Anthropo Logos. II.

Though Dravidian in nature, South India is very multicultural in closer inspection. Hindus of various sects and castes, Muslims, Christians, and Jews all call this region home. Due to its importance in the spice trade, people from all over the world set foot in South India.

However for me, the interest laid in the hills of South India. I call these ‘hills’ only in comparison to India’s other giants – the Himalayas. These highlands would be aptly called mountains in many other parts of the world, with peaks rising higher than 7000 feet. The highest peaks are collectively called the Nilgiris (The Blue Mountains), located along the border of three India states – Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Karnataka.

When the Dravidians moved further south into the subcontinent, they misplaced people that were previously living here. There were pockets of Negritos, Austro-Asiatics, and perhaps now-extinct ethnic groups living here before the arrival of the Dravidians. Over time, these various groups were absorbed into the greater Dravidian community. However, some remained untouched in one way or another – either through various customs or religion – in the remote Nilgiri Hills.

It was in these hills that I had the privilege of meeting members of the Toda tribe, a group of people as ancient as the mountains themselves. They number only 4000, and their fate does not seem to bright considering the younger generation is moving into the cities and assimilating with the Tamils. They looked quite different from the Tamils of the lowlands, and their language – according to them – was Proto-Dravidian mixed with words of unknown origin. They have very unusual homesteads – almost like American Indian wampum. They are goatherds and shepherds traditionally, and their shawls are simply beautiful.

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