Category Archives: badaga

In our eagerness to know about ourselves [Badagas], many times, we highlight the work done by other researchers from abroad and tend to forget our own Badaga scholars who have done a lot on EVERY THING BADAGA.

One such scholar is Dr.Haldorai from Kiya Cowhatty. Though I have heard about him, I could not get to read any one of his books [there are many in English and Tamil] till recently. Saravana Raju of Karimora, a gifted and talented youngster with great many original ideas,got me many of his books.

Though I have had a cursory glance at his books, I am yet to make a detailed study. But one thing I am sure about. We may or may not  agree with all his views and interpretations but definitely, cannot ignore them.

He has been kind enough to respond to my emails and sent me a few exclusive articles and I have great pleasure in putting them up [uncensored] in this page. Yes, I feel he deserves a page for himself.

I will be adding more info in future.

Take a look on Dr.R.K.HALDORAI M.O.L., M.Ed., M.A., Ph.D, here

One of the charms and beauty of our language is ‘HA‘ as different from ‘A/AA‘.

It is Hethe(y) and not Athe(y)/Ethe(y).

Like, the correct way to say is :- Hatti [village], Haalu [milk], HaLLa [river] etc. But I am disgusted and disappointed to hear the above words being mentioned as ‘Atti, aalu,aLLa‘.

In one of the latest releases of the ballad Beradha Bellie – ‘Kaakay haadhara– is sung as Kakkay aadhara‘. Disappointing.

By the way, in many words, the meaning completely changes when you substitute HA with AA. For example, Haalu – milk becomes ANGER[Irritation] when AALU is used.

Harachu – bless, Arachu – Find, Haday – lie down, aday – close

Ignorance may be a bliss but not an EXCUSE.

Also see :- http://badaga-language.blogspot.in/

I have come to know about Emerald Bhojan Hariharan from the posts in badaga.com. I consider him to be a forward thinking Badaga with nothing but the welfare of Badagas in his mind.

It was indeed a pleasure to receive the following email from him. He had sent these comments on what I had written

“Since the 1981 census Badagas are not shown as a separate community but have been clubbed with ‘Kannada Speaking groups’. This, to say the least, is – atrocious. Badaga is a separate and unique community with rich language and ‘richer’ rituals, customs and traditions.

Now is the chance for us to proudly say that we are Badagas (Badagar) and our mother tongue is Badaga ( Badagu). The other important issue about sub sect :- our history has quite a few instances where we, as a community, divided ourselves into Odaya,Haruva, Badaga, Lingayat [Lingakatti],Kanakka, Adikari,Thoraya etc and created a lot of bad blood. (I am surprised, though, to learn that Thorayas are given the MBC classification while Badagas come under BC) let all those who speak Badaga (Badagu) be considered as Badagas (Badagar).

What is highlighted by him is a matter of great importance and need our urgent attention.

Dear Anna,

It is my pleasure to leave a short message on your website, which I consider as a yeoman service you are rendering the society in General and the Badaga Community in particular. Kudos and three Cheers to you. May you live long and continue your good work.

It came as a rude shock to me when I came to understand that there are 40+ Thoreya hatties in the Nilgiris and marriages happen only between Thoreyas although they no way differ from mainstream Badagas in any way, be it language, lifestyle, dressing, rituals or customs. Give it to my ignorance or broad mindedness, I always thought there was only one Badaga community and sub-sects were an integral part of it but none was superior or inferior to any.

Once I went deep into it, I came to understand the filth and false prophecies that went into creating this rift. It became unbearable and indigestible for me just to know that how a progressive community like the Badagas could have a prejudiced mindset over their own brothers, the Thoreyas. The same applies to the rift between Hodeya and other subsects as well.

I strongly feel the need for a unification of mindsets in each of us to bring in equality and justice across all sub sects, thus bringing all of us under one single umbrella called the Badaga Community. This will enable us hold our heads high and walk with pride.

On behalf of Manihatty Mahalingiah and Beragini Hethaiamma,

Truly Yours,

Emerald Bhojan Hariharan.

KUMAR [vina.vinasa@gmail.com ] writes on Time to change with changing times

The communities which have resisted change have vanished, the best example is our neighbor todas, the majority of Todas changed to Christianity because of laws in community.  Forget about the changes happening  across world, let us first assess the situation in our community.

Someone has mentioned about the ratio, it is pathetic at present. Every big hatty has atleast 40+ males waiting to get married even though they are well qualified professionally and financially. Anyone in this forum who has someone to get married in his or her house should know well about this. If this continues, its going to affect the society badly, may lead to extramarital affairs and marrying within the seeme(akka-thange).

Its easy for a girl, if she is smart and has chosen a good person, it does not matter which community she is going to live.  But think about a guy, he cannot go to his hutty, nor attend his parents funeral, its cruel.  The elders have to change their mindset, they have to understand what is happening in our society and across the world.  By the time these people die and rules change, lot of boys are going to lose their lives.

Kotagiri and Mekkunadu are far more better, they have accepted it, but in Thodhanadu its just like khap panchayats in Haryana.  When a girl or boy is matured enough to live alone far from his or her place in India or abroad, they will be smart enough to decide their lives also.  Even the middle east well known for ultra orthodox has changed, its time for us to change or else it will affect us badly.

Lets not forget, we live once, time and life are precious.

FIGHTING DENGUE MUST START AT EVERY HOME.

Mosquito trap (Dengue prevention) : Its just a mix of water, brown sugar and yeast.

1. Cut a plastic bottle in half, keep both parts. Can be soft drink bottle.
2. Take the lower portion of the bottle. Dissolve the brown sugar in hot water.
Let it cool down to ~70 deg F (room temperature).
3. Add the yeast. Carbon dioxide will form. (This will attract the mosquitoes.)
4. Cover the bottle with a dark wrap and insert in the top portion upside down like a funnel. Place it in a corner in your house.
5. In 2 weeks you will be surprised by the number of mosquitoes killed.

Badaga Connection

The Nilgiris used to be relatively mosquitoes free. No more. With the global warming taking its toll. And, the towns and villages becoming unplanned of concrete jungles with scant regard for general hygiene , these unwelcome visitors are having a ‘field’ day. So take care, prevention is better than CURE !

Well, you have heard of

‘EATS SHOOTS AND LEAVES‘

is not about a killer

but a Panda – bear that

eats, shoots and leaves.

One comma , makes the difference.

Here is another one :

An English professor wrote the following on the blackboard and asked his students to punctuate the sentence correctly :

“A WOMAN WITHOUT HER MAN IS NOTHING“

All the males in the class wrote,

“A WOMAN, WITHOUT HER MAN, IS NOTHING“

and all the females wrote,

“A WOMAN: WITHOUT HER, MAN IS NOTHING“

[from the internet]

Badaga connection

Badagas consider bamboo shoots  curry- OTTUKUDI Udhakka- to be one of the most delicious dishes. In olden days, with the forest cover around the fringes of hattis [villages] gathering bamboo shoots used to be great fun for young girls. So was ‘savudey hirukkodhu – gathering tree twigs.

I understand that a kilo of bamboo shoots was selling for about Rs.80/- this year 2012.

Doctors have concluded that if you find the man in the coffee beans in 3 seconds, the right half of your brain is better developed than most people. If you find the man between 3 seconds and 1 minute, the right half of the brain is developed normally. If you find the man between 1 minute and 3 minutes, then the right half of your brain is functioning slowly and you need to eat more protein. If you have not found the man after 3 minutes, the advice is to look for more of this type of exercise to make that part of the brain stronger!

And yes, the man is really there!

Badaga Connection

Coffee is planted along with tea in Kundha area [lower elevations]; and, dried and cleaned coffee beans are a given as standard gift [called ‘nattu’] to friends and relatives. This great tradition of giving ‘nattu’ is another trait that we can be proud of.

I found this interesting piece of youtube clip in FB – Badaga Group. Though it is, more of the Nilgiris and about a local hotel, I like the way Badagas have been portrayed – in a positive way.

I have mentioned about the Koi Udakka and Gaasu Dhotti in the Badaga Recipe page much earlier.see http://badaga-recipes.blogspot.in/

Also, do you know that the Nilgiri Mountain Railway – now a UNO heritage – has a strong Badaga connection. Rao Bahadur Hubbathalai Joghee Gowder Bellie Gowder, undisputed Nakku Betta Chief till his demise in 1935, laid the NMR track from Mettupalayam to Ooty  in 1908 during the British time. Bellie Gowda was the one who built the first school for Badagas in Hubbathalai. He was given the title Rao Sahib and Rao Bahadur mainly because of this. See also http://sites.google.com/site/badagacommunity/raobahadurhjbelliegowder

His son Rao Bahadur HB ARi Gowder, another great Nakku Betta leader, was the railway contractor during his time. see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H._B._Ari_Gowder

Amazingly, these two were authorised to stop this ‘toy train’ anywhere between Coonoor and Ooty just by showing the hand to stop.

Raghu Joghee (Photo Journalist with Dinamalar) published this in Facebook – Badagas Group.

My (Wg Cdr JP) take on this :

See my detailed disclosure in https://badaga.wordpress.com/badagas-origin/

Hello JP….I am Magesh Hirian from Kettti Acchanakkal (live in the USA now)…….I am a very proud Badaga and and a great admirer of our heritage and culture….. I am completely blown away with this website. Please keep up the good work. This is awesome!! love it.. na endhu enna Hethai Ammana mathi..

Hello Magesh Hiria, Thanks a lot. If my interest and passion in maintaining the websites on Badaga have not diminished even a tiny bit, it is only due to the encouraging words from friends like you. Even after more than 208,000 visits/hits, it is highly heartening to see and welcome NEW visitors.

As I have mentioned a lot of times in these websites, we are lucky to have been born as Badagas in this great Bharat nation. There are so many fantastic social customs/systems like community living [hatti based], no dowry, divorce without any discrimination, widow remarriage, all villagers taking responsibility for the cost and conducting rites of death/funeral that may occur in any part of the ‘world’ -when the body is brought back to the village, etc etc. The legendary Badaga hospitality has been accepted by no less than the world body UNO.

But as said earlier, what we know about Badaga – both language and people, is less than what we do not know about them. Let us put our heads together to bring out the great history of Badaga in all its glory and be an example of what a community should be, even with our short comings.

Hethai, ellagu, olagodha elli iddhalayu Naalu,kodali – Wg Cdr JP