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The other Ooty
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There are several little-known places you can explore around Ooty
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The Todas, along with the Badagas, are the oldest inhabitants of Ooty.
SO YOU'VE been to Ooty umpteen number of times and the crowds there now get on your nerves. Don't abandon hope: there are still spots in this hugely popular hill station where the hordes don't come.
Before the Brits discovered Udhagamandalam, it was the home of its earliest settlers — the Todas and Badagas. We visited the Toda settlement where two tribal elders sat chatting besides what appeared to be a place of worship. Semi-circular in shape and made of stone, their temples and homes have low entrances. One has to crawl in order to enter them. "Women are forbidden inside the temples," stated one of them emphatically to me.
Consequently, I was drawn to the three large and circular stone orbs that lay in the courtyard.
Pointing to them, the Todas informed us that in the past, a prospective bridegroom had to lift one of them and demonstrate his strength, failing which the marriage would be postponed to a later date!
"Unfortunately none of today's youth possess real strength, so the practice doesn't hold good anymore."
Rani, a vivacious Toda woman with a radiant smile, ushered us inside her home. I must confess that it took a lot of effort to comply. "In olden times, the doors were so built in order to prevent wild animals from entering," she explained.
Rani is educated and epitomises the younger generation of the resident tribal population in the
Nilgiris. Showing us her bridal apparel, she said all brides were expected to make their trousseau.
Amongst the greenery, or at least what is left of the pines and eucalyptus, there are wild flowers in gorgeous shades, including ink blue and deep mauve. A good place to explore is Melur, a nearby village famed for its 400-year-old banyan and shrines — several hundred years old — for tribal deities that open only once a year, on July 1. Still unspoilt, and insular to the winds of urbanisation, the villagers were so hospitable they unselfconsciously invited us to their homes for a bite.
Thence to Manjakombai, the tiny village housing the Nagaraja temple sacred to the Badagas. In the nearby forests, there are footprints under a large stone believed to be that of Lord Rama. There is also a temple dedicated to Hethaiamman, a tribal goddess.
There are many more quaint villages to explore around Ooty. The thing is to ask around. Then you'll discover the best of Nature, away from all those tourists with their noisy gadgets. It is a world with no Internet, no traffic jams, and often no streetlights even, though you'll find a phone booth or two.
At Ooty town itself, be sure to shop for chocolates, the next best thing after the English makes. When you go for long walks, just remember that dusk settles pretty early here. Give yourself enough time to get back.
HARIPRIYA SRINIVASAN
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Metro Plus
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