Traditional Embroidery of the Todas and Its Importance
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International Multidisciplinary Innovative Research Journal An International refereed e-journal ISSN: 2456 - 4613 Volume - III (1) November 2018 TRADITIONAL EMBROIDERY OF THE TODAS AND ITS IMPORTANCE AMUTHA.B Assistant Professor of History V.V. Vanniaperumal College for Women Virudhunagar Tamil Nadu, INDIA. ABSTRACT Toda people are a Dravidian ethnic group who live in the Nilgiri Mountains of Tamil Nadu. Although an insignificant fraction of the large population of India, since the early 19th century the Toda have attracted "a most disproportionate amount of attention because of their ethnological aberrancy” and "their unlikeness to their neighbours in appearance, manners, and customs." The study of their culture by anthropologists and linguists proved significant in developing the fields of social anthropology and ethnomusicology. One of their unique cultural feature is Embroidery. Toda embroidery remains one of the most visible expressions of their artistic heritage. Hence it is indeed surprising why hardly any studies have been done on this unique and ancient art. The Toda women during their leisure time, engage themselves in an indigenous embroidery where a coarse, unbleached hand woven white cotton cloth is embroidered with “Pukaor‟ (motif) basically in geometrical forms of flower, animal and natural objects. In this research paper an attempt has been made to study their artistic embroidery work done by their women and the economic importance of the embroidery. KEY WORDS: Toda tribe, an ethinic group, livelihoods, embroidery, Economic Importance. 101 TRADITIONAL EMBROIDERY OF THE TODAS AND ITS IMPORTANCE IMIRJ, III (1) ISSN: 2456 - 4613 INTRODUCTION study their artistic embroidery work done by Toda people are a their women and the economic importance Dravidian ethnic group who live in of the embroidery. the Nilgiri Mountains of Tamil Nadu. LIFE AND CULTURE OF TODAS Before the 18th century and British colonisation, the Toda coexisted locally with The Toda traditionally live in other ethnic communities, including settlements called mund, consisting of three the Kota, Badaga and Kurumba, in a to seven small thatched houses, constructed loose caste-like society, in which the Toda in the shape of half-barrels and located were the top ranking. During the 20th across the slopes of the pasture, on which century, the Toda population has hovered in they keep domestic buffalo. Their economy the range 700 to 900. Although an was pastoral, based on the buffalo, insignificant fraction of the large population which dairy products they traded with of India, since the early 19th century the neighbouring peoples of the Nilgiri Hills. Toda have attracted "a most disproportionate Toda religion features the sacred buffalo; amount of attention because of their consequently, rituals are performed for all ethnological aberrancy” and "their dairy activities as well as for the ordination unlikeness to their neighbours in of dairymen-priests. The religious appearance, manners, and customs." The and funerary rites provide the social context study of their culture by anthropologists and in which complex poetic songs about the linguists proved significant in developing cult of the buffalo are composed and the fields of social chanted. anthropology and ethnomusicology. One of The Todas (also known by names their unique cultural feature is Embroidery. such as Tudas, Tudavans, and Todar) who The Toda Embroidery, also locally known as make this embroidery live as one small "pukhoor", is an art work among the Toda community, population of 1,600 spread over pastoral people of Nilgiris, in Tamil Nadu, 69 settlements, and about 400 of them are made exclusively by their women. Both men stated to be engaged in the embroidery and women adorn themselves with the work) in the Nilgiri Hills in the higher embroidered cloaks and shawls. In this elevations of the Niligiri plateau, in Tamil research paper an attempt has been made to Nadu. Apart from their vocation as 102 herdsmen of buffaloes and cultivation in the herding buffaloes. Like other pastoral grass lands, they are also involved in the people, the Todas considered it degrading to tradition of making many handicrafts items take to agriculture. which includes traditional black and red Todas are pure vegetarians. They embroidery practiced by the women of the never eat meat. Their food is cooked or community; the embroidery is usually made soaked in milk or ghee and they drink plenty on their cloaks called "pootkhul(zh)y" which of butter milk. Todas are commonly called is draped by both their men and women as „Todavas‟, which is a Tamil term for LIFE STYLE AND CULTURE OF „herdsman‟, they were the unquestioned TODAS rulers of the Nilgiris in the early centuries and have caught the imagination of The Todas are one of the primitive generations of visitors and settlers of the tribal groups of Tamilnadu living in the hills due to their long curly hair and toga Nilgiri hills especially in Udhagamandalam. like costume. They are different in They are the most popular among the appearance, manners and customs. In short, primitive tribes of the Nilgiris. They are the Todas have fascinated the tourists, the found only in the Nilgiris district of anthropologists, the sociologists and the Tamilnadu. The Toda village is called a lowland settlers on the Nilgiris. “mund”. Their peculiar style of dressing and building their house in a unique half barrel Simplest and plainness are the twin shaped bamboo dwelling found however on characteristics of the dress of the tribal the subcontinent. The Todas and the Kotas people. The Todas clad themselves in their were close before the settlement of the traditional dress. Their garment (shawl) Badagas on the Nilgiris. Socially and called „put-kuli‟ reminds us of the ancient economically they exchanged their Greek Toga, which is a thick, off white activities. Both of them were depending on cotton cloth used as overall, identical for each other. The Todas divided into two both sexes but embroidered in a different endogamous sub-castes called „Tarthar and manner this cloth is decorated by the „Toda‟ Teivali‟ it is impossible to ascertain how and women with red and black strips and designs when the bifurcation occurred. They were embroidered across one end of the cloth. On purely pastoral and their only labour was ceremonial occasions other specific ways of 103 TRADITIONAL EMBROIDERY OF THE TODAS AND ITS IMPORTANCE IMIRJ, III (1) ISSN: 2456 - 4613 wearing it are prescribed. Children wrap TODA EMBROIDERY themselves with a plain cloth, which Toda embroidery remains one of resembles „putkuli‟. Both men and women the most visible expressions of their wear jewellery, men wear silver and iron artistic heritage. Hence it is indeed finger rings, earrings and even gold earrings. surprising why hardly any studies have Whereas women wear traditional bracelets been done on this unique and ancient art. of silver, copper or iron above the elbow The Toda women during their leisure heavy armlets made of cowry shells, silver time, engage themselves in an indigenous chain, necklace, and varieties of silver, embroidery where a coarse, unbleached brass, iron and gold finger rings and hand woven white cotton cloth is earrings‟. Toda jewelry was formerly made embroidered with „Pukaor‟ (motif) by Kota artisans. basically in geometrical forms of flower, The tattooing of Toda women is animal and natural objects. The still mandatory. Using a paste of charcoal embroidered shawl is called “Puthkuli” powder or black carbon powder from the and they use steel needles and woolen cooking pots, mixed with breast milk, this threads, chiefly of black and red colours. is than applied on the surface of the body The unbleached nature of hand woven wherever the girl a forest thorn (Borberis white cloth helps in identifying the yarn Aristata) creating intriguing designs gauge (count of threads) quite easily. The needed. Men are not tattooed, instead design of „puthkuli‟ is laid out in between when a boy reaches 12 years of age, both the stripes of black and red. The patterns the wrists and sometimes elbow are burnt of „puthkuli‟ are embroidered by the with potsherd and a mark is made on each combined methods of darning and wrist. Toda children enjoy playing the embroidery. As the Toda embroidery is „snake‟ where one holds the hip of the woven out in intricate manner by means other in front and weaves through the of darning, counting of threads and or hamlet. They also play adult roles and yarn gaps, the resultant design emerges as cooking in tiny imitation. geometric forms at a casual glance which makes it distinct from other embroideries. It is very important to note that the artisans do the embroidery without 104 transferring the design on to the fabric the cloth three stripes-two of red and one surface and also not referring any book. of black-are woven into it. It is in these For them it is the co-ordination of mind stripes that the embroidery is worked and hand. Thus the Toda embroidery before the two lengths of the fabric are appears striking with its bold colour sewn together. The darning stitch is used scheme and complex combination of for embroidering motifs and patterns. weaving and embroidery. Young Toda While formerly vegetable fibre was used girls inherit the craft by observing the as threads, now embroidery threads are works done by the elders of the used. The embroidery on the shawls community. which is done on the left of the black stripe (around the two red stripes) is FEATURES OF TODA EMBROIDERY called the karnol, while the embroidered The Toda tribe of the Nilgiri in pattern on the right is called the karthal. Tamil Nadu are experts in a distinct style PRODUCTION PROCESS of embroidery that has been passed on through generations. Locally The local terms used to describe called Pugur, which means flower, the the embroidery work are 'kuty' or 'awtty' fine and intricate Toda embroidery is meaning "stitching" and 'kutyvoy' done by tribal men and women on shawls.