Badaga Wedding
Badaga customs and traditions are known for their simplicity, adaptibility and practicality. In this respect a Badaga wedding follows a set of simple rules that has been almost the same over the centuries. But for a minor change here and there, it has been almost the same in all the villages spread across the Nakku Betta or the Nilgiri Hills.
The greatest plus points of a Badaga marriage are that there is NO DOWRY, the wedding always takes place in the boy’s (bride groom’s) house [or the place of his choice in case of a Kalyana Mandapam /Hotel] and all the wedding expenses including the customary feast [Maduve Hittu] of only vegetarian dishes, are borne by the groom’s family.
Incidentally, divorce and remarriges are not uncommon and a widow is not condemned for ever like in most of the Hindu communities and in many cases the widow can marry again even she has children from her earlier marriage.
Preparation
Whenever a boy comes of age or rather his parents feel that it is time for him to marry (in ancient days a boy would be considered fit to marry at a comparitively young age of say fifteen years. It could be due to also the fact that life expectancy was very low), a lookout for a suitable match is done.
Two important factors that are taken into consideration are the ‘MORAY’ and the age of the girl. Moray is an unique concept of defining the relationship among Badagas, a concept that has very good scientific reasons and helped in propagation of the community in which marriages do not take place between very close relatives. In a village all are considered as brothers and sisters and hence a marriage cannot take place between a boy and a girl from the same village.
Also, the Badaga Villages [hattis] are grouped into communes apart from the four SEEMEs. In a commune which consists of say Six Villages [called AARU OORU] or Nineteen Villages [Hathombattu Ooru] again every one is a brother or a sister, though the villages may not be physically located close by. For example, Jakkada, Karekorai, Bearhatti, Mel Bikkatti, Keeya Bikkatti, Manjida are part of AARU OORU and hence no marriage can take place among them.
Once the moray is verified and a girl is selected, it is always from the boy’s side that they initiate the talk of marriage called ‘HENNU KEPUDU’ [literaly, asking for the girl]. Boys parents and relatives call on at the girl’s house
A typical Badaga wedding is explained with pictures !
This feature contains the photos taken on the occasion of SENTHIL, son of Mr.Bogga [Maathi] Ari Gowder and Mrs.Maadhi Ammal at Hubbathalai on 28 May 2007, getting married to SHOBANA of Bearhatty. Ari Gowder, Ari Anna to me, is a very good friend of mine, though he is many years senior to me. He is an excellent painter [Belle Husuva] and has got some special regards for me. Due to an accident of a lorry running over his feet, Ari Gowder is confined to his home these days. He was very particular that I attend his son’s wedding and I am glad I could not only attend the happy function but also could record the occasion with these photos.
Preparations are on in the groom’s house on the pre wedding night, where close relatives converge.
Can there be a wedding without ‘AATTA’ [dance] ?
On the moring of Wedding Day
‘Heru’ [ a bagful of rice] from the bride’s side is being brought to the groom’s house
The bride is ceremoniously brought to the groom’s house with ‘Hey AH OH’ hathikkodhu
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The bride at the groom’s house entrance – ‘BAAYILU”
Bride being welcomed by her future mother in law
Mother in law tying the chain – ‘ungara mani’ [chain with a ring]
bride washing her hands and feet
bride and a relative(lady) ‘adda bubbadhu’
Bride taking the first meal ‘Haalu & Hannu’ [milk & banana]
after the first meal the bride throwing away the leftover [echelu neeru]
The plate is washed
bride is being taken to the ‘halla’ [water source]
At the halla, the bride cleans the water pot – ‘KODA’
water being collected
water is brought to the house with two other ladies
The groom who was NOT allowed to see his bride all this time, is getting ready to come to his house from a neighbour’s house.
groom being brought to his house
the couple exchanging the garlands
the couple seeking the blessings of all
the couple getting ready to go to the temple
to the temple
at the temple
back home from the temple
with the groom’s parents
groom with a headgear [mandare] and bordered white shawl [seele] and the bride with a white shawl [mundu] getting ready for ‘thaali kattodhu’ [tying the thaali /mangala sutra]
groom tying the thaali after asking three times ‘thaali kattona mamma? [shall I tie the thaali, uncle?] from the girl’s uncle
the couple go to the halla..
… where the new mat is washed
the relatives and visitors being honoured
the newly weds in new modern dress !
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This rare photo of Rao Bahadur HB Ari Gowder’s wedding was taken about a hundred years back
Given below is another Badaga marriage photo taken more than 30 years ago, to be precise, on 2nd June, 1976. The bride is Ari Gowder’s grand daughter and the groom, you guessed it, is the author of this weblog
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©2008
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Wing commander Bellie Jayaprakash’s other website from the heart for some ‘light’ reading
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Mookuthi 
Chinna 
View from Akoni 
Hubbathalai 
Hakkilu Hoo [Bird Flower] found in the Nilgiri Hills
Sunrise from my home "Dhoddi" at Hubbathalai 
Tiger is Huli in Badaga
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RAMACHANDRAN K said,
05/01/2008 at 1:55 pm
Website is very informative and useful. Thanks.
Indrani Radhakrishnan said,
08/01/2008 at 5:39 am
Great job! You have done a great honour by creating this website. I also have done much research on our people but was wondering in which way I can contribute to preserving our traditions and customs as they are being eroded. What you have done reflects my ideas.
JP adds : Thank you very much for your encouraging words. It will be a wonderful pleasure and honour to incorporate your ‘research’ ideas. I am getting in touch with you.
Rupesh kumar.J said,
25/02/2008 at 8:57 am
I am from Karnataka(bangalore). I want to learn badaga language. Please suggest me some of the books, if it it is available in kannada that will be great.
JP adds : That is wonderful. I do not think that there are any specific books on learning Badaga. However there is a big Badaga population as well as a Badaga Association in Bangalore. Hopefully, some one would be able to help you out. Pl be in touch
HindumathiK said,
26/02/2008 at 7:32 am
I am proud to say I am born in badaga community
Sendhil said,
01/03/2008 at 11:55 pm
You are doing a great job..The songs on your site makes Badagas abroad feel at home..
manjuhalan said,
21/03/2008 at 4:32 pm
I’m born badaga but married to a kannada person. i missed all the rituals of a badaga marriage. it is good to see it here.
sathish said,
19/04/2008 at 9:45 am
Congradulation for your tramendous effort to know everyone about badaga community
Sivakumar Raju said,
24/05/2008 at 9:24 am
This is my best friend’s marriage photos. Thanks for uploading it here for the rest of the world to see. It’s really amazing.
Saravanan. S said,
25/05/2008 at 8:29 am
This is my best friend, (Lalu) Senthil Kumar’s wedding album. Thank you for the great work.
Saravanan. S said,
27/05/2008 at 5:55 pm
It is hard to write that ARI GOWDER from Hubbathalai (the bridegroom’s father in the above album) passed away from us on May 27, 2008 (the day before his son’s wedding anniversary May 28).
We deeply mourn on the death of Ari Gowder.
Pragash said,
30/05/2008 at 2:32 pm
Very nice to see all the photos
somasundaram said,
16/06/2008 at 2:13 am
I am very proud of you, I am now abroad. I have seen our songs and our dance on these pages and I feel as if I am at my village now.
Kannappan, Bangalore said,
25/07/2008 at 8:42 pm
Thanks for every one , who is putting their effort to expose this much about Badagas
Karthik Bojan said,
29/07/2008 at 3:15 pm
I am proud to say that I am BADAGA
Umar said,
31/07/2008 at 4:04 pm
Great to see the effort of one of our friend.
Anbu bhojarajan
Prakash Krishnan said,
04/08/2008 at 1:03 pm
great……….now thats what a baduga is called….
Thats the unity we guys are in that everyone admires around….
Its really great to know that our people are emerging with a dynamic velocity…
Thanks,,,,i really thank the guys for this wonderful experience…
Prakash
Mamta said,
24/08/2008 at 4:00 pm
This was really informative, especially for people who want to know more about rituals and customs among the Badagas. Thank you.
Anjali said,
16/09/2008 at 10:00 pm
I am really inspired by your work. On my blog – http://annaparabrahma.blogspot.com/2007/01/maza-thal.html – I write once in a while about my Koli community and you make me realize how much serious work I need to put together in my blog
…. I was brought up in a cosmopolitan Mumbai culture but I love my community and started writing about it.
Jagdish.R said,
17/09/2008 at 9:00 pm
It is apt that you have uploaded the marriage system of our person belonging to Peria Hubbathalai village..The bridegrooms name is Lalu..
One would notice the distinct change in the temple photos wrt to the one which has been uploaded under “Rare photos”.
san said,
03/10/2008 at 9:59 am
awesome
Anand Rajbelli said,
14/10/2008 at 7:44 pm
,,,,,,,its really great for people who are yet to be married, you have given all the info,,great work, awesome. I am from Hubbathalai and the groom is well known to me.
sivakumar bojan said,
16/10/2008 at 1:49 am
nice collection
R. Karthikayan [Kanneri] said,
21/10/2008 at 4:31 pm
Its really amazing that our culture has developed a lot in all aspects, thanks especially to the person who has worked hard to develop our community-site. There is no words to express this development. All the best…
heera said,
29/10/2008 at 11:49 am
nice collections!
priya said,
02/11/2008 at 7:25 pm
Senthil, I have seen [heard] a lot about your community. Really wonderful. Hope I will be born in your community in my next birth.
sivakumar bojan said,
23/12/2008 at 8:00 pm
nice picture super………………..
shona said,
07/07/2009 at 12:59 pm
may i know where this marriage was held(which village)?
shona said,
09/07/2009 at 11:58 am
if possible we can make our baduga language more popular throughout the world by improving
rithu said,
16/07/2009 at 3:27 pm
m seriosly proud to be a badaga.i simply love my community.wooooooooooooo.hats off to badagar.hope things turn out really great for all badagas
Santosh Bojan said,
19/07/2009 at 7:58 pm
I am Sandy from queen of hills. I am a Badaga, obviously. I am proud to be a Badaga…….I have lot of ideas of encouraging our culture……contact:9940930849
Jaison said,
22/07/2009 at 7:17 pm
I need to know whether badagas get marry to other caste? Will they accept love marriages?
I have read the Badaga funeral prayer. Lot of things are said as sin.But not understanding the children’s wishes and not allowing them to marry their loved ones is also sin. Separating the young ones in name of caste is sin know??
mlle_sumathi said,
28/07/2009 at 9:16 pm
Its time to rethink all the ifs and buts and open the way to the youngsters….. many lives are already wasted with the so called societal norms … there is no progress without change and Marriage is but an institution created by man for his advantage . So man must be the master and not the Society. you agree ?
Jaison said,
30/07/2009 at 8:14 pm
Thanks sumathi for your valuable comment.Definetly man created all this practices.Now the youngsters are suffering alot because of this.We are dying by mind and living like idol.
guna said,
07/09/2009 at 4:05 pm
Thanks for your initiatives…
I was searching an article to get deep in to our culture…very fortunately google helped me to read this useful article…
I have attend many of our badaga marriages from my childhood…but i did not know what the sequences are…thanks for describing it briefly….
my kind request…Is that possible to publish about our HEATHI HABBA which take place in Beragani…the wonderful festival where the entire badaga community will honor our HEATHI AMMA…for keeping us healthy and wealthy….all the very best…
keep going…
Sareena Sakadevan said,
27/09/2009 at 7:55 pm
I am a badaga girl… I am really very proud to be a badaga.
sona said,
05/10/2009 at 9:27 pm
its really cool
Ganeshbabu.H said,
22/10/2009 at 11:19 am
I feel very happy on seeing such a website created for our community. I have to thank you profusely for the effort you have put in making this site. Please continue the good work.
hari said,
05/11/2009 at 7:28 pm
hi. . its a very good website. . going through was a good experience. . enjoyed. . as a badaga myself there is so much i need to learn about our community. . good work. . congrats