Badagas of the Blue Mountains

50th Death Anniversary of Rao Bahadur H B Ari Gowder

04 – 12 – 1883 to 28 – 06 – 1971

Great Indian, Great Badaga

Homage was paid at NCMS, Compound today (28-6-2021)

see – > ARI GOWDER -the undisputed Badaga leader | Badagas of the Blue Mountains

Rao Bahadur Ari Gowder’s 50th Death Anniversary falls on 28th June 2021.

As part of paying our homage to this great Badaga , we proposed a song competition for young Badagas under 25 years to sing OLD Badaga Songs (either from old dramas or traditional ones based on our culture) to Nakkubetta TV Ramakrishna.

With a prize money of Rs.5000 each to five girls and five boys (totalling Rs.50,000) donated by Abhimanyu Ari Jayaprakash, Mrs.Tara Jayaprakash and Wing Commander Bellie Jayaprakash along with Baby Shaiel, Mrs.Pakshalika Jayaprakash & Rishim (London).

We are grateful to NakkubettaTV Ramakrisha to not only accept our proposal but to make it a grand affair to broadcast the winning selected songs on 28-6-21 as Badugu Kathe Gakalu

As a prelude he anchored a programme on 23/06/21 evening.

We are looking for a match for a Badaga boy in his early forties, never married. From a well known, respectable family, looking after the ancestral properties. Highly educated and talented. With liberal views. Involved in social activities.

The girl in her late thirties, married earlier, divorced – no problems.

Contact with details at bjaypee@gmail.com or send SMS to 9486631864. All details will be kept confidential and not shared.

Do you have something to say?… a thought, a feeling , a comment or for that matter anything  straight from your heart on Badaga, or on this website.

Only request is KISS – ‘Keep It SHORT Sweety’

I have added below the contact/comment ‘form’ where you can fill the details and give your thought or  feeling  …… a free expression.   Please keep it short and do not be personal or offensive. 

Here is the FIRST response to  ‘DO YOU’ from Sofiajoghee from Singapore.

For more responses, see below

Topic:  Praying to Hethai Amma

I have no criticism on any religion or praying methods. Th only aim I think is to merge with our soul creator. So, I learnt a few techniques that would lead to the attainment of realization, healing and Samadhi if followed with discipline.

When I see we say we follow Hindu culture, however, our community is completely lacking in the growth in these areas except for the stories of Hethai Amma Eera Masi, who I was told vanished into the space when she found Iyya as a spirit after he was dead.

I am not sure how far my understanding of the story is true, because I have heard many versions of this stories from many people. So, I believe, she existed and was a great being. We have taken principles of her life to be followed in our life as well.

But end of the day, we need to reach a point which will lead us to eternity, and methods that can lead us to our creator. Do we have any such methods of prayers?

Even though Hethai Amma is a  mother goddess (we believe so), we don’t allow women who try keeping the house clean over the Hethai Amman festival time to enter the temple. why are all these still in place.

If we understand the true value soul and the purpose of it, we shouldn’t have such practices, but strive towards one goal, because soul is always in its purest form. It is the intention of any person that needs to be pure when they pray, and not based on any division on color, sex, caste or creed.

Does our prayer practice have any such development helps? Kindly let me know if you have any pointers.

If not, don’t you too feel there is something we lack and its time for us to learn. Since we don’t have such learnings, many are changing converting their religion where their souls are motivated. nothing to blame, but every time soul is in search to reach Shiva.  So, how to teach such things to all?

Responses

N. SENTHIL [Baralatty] – insenthil.593@gmail.com
Songs are nice
A feeling
SIVAKUMAR.B (Ex-Havildar and presently serving as Sub Post Master of Chamraj Estate Post Office), Muckimalai Village, 9655761571 [exnilgirisivakumar@gmail.com]
Sir, While observing present prevailing scenario, the politics cannot be out of YBA. I think it is better to disband the existing YBA and people like you can start new Badaga Association and I will be proud to be a new member of that Association.
A comment
N Bellie (LIC) [ bellielic@hotmail.com ]
It is a great Pleasure to my Father’s (M K Nanja Gowder) and my Grand Father’s (M Kala Gowder)efforts to bring the “Karu harusuvathu”, is being published in your Website, enable most of our people know about it. I thank Wg Cdr Jayaprakash Bellie for it.
And one more edition of Karu Harusuvathu in the form of DVD, brought by my Cousin Mr Ashok Gandhi , S/o Sri M Ajja Gowder, then Maniyagar of Ketti Village, with the full description of Karu Harusuvathu by Poojyasree Manu Swamy(Yellanalli Samy)
A feeling
K S Iyer [iyer.sadasivam@gmail.com]
I love Badagas from my inner heart. I studied in school days with Badgas in the Nilgiri valley . I like Badga family ritutal and ring dances. They are very simple and laborious. The traditional songs are very melodious, with full of energetic rhythm. The girls are intelligent and beautiful.
A thought
Sureshkumar [sk6427098@gmail.com]
I like Baduga songs
A feeling
Sengamalam [ j_senga@yahoo.co.in] Badaga , the innocent soul Badaga, the village joy Badaga, the sweet raga Badaga, the NA2 Badaga, the badaga dance Badaga, the best of all……
A thought
BABU.M [ byangi_babu@yahoo.co.in] 1.MORAY should be liberal to some extend. 2.STRONG & GOOD DEDICATED Leader is to be found. 3.All are BADUGAS nobody should be separated. BADUGU KALACHARA THALAIVARU (like DALAI LAMA) is to be found.

Badaga or as some like to call Badagu /Badugu, is a ‘classic‘ and independent language spoken by Badagas of the Blue Mountains or the Nilgiri hills, in north -west Tamil Nadu, bordering Karnataka and Kerala.

Though it is unique by itself, it can be said to be akin to Halaiya (old) Kannada more than any Dravidian language. But due to the geo – political reasons, it is more and more identified with Tamil.

Unfortunately, some over enthusiastic scholars and elders have been trying to eliminate the sound ‘ha -ஹ ‘ which is an integral part of the Badaga language and replace it with ‘ah- அ ‘ with some unacceptable justification that these letters (as well as letter like Ja ஜ, Sa ஸ, Sha ஷ ) do not form part of pure/classical Tamil though they are very much in day to day usage. .

Let me elaborate and justify why ha and other letters, like ஜ, ஸ, ஷ etc should remain as a core letters/sounds in Badaga.

A Badaga village is known as Hatti (ஹட்டி) and not as அட்டி.

Our deity Goddess is Hethe – ஹெத்தே and not Athe எத்தே

Some day to day words starting with ha

Ha – ஹ – yes, (Ha ennu – ஹ என்னு – Say yes)

Hagey – ஹகெ – enmity

Haavu – ஹாவு – snake

Hoo – ஹூ – flower, instect

Hui – ஹூய் – hit, tamarind

HaNa – ஹண Money

Hachche – ஹச்செ -Green(alive)

Hallu – ஹல்லு – tooth/teeth

Habba – ஹப்பா – festival

Hannu – ஹண்ணு – fruit

Haddhu – ஹட்து – eagle

Haththu – ஹத்து – ten, climb

Haalu – ஹாலு – milk,

Haavu – ஹாவு – snake

HaLLa – ஹள்ள – river

Hasu – ஹஸு – hunger,

Haasu – ஹாஸு – spread

Hade – ஹடெ -lie down

Haada – ஹாட -plain

HaNe – ஹணே – grass field

HeNa – ஹெண – dead body

Hidi – ஹிடி – catch

Hegilu – ஹெகிலு – shoulder

Hemmaththi – ஹெம்மாத்தி – female/lady/wife

Hendharu – ஹெண்டரு – wife

Hesaru – ஹெசரு – name

Hola – ஹொல – field

Honnu – ஹொன்னு -bridal money ( Rs200 given to the bride’s father to confirm the wedding)

Hogu – ஹோகு – go (Hoittu Banne – ஹோய்ட்டு பன்னெ -good bye)

Horasu – ஹொராசு -outside

Hotte – ஹொட்டெ – stomach

Hoththu – ஹொத்து – sun

Huttu – ஹுட்டு – (blood) relative (huttu Nattu – ஹுட்டு நட்டு – family & friends)

Hudichchu – ஹுடிச்சு -dress up

Huli – ஹுலி – tiger

Huri – ஹுரி – fry ( Huri madakke – a clay pot with a hole used for frying)

HuNNu – ஹுண்ணு – wound

HuNNavae – ஹுண்ணவெ – Full Moon

Hubbathale – ஹுப்பதலெ Hullikkallu – ஹுலிக்கல்லு, Hatti hesaruguva – Names of villages

The importance and necessity of retaining these sounds/letters like Ha ஹ, Ja ஜ, Sa ஸ, Sha ஷ

Jana ஜன – people
Janni ஜன்னி – cold
Jakkadha –  ஜக்கத –  the famous hatti (village)

Hethe nangava Harichali – ஹெத்தே நங்கவ ஹரிச்சலி Let Hethe bless us !

R Anandhan has been doing research on Badaga hatti (village names) for the past thirty years. He has also developed a Badaga/Badagu script.

He has written and published a book entitled Badugu Place Names Deciphered. I have known Anandhan and marvelled at the depth of his knowledge on Badaga.

Badugu Place Names Deciphered is a groundbreaking piece of research into the true origin of words referring to place names in Baḍugu, especially those of Baḍuga hamlets and villages and places around them is quite interesting. It has both linguistic and historical significance. The place names bear ample evidence to the fact that Baḍugu is a primitive Draviḍian language spoken by a primitive Draviḍian tribe called Baḍuga of Nīlagiri (the Nilgiris).

Priced at Rs.240/- This book is available from

Notion Press Bookstore
https://notionpress.com/read/badugu-place-names-deciphered

Amazon
https://www.amazon.in/Badugu-Place-Names-Deciphered-Anandhan/dp/1639400117/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=badugu+place+names+deciphered&qid=1622888837&sr=8-1

Flipkart
https://www.flipkart.com/search?q=badugu%20place%20names%20deciphered&otracker=search&otracker1=search&marketplace=FLIPKART&as-show=on&as=off

This day, last year (2020) Mrs.Rukmani Bhojraj, left this world.

We remember her with love and respect on her First death anniversary

As the daughter in law of Rao Bahadur H B Ari Gowder and daughter of Kundah Ketchigatti B K Bella Gowder, she single handedly, helped in safe guarding the name and fame of the great visionaries of the Badaga community.

Mrs.Rukmani Bhojraj

(19 Feb 1937 – 29 May 2020)

We pay our humble homage and pray that her soul Rest In Eternal Peace

Grandson Ari Abhimanyu Jayaprakash, grand daughter Pakshalika Nanji Jayaprakash (with great grandson Shaiel and grand in law Rishim), daughter Tara Jayaprakash and son in law Wing Commander Bellie Jayaprakash

Badaga Migration – the myth and the MISTAKE

The Professor who corrected the colonial blunder about Badaga migration !!!

Ethnography is the study of peoples and cultures with their customs, habits, and mutual differences. Ever since, British rule in 1800, foreign Ethnographers have been studying the native people of Nilgiris.

Ethnographic and general accounts of Nilgiris and its people began with Evans Macpherson (1820) followed by James Hough (1829), Henry Harkness (1832), Bernhard Schmid (1837),  Harry Congreve(1847), Richard Burton (1851), Rev.Metz (1856), John Shrott (1868), William Marshall (1873), Breeks (1873), Grigg (1880), Edgar Thurston and Natesa Sastri (1898), Francis (1906) and Rivers (1908). This was followed by local writers and later by Western scholars from America, Germany, UK and so on.

They wrote about the different communities on the Nilgiris  including the Badagas. They had their different viewpoints. But they had one common view. That is,  Badagas migrated from Karnataka some 300 or 500 or 800 years ago. Every writer repeated this religiously as if it was a God given truth. Many Badaga scholars and elders have questioned this conclusion over the years.

But where is the evidence?

Gareth Davey is UK scholar with a Ph.D in Anthropology and Psychology. He has authored several books and articles on varied subjects and has done extensive work in Asia. In 2018 he wrote a book, ‘Quality of Life and Well Being in an Indian Ethnic Community: The Case of Badagas’.

He reviewed all the literature written about the Badagas over the past 200 years and raised a simple, basic question- Where is the evidence to show Badagas migrated from Karnataka? The hundreds of books written till then had only one evidence- some Badagas told they came from Mysore. Who were they? On what basis they said that? Did they show any evidence? Nothing was known.

Now, Prof. Davey asks how so many scholars from so many countries repeated the same claim in their books without looking for any evidence- anthropological, archeological, and historical or any other source. No scholar, Indian or Western, has come forward with any evidence.

The problem, Prof. Davey, is that all these scholars seemed to have made up their mind about Badaga migration even before studying or researching the Badagas. 

Prof. Davey categorically states, “Badagas have been misrepresented in the literature with a migrant identity. Grammatical homogeneity of Badagu and the language of Kotas, Kurumbas and Todas might indicate they have always resided in the Nilgiri hills. Also genetic studies show Badagas share similarities with other indigenous people of Nilgiris.

In summary, separation of Badagas from other people based on history and migration seems unfounded”.  It is poetic justice that it has taken a UK scholar to undo the injustice of a 200 year old Colonial Blunder !!! 

– Venugopal Dharmalingam (Nilgiri Documentation Centre)

Badagas have been living around the world for quite some time now.

And some of them have reached commanding heights in their respective fields and profession. Some have come to occupy higher positions in the land of choice and living.

One such person is Dr. Jagdhish Krishnan , from Dhimbatty, Kotagiri. He was elected to the Forty-First Parliament for Riverton, Western Australia on 13 March 2021.

He made an excellent maiden speech where he spoke a few words in Badaga and Tamil.

**********************

WE made a request to Dr. J. Krishnan to send details about his family and the great journey he has taken to reach his present position and received the following reply.

Thank you Sir and Mr. Mark Fahey

Dear Dr. J Krishnan,

Hearty congratulations for being the First MP in Australia from TN, India. I heard your excellent maiden speech in the Parliament and it made us very proud. Very nice to hear both Badaga and Tamizh in your speech.

I want to write an article about you and hence request you to kindly send me details about your family and the great journey you have had to reach this position. The details will also figure in the page  “First Badaga”. It should be a great inspiration to other Indians in general and Badagas in particular. Please send some photos also.

I will greatly appreciate for an early reply from you.
With warm regards,
Wg Cdr Bellie Jayaprakash (JP)

Dear Wing Commander Jayaprakash,

Thank you for your very kind words. Jags has been humbled to receive correspondence from all around the world, including esteemed people such as yourself, and he’s been overawed with the feedback. Your message brought a smile to his face when I passed it on.

Your website is very impressive! Thank you for posting a video of Jags giving his maiden speech. I will endeavour to get more details from Jags on his family history and should be able to supply you with some idea of my winding path to WA Parliament. I will try and get this to you as soon as possible.

Thanks very much again for your message. It means a lot.

Kindest regards,

Mark Fahey

Research Officer for Dr Jags Krishnan MLA, WA Labor Member for Riverton

E: Jags.Krishnan@mp.wa.gov.au  |  E: Mark.Fahey@mp.wa.gov.au

Badagas are one of the native tribes of the Nilgiris, in South India, called the Blue Mountains. Badaga dance is all about grace and style. It is a wonderful sight when a group of ladies dance together. During the funerals, the ladies of the parental village [hatti] of the deceased woman, dance going around the cot [kattalu] to the music provided by the ‘host’ hatti musicians. This particular video was shot during the funeral of a lady of Bikkatti married to Hubbathalai Hatti. The singer is Nandakumar from Mel Bikkatti. My sincere thanks to all.

youtube link -> clich here

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Badaga Jewellery with all its glory