Let Us Save Ourselves – Nangava Nanga Kaappo

We are aware that Corona Virus – Covid 19, is a deadly disease that can kill people if proper precautions are not taken. Like wearing face mask or keeping social distancing and, put ourselves in self quarantine when warranted.

But unfortunately, in our Badaga Hattis, with the houses being in rows or in close proximity to each other, we seem to be very casual about taking care of ourselves and the community as the spike in Corana positive cases in the hattis indicate.

The main reason is, we still mingle with others freely and follow the traditional customs of inviting many people for weddings or more importantly, follow the rites in our funerals, in which we express our sorrow and grief with close contact with each other (Mandai Koottodhu) or sitting around the cot where the body of the deceased is kept, as if these are normal days. No masks, no social distancing. we forget that this disease can spread fast and can kill us.

We have to modify these customs/traditions/rites to suit the present difficult days to save our LIVES. As well as save our near and dear ones.

If we do not take care about our own lives, nobody else can.

I find the following video ( Bandara, aaley bara) of Kallakorai Sanjeev, very timely and useful. A must watch video

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(PS; Watched the ‘live’ interview of the Nilgiris Collector with Ramakrishna on Nakkubetta TV yesterday (14Jul2020) in which she clearly cautions the people in hattis that punitive measures like imprisonment will be taken if precautions are not followed, and the hatti Gowdas or committee members would be held responsible. Let us wake up atleast now)

Remembering Mrs.Idyammal Bellie Gowder on her ninth death anniversary

Idyammal Bellie Gowder

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…seven years ago.

How time flies!

Elle idhale’yu engava harachu

[Bless us all from where ever you are]

Idyammal Bellie Gowder
Born	September 02, 1912 Hubbathalai, The Nilgiris
Died	July 13, 2011 (aged 99 years 10 months)
Parents	Rao Bahadur HJ Bellie Gowder and Nanji Hethe
Sister of	Rao Bahadur HB Ari Gowder
Spouse	B.K.Bellie Gowder [Bearhatti]

[Autographed pencil sketch of Mom by JP in 1968 while she was reading an issue of 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 (24Jan68)

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]

Remembering mother –

Mrs.Radha Gowdu , Mrs.Vimala Bellie

and

Wg Cdr & Mrs. Bellie Jayaprakash,

grand children and great grand children

About twenty years back, there was hardly any information about Badagas on the internet. The only website one could access was probably badaga.com . Then, I started my weblogs and websites like http://www.badaga-general.blogspot.com , http://www.badaga.co , http://www.badaga.in etc.What I started as a hobby became an obsession and now http://www.badaga.co has more than 711,000 hits.

And, there is much information on Badagas available on the net with many websites and (youtube ) videos. Social media like FB, Whatsapp etc have plenty of Badaga related information.

There is an exclusive Badaga TV channel – Nakkubetta TV

But, What has impressed me is the effort of a few talented Badaga youngsters in high lighting the positive sides of Badaga community by posting about ‘Role Model’ videos of great Badagas, which are inspirational and motivating,

One such talented person is KALLAKORAI SANJEEV RAMESH

He writes about himself :  Born on-11/05/1995, I hail from kallakorai village near Melur Palada. Parents are Ramesh and Sagunthala. My younger sister is Jayshree ( working in MNC company)

I did my schooling and college from Ooty and Coimbatore . Two years back I started my professional career from Byjus.

Growing up , our culture had always fascinated me . For instance the simplicity and mutual bond which we all share with each other , if emulated could bring in harmony and peace every where. Then there was always this thought that I donot know enough about my culture , this is the state in which most of the people of my age are currently at so, I decided to do something from my part .

I and my friend Deepak have  started making videos about our community in our own language . To make a short crisp informative video I have to do proper research which inturn helped me immensely to know about us in a better way . It’s been a very short journey which I have travelled , but the learning and exploration had been wonderful .

Lastly, I’m really grateful to your initiative ayya . Your website http://www.badaga.co has been a gem to know about our community. Thank you.

You can access Sanjeev’s videos in youtube ->
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7pW2FE4mjs6oV4BjTKywxw

நீலகிரி கூட்டுறவு விற்பனை சங்கம் NCMS -ன் நிறுவனரும், படுக சமுதாயத்தின் முதல் பட்டதாரி மற்றும் முதல்  சட்டமன்ற. உறுப்பினருமான அய்யா.தெய்வத்திரு.எச்.பி.ஆரிகவுடர் அவர்கள் 28-06-1971 -ல் தெய்யத்துள் தெய்வமாகி 49 வருடத்தின் நினைவஞ்சலி தினம் இன்று  என்.சி.எம்.எஸ் வளாகத்தில் உள்ள அய்யா.ஆரிகவுடர் சிலைக்கு மாலை அணிவித்து,  ஆரிகவுடர் நினைவு விழாக்குழு சார்பிலும், என்.சி.எம்.எஸ் நிர்வாகத்தின் சார்பிலும் இன்று 28-06-2020-ல் அனுஷ்டிக்கப்பட்டது.         நினைவுநாள் நிகழ்ச்சிக்கு நீலகிரி ஆதிவாசிகள் சக்தி அமைப்பின் தலைவர்,பேராசியர்.குள்ளாகவுடர் தலைமை வகித்தார்.           

நீலகிரி கூட்டுறவு விற்பனை சங்கத்தின் பெருந்தலைவர் திரு.பி.மணியட்டி.ராமன் அவர்கள் சிறப்பு விருந்தினராக கலந்துக்கொண்டு, மாலை அணிவித்து  நினைவுநாள் சொற்பழிவாற்றி சிறப்பித்தார்.                                     

முன்னதாக நினைவு நாள் நிகழ்ச்சிக்கு வந்தவர்களை ஆரிகவுடர் நினைவு விழாக்குழுத் தலைவரும், படுக தேச பார்ட்டி யின் நிறுவன தலைவருமான திரு.மஞ்சை.வி.மோகன் அவர்கள் வரவேற்றார். 

 முடிவில் என்.சி.எம்.எஸ் நிறுவன செயலாளர் திரு.ஐயப்பன் நன்றியுரையாற்றினார்.                                                                                       

இந் நிகழ்ச்சியில் காத்தாடி மட்டம் மேற்குநாடு மெட்ரிக்குலேஷன் பள்ளியின் தளாளர். திரு.பூபதி, என்.சி.எம்.எஸ். அலுவலர்கள் திரு.போஜன், திரு.ரவி.திரு.அலெக்ஸ் உட்பட பலர் நினைவஞ்சலி நிகழ்ச்சியில் கலந்துக்கொண்டனர்.

Mr.Ramakrishna of Nakkubetta TV broadcast a special programme on Air Gowder ‘Has Ari Gowder’s dreams been realised?‘ in the evening

https://www.facebook.com/NakkubettaTV/videos/3013681178686294

Homage to Rao Bahadur H.B.Ari Gowder

To-Day, 28 June 2020, is the 49th death anniversary of the greatest Badaga Leader H.B.Ari Gowder.

We pay our humble homage 

From the book ” A BADAGA – ENGLISH DICTIONARY ” by Prof.Paul Hockings and Christiane Pilot-Raichoor

The story of Ariya Gowda

by Sriram V [The Hindu]

Ari Gowder was President of the Backward Classes League and leaned towards the Justice Party

The chances of anyone travelling down Ariya Gowda Road in West Mambalam, and stopping to wonder about the identity of the man who gave the thoroughfare its name, are slim. For when you are on Ariya Gowda Road, you are focused on getting out of the road alive, given its traffic.

He was not Ariya Gowda. He was HB Ari Gowder, a great visionary and leader of the Badaga community of the Nilgiris. And his life, as gleaned from various sources, including a 1935 Who’s Who and the internet, makes for interesting reading.

Rao Bahadur Hubbathalai J Bellie Gowder, made his fortune in laying the tracks of the Nilgiri Mountain Railway, which was completed in 1908. His wealth made him a leading member of his community, and his clansmen came to him for advice on several issues. Bellie Gowder founded a free school in his native village, Hubbathalai, an institution that still functions. He passed away in 1935.

Bellie Gowder’s son, Ari, was born in 1893. His father ensured that he was educated in the modern sense and he graduated from Madras Christian College. Though he was to consider himself a contractor and a planter, it was in politics and social uplift that Ari Gowder was to make a mark. In 1923, he became the first Badaga to be elected to the Madras Legislative Council of which he was a member until 1934. In the 1940s, he was elected to the Madras Legislative Assembly. When the Rajaji government introduced Prohibition in 1937, he led the challenge of enforcing it in the Nilgiris, of which area he was also the first non-official to become District Board President. Ari Gowder was also active in the Scouts Movement. Another contribution of his was the establishment of the Nilgiris Cooperative Marketing Society, which eliminated the stranglehold middlemen had over the simple mountain people. He was also a Director of the Badaga Land Mortgage Bank.

While the sympathies of most of his community lay with the Congress, Ari Gowder, given that he was President of the Backward Classes League, leaned more towards the Justice Party, which was active till the 1930s. That probably explains the road in Mambalam being named after him. Neighbouring Theyagaroya Nagar or T Nagar, developed in the 1920s when the Justice Party was in power and most of the roads, parks and streets there are named after its leaders. Legend also has it that a large chunk of land adjoining the Mambalam Railway Station was his, which he donated for developmental work. Like his father, Ari Gowder too received the title of Rao Bahadur from the British Government, in 1943.

In 1946, Ari Gowder was defeated in the Assembly elections. But in 1952 he contested successfully as an independent. He was to remain an independent for the rest of his career. He passed away in 1971.

How did Ari Gowder Road morph into Ariya Gowda Road? And should it not be just Ari Road?

The Hindu : Cities / Chennai : The story of Ariya Gowda.

  To read more about Ari Gowda go here

There are many Badagas spread around the globe, who are highly talented. Radhakrishna Mathan from Kil Kundha is one such gentleman.

Radhakrishnan (fondly called as MRK), had his schooling at Kil-Kundah  and Coonoor. Graduated from PSG College of Arts & Science, Coimbatore and moved on to Chennai for his post-graduation in Social Work at Madras School of Social Work, a prestigious institution for social work education in South India. He specialized in Personnel Management

Ever since, he has been having a successful career in Human Resource Management field for the past 38 Years.

He owes much to his parents for his upbringing, education and success in his career. He is blessed with a loving wife and two sons and based at Chennai since 2002. 

He was the founding President of Badaga Association, Hosur. Has been an active member in Badagar Welfare Association of Chennai (BWACH) and was the Secretary of the body for 4 years till 2020. He was at the helm of affairs to successfully conduct the Golden Jubilee Celebrations of the association in 2019, a landmark event for the pioneering association of our community.

He is very passionate about music of late, started singing on stage. He prefers to sing mostly the numbers by the legendary singer of yester years P.B.Srinivos as his preferred voice. He had also had the opportunity to perform on stage in the presence of the legends, Shri.M.S.Viswanathan and Shri.P.B.Srinivos,  way back in 2007.  His hobbies include drawing and painting.

His long time passion is to recreate some of the popular melodies from Hindi and Tamil film music with lyrics in Baddaga Language purely as an experiment. With this effort he has recently written and sung the song “Ninagagi Naanu, Enagagi Neenu” with  the background of a very popular old Hindi melody which has caught of the attention of music lovers across our community.

Click this link to listen to his song here Nine Gaagi

He can be reached by email at  radsmrk2012@gmail.com  and by mobile at +919840197788

Dr. R. Rajammal, who is a President Awardee, Woman Achiever, Educationist & Social Ambassador, from Kethorai is well known to all of us.

She writes,

On 8th of June, I had the opportunity to meet Madam INNOCENT DIVYA, IAS, District Collector of our beautiful Nilgiris.In fact it was a long awaited moment. I just wanted to congratulate her for the wonderful services rendered to Nilgiris and Nilgirians. She was very receptive. Too simple and humble. I had an interaction for about 15 minutes. No doubt, she is a WONDER WOMAN…! On request she accepted to wear the shawl, like Badagas, a token of respect for our community. I loved it. I will very happy if you could post it in your web site. I think she deserves this appreciation.

I and my wife had met Ms. Innocent Divya during the death anniversary -ceremony of Rao Bahadur Ari Gowder, organised by the NCMS at Ooty and had a long interaction with her. Highly impressed with her and her plans for the Nilgiris. Her actions during this Covid -19 pandemic are highly appreciated. – Wg.Cdr.JP

It is with the deepest regrets, we record the death of Mrs.Rukmani Bhojraj on 29th May, 2020 at her residence in Mount Pleasant, Coonoor. She was 86 years old.

She was living with her youngest daughter Mrs.Tara Jayaprakash, grand son Abhimanyu Ari and son in law Wg.Cdr.Bellie Jayaprakash. Her grand daughter Pakshalika Nanji lives in London with her husband Rishim Sachdeva and son Shaiel.

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 was one such Badaga woman.

Daughter of Badaga leader from Kundhey Ketchigatty B.K.Bella Gowder, daughter in law of the greatest Badaga Leader Rao Bahadur Hubbathalai Ari Gowder and was married to Bhojraj who was a South India Golf Champion in 1950s apart from other achievements. She had lived a life full of grit and determination, in-spite of severe physical impediments. She was a source of strength and inspiration to all those who have known her. Her hospitality was legendary.

May her soul Rest In Peace

NakkuBetta TV channel is devoted to Badagas of the Blue Mountains. Naduhatti Ramakrisha,owner of this TV Channel, is doing a great job,

In this particular episode on May 15th, which is celebrated as Badaga Day, (in many places it is celebrated this as ARI GOWDA day also), the focus is on Edappalli Raghu Joghee, a very good photographer. His book HABBA will be published soon

I am grateful to Raghu Joghee for mentioning about me and the website http://www.badaga.co (more than 703,000 hits) in his interview. Click the pix above for full interview.

Nakkubetta TV is being embedded in our website as a separate page

Wg.Cdr.JP

Today (15th May) is Badaga  Day !

Also, celebrated as Ari Gowda day!!

Proud to be an Indian : : Proud to be a Badaga

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(From the archieves)

Badaga Day 2009

Some snaps taken on Badaga Day by Ravi Bal Raj

From ‘the Hindu’ issue dated 16 May 2009

Enthusiasm marks Badaga Day fete Special Correspondent

Photo: D. Radhakrishnan

Paying respects: The founder-secretary, Young Badagas Association, T.B. Ramamurthy, garlanding the bust of Badaga leader H.B. Ari Gowder in Udhagamandalam on Friday. —

Udhagamandalam: Though exchanging greetings and enquiring about each other’s welfare repeatedly is a prominent cultural trait of the Badagas of the Nilgiris, it was done with accentuated enthusiasm on Friday.

The reason: May 15 has for the past 15 years been observed as Badaga Day.

Clad in their spotless white traditional dress, hundreds of Badagas from various parts of the Nilgiris district and places like Chennai, Coimbatore, Tirupur, Tiruchi, Hosur, Mettupalayam and Mumbai congregated at the Young Badaga Association (YBA) hall here and reflected on the state of affairs in the community even as they enjoyed the cultural programmes organised for their pleasure. The celebrations were set in motion after obeisance was paid to late H.B. Ari Gowder of Hubbathalai village, the widely acknowledged leader of the community who a few decades ago had done a lot to lift the Badagas socially and economically.

A bust of Mr. Gowder within the premises of the Nilgiris Cooperative Marketing Society was garlanded by the founder-secretary of the YBA, T.B. Ramamurthy, of Dhavani village. His contributions were read out.

Flag hoisted

Earlier the Badaga flag was hoisted at the YBA by a senior member of the community T.M. Kullan.

Interacting with ‘The Hindu’, the participants said that the occasion would be utilised to reiterate the community’s long-standing demand for inclusion in the list of Scheduled Tribes.

If fulfilled, it would ensure social security for the community, which is identified only with the Nilgiris.

Adverting to the rich and hoary culture of the community, they said that in whichever part of the world Badagas may have settled they should not lose sight of their moorings or compromise on the cultural front.

While highest priority should be accorded to unity, family values should be given importance and ego clashes should be eschewed.

Acts of selfishness which may do irreversible damage to families and the community should be avoided.

BADAGA DAY

Badaga Flag

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.

Badaga Day – 15 May 2007

Ari Gowder’s photo being opened, Porangadu Seeme Gowda Bheema Gowder addressing the gathering, Part of the crowd, Ari gowder’s daughter in law Mrs.Rukmani Bhojraj being honoured with a ‘ponnadai’ Shawl

While I was proud and honoured to attend the function this year, what saddened me is the fact that there seems no unity among the Badagas what with trivial and minor disputes resulting in boycott of this function by certain hattis at the behest of their ‘Gowdas’. I beleive, in the earlier years, this function attracted a lot of crowd. To add more dismay, there was a parallel Badagar Day celebrations at Ooty, organised by some self appointed Badaga leaders along with corrupt self serving and discredited politicians.

At Nattakal function, I was pleasantly surprised to see BADAGA FLAG being hoisted. Badaga Flag is completety white and I felt, it is appropriate that white colour has been chosen, as the same is totally identified with badagas [due to our dress] as well as HETHE AMMA etc.

In the function, many prominent Gowdas spoke and high lighted the contribution of Rao Bahadur Ari Gowder to our community.

It was also announced by the family of Ari Gowder (by his grand daughter Tara Jayaprakash & myself) that from next academic year onwards, three girls and three boys [from the Badagas] who get the first three positions in plus two exams will be given a cash incentive of Rs.3000,Rs.2000 & Rs.1000 each. This amount will be distributed during the next badaga day (in 2008) at Nattakal. Also, we announced that for the benefit of all those badagas who have to go to Mettupalayam and stay there due to sickness, can stay, along with their family members, in two houses located at ‘Ari Gowder Thottam’, Edayarpalayam road [near housing unit colony]. A nominal fee (to meet electrical & water charges etc) may be charged. The duration of stay could be from a couple of days to a few weeks. (For details please contact ; Wing Commander Bellie Jayaprakash at 9244923145 or 9486631864).

Towards the end of the function, a sad incident of an eye being removed from Maasi Hethai from Aravenu Village was revealed. It was mentioned that the doctors at an eye hospital at Coimbatore, due to their total neglect and callous attitude, removed her GOOD eye instead of the person lying in the next bed in the hospital. She produced photocopies of her stay and medical history. Her case was highlighted by Mrs.Indu K Mallah, Badaga activist who was also a member of the Nilgiri District Cosumer Court for five years. She strongly recommended that this case be taken up for suitable compensation by the concerned hospital.

Maasi Hethe’s case being highlighted by Mrs.Indu K Mallah

The function concluded with lunch (briyani with pachadi) being served to all those who attended the meeting.

This function was covered by CTN Cable TV network . Incidentally, CTN has a lot of Badaga content in their programmes with songs, dances, serials etc. Hats off to them and do not miss their Badaga programmes if you are in their coverage area (Coonoor & Kotagiri surroundings).

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As announced, our offer of free accomodation  at Mettupalayam for looking after sick persons was utilised by [retired head constable] Bhoja Gowder from Horasolai Village for the benefit of his wife Lakshmi Ammal. After staying in Mettupalayam for a few months, he has taken her back to hatti on 12-02-08.

Incidentally, Bhoju [as I call him] is a famous football player and in his hay days represented Tamil Nadu Police.

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No articles, images and other material in this website can be reproduced without the written permission of

Wing Commander Bellie Jayaprakash B.E.(GCT,Madras Univ).,M.B.A (FMS, Delhi Univ)

Contact : bjaypee@gmail.com

belliejayaprakash©2010

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Wing commander Bellie Jayaprakash’s other website from the heart for some ‘light’ reading

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