The Nilgiri hills, carpeted with the blue hue of
its wild flowers, have always been the pride of South India. They are also renowned for nestling the popular tourist destination of
Ooty. A small warm cottage in an Ooty resort, a hot cup of tea and a
magnificent view of the Blue Mountains is what defines a perfect vacation that
all of us crave for. But there is one thing about the Nilgiris that all of us
sideline – the original inhabitants!
WHO ARE THE TODA’S?
The Toda’s are one of the most ancient
Indian tribes tucked into the mountain range of the
Niligiri plateau. Initially, they coexisted locally with other ethnic
communities… but present day, they are a small isolated tribal community.
They are an
interesting lot with their own bunch of traditional quirks and customs. The Toda traditionally stand out for their pastoral /
agricultural techniques and most importantly the toda embroidery which
is one of the dying arts in India today.
INTERESTING TODA TRIVIA
The Toda’s reside in
small hamlets called “munds”. The men take care of the pastoral activities,
while the women are engrossed in their embroidery.
They are peace loving people who worship
nature… every element in nature is an inspiration to these folks. The buffalo
is a sacred animal and they pray to a lamp.
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| The conical temple |
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| The Dairy Temple
The
toda embroidery is something that has been drawing a lot of attention lately!
Like any other tribe… the Todas also had to adapt to their environment… and so…
the womenfolk started making scarfs and cloaks in order to cope with the
extremely cold climate. Little did they know that it would become an important
element for their livelihood!
THE
TODA TODAY
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The tribe and its culture
is slowly getting diluted as the tribe members are migrating out in search of
better livelihood. The community is
treated as a social taboo. Unemployment, poor health facilities and lack of
elementary education is their primary concern. Today 1500-2000 strong tribal
members work towards the revival of their community, but their struggle for a
livelihood still persists.
“THERE IS ALWAYS A SOLUTION”…. SAYS THE DESIGN MIND!
“DESIGN
ENHANCES CULTURE, CULTURE SHAPES VALUE AND VALUES DETERMINE THE FUTURE” - Daniel
Libeskind.
COMMUNITY
CENTRE – THE SELF SUSTAINED TODA
Aim of this project is to create a platform that speaks boldly of the
toda culture and helps enhance the livelihood of the original inhabitants.
The toda embroidery, a dying art in southern India, shall be rejuvenated
by creating an essential working space which in turn leads to more awareness of
the art. In the long run, this form of art could add to the important textiles
in India (like pochampally, ikkat, kutch, etc.)
THIS INTERVENTION WOULD SERVE AS A LINK BETWEEN TRADITION AND
CONTEMPORARY (IN TERMS OF ARCHITECTURE), ARTISANS AND LEARNERS, CHANGE AND
CONTINUITY.
SCOPE OF THE PROJECT-
The community centre would be split in 3 domains…
The
public domain – a gallery that will walk you through the stories
of toda history, a cultural centre and the handicrafts/handloom stores that
showcase the splendid embroidery.
The
semi-public domain – a school where toda arts are taught…for the
curious minds that like to study fabric. Accommodation for tourists who come to
visit the centre.
The
private domain – housing units for the tribe (sustainable housing
with core design elements drawn from their traditional housing), a basic health
care centre and a small elementary school for their children offering basic
education.
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| Womenfolk at work
Today, you will find
the new generation of this solitary tribe in old Reebok trainers speaking
broken English or sitting behind a big table as a board member of the Toda Cooperative at Ooty. Change is inevitable, whether for better or worse, only time will tell. And yet, this highly attractive tribal race will glow like a gem in the crown of the Blue Mountains.
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