Friday, 24 February 2017

“Our CULTURE is our IDENTITY”….. They said!


                 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.
The conical temple 
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
                 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.

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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