Category Archives: badaga

A laudable and great initiative that needs our attention

BADAGA in WIKI

Arunan, a Srilankan Tamil now in Canada, writes  to say “Why not start a wiki project in Badaga language”. Its absolutely free and I see most Badugas are very good in Computer and Internets… So please let us start a wiki project in Badaga language and start writing articles in Badaga language……

(20 Nov 2009) Great News

Badaga language is  eligible language by Wikipedia … http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Requests_for_new_languages

JP adds : let us add our might for this Pioneering Project

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The rains that never stopped

I was at Coonoor when it started. I thought it was one of those passing showers. But then, it never stopped…never…not even for a few minutes. It appeared as if the rain Goddess had lost some body very very close, and she never stopped pouring her heart out…for three consecutive days. The damage…well…when the Nature starts..nothing can stop it. It is her way of leveling things out. The following pictures should convey a tiny bit of the result of her fury….The fallen trees…blocked roads..trees on the rail track near Wellington Railway station…the washed away rail track just before Aravankadu Railway station…the roads between Ootupattarai and Hubbathai toatally blocked…..

Photos by JP. Click on the pix for enlargement

The beauty about Badaga community is not only the unique customs specific to the community but the steadfast belief with which atleast some of them are followed by Badagas with fervour. one of them is the loud chanting of ‘Athikkodhu – saaying of  EAY AH HOW – on certain but specific occasions.

Three occasions come to mind immediately,

1)During “hethay Habba’ – both when from every village the devotees go to Hethay temples at Beragani and Peddhuva as well as when the Hethay deity is taken to ‘Madi Halla -river’ for change into new dress once a year [and also whenever is a temple deity is taken on procession during habbas in hattis],

2)During weddings when the bride and groom are brought to the ‘Madhuvay Mane – wedding house,and the newly weds are taken to the temple and

3)On funerals when the widow is brought for ‘olay Kattodhu’ and the ‘akki eththuva ‘ procession starts from the ‘dhodda Mane’ to ‘saavu hanay ‘ where the corpse/body is kept before being taken for burial.

This loud ‘cry’ is made from the bottom of the stomach by a few leading the procession and repeated by the rest following them.

Listen to ‘Saavu Aathikkodhu’ recorded live in Ketchigatti here

Listen to ‘Maduvay Aathikkodhu’ recorded live in Thambatty here

Badaga Matrimony

Anon (?) has sent the following link of a matrimonial portal where you can see some ‘nice’ Badaga girls with their personal particulars. Come on eligible Baddu boys, what are you waiting for ? http://matchmaking.matrimonialsindia.com/tamil_nadu/badaga_bride.htm

Proud to be an Indian : Proud to be a Badaga   ASHA writes : when I saw this site I was really surprised. Appara santhoshava adathae , ithava onthu arputhavana language ga script ila yenthu nenachuvanae kashtava attuthu but now I am very confident that we will have our own scripts within a short period. Am ready to do my best for your organisation. Am very honored to say this “U GUYZ SIMPLY ROCK” and of course we will rock. Keep going………. BEST WISHES. Thank you Asha, though I have mentioned it many times, let me repeat it again. THIS WEBSITE IS AN ONE MAN EFFORT. But I am humbled to see such praise being showered. As far as how you can help out – here is a simple thought. I have seen many parents [including me,I  have a son and daughter of marriageable age] to find suitable matches. Though there are a lot of nice looking, educated and eligible brides and grooms, somehow, it does not result in marriages. Since I am of the strong view that for Badaga culture and traditions to survive, Badagas should marry among themselves. Why there is such a low response to my offer of hosting FREE matrimonial alliances is a mystery to me. May be people like you can tell me the real apprehensions. Another way you can help out is by creating awareness about the book on Badagas by Balasubramaniam which has high lighted our community in a highly positive note. Thanks once again – Wg Cdr JP Asha replies : Your view about survival of our culture is true.There is nothing to worry regarding low response for your free matrimonial alliances because many of us think that our parents should choose our life partner and only some of our parents are aware of this matrimonial service. But am sure the days will change and this matrimonial service will reach everyone. As you said that THIS WEBSITE IS AN ONE MAN EFFORT, I salute your effort. I promise  that from today I am starting my work to create awareness about those books and I hope for the best ~~~~~~~~~~~~ ‘Paamé’ – a book on the Badagas by Bala is available at Higginbothams Ooty,Chennai and Coimbatore and also at Oxford book house, Coimbatore. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This website has been Designed, developed and maintained by Wing Commander Bellie Jayaprakash [bjaypee@gmail.com] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dr.Rajkumar Krishnan writes from UK

United Nations Educational Scientific Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) recently declared that “Badagas of Nilgiris hospitality is the best” and conferred on our community the “global” honour. Hospitality is ingrained in the Badaga community.

The people of Nilgiris thank UNESCO for honouring Badagas.

[from a letter from B. Bellukutty, The Nilgiris in the Hindu, issue dated, Jul 06, 2009]

The Badaga Hospitality is legendary. You walk into any Badaga Village as a total stranger, but you can be sure to be offered ‘Coffee/Tea’ by not one but many of the villagers.

Here is a ballad called ‘UNIGE MADA’ on the hospitality and love shown by Kinnakorai Joghee to a Kuruma called Mada from

Folktales of India

By Brenda E. F. Beck

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Art in WORDS or Words in ART ? !

Original works of ‘ Bellie Jayaprakash ‘ [No reproduction permitted]

~~~ A picture is worth… a thousand words ~~~

My own Da Vinci code

for more visit http://jayaprakash.blogspot.com/

For some truly amazing ANIMATIONS go here ->

Badaga Hattis

Kinnakorai & Heriya seege seen from Manjoor – Kandi Bekkai Road

Dear sir,
I am working in Indian Navy. Being a Defence person, first of all I salute you sir. Now I will come to our style of communication.
Mam, ninga websita nodhithey. Apaara santhosha. Ninga eega maadindu ibba sevai nanga badagu samudhayaga apaara thevey. Nanga nakku betta joli-jundu ellava ninga websita nodi araba chansu nanga badagu makkaga cikhidha vara prasada. Ninga sevay hollengey nadaiali endhu Somiya vendine. Kodi namaskara.

Dear Malarvannan, I feel thrilled to get a mail – that too with so much of praise- from a fellow ‘Fauzi- Defence’ friend. It gives me the greatest pleasure and honour that people like you feel that my website is of use. Ningaga appara nanri [nanri embdhuna Badaga basheya ethe hegodhu endhu artha aappiley]. Thank you ever so much

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This is Ganesan Lingan from Porthy Village, Mekku Nadu seeme.  I just gone thru the Badagas website to know our hatties and seeme’s, I saw all the hattis and seems in one place and really enjoyed reading each and every hattis. I would say this is definitely Great effort! And really appreciable.

I just wanted to you know that Emerald is not a badaga village( as per my knowledge) and fully occupied by other communities except one or two badgas having provisional stores and houses along with that,. So please request you the remove the Emerald from our hatti list.

And also I found Osa Attu Bayilu (New Attu bayilu near kai kandi) missing from Meeku nadu. There are two Attu Bayilu one is Palliya (old) Attu bayliu and other one Osa attu Bayliu.

Also Bigada missing from Thodha nadu Seeme (not sure about seeme). This village spotting near Ithalar… This is a beautiful very tiny village located in center of the tea estates. Also I have forgotten to mention one more hatti which is Beingisakallu from Meakunadu Seeme. Beingisakallu is spotted between Nanjanadu and Kei Kouhatti

[Kiya] Appukodu

Ganesa, Thank you for your imputs. Nice to be told about the hattis and the corrections are being incorporated – JP