Badaga Songs on the web

A lot of you have been writing about my choice of  the “BADAGA SONGS ON THE WEB” and how to listen and download the same.

The easiest way is to go to this weblog of mine. Enjoy while it lasts !

Hethay Amma and Gayatri Chalisa

I am not a very religious person in the ’strictest’ sense of the word. But I am a proud Hindu and consider all religions to be equal. I am a staunch believer of HETHAY [HETHE] Amma. I pray to Her everyday.Recently I came across ‘GAYATRI CHALISA’, supposed to be the most powerful 40 verses of prayer along with GAYATRI MANTRA. It is in Sanskrit and I do not understand most of them.The English translation makes a lot more sense.

The similarities of HETHAY AMMA and GAYATRI MATA are striking and too numerous to list, elaborate and explain. For one, BOTH are clad in spotless white and formless

GAYATRI CHALISA
HRIM SHRIM KLIM MADHYA PRABHAA
JEEVANA JYOTI PRACHAND
SHAANTI, KRANTI, JAGRUTA, PRAGATI,
RACHANAA, SHAKTI AKHAND

Oh holy Mother Gayatri, you are the first to relieve pain, the first to satisfy and the first to bestow bliss. You are the super-intelligent, bright light of life. You are peace, awakening change, progress and incessant creative power………..

SHAASHWATA SATOGUNI SATAROOPAA
SATYA SANATANA SUDHA ANOOPAA.
HAMSAAROODHA SITAAMBER DHAARI
SWARNA KAANTI SHUCHI GAGANA BIHAARI.

Having a swan as her vahana [carrier] Holy Mother Gayatri is clad in spotless white. Her lustrous form dazzles like gold. Betaker of the heavenly route, O Mother, you are the embodiment of everlasting ‘satwa guna’ [noble qualities] as well as truth incarnate [noble form] and dispenser of unique nectar like bliss…………

Go here to read and listen to the complete GAYATRI CHALISA and GAYATRI  MANTRA  go here

to the page Hethay Amma

But when you listen to Gayatri Chalisa and Mantra, they have a divine, calming effect on you.

So, listen to Gayatri Chalisa here

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Gayatri Mantra

OM BHOOR BHUWAH SWAHA
TAT SAVITUR VARENYAM |
BHARGO DEVASAYA DHEEMAHI
DHIYO YO NAHA PRACHODAYAT ||

ॐ भूर्भुव: स्व: तत्सवितुर्वरेन्यं । भर्गो देवस्य धीमहि, धीयो यो न: प्रचोदयात् ।।

ஓம் பூர் புவ ஸவ | தத் ஸவிதூர் வரேண்யம் |

பர்கோ தேவச்ய தீமஹி | தியோ யோன பிரசோதயத் ||

[Oh God! Thou art the Giver of Life, Remover of pain and sorrow, The Bestower of happiness, Oh! Creator of the Universe, May we receive thy supreme sin-destroying light, May Thou guide our intellect in the right direction]

Gayatri Mantra, the most important prayer, inspires wisdom and is also a prayer to the “giver of light and life” – the sun (savitur),’Hothu/Suriyanu’ in Badaga.

Listen to Gayatri Mantra here or here

To read the complete GAYATRI CHALISA and listen to both Gayatri Chalisa and Gayatri Mantra go here

to the page Hethay Amma

Most of the information has been taken from the net and may Goddess Gayatri bless all those authors who have put so much info on the net so that they are freely available to any one.

I will try and explain the similarities and attempt to make a HETHAY Chalisa [Prayer to Hethay] soon.

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A prayer to Hethe in Badaga

[since Badaga language does not have a script, it is given in English and Tamil]

SINNADHA KODAI IDUTHU; SINGARADHA NADAI NADADHU;
BETHU DHADI YA HEGALUGE ETHI….. HETTAI
NEE SATHIYADHA VAAKA HEGI;SANDHOSHA MATHA THORI;
SEEMAIGA SIRI THORA BAA….SEMAIGA SIRI THORA BAA,

HA HA HETTAI OH OH HETTAI ANANDA MADINIYO ODI BAA HETTAI

சின்னத கொடை ஹிடுத்து; சிங்காரத நடை நடது
பெத்து தடியா ஹெகலுக எத்தி…..
ஹெத்தை நீ சத்தியத வாக்க ஹேகி;
சந்தோஷ மாத்த தோரி;

ஹா ஹா ஹெத்தை ஒ ஒ ஹெத்தை ;
ஆனந்த மாடிநியோ ஓடி பா ஹெத்தை !

[The above Hethe Song in Tamil fonts is 'coded' in html. Idea courtesy - Gopinath & Dev_ Mathan at badaga.org]

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

First Badaga etc

An email I recd on 10 Dec 2009 from

L. Gandhi
Lecturer, Guruvayurappan Institute of Management,
Coimbatore

Dear Wg Cdr  B Jayaprakash,

I felt very happy to see a list of first Badagas in various fields in your website. This is really commanding work. There should be many more First Badagas either studied or worked in India’s leading institutes like IIT, IIM, IISc, etc., why don’t we make a call to all members in understanding the First Badaga IIT, First Badaga IIM, IISc etc.

For instance

Dr. Hariprakash from my hatti (Soraigundu, Ketti) has completed his doctorate from IISc, Bangalore and received young scientist award from HP in Japan.

I do not know he is the first badaga in that category, but if we ask the details, we can zero down. This is my suggestion to you.

JP’s reply >Hello Gandhi, Thanks a lot for your email and I am taking the liberty of putting it up in my blog.

As I have said in my site, I have been requesting our friends to send me info on First Badaga and on other matters so that the same can be incorporated but I hardly get any info. I am sure, even if not First Badaga, the achievements of many of our Badagas are bound to be a source of inspiration to the future generations. First Badaga from the leading institutions like IIT, IISc, IIM must find a place. Only info is not available. If you can pl send more info abt Dr.Hariprasad with a pix, if possible.

11-12-2009 Email from

Dr. B. S. Krishnamoorthy, Post-Doctoral Research Assistant
University of Paris, France,

Dear JP Sir,
I am very happy to say that Dr. Hariprakash is my senior and one of the motivators for me to complete my Ph.D., Certainly we have to provide a space for him in our Badaga website.

Thank you Dr. It will be my pleasure and honour to put up more info on Dr.Hariprakash and other highly educated Drs like you as I feel it will motivate our youngsters-JP.

Miracle of Hethai

Bharath Kamaraj fromPuduhatty (near Nanjanad) now living abroad had sent in this very interesting info.

It’s everyone’s pleasure to write about their hatty. And first, I like to show you a miracle. Hope you have heard about Bembatty village (my Iyyana hatty) and there they celebrate Hettai habba during January of every year. Here with I have attached a pic from google earth of Bembatty village(2008). What the miracle I’m talking about is that the Google satellite has captured the earth on the day of Bembatty Hettai habba. I was really amazed to see this for the first time a year back and I shared with all around me. Now it’s time to share with everybody with your website. I made a arrow mark against the people sitting in white dress surrounding the Temple’s tree.

Incidentally, this year (Beraganni/Peduva) Hethai Habba will be celebrated on the 4th Jan, 2010

Calling all friends in the Nilgiris

Calling the kind attention of all friends in the Nilgiris. Can you, volunteer to help out the ‘really’ affected people during the recent rain/flood havoc if assistance in cash / kind is made available? You are expected to identify the genuinely ‘affected’ without any party or political interference.

Please contact me at bjaypee@gmail.com immediately

Music from the blue mountains by Pankaja Srinivasan

(The Hindu – 07-12-2009)

They came down from the hills. To tell the plainsmen haunting stories of their beloved home. To see if they could touch a chord in their hearts. To make them aware of their homeland. They had come as part of an initiative of the Nilgiris Documentation Centre (NDC) to take part in programme called Nilgiris Nostalgia organised at the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan to pay homage to the victims of the recent devastation caused in the hills. The unprecedented rain had left many dead and homeless and had caused huge damage to property

The musical tribute began with Badaga elders rendering songs. The indigenous people of the Nilgiris have a rich oral tradition. Their history and literature has been preserved and handed down from generations by word of mouth. That evening, they shared some of that with the audience. Beginning with an invocation to goddess Hette, their main deity, who clothes their hills with verdant vegetation, the different seasons, and magic, they then sang not just about the beauty of their land but also of past hardships. They kept time with nothing more than hand claps and the simple Buguri, a cane flute.

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Homage to a Badaga Woman (from Spain)

In Oct 2009, I received an email from Mª Teresa Llop Navarro (Spain), President of a NGO called ‘ESPURNA’ which has been formed as an association for international co-operation which collaborates in helping poor families in the Nilgiris….

Read the full article in the ‘General Interest’ page

Ms.Teresa Llop also sent me the following >

A homage from Barcelona for a Badaga (tribe which lives in the Nilgiri Mountains, the majority of whom work on or are small owners of tea plantations) woman.

I left India the 18th of August and she came to visit me the week previous having just left hospital. She could barely walk but she climbed the steps little by little barefoot with swollen feet holding onto her sari which scarcely covered her breasts. She came to see my kitchen,have some tea and put flowers on the altar in my house. ( In all Indian houses there is a small altar which at nightfall is lit by an oil-lamp.On the altar are the deities for which the owner of the house feels devotion , in my case , as related to me, the deities were Saraswaty, the godess of wisdom and for Visnu the god of balance, the owner of the house being a doctor who works in the Apolo Hospital in Hydrebad.) During the time of the monsoons at the end of June, beginning of August ,in Gandinagar, a town-land on the outskirts of Ooty in the Nilgiris where we had the house, the light goes quickly in the evening and I acquired the habit of lighting the lamp then and she saw the glow from her house.She wanted to come and visit as she had never seen a white woman in the flesh before.

She entered slowly, sat on the cane sofa. I touched her feet in a sign of respect

as she made a movement as if saying “ No, no I´m not that important “I touched her feet and then my front.I prepared a tea with milk and sugar in the hindi style.She took a sip looked ar the kitchen and said “nice tea and a clean kitchen“. Her English was fairly incomprehensible.I sat beside her.Her daughter-in-law , Sarda, looked at me and then her. Viswa’s  amma closed her eyes and began to pronounce words strange to me. Now and again I heard the word –Yoga-.When she had finished, very tired and with eyes shut she lay as if asleep. Sarda said that lately she was speaking a lot of yoga, of her Master and her childhood. That she did not fell well and was in and out of hospital where they could find nothing wrong with her except old age and fatigue.Visw amma took her leave of me her last words being –Love, Master and Yoga.

The day I left the Nilgiris for Europe on an early flight she was asleep and I left a red rose at the door of her house.

This month of October I heard she had died the 28th of August.

In Barcelona I light the lamp-light on the altar in honour of mother of Viswa who will always be in my heart.

I was indeed touched by her act and am sure so will you be, too. I thank Mª Teresa Llop Navarro on behalf of all Badagas.

Badaga Origin – New Facts

Badaga Origin

Is Badaga one of the ancient Dravidian languages and predated ‘halaya’ Kannada? Is it a separate language all by itself? By inference, are Badagas one of the oldest ‘tribes’?

Arunan from Cannada has given some very interesting links which suggest Badaga language existed with old Kannada and equates it with Sangam or purana Tamil period.

“…..Some of the Kanarese too seem to have been called Vadugar. In consequence of the Andhras and the Kanarese having been called by the common name of Vadugar in the days of the Sangam, it has been surmised that they were then one race and that their language too must have been known as Vadugu and that it is only later that Kanarese must have branched off into a separate language. But llam-Ko-Adigal, the great epic-poet of the Sangam age, mentions distinctly those who speak the Kanarese language as Karunadar, and other classical writers make mention separately of the lands where Kanarese and Telugu were respectively spoken. The northern portion of the Mysore state and parts of the districts of Bellary and Anantapur seem to be known even now as Badaga-nadu and the Kanarese of those areas are known as Badaga-varu and Badaga-natti-varu. A poem of the Sangam mentions an Erumai as a ‘Vadugar chief’ in whose land flowed the river Ayiri. This is evidently the Agiri which falls into the Tungabhadra. It is this country which was probably the extreme southern limit of the Asokan empire as is evidenced from inscriptions found in the vicinity.

If these be so, it follows that the Telugus who were to the north, and the Badaga Kannadas who were to the west, of the Tamils were known generically as the Vadugar. The poet, Ma-mulanar, says that it is beyond the lands of a chief of the name of Katti that the language changed into that of the Vadugar. Perhaps the chiefs well-known as Katti-Mudaliyars in the days of the Vijayanagar empire and later belonged to the lineage of this Katti. It is worthy of note that these Katti-Mudaliyars occupied those portions of the Tamil country which Ma-mulanar assigned to Katti. There are reasons to hold that the land called Vadugar-munai and placed beyond the lands of this Katti is identical with the Badaga-nadu we have already mentioned. It is these Badagas that seem to be referred to by St. Sundara in one of his psalms on a shrine in the Kongu country…..”

The Tamils and the Andhras by PANDIT M. RAGHAVA AIYANGAR

Read the full article in Badaga Language page

This website is one of the best I have seen

Bhvaneshwari R writes  :-

This website is one of the best I have seen. Didn’t think I would find so much detail about our culture.
The history of origin of Badagas is quite fascinating. Photos are also really great.
Really good to see someone do an effort to spread awareness.
Thank you…
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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…..

Click on the pix for enlargement

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KUNDACHAPPAI KRISHNAN BELLIE has sent the following links of pix on the recent devastation of heavy rains in the Nilgiris

http://picasaweb.google.com/purnanprabhu/Depression091109DS#5403520176408453682

http://picasaweb.google.co.in/purnanprabhu/WorkedDep22#5403977827063528210

Naakku Betta – Four Mountains

The above map of Nilgiri Massif, based on Paul Hockings’s research, shows the division of Badaga Villages into the four ‘SEEMAYs’. As I have explained in the page ‘Hattis’, Badaga Villages are grouped into clusters / communes [there is no particular number as to how many villages will constitute one commune] called OORUs and these OORUs in turn constitute a NAADU or SEEMAY. It appears that initially there were only three seemays/naadus with DHODDA Betta peak being at the apex. KUNDHE NAADU / SEEMAY might have ben added later.

Incidentally,Porangadu seemay was originally known as PARANGI NAADU. The Name THODHA NAADU could have come because of many THODHAVA [TODA] settlements are in that region. In MEKKU NAADU, Mekku means West. (The four directions in Badaga ;- Mooday – east, Mekku – west, Badage – North & Thekke – south)

Incidentally, Ooty in Badaga is [H]OTHAGAY and Mettupalayam is METTUPA

To see which Village – Hatti belongs to which Seemay and for more info with pictures go to the page ‘Hattis‘

Badaga Calendar 2009

Badagas of the Blue Mountains…..their unique history, origin, culture, customs, rituals, language and lifestyle !!

Weblog of Wing Commander Bellie Jayaprakash [bjaypee@gmail.com]

Badaga Calendar 2009

Here is the calendar for Jan 2009

with Badaga month Koodalu [which starts from Jan 10th and falls into Feb 2009] being incorporated

Click for enlargementRead all about Badaga Calendar here

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இந்த தளம் தமிழில் உருவாகிக்கொண்டு இருக்கிறது

This website is, also, under construction in TAMIL

படக பாடலை கேட்க > இங்கே செல்லவும்

GUNJI HAAKUVO

Dr.Guna.Magesan, a highly educated Badaga Scholar settled in New Zealand [Guna.Magesan@scionresearch.com] has sent this email :-

Most of our Indian/Hindu kids have done this exercise in front of Lord Ganesha (especially in our younger days – before going to final exams). This is called Thoppu Karanam in Tamil and Gunji in Badaga.

If the Indian school teacher asks the student to do this exercise, we say “It is a punishment”. If an American does the same thing, we say “It is Super Brain Yoga”.

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Thangaadu L.Krishnan, another great singer

I have heard a lot about Thangaadu L.Krishnan, probably a contemporary of Kerban Bella Gowder, but only now had the opportunity to listen to his songs, courtesy Priyaraghava of Eddakkaadu. To say the least, the voice of L.Krishnan, is very unique and the more you listen to his songs, the more you want to listen. Simply great. One of the songs from the album, Priyaraghava has hosted in Cooltoad, is “Kundha Paala Roadu dhoge”…the original Badaga atta song. I remember listening to this dance number fifty years back, a song which was a must in any habba. Old timers will remember this song being referred to as ‘ Baby powder’a bekku endhagha, Bella na hennu en Janagi, Akka akka huttidha awai, ondhu jolia heghine baali’.

An album containing songs of L.Krishnan can be accessed hereBadaga Songs on the Web

The best song, as per my choice, is Ganjikke Kukkaiya Press the play button to listen or go to
‘Ganjikke Kukkiya’

You can also listen to ‘[H]alilladha’ here

or listen to ‘Banuna’ song  here

or ‘Aladhoppa Barae Nee’ here

or ‘Amma  Amma’ here

I will be grateful to any reader who can provide more info on Thanagaadu L.Krishnan [including photos] and his songs so that we can immortalise his songs like that of Kerban Bella Gowder.

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Badaga Months in ‘Kappu Huttileyu’ Song

The more I listen to the dance song ‘Kappu Huttileyu’, the more fascinated I become. All the 12 Badaga months starting with KOODALU, [the names of the months given in the page 'badaga language'], are beautifully integrated within the song.The lyrics of the song go like this:-

Kappu huttileyu neppuna sundari,

Oppi hegileyu dhrachiya mundari

Kappu huttile naa hathuna notta dha,

Keppu na huttile ondhuna notta tha

Thatti beetha sileyu nee edhega,

Kottu beetha hennu naa edhaga

Muthu muthu mookathiga sokki hodhane, netti niddane

Sothu pathu neetha endhu kaathundhu endhe dha, matha hegu dha, madhuvaya matha hegudha,

KOODALU thinguvana koodile singarene ,

AALAANI thinguvatha aa aagi varasha mamma ,

NALLANI go kollaandhu hega beda, ,

AANI huttidha mele badhila hegine baa mamma ,

AADHIRE jena nodi bae thumbi maathaadu ,

AADI mudidha mele ododi bannane mamma,

AAVANI thinguvadhoge dhaavani singarava ,

Arattu perattu aara PERATTASI thinguvadha,

DODDA DIVIGEYA dodda kiru edhega,

KIRU DIVIGEYA siri devi aagi banne ,

THAI mae thalaiga thatti kai yoda aatta paatta.

HEMMATTI ebbaneyu aemaathithindhu hoga beda ,

Thatti beetha sileyu nee edhaga ,

Kottu beetha hennu naa edhega!

Go here to listen to the song.

Did you feel like dancing as you listened to this song?

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Latest letter from Ravi Balraj [kuwait]

Hello JP Anna! Ollangai Idhara!Manaiyogai ella ollngai idharaiya!Ellaga enna namaskara!

Enna main gelasa jenathogai onthu thirukku aaliyu ninga”Badagas of the Blue Mountains” site visit madothu embathu agi adathai.Internet open madilai kandippa ninga page visit madi latest updates ellava nodinai.

Mukkiyava old badaga songs keppathu, dhoddaru shloka (badaga proverbs) nodi enna orkut profilethogai update madothu enna gelasa agittadathai.(sorry for copying).Ninga site Flag Counter thogai First three placethogai (na) ibbathundhu aasaipattanai.

Somi ningaga olliya balava thandhu innu appara kala idhu Great Badagas esaruthogai, ningavu obbana ibbathu endhu aasai pattanai. Ravi Balraj

By a way, do you have a broadband connection? Then, click this link  http://badaga-songs.blogspot.com/ You will be taken to my blogsite with Badaga Songs. On the right side, scroll down to Badaga Love Songs, choose ‘Moga Nodi’ or ‘Nadu kattuna‘ [songs initially suggested by mlle_ Sumathi Halan]. Put on your headphones…press the play button…and …enjoy listening to the stereophonic songs !

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Kerban Bella Gowder

Over a period of time, I have listened to a lot of Badaga singers [some were as good as professionals] but the best in my opinion is KERBEN BELLA GOWDER who had a golden voice. I met him for the first time all most three decades ago. He could play harmonium, bull bull tara or ‘thambutte’ [drum] with equal elan, His greatest ability was to compose and render songs on the spot, some times suitably changing the verses to suit the occassion.He was a much sought after singer in any function, be it a wedding, savu or anniversary. Just with a couple of his colleagues accompanying on the thambutte [mathalam] and jalra [cymbals], he would sing while playing the harmonium. Sadly, no songs were recorded in any studio. His savu [sad] songs would bring tears streaming down even in the hardest of hearts.Another, great contribution of Bella Gowder is his rendering of many Badaga Ballads – the best being ” BERADA BELLIE “ I had the great fortune of recording [on a tape recorder] some of his songs when he had visited my home at Hubbathalai on a few occassions. Luckily I could trace them recently.It is with a great sense of honour and as a tribute to this gifted singer I have uploaded some of his BERADA BELLIE as well as KAARA CHENNE and other songs on the net so that all of us can listen to his golden voice. The voice quality of some of these streaming songs may not be good due to the original recording having been done on a tape recorder.

I bow my head in dedication to Kerben Bella Gowder who passed away a few years back.

Badaga Songs on the web

Click on the picture to go to Badaga Songs on the web site and listen to some nice music

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Drinking hot water to avoid heart attacks

This is a very good article. Not only about the warm water after your meal, but about Heart Attacks.

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The Chinese and Japanese drink hot tea with their meals, not cold water, maybe it is time we adopt their drinking habit while eating.

Read the complete article in the General Intrest page

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Click  on the link/pics for more info

About Bellie Raj & Jedayasomi Habba – Video by N Meena

Let us seek the blessings of Elders, ‘Doddavakka Harichili’

One of the wonderful and deeply meaning ful customs of Badagas, is the seeking of the blessings of elders. That is, whenever any person meets/visits an elder, he or she seeks the blessings of the elderly person [elderly does not mean aged/old but only elder by age] by bowing the head and requesting “Harachu (bless me)”. If any headgear like cap/turban is worn, the same is removed.

The elderly person puts both his/her palms on the head of the person seeking blessing, and blesses as ‘ Ondhu Nooru, Saavira Agili [let one become a hundred and then a thousand];  Somi, harachavu,sogavu kodili [may God give good health and happiness]; Hoppa eday, bappa eday ella ollithay barali [let only good things happen while going out or coming back]‘

This tradition not only ensures respect to elders but also shows the close bond. Incidentally, open palms -where the nerves end, is supposed to transmit positive vibrations. Thus, the open palms placed on the head, is the ultimate way of blessing.

If you are new to this custom, it may make us a bit uneasy [ashamed is a very strong word] but when you get used to it, this is pure bliss.

Let us start seeking the blessings from the most neglected elders – our parents.

Badagas of the Blue Mountains…..their unique history, origin, culture, customs, rituals, language and lifestyle !!

photo by – sardarsingh

Weblog of Wing Commander Bellie Jayaprakash < bjaypee@gmail.com >

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Aoccdrnig to rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn’t mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a toatl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe.

More Optical Illusions

It is quite interesting that all numbers can be created by using only two numerals – 4 and 8

Hattis

Badaga Hattis

Kinnakorai & Heriya seege seen from Manjoor – Kandi Bekkai Road

July 8, 2009 at 9:33 pm A.MALARVANNAN,KINNAKORAI

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

Different ’strokes’

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The 22nd July, 2009 was considered as a rare day due to total eclipse over some parts of our country.

One advise given to all is not to look at the SUN with naked eyes. Many scientific and religious reasons are given.

In this context, a particular line in our “KARU HARUCHODHU” during our funerals is ‘ Sandirana sarpa nunguvane nodi nithirae maadi dhadhu Papa ‘ which translates into ‘To sleep after seeing the moon being swallowed by snake is a sin’ or simply put to see the sun during eclipse is a sin/mistake/not good for the eyes.

Karu Harachodhu is being carried out for centuries now. Does it mean our ancestors had known about the ill effects of looking at the sun with naked eyes during eclipse?

May be we are not aware of our ‘good old – Muththe muththappa/heththe heththappa‘ scientists?

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More Rare Photos added 0n 21-07-09

Badaga girls in 1909 or earlier from E.Thurston’s book “Castes and Tribes of South India” published in 1909 by Government Press, Madras.

At first glance it appears as if these girls are wearing ‘pattu – head gear’.Take a closer look, their heads have been partially shaven. Did this signify any particular custom or period in the lives of these very young girls. No info available in Thurston’s book.

For more rare photos go to ‘Rare Photos’ page

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Those talented young Badagas…

There are quite a few young Badagas – both girls and boys – who have achieved a lot.  Here is such a  talented young woman, Ms.Yogitha Ramamoorthy, whose passion is fashion. See for yourself…..www.fayo.in

To listen to some wonderful Badaga songs online…

visit Badaga songs on the web

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Hey [Badaga] Girls, take a look at traditional Badaga Jewellery here

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Badaga Script

It has always been felt that for a language to survive, it should have its own script. It cannot remain only as a spoken language for long. But of course, the script need not be peculiar and specific one pertaining to that particular language.

So too is the necessity of a script for Badaga. Many have attempted to achieve this objective with various degrees of success. But unfortunately, to my knowledge, no records exists, if any. I am no expert on phonetics or languages or much less innovating an unique script. But the urge to have a separate script has convinced me that it is very much possible to ‘ADOPT’ an existing script and ‘ADAPT’ it to Badaga language.

To know more about the BADAGA SCRIPT or rather the need for one go here

Badaga Origin Arunan from Cannada has gi…

Badaga Origin

Arunan from Cannada has given some very interesting links which predated badaga language to Kannada and equates it with Sangam or purana Tamil. Here is the link http://yabaluri.org/TRIVENI/CDWEB/TheTamilsandtheAndhras.htm
” Some of the Kanarese too seem to have been called Vadugar.7 In consequence of the Andhras and the Kanarese having been called by the common name of Vadugar in the days of the Sangam, it has been surmised that they were then one race and that their language too must have been known as Vadugu and that it is only later that Kanarese must have branched off into a separate language.8 But llam-Ko-Adigal, the great epic-poet of the Sangam age, mentions distinctly those who speak the Kanarese language as Karunadar,9 and other classical writers make mention separately of the lands where Kanarese and Telugu were respectively spoken.10 The northern portion of the Mysore state and parts of the districts of Bellary and Anantapur seem to be known even now as Badaga-nadu and the Kanarese of those areas are known as Badaga-varu and Badaga-natti-varu. A poem of the Sangam mentions an Erumai as a ‘Vadugar chief’ in whose land flowed the river Ayiri.11 This is evidently the Agiri which falls into the Tungabhadra. It is this country which was probably the extreme southern limit of the Asokan empire as is evidenced from inscriptions found in the vicinity.

If these be so, it follows that the Telugus who were to the north, and the Badaga Kannadas who were to the west, of the Tamils were known generically as the Vadugar. The poet, Ma-mulanar, says that it is beyond the lands of a chief of the name of Katti that the language changed into that of the Vadugar.12 Perhaps the chiefs well-known as Katti-Mudaliyars in the days of the Vijayanagar empire and later belonged to the lineage of this Katti.13 It is worthy of note that these Katti-Mudaliyars occupied those portions of the Tamil country which Ma-mulanar assigned to Katti. There are reasons to hold that the land called Vadugar-munai and placed beyond the lands of this Katti is identical with the Badaga-nadu we have already mentioned.14 It is these Badagas that seem to be referred to by St. Sundara in one of his psalms on a shrine in the Kongu country.15