Tribes of Kotagiri

I wonder how uniform these houses are (above pic),’ just thought to be the residence of those work in nearby tea estates of Kodanad in Kotagiri, but in search I found those residence huts are known as Kokkal colony with a score of 78 household with population of 300+. This is a colony constructed by the govt. to the Kota tribes which has a uniform style of houses built with bricks, cement and red clay tiles roofs, and each holding a set of rooms. It has a steep path in separating the residences and adjutant to it is the mud road climbing up and a temple top. Just further from there gives a whole of green tea gardens view, taking away our breath and bearing the cold wind on face. This post may go through the Kota tribe life, history, culture and some more…

Kotagiri have a salubrious climate throughout year, comforts to say it’s the second most wonderful climate in world. It’s the name that refers from the dwelling peoples of this region, the Kota tribes hence those are similarly and closely related to the famous Toda of Nilgiris. Kota is the name derives from the word ‘Ko’ means the cow and it believed that their ancestor where living in cows and thus the place they survive called Kokkal, the resting place of cows. The connecting of Kota-giri comes in mean of ‘mountain of Kotas’. Though they are pre-historic living in slopes of Nilgiris, some study find they are migrating from several other places like northeastern countries and somewhere near Sudan. The journey of the Kota tribes began in the early years of eighteenth century and after more than a century back they came encountered with Europeans.

The Kotas are developed in traditions of artisans who are experts in art of pottery making and terracotta baking. And they have this very different culture of painting blue color on the faces of teens. This is what they believe in ghost, thus the child must die to become a man and the blue color is refers to death of their childhood. The costumes and dresses of these tribal add beauty and glamour with their dread color of blue paints on there face. This is a common belief in almost tribe communities and like offering wild beasts. In the modern day society and getting their children the education these sacrifices turns in offering money and gift, instead of wild animals. And they are the tribes whom reluctant and reclusively to meet or mix with any other outsiders. Thus they are currently counting thousand and getting least fast.

The Kota is the community develops their own system and every village has a leader acquired on the basis of their relations. He bears a role of arbiter with his political duties and responsibility; he is also the supervisor of religious rites and rituals. Their house is one I pictured in my travel, is an unusual view in huts. The bark house! These houses are similar to Todas dwell, is elliptical in shape, little beneath earth with either sides of wall enclosed. To get into deep, the hut has a tiny entrance (like a mouse hole to me) with 3 feet wide and tall. The entrance is mean to be small to be protected from wild animals and the front wall is shaded in strange black design and bamboo sticks to bend the roof. To know these are the houses still exist rarely in Nilgiris and among the most are shifted to huts and concrete roof houses.

Kodanad, en-route Kotagiri

Pleasant views

Thus it does happened to be the last day in Nilgiris, where the majority increases in our families against unbearable cold, that was the amount of clouds and rain lasted before night and make all grasping while on shopping, but am wished one more day to stay. And no arguments, I can’t go against none and agreed getting down by eventide. Before, we had much time and moved ahead to Kodanad which is 15 km from Kotagiri, that some 40+km from Ooty. I have heard about this place and the pleasant weather almost throughout the years and very calm comparing Ooty. As my cousin studied in St. Jutes Public School, Kotagiri, for a year then, so I get to know every time he describes the place and his wish that I come there before he leaves, but unfortunately he left the school when I was visiting there. By 10am we left the hostel and reach Kotagiri through some sharp curves and turns, along more green and tea estates, with clouds flew sending shades on slopes and the dark Blue Mountains...

My cousin’s school & Blue Mountains

The 15km drive from Kotagiri reaching Kodanad is full of green tea estates, somewhere people picking leaves and villages with factories besides beneath sending smokes mixes with mist and the rust lands yet to cultivate. And what more, the rain yet to come circumstance and dark clouds covering peaks are just amazing and pleasant ever. The road finally end at the Kodanad view point, where the road keeps on stretching, I am searing and still kept going around the green estates…. And thus I seek, hence I can’t visible the Kodanad estate big-house belongs to the former CM of our State and the time she was staying there when we were.

Rangasamy Peak & Milky falls

Little far that sights the Rangasamy Peak, from the view point, that seems like a holy hill for the people on this region and it’s like the peak refers to a divine. It conforms through wiki, ‘this is a shrine visited by thousands off pilgrims from kongu region and other places yearly.’ Just right below glanced a quite beautiful falls, flows like milk poured and far away through blurred mist, visible a squirm path that thinks to the Bavani River what my cousin told. More than the peak and valley, it’s the green tea gardens surrounding the places simply fresh the views and clean air and weather situation feels awesome… want to be there again sometimes later, just sitting on the monkey’s seat, ‘the defense stones on ghat roads, where monkeys sit often’, and enjoy my stay quite alone just like that.

Kodanad valley & Tea plant cultivation

It was nearly 4pm we get back to hostel in ooty, ate our lunch and get packed things climbing down the other side. The majority of those wish is to visit Mysore and it was delayed by 6pm in evening climbing down in dusk. The southwest monsoon is in rush, seeing the dark clouds to saying ‘if u stay here I will hit u back’. It’s another fun and thrill to write on traveling on this stretch towards Mysore, clearly its night going on the forest ride. I just want to extend the writing on this elevation, so it may continue in other post. Thank you.

Green tea garden

My view on Dasavatharam

Actually I was thinking it must be some usual film with hero impersonate in different getups. But no, I am almost wrong in guessing the film and felt surprise at each and not even to think it’s a universal actor behind those easily sighted odd figures. I sense here, where in any place can’t feel the other person is same. Only to think, I wonder at this great fantasist film in his sight changing. Have seen more films under this category, where each character would have some similarity and to be easily identified, but Kamal Haasan has done a great job in Dasavatharam taking away most important character as him and aside proving there needs an actor not the face.

Taking inches of a blue tube spreading virus, Kamal staged all sorts of entertainment and actions. To mention importantly the chasing scenes which are more powerful and grand alike comes in Arnold and Bond films. The flying helicopter in chasing and gun shooting action sequences are like Hollywood quality, which is something new for Tamil. For nearly half-hour there was the confusion state of what is happening and the disturbance of US language and unclear subtitles after the rare piece from the history. Further it slowly gets into the track and surprise at each characters affiliation into the story. Especially the Balram Naidu the one in his voice and body language expressions stands still in mind, the way he makes laugh as investigating officer and in chasing scene was well funny. And the second most liked character is the 95-year-old women. She not alone makes fun and also touches with the innocent inside her. This must be difficult one, well kamal shows how talented he was in bending to the figure and expressing to the nervous vibration to give a real effort. A great attempt!

Back to the 12th century of empire period, we get to see a strong and bravo Kamal as Rangaraja Nambi who tries to stop the Chola King destroying his believable Vishnu Idol from the temple. It was such a grand venture with pictorial excellence merges in real and graphical along with the music to tell wow fantastic! The bad ex-CIA officer Fletcher nearly comes equally to main character and it stands on screen for more than the character on the perfect makeup one could challenge. As up to a point I can’t identify it is also an avatar of Kamal! The Japanese character and President Bush, visible the mask fixed on face though it was nice and I see those are just to add the avatar. And the naughty monkey’s end in the lab and in climax same happens for the ex-CIA is something aversion.
First time watching the songs, what exist in mind thinking past comes down little. The song Oh... Ho... Sanam presents the effort its courage and excellent dance moments and the beautiful pair Jayaprada and kamal. Mukundha Mukundha is the all time comforts in mind. The pictorial was enjoyable. I feel, without Asin (heroin) it won’t be at all nice and her innocent anger and get on saving her perumal idol she feels lovable….. None other than her can be imagined filling the character of Andal, loving Perumal.

‘One, who is unaware of this film and Indian cinema would really get wondered by this film and our actor,’ is what am tell to dad while returning from drive-in. Oh, it started to pour heavily after by interval to put us inside car to watch in mute for sometimes where it incompletes the dalit social worker enters in stiff dark face and eyes. Kamal shows a very different voice here! If one misses the end song is missing the worth of the whole creative and hard work at every characters difference. I wonder why some people tell this film is waste and Shivaji is best, but for me it’s excellence in feeding advance and showcase talent. What gives disappoint is the disappearance of the very early 12th century and left untouched then. I can’t understand what relates this to the narration and what the idol exist in last tells. And what not, he brings a bunch of actors across and used as per adding sugar. The tsunami was a real fantasy more than the only few scene remains then which is one mainly expected. For every question of the character they answered in end. Little disagree may comes on expect, but just comes by gives great amazement which I get watched.

Me, miss and wish

A tag from Vijay to write on...

6 Whatever about me:

* More patient and believe anything is decided within is safe and better. If not this, don’t know where would lead my life.
* Won’t like my entry into others right or time, and won’t let loose mine.
* I don’t like someone is disturbed by me, but worries more that am living against it, with no other way.
* I rarely call someone through phone
*my parent’s are my life, I can’t think a day pass on without them.
* Follow everything by time with nothing purposely doing.
Add: * I drear to bear injection. (It’s something I feared recently after witness a slit through maya, but I am cool as pup taken all formal anticipate injections.)

5 things I miss in my life right now:

* My sister who left to her town without telling me, I wish she would be staying for short long time with me.
* My dear brothers, whom I call like. Those are some never forgettable people in my life, the support and comfort which I experienced in their presence then.
* Those said to be my best friends, both in online and in practical life.
* Wandering everywhere on my own foot.
* Working from home and earning something
Add:* My old (gold) home where I spent my 20 years. (People think I am happy and satisfied where I stay now, but none knows my heart and how much I miss my place and people)
*Playing with my keyboard. (That is yet taking a long to mend correctly.)

10 things I wanna achieve (or wish) within a decade:

*To hold on my blogger mates permanently, if not possible all, at least some dears to me.
* To stay in the hearts of people for what I am.
* Get a job which is comfortable and stress free to work from home.
*To meet and get in touch with my lost dear ones.
*Improve my knowledge and fluent English.
*Buy a 4X4 SUV and go around anywhere I wish, and on off-roads.
*A likely home comforts all
*To travel into sea and fly into sky
*Just out of dreams and imagination, i need a real girlfriend.
* Want to watch more good films out of Tamil cinema.

Save the valued

The series problem presently we face is the petrol and diesel inadequacy in fuel stations throughout Chennai and suburbs. ‘It’s a temporary lack because of the delay of tanker ship to arrive’, the companies complain to customers. ‘I stay in line for more than 3 hours and our requested liters are not filled; what they ask is great price which doubles the amount for a liter’, public voice. I don’t know whether the lack has lasted before ever that too throughout a city and its surroundings at a time? After the price rise of fuel by central govt. thereupon the ordinary petrol are unavailable in many fuel stations and only premium are forced as burden upon then heads. Today and yesterday city sighted the vehicles standing for a long row which extends along the roads for getting petrol and diesel, and the heavy traffic jams everywhere took hours to clear.

What we have to realize now is how important the fuel are and to learn to make reduce them and avoid unnecessary use of vehicles. I wonder now, how much liters of gasoline must been released into atmosphere everyday and just a day of inadequate makes big trouble in peoples life. Thinking about what’s important to the current life and not to waste unnecessarily what are to save for our future. Just coming out of person, the three important things what everything is depending within are the Water, Fuel and Electricity. Because without these three, life faces big setback and there is no life to survive. The nature has given more than enough, just not for us alone, for every life on the earth. How much do we care on saving electricity? By saving it we not only reduce our monthly electric bill but also the shortage can be adjustable and it avoids wastage of energy which produce heat.

There are some what money can’t buy and the intelligent and awareness brings more for our life from nature. One on the line is solar energy and wind energy which brings electricity from the natures given. Solar water heater is a very useful tool to bear electricity, which takes more energy to heat water. Recently I felt it pleasure bathing on this water, something like that I have taken sun bath. Not more warm and cool. In our cities we rarely see those heaters on terrace and the more aware on using it must bring front, and after just feeling that I wish to fix the solar heater to enjoy the pleasure.

What are we wasting today is like the water stored in our pot, as we take tumblers of water it begin to reduce and once tumbler hit the pot over’s all. Fuel is what like our pot of water, which is a limited existence on earth. How could it be ones it void earth ? What we seen in development struck then. The only other option in use is to produce more Biofuels thought agriculture and plantation which needs water, the important sources and a different subjects according to states and countries. So the things are related within three. Water to Live, Fuel to Transportation and Electricity to operate multi electronic systems, that’s mean to move life more easier and pleasurable.

The current critic that something makes the central govt. to walk on knife is the Indo-US nuclear deal. I need to express, that political entry on protesting of often electric shortcut needed to be thought why it happens, if it was like this then, what about the future. Where do we go and hang for electricity. Those oppose the deal have some own party manifesto, but how could it be a national policy and to enter its interest on need. I see there is some control and restrictions on making this Indo-US agreement, looking into future India should be clear before going ahead that in any way it not affects our self protection and it does nothing with defense secret, the main reason for this deal is to use nuclear for civil use alone.