Tribes of Niligiris

Photo courtesy:http://www.nilgiris.tn.gov.in

Hut of the Todas(Left) The traditional Toda(Right)

The "Todas"also know as Tudas / Tudavans / Todar are one of the primitive tribal groups in Tamil Nadu,India.The name "Todas" is derived from the "Tud tree",which is a sacred tree for the Todas.The Todas language dialect is an independent language which has influence of Tamil and Malayalam.The Todas live in a unique hut that is barrel shaped.

Photo courtesy:http://www.nilgiris.tn.gov.in
Kothas perforing their traditional dance

The "Kothas",live in Kothagiri.They are the artisans who are good in carpentry,metal works and pottery.Unlike the Todas the Kothas have excelled in education and are employed in many Government and private sectors.

The "Kurumbas" who are another sector in the tribes are traditional food gatherers as per occupation.They collect honey and produce.Due to their nature of work the Kurumbas stay in temporary houses called "Gudlu"

Photo courtesy:http://www.nilgiris.tn.gov.in
The Kurumbas and Irulas performing the tribal dance

The "Irulas" stay in parts of Kothagiri and Conoor.Earlier the Irulas were engaged in collecting few forest produce and took care of cattle.

The "Mullukurumbas" belong to Gudalur and they are one of the most primitive tribes as they still use bow and arrow for hunting.

The "Paniyas"(or workers) are inhabitants of Gudalur.They are considered to be one of the most backward tribes.The Paniyas were the sect of tribes who were bonded laborers earlier.Now most of them help in agriculture.

The "Kattunaikans" are another group of tribes who belong to Gudulur.

Niligiris District

Photo courtesy:http://www.nilgiris.tn.gov.in
The Niligiris District

The Niligiris district comprises of Panthalur,Gudalur,Udhagamandalam,Kothagiri,Conoor and Kundah.The Niligiris is very dear to me as i have memories of visiting Ooty, annually when i was a child.I remember tourisng Ooty with my parents,grandparents and my brother.As i am a dog lover i used to visit Ooty annually for the dog shows combied with the annual flower show in Ooty.I had a brief visit to Conoor as my friend who lives there hosted me a visit there with her family.It was a memorable visit during my college days.
Ooty is the most famous in the Niligiris.Ooty is also known as Udhagamandalam is the "Queen of hill stations" and the capital of Nilgiris district.Nilgiris - "Blue Mountains"used to be a summer getaway for the Britishers during the colonial days.Ooty is situated at an altitude of 2,240 meters above sea level.Ooty was discovered by the Britishers in the year 1819,the roads connecting Coimbatore(Mettupalayam) to Ooty was laid by Mr. John Sullivan(the then Collector of Coimbatore),Mr. S.R.Lushington(the then Governor) and few others.The inhabitants of Ooty speak the native Badaga language.Apart from Badaga,languages like Tamil, Kannada, Hindi, Malayalam and English are also spoken.The toy train that starts from Mettupalayam to Conoor is a unique expience to view the tea estates and greenery of the Niligiri mountains.Ooty has numerous tea estates that eventually made it famous.The annual "Tea and Tourism festival" attracts large crowds.

Photo courtesy:http://www.nilgiris.com
Toy train

The localites in the Niligiris celebrate the thaipoosam in Elk Hill Murugan Temple (February), Bookkapuram Mariamman Annual Festival (February), Ooty Mariamman Temple Festival (April) and the Coonoor Mariamman Temple Festival (April).Apart from that the boat races and boat Pageantry in Ooty (May),flower show in Ooty (May) and fruit show in Coonoor (May) are visited by both national and the international tourists.

Avinashi

Photo Courtesy :http://en.wikipedia.org/(Left) & http://rprabhu.blogspot.com(Right)
Avinashiappar temple(Left) & Avinashi temple car(Right)

Avinashi is a small town situated near Tirupur in Tamil Nadu.Avinashi is located in between Tirupur and Coimbatore.Avinashi was known as "Thirupukkaliyur" in the ancient times. It is famous for the Shiva temple.The present structure of the temple was originally built by the king of Kongu Chola, PandyaHoySalar and the King of Mysore.In 1756 Krishna Raja Udayar of Mysore renovated the temple.Avinashi is also referred as Dakshina Varanasi(Varnasi of the South).The Cholas, Pandyas and the Hoysalas have made their architectural contributions to the temples.The car festival is the most exciting of the festivals in this temple. This temple's car (ratham) is noted for its fine wooden carvings.There are many textile mills located in and around this town. These textile mills comprise spinning and weaving mills that work closing with various apparel manufacturing companies in Coimbatore and Tirupur. There are also many engineering industries. Agriculture is the major occupation of many of the people in and around this town.

Rakkiapalayam

Rakkiapalayam is a village near Avinashi where my husband belongs.Being married for two years now though i visit Rakkiapalayam often i got to visit the Avinashi temple only a few months back during my recent visit to India.My husband says he has fond memories of the temple as they used to visit the temple every week.