive ‘into’ the hills, either from Mysore via Bandipur and Kallatti Ghats or from Mettupalayam via Kotagiri Aravenu and Haakeri or from Karamadai via Mulli and Geddai [Kundah], my heart is filled with happiness and joy. Such beauty is bestowed on these blue hills by the Almighty. Probably, the Nature wants to show off or should I say, show case its glorious exterior in a truly grand fashion.

The Nilgiris – Neela [Blue] Giris [Hills] – literally ‘The blue mountains’ is popularly known to Badagas as ‘Naakku Betta’ – though Naakku Betta means Four Mountains, in fact it refers to all the mountains, hills and hillocks spread around the Nigiri range.

Badaga Villages, called Hattis, are spread far and wide in these hills. These hattis exists ONLY in these hills. In short, there can be no Badagas without the Nilgiris and no Nilgiris [history] without Badagas. Every Badaga, where ever he/she may be, can always trace the roots to some hatti/town in the beautiful blue mountains.  

Blessed are the Badagas. Yes, indeed!

Here are some pix taken by Wg Cdr Bellie Jayaprakash

Mudumalai Forest

Mudumalai

So, to say the least, all of us, the natives of the Nilgiris, have a stake in the ‘well being’ of our district and save it from the mindless destruction of its beauty and eco system. Hence, we must lend our supporting hands to any one who has taken to ‘DO SOMETHING’. Be it, Mª Teresa Llop Navarro (from Spain) who has started a NGO – “Es Purna” to help out the poor especially in the field of girl-child education in the Nilgiris, the NDC of Venugopal Dharmalingam or the bunch of youngsters lead by Prabhu Purnan who have created ‘WOW Nilgiris – now, has the mankind seen any place better then this?’.

‘Wow, the Nilgiris’

What strikes one at the first glance of their web sites is the most beautiful pictures of the Nilgiris. Though born and brought up in this ‘nature’s gift’, some of the pics made me wonder whether they are really taken here.

As ‘WOW Nilgiris’ describes, ‘ Mak’ing YOU wonder if these places do exist in Nilgiris, an out and out “off the regular” escapades, taking you in to the world of sholas, grasslands, thickets and breathtaking vistas to chase the clouds, sight the unique Nilgiri Thar and Martens squirrels’.

Congratulations to Prabhu Purnan and his friends. I understand Deepak Bhojraj, a Badaga, is another gifted photoghapher, and an article on him appears in ‘TheLOCAL’, [Dec, 2009 issue] a monthly published from Aravankadu.

Photos  by Prabhu Purnan (copyright)

On my request to reproduce some of their pictures, Purnan has kindly sent me his consent and writes > hello mr JP. i am in fact following your blog keenly. its my pleasure to be profiled in your blog, the very purpose of this blog is to send across the messages to folks around. yep you can use any of the fotos you want and let me know if you need any specific fotos from here as well. another thing myself and deepak bhojraj are good friends he keeps telling me that your blog is really informative but cultured a small suggestion thats it you can mail deepak on more about it. With warm Regards, Prabhu Purnan D

Visit their websites where you will not only find some extraordinary photos but also a wealth of information on the beautiful Blue Mountains. I am sure that they will make you say ‘WoW’.

 http://wownilgiris.blogspot.com , http://purnanprabhu.googlepages.com

[This post is reproduced)

Three main factors were high lighted in the last post – Badagas at the cross roads, about the need to change with changing times. One of them is the problem of ‘outside’ marriages and the root causes. ‘Moray’ being one of them.

 Our friend Sivakumar.B (Muckimalai) writes: If we want to remove the restrictions levied by elders, convincing ourselves that they are outdated, then all the customs including blessing, karu haruchodhu, chanting, etc, may  also get removed as outdated.   I think customs and systems are the sovereignty of a community. These are NOT Regulations/Constitution/Law which we can amend from time to time at our will and wish.

Within `Seemay’ means brotherhood (one blood).So, marriage within the `Seemay” will lead to lot of complications. Removal of `moray’ will not be the solution for ‘outside’ marriages. Running to outside is Sick/Crazy and I think it will continue even if `moray’ is removed.

திருடனாய் பார்த்து  திருந்தாவிட்டால்  திருட்டை  ஒழிக்க முடியாது.

Though, I can understand the strong feelings of Sivakumar, some clarifications are called for. Moray, in my opinion, is a very scientifically significant restriction brought in by our Muthappas/Hethappas. This restriction has avoided a lot of health problems associated with ‘in breeding’ and may be one of the reasons for a better health prevailing among Badagas as compared to other native tribes of the Nilgiris.

But, it is mistaken by many that marriages do not take place among people belonging to the same ‘seemay’. Let us elaborate.

A typical Badaga Village [hatti] consists of houses of brothers [both blood brothers and cousins]. Their chiildren are ‘anna thammaru and akka thangairu – brothers and sisters’. So, the ‘moray’ restriction is very much required as otherwise, one will land up in literally marrying a ‘sister’. Many hattis, not necessarily congruent or geographically adjacent, form a OORU. Many Oorus form the Seemay. The number of villages/hattis in one ooru to another differs. Marriages between OORUS within the same Seemay is very much possible and is in vogue. Like for example,  in Porangaadu Seemay which has many oorus, HATHTHOMBATTU OORU [19 villages] and AARU OORU [6 villages] have marriage relationship. See the page on Hattis for more information.

[to be continued]