the local oct 2010

eVOL 4 ISSUE 4, 0CT 15, 2010, The Nilgiris District, India.

LocalTRADITION ENVIRONMENT FLAVOUR BUSINESS NEWS

Last Forest: A perspective

Todas: by Dr Anthony Walker

Animal Trophies: A deadlock

Personality - Yash the golfer

Snapshot: Kodanad view point

Food column: Ruth N Davidar

Tea & Tourism: ‘Good for you’

History:Mountain Home School

A Burning IssueForest fires are dreaded by the Department officials andnaturalists alike. One fire takes out innumerable amounts ofnatural vegetation and forest cover. But fire is not the only threatto our last forests. An expert’s perspective.Pi

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Forest fires are dreaded by the Department officials andnaturalists alike. One fire takes out innumerable amounts ofnatural vegetation and forest cover. But fire is not the only threatto our last forests. An expert’s perspective.

The Local is an online edition bringing news and views on the Nilgiris district.Published on behalf of The Local Media Publishing Co,. by Edwin David from 10/363-Y-1, Indiranagar; Avk Post, The Nilgiris. Editor: Edwin David

As we observe yet another Wildlife Week, hopeful that our pack of ‘humans,’ who destroy, then conserve, continue in earnest to enddestruction and uphold preservation. Protect our wild life. Protect our forests. We never fail to admire the animals we encounter in thewild. They are absolutely fabulous. Shining, healthy skin, glassy eyes, the humble yet majestic look, ready to leap away when all youwant is to have them linger, to continue to graze, to raise their head and fondly gaze. We need them around for our own sanity.I happened upon a barking deer and fawn as I walked a well used path through tea and acacia. Have they ventured too close orhave I ventured too far? The questions have been raised often enough. Let’s fix our minds to make the change, a change for thebetter. No cameras please. Store them in your memory. No junk for them. They have their little grass and weeds. Grow them ifyou wish. Get rooted to earth and make not a sound. Just watch and take in Nature. Importantly, know the animals around us.Introducing 6 interesting species found in the Nilgiris (pgs 5-10). You might spot them around. If you do, there are two reasons:we have disturbed their natural habitat or they have grown in numbers. If it is the latter, there is yet the hope of their survival.

editor’s note

Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve (NBR) is among the great wildlife destinations of southIndia, with good number of protected area networks that hold many forest types andinteresting plant and animal species.

The range of topography and climate has resulted in sharp gradients of vegetationcomposition, ranging from thorny scrub forest, dominating the north-eastern regionand intergrading westwards into dry and moist deciduousforests and wet evergreen forests towards the Wayanadregion.A shola (montane evergreen forest) - grassland mosaicdominates the higher altitudes. Most of the majorvegetation types of peninsular India occur in the NBRand covers two of the ten biogeographical zones of Indiaand with only 0.15% of India’s land area, contains 20% ofall angiosperms, 15% of all butterflies and 23% of allvertebrates that are found in India. The deciduous, moistevergreen forests and the grasslands are an extremelybiodiversity rich, mountainous eco-region and are possiblyone of the best locations to observe mega fauna like Asianelephants, Indian gaur, Spotted deer, Sambar, Nilgiri Tahrand Sloth bear. These forests also hold healthy populationsof two globally endangered big cats – the Tiger andLeopard.In recent decades the forest areas of Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve have drastically reduceddue to the developmental & tourism activities, expansion of agricultural lands andinvasion of exotic plants. In a recent survey, a total of 223 species of flowering plantsbelonging to 56 families have naturalised under different types based on their occurrenceand utility in the NBR alone. This poses a threat to natural forest species. An exampleis Wattle - fast proliferating plant (pic inset). Another threat to the forest biodiversity isthe deadly forest fire. Every year, at least 1000ha of forest is destroyed by human inducedforest fire. Restoring the degraded landscapes and planting the native species isimmensely important for the present era. Nurseries have therefore become an importantpart of restoration and help create awareness.

Keystone Foundation has initiated nurseries for native species in 7 various localitieswhich cover the entire landscape of the NBR. Supporting the raising and planting ofnative species has been an effort of Keystone Foundation in the last 10 years to spreadawareness on the diversity and richness of the region.

A burning issueDr L Rasingham, Keystone Foundation

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Every year, at least 1000ha of forest is destroyed by human-induced fire.

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Dr Rasingham is a botanist and is based at Keystone Foundation, Kotagiri.

The 4 weekly updates that were published over the last month have been well received - the burglaryissue and the mental illness perspective, in particular, invited sharp responses from the readers - issuesthat are mostly ignored are being brought to the fore. The ‘legal scenario’ interview was appreciated too.Do write to us if you feel a certain subject is of importance and needs to be addressed through your localpaper. If you wish to receive the weekly updates, or would like someone to receive one too, pleaseforward the email ID to [email protected] weekly format supports colour advertisements, short video clips - the store interiors, a new productetc. Contact: 97905 90570.

TheLocal weekly updates.

Surya Kandavadivel, Riverside PublicSchool, Kotagiri.

Boys Under 19 - First: Nishant, Stanes, Coimbatore. Second: Naman Malik, Army School, Wellington. Third: Sameer

Behl GSIS, Ooty &Sujit Matthew GSHM. Under 16 - First: Nakul Prakash, Vivekalaya, Coimbatore. Second: Surya

Kandavadivel, Riverside, Kotagiri. Third: Alham Manulla Kancwala GSIS, Ooty. Under 13 - First: Ninad Chaddha,

Army School Wellington.Second: Rahul Nahar, Vidhya Niketan, Coimbatore. Third: Kathiresan, Lawrence School, Ooty.

Under 10 - First: Shivkaran Kandavadivel, Riverside Kotagiri. Second: Akshath, Stanes, Coimbatore. Third: Navjot

Singh, Airforce School, Coimbatore. Girls Open Championship - First: Rhea R, Lawrence School, Ooty. Second: SheenR, Lawrence School, Ooty . Third: Nisarat Tong-Akka, GSFS.

Highfield Nilgiri Open Golf TournamentNakul Prakash, Vivekalaya Matriculation,Coimbatore

Highfield Open Golf Tournament

The golf circuit for young ones is hotting up in the Nilgiris. First timeparticipant Yash Yohaan Prasad is our personality of the month.

A litle way into the conversationwith the as-he-calls-himself,‘amateur golfer’ and Yash and hisinterviewer realise that one knowsa lot more than he is expected toand the other a lot less about thisonce-reserved-for-older-peoplegame.

‘I use a 5-iron or a 7-iron stickwhen I am on the fairway,’ says theyoung lad, matter-of-fact. ‘For longshots I use a big club,’ he happilychats away.When did you start to play golf?‘When I was very small, about 6years I think,’ saysYash. Well he isstill very small! 12 years andstudying at Riverside School inKotagiri.Yash likes golf for two reasons apartfrom enjoying the game. He getsto amble across spectacular terrainwith a breathtaking view and achance to interact with interestingpeople. Not surprising that he says,

he likes to play for the fun that thegame brings. Did you feel pressureat the Highfield tournament?(results published below)‘No, I try not to play under anypressure and walking on the courseis always relaxing.’Tiger Woods and an Irish player(whose name he can’t recollect at themoment) are his favourite players.When is the right time to start? ‘Itsnever too early.’ What if one neverlearnt to play golf? Can one beginlate? ‘Sure, but my dad says its bestto start playing a game early so youdon’t find it too hard to adapt, asan adult.’ The uninitiated can learnthe game from you? ‘I can explainthe fundamentals. After that youcan develop your own game,’ saysthe self assured young lad.‘I’m waiting to pitch myself againstgranddad who is due to visit usduring my holidays,’ concludes Yashexcitedly.

personality

(in pic)

So do a wide range of veg & non- veg delicacies.Enjoy the Experience!

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Vitamin A, the vision vitamin, is found largely in animal foods like whole milk, ghee, butter, egg yolkand liver. Being fat soluble, it concentrates in the fatty components of foods, which is why it is foundin the cream of milk, for instance, and not in egg white. Indian diets are typically vegetarian, so howis the daily requirement for this vitamin met? Enter carotenoids, the gaudy pigments that colourcarrots. Several hundred carotenoids are found in Nature, but the one most beneficial to man is betacarotene because it is converted to vitamin A in the human body.

Increasingly, though, other carotenoids are under scrutiny because of their ability to mitigate the riskof lifestyle-related illness such as heart disease and cancer. Among them is lycopene, a carotenoidfound in tomatoes, watermelon, pink guavas, pink grapefruit, red peppers and papaya. Fruits let toripen on the plant tend to have more lycopene. Neither does processing—think tomato ketchup—appear to destroy lycopene. Indulge!

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Preparation Time :25 minutesCooking Time :NilChilling Time :2 hours minimum

Ingredients2½ kg/5¼ lb/About ½ large watermelon60 g/2 oz/4 tbsp granulated sugar15 ml/½ fl oz/1 tbsp lime or lemon juice8 ice cubesA few drops of rose or kewra essence(optional)Pinch of saltCrushed ice6 sprigs of fresh mintWash the watermelon and cut away therind. Remove as many seeds as possible.Chop coarsely. Place half the amount ofwatermelon, granulated sugar, lime orlemon juice and ice cubes in a mixer/blender. Blend at the lowest speed for 15seconds. Open the jar and stir the contents.Blend once again for 15 seconds. Pour intoa tall jar. Repeat with the remaining half ofthe same ingredients.Add the essence, if using, and salt. Stirwell. Cover and chill for at least 2hours.To serve, pour into 6 tall,thin glasses and top with crushedice decorated with a sprig of mint.(Adapted from Indian Food SenseAbbreviations: kg = kilogram; lb = pound;g = gram; oz = ounce; tbsp = tablespoon;ml = millilitre; fl oz = fluid ounce

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Tarbooz ka Sharbat(Watermelon Refresher) Get red coloured vegetables and fruits

to your table, give yourself the muchneeded Vitamin A.

Serves 6.

RECIPE

flavour

Ruth N Davidar

The writer is a registered Dietitian & Author of Indian Food Sense

Blue Hills Restaurant, Commercial Rd, Ooty.

Its not uncommon to see an old student of the Nilgiris revisitwith his family, relive the good old times and show them hisfavourite haunts. Its certain, you will see them at Blue Hills fora meal.Multi cuisine restaurant Modernised kitchen Tasty biriyanis

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Removing a male calf from its mother When a male calf is to be removed from itsmother, most likely to be sold to a butcher in oneof the Nilgiri markets, the dairyman adopts aslightly different ploy than that for a female calf asdescribed in last month’s issue of The Local. Hekeeps the male calf and proposed surrogate togetherfor several days in the same calf shed. Each morningand evening before he begins to milk, the dairymanrubs salt, butter and lemon grass into the skins ofboth calves before bringing them to suckle at thedam’s teats. Again the salt and milk are pacifiers,while the lemon grass prevents the dam fromdistinguishing between her own calf and thesurrogate. After following this strategy for four orfive days, the herdsman may remove the male calfpermanently, while its mother continues to sucklethe surrogate as if it were her own.Caring for the Calves Toda herdsmen do not permit very youngcalves—less than about forty-five days old—to leavethe confines of the hamlet. Instead, once the herd

has left for pasture, these youngsters are shut up in their special sheds to preventharm befalling them. At this age, Todas say, a calf that drinks water may sicken—even die. Older calves, strong enough to graze alone and to drink water withimpunity are permitted to wander more or less at will within, or close by thehamlets, although they are likely still to be under the watchful eye of a Todayouth.Pasturing and Penning the Herds Adult buffaloes graze over the Nilgiri toplands during the day, tended oruntended. If there is any danger that they will stray into newly-planted forestland, or otherwise cause damage for which their owners will be held responsible,the usual solution is to have a responsible Toda youth keep watch over them.Otherwise, they are free to roam as they please. At any rate, towards dusk thebuffaloes wander back to the hamlet of their own accord. Their young calves arenow released from the sheds to suckle, the milking procedure repeated, the youngcalves safely locked up for the night, and the remainder of the herd penned.

Buffalo pens are generally situated in some sheltered spot within thehamlet. Frequently they are cut into a hillside, but they are never roofed. Withminimal protection, these hardy animals are easily able to tolerate the cold ofNilgiri nights, when the temperature may drop well below freezing point.Special events in the pastoral life Among traditional Toda buffalo pastoralists of the Nilgiri Mountains in SouthIndia, daily work with the herds (described last month) involves milking,sometimes processing that milk into butter, buttermilk and ghee, and ensuringthe animals are properly pastured and their young calves protected. There are (orused to be) a few additional activities, occurring from time to time, such asproviding salt for the herds, driving the animals to more luxuriant pastures, andsetting fire to old grasses so that new, more succulent ones may speedily replacethem. Todas still give salt to their buffaloes; only a few continue to drive theirherds to dry-season pastures, while the custom of firing the grasslands must haveceased upwards of three-quarters of a century ago.Giving Salt to the Buffaloes and Migrating to Seasonal pastures Several times a year, Toda provide salt for their herds, maintaining that this isnecessary to ensure the animals provide a plentiful milk supply. The herdsmendig pits, fill them with water to which they add salt, and then drive the animalsup to these drinking places. During the dry months from December through March, nighttime frostsand a piercing daytime sun shining in cloudless skies causes much of the grass


tradition

Sacred Buffaloes, Dairies and Dairymen in South Indiacontd. from previous issue

Anthony R. Walker

Dry-season hamlet (with two newly-builthouses) located in the middle of a pristineNilgiri shola Photo: Tarun Chhabra

Toda herdsmen supervising their buffaloes as the animalsdrink from the salt pits Photo: Pauline H. Walker

The Indian Muntjac (Muntiacus muntjak) is also commonly called the “barking deer” due to thebark-like sound that it makes as an alarm when danger is present. It is also called “Karkar”. Some-times these deer will bark for an hour or more. This species is one of eleven different species ofMuntjacs spread across Asia. The Indian Muntjacs specifically are widespread throughout SouthernAsia, but are one of the least known Asian animals.The Indian Muntjac has a short but very soft,thick, dense coat, especially those living in cooler regions. Coloration of the coat changes from darkbrown to yellowish and grayish brown depending on the season. The body length of Muntjacs variesfrom 35-53 in and their height ranges from 15-26 in.

Source: Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia


cover in the principal Toda settlement areas to becomebrown and shriveled—poor fodder even for the hardyToda buffaloes. To alleviate this situation it was oncecommon for Toda herdsmen to drive their animalsto temporary pastures located in the far southwest ofthe plateau—the area of the mountains that receivesthe greatest annual rainfall—or else to other, scattered,places, where localized climatic conditions preventthe grass from becoming as parched as on the maingrazing grounds. When the herds were (a few stillare) moved for the sake of better pasturage, wholefamilies (but seldom the inhabitants of an entirehamlet) accompany them and live for two-and-a-halfto three months at a seasonal settlement, replete withall the amenities—dwellings, dairy, buffalo pen or pensand calf sheds—that are found in a regular hamlet.

Over the last more than half-a-century, large-scale reservoir constructionand forest-planting projects, dwindling buffalo numbers and the introductionof crop cultivation—by Todas themselves, or by others to whom they leasetheir land—has almost ended the traditional seasonal migrations. Only twoor three of the fifteen Toda patriclans continue the practice.Firing the Pastures In the old days, before the Toda herdsmen and their families left in Februaryfor the dry-season pastures, they would burn off their regular grasslands tofacilitate the growth of new grass during the first rains of March and April. Bythe time the buffaloes returned, towards the end of May, from their temporarygrazing grounds, their regular pastures would once more be covered with freshgreen grass. Grassland burning has long been prohibited by the Forest Department,but its historic importance is such that at least one scholar specializing in thehuman geography of these mountains attributes the great expanse of plateaugrasslands not to natural causes, but to millennia of human burning activity.Dairymen-priests: The Ritualization of the Dairying Enterprise The dairymen who tend the temple buffaloes constitute, in effect, theToda priesthood and occupy important ritual positions in Toda society. Butunlike the priests of some other religious traditions, the Toda office is not onethat necessarily binds the holder to a life of permanent abstinence. A dairyman-priest may relinquish his position whenever he wishes, or when those who aresupporting him (the owners of the buffaloes in his charge) see fit. All that isnecessary is for the priest to purposely defile himself—for example by enteringa domestic house, attending a funeral, or touching an object or person lesspure than himself. With such actions he instantaneously reverts to lay statusand may resume priestly office only through re-ordination. Dairymen-priests are responsible for the care of the buffaloes in their charge,for milking them and for processing that milk into butter, buttermilk andghee inside sacred dairy buildings, which are the Todas’ temples. Several of themore sacred of these institutions, including all those located in what Toda call“head” or “chief ” hamlets, and others that are so holy that they are locatedoutside of domestic settlements altogether, are worshipped as divinities inthemselves.

The chital or cheetal, also known as chital deer, spotted deer or axis deer is the most common deerspecies in Indian forests It is found in the wooded regions of Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan andIndia, and on the Veliki Brijun Island in the Brijuni Archipelago of the Istrian Peninsula in Croatia. Theyare found in small numbers in Pakistan as well. Its coat is reddish fawn, marked with white spots, andits underparts are white. Its antlers, which it sheds annually, are usually three-pronged and curve in alyre shape and may extend to 75 cm (2.5 ft). It stands about 90 cm (3 ft) tall at the shoulder and massesabout 85 kg (187 lb). Its lifespan is around 20–30 years.


Contd in next issue

Calf sheds, back-to-back, in a Toda hamlet(the barrel-vaulted homes are seen behind thegable-roofed calf sheds Pic:Pauline H. Walker

Toda herdsman milks his buffalo as docile calf lies nearbyPhoto: P.K. Nambiar


Animal trophy possession - the new hunting ground, for many.

‘I had no idea, whatsover.Fortunately for us, a senior officerin the department, who was knownto me, brought the matter to mynotice during a casual meeting,’states a former Manager of an oldclub in Munnar who got toaccidentally hear of the ForestDepartment directive that all animaltrophies were to be declared andregistered. This was in 2003.With one of Nilgiris’ oldest clubs, thiswas not the case - its Secretary hadheard of the directive and actedswiftly, intimating concernedofficials,in writing, that the club wasin possession of trophies most ofwhich were perhaps a century oldand that they be registered. In 2006,the department issued them licencesfor a little less than half the originalnumber applied for. A representativeof the club stated that they were toldby the department officials that theremainder did not requireregistration since these did not comeunder the purview of Schedule Ianimals at that point in time.Late last year, the club was ‘raided’by officials, who, according to theunsuspecting members, came armedwith a truck, photographers andmedia personnel. The unregisteredtrophies were unceremoniouslycarried off and charges were pressedagainst the club for unlawfulpossession, allegedly, of a ScheduleI species of antelope which amountsto a serious offence!

Deadlock.

Game hunting and trophy hoisting was alegacy that was gifted by the British. Theybrought with them this pastime sport. Theyalso brought with them trophies of huntexploits f rom elsewhere. It is notuncommon to find lion head or Thompsongazelle on the walls of old clubs in theNilgiris, animals not found in these parts.

Post the 1972 Wildlife Act, whichbanned game hunting and revokeds h i k a r licenses, the activity ofmaking and the preserving of •n oft r o p h i e s ought to have alsos t o p p e d . U n c o n f i r m e dreports have it that a prominenttaxidermist was in businessuntil the late 90s, in adjoiningMysore district.Two reasonsprompted the wildlifeofficials to enact this ruleof declaration andregistration - to ensurecomplete elimination ofhunting (which can onlybe termed as poaching,today) and to preventsale and exchange oftrophies for commercialgain.Until the now infamous-for-various-reasons raid onone club, other institutions,including the Nilgiri Library, forinstance, were unaware of the rule.

According to a member, the committee ofthis 150 year old institution hastily gotabout declaring their ‘legacy’, the orgins ofwhich is recorded in Frederick Price’s book

Penalties: (Section 51 of Wild Life Protection Act 1972) Any person who contravenes any provisions of chapter V-A i.e. Prohibition of trade or commerce in trophies or animal articles, shall be punishable with imprisonment for aterm which shall not be less than Three years and also fine not less than Ten Thousand rupees.

Wildlife Protection Act, 1972

local issue

Blackbuck (Antilope cervicapra), Krishna Mrigam is a species of antelope found mainly in India,and also in some parts of southern Nepal, and Pakistan, though it has also been introduced in Texasand Argentina. It is one of the fastest of all terrestrial animals reaching to speeds of up to 80 km/hrand is one of the few antelopes where males and females have distinctive coloration, as the malebucks are a distinctive black and white and have long twisted horns, while females are fawn colouredwith no horns. In its scientific name Antilope cervicapra, ‘Antilope’ from ‘anthalops’ (Greek) a hornedanimal; ‘cervicapra’ from ‘cervus’ (Latin) a deer and ‘capra’ (Latin) a she-goat.


as follows: “The hunting trophies in theReading Room [of the Nilgiri Library] werepresented by Major General H R Morgan,in March 1897, as a souvenir of his son, thelate Mr Rhodes Morgan,”...(Ootacamund- A History, p 237).

The official list on the details of ownershipof trophies in the Nilgiris, presently,names a total of 26 institutions/i n d i v i d u a l s whose trophies areregistered. What of the rest? Howmany are unaware? How muchof awareness is enough and what willmake awareness exercises effective?

H o w e v e r , there are some otherquestions that: Is everybody really

unaware? Will harassmentfollow voluntary disclosure?

Does the department act oncertain tip-offs and not others? Are

some institutions above the law? Andsome individuals? Who is expected to

be an expert on the subject, thegovernment or the governed?Why wasn’t the Schedule I speciesnoticed at the initial count, at theclub in question? Are we losing

sight of the original purpose forwhich this Act was implemented?

Will the century-old confiscatedtrophies decompose before these

questions are answered? Worse, will thematter die out, adding to this legacy that

we will inadvertently hand futuregenerations - that of unanswered questionsand slippery truths. What is certain is thatfor one more time, it’s the animal that iscaught, unawares, in the line of fire.

Trade or Commerce in wild animals, animal articles and trophies: All the wild animals, animal articles and trophies shall be the property to the StateGovernment. No person is entitled to hunt any wild animals. No person, without the previous permission in the writing of the Chief Wild Life Warden or theAuthorized Officer, acquire or keep in his possession, custody, or control, or transfer to any person whether by a way of gift, sale or otherwise or destroy ordamage. At the commencement of this Act, If any person possesses any animal specified in this Act or any uncured trophy derived from such animal or saltedor dried skins of such animal or the musk or a musk deer or dorm of a rhinoceros shall declare and obtain the permission from the Chief Wild Life Warden orthe authorized person. After the commencement of this Act no person shall acquire, receive, keep in his control, custody or possession sell, offer for sale orotherwise transfer or transport any animal specified in the Act or any uncured trophy or meat derived from such animal or the skins or musk or horn withoutthe previous permission in writing of the Chief Wild Life Warden or the Authorized person. Dealings in trophies and animal articles without license isprohibited.Power of entry, search, arrest, and detention: Any authorized person under this Act is entitled and has power of entry, search, arrest and detention of anypremises. He can stop vehicle or vessel. He can enter any premises. He can seize any captive animal - wild animal, animal article, meat, trophy or uncuredtrophy or any specified plant or part of derivative thereof forms the possessor.

The Local Correspondent

Kodanad View Point provides a majestic view of theMysore Plateau and the picturesque Thengumarahada. Youcan spot the meandering Moyar river in the distance. Morethan the breathtaking view, one gets to see almosteverything intrinsic to the mountains and plains - the ravine,the valleys, the cliffs, the rock, the waterfalls, the mountainrange, the foothills, the forests - all spread like a postcardbefore you. Somebody rightly pointed out, ‘Your guide toGeography lessons.’ Take off on this 16 km drive fromKotagiri, on a warm, bright morning!

WarehousersMAS3 DECADES OF WAREHOUSING

snapshot brought to you by:


snapshot

The Nilgiri Tahr (Nilgiritragus hylocrius) is an ungulate that is endemic to the Nilgiri Hills and thesouthern portion of the Western Ghats in the states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala in southern India. It isthe state animal of Tamil Nadu. It is known locally as the Nilgiri Ibex. In the Tamil Language it is called“varaiaadu”, the term being composed of two Tamil words, wurrai a precipice, and aadu, a goat. TheNilgiri Tahrs are stocky goats with short, coarse fur and a bristly mane. Males are larger than thefemales, and have a darker color when mature. Both sexes have curved horns, which are larger inthe males, reaching up to 40 cm for males and 30 cm for females. Adult males weigh 80–100 kg andstand about 100 cm tall at the shoulder.Source: Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia


The Four-horned Antelope (Tetracerus quadricornis) also known as the Chousingha is an ante-lope found in open forest in South Asia. Its primary distribution is in India extending South of theGangetic plains down to the state of Tamilnadu. Four-horned Antelope stand just over half a metretall at the shoulder and weigh around 20 kilogramsIt has a yellow-brown coat with the underside andinsides of the legs being white. Its legs are thin and have a black stripe running down the forelegs.Four-horned Antelope live in dry deciduous forests and are solitary creatures. Although many peoplesay that these are mute animals, they can be heard while communicating as an alarm call whichsounds like a husky ‘phronk’.


The Riverside Factory was started in 1962 by T.M. Selai Gowder regarded as one of theearly entrepreneurs of the Badaga community, in the Nilgiris. The factory ranked among thefirst 5 bought-leaf tea factories in the Kotagiri area. In 1964, it switched from manufacturingorthodox teas to CTC to fulfill a growing demand for regular teas. The quest for quality wasuncompromising.The top selling teas at the auctions, Riverside Tea has won several awards, including theprestigious Golden Leaf Awards (judged by an international panel) in the years 2005, 2006and 2008! In recent years, the brand has ventured into packaging and is selling its teas overthe counter. The refreshing packaging, designed by a professional agency The Little BigCompany, best complements the product. Contact: Nitin Lakshmanan 94430 23759.

news & events

‘Tea for Health’ is the slogan and theunderying theme for this year’s Tea andTourism festival. According to theExecutive Director of Tea Board, RAmbalavanan I.A.A.S, this theme aptlydescribes the intrinsic values of tea.‘Antioxidants in tea make it a healthy drink.Isn’t this a better way to project Nilgiri tea?’explains the official who is at the forefrontof quality measures in the industry.

Notwithstanding the constant challengesin maintaining good quality in teaproduction and manufacturing, ‘overall,the standards of Nilgiri tea has greatlyimproved in recent years’.Projecting tea alongside tourism is a movethat was first initiated in 1994 with theintention to complement these two main

growth drivers of the local economy.‘As a first time initiative, this year, we havesent invitations to large exporters ofvarious commodities like rice grains,wheat etc,. to interest them in also dealingin Nilgiri teas. The role of the Tea Boardwill be to facilitate licences for thesebuyers and factories to enter into a longterm relationship.Vistors to the 3-day program, arrangedat HADP open air stadium, wereintroduced to the various types of Nilgiritea including the high quality silver tipvarieties.The programs from the 15th -18th, Oct2010 included cultural programs and avisit to a tea factory.

Riverside Tea Plantations - An entrepreneurial success story

Tea & Tourism - building greater synergies.

Promotional feature

Innovative:Logo for the Tea &Tourism festival.

The Local Correspondent

The Sambar (Rusa unicolor) is a large dark brown, maned Asian deer. It attains a height of 102 to160 cm (40 to 63 in) at the shoulder and may weigh as much as 546 kg (1200 pounds), though moretypically 162-260 kg (357-574 pounds). The coat is dark brown with chestnut marks on the rump andunderparts. The large, rugged antlers are typically rusine, the brow tines being simple and the beamsforked at the tip. In some specimens the antlers exceed 101 cm (40 in). The Sambar inhabits muchof southern Asia (as far north as the south-facing slopes of the Himalayan Mountains), mainlandSoutheast Asia (Burma, Thailand, Indochina, the Malay Peninsula), southern China (including HainanIsland), Taiwan, and the islands of Sumatra and Borneo in Indonesia.Source: Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia

history

"Twenty nine years ago, a few AngloIndian ladies were at Grassmere...each was full of a great thought, butjust as things nearest our hearts areonly too often farthest from our lipseach felt diffident to tell the otherswhat was uppermost in her mind.Reserve, however broke down uponnearer acquaintance with oneanother and almost unconsciously,they found themselves talking of howthey and their Anglo Indian sisterswere neglecting their opportunitiesand their undoubted call to help inthe evangelisation of India." Dr EvaD'Prazer, Dr Nina Ottmann, MissTM Mergler, Miss V Marcar andMiss May Trutwein, were theProtestant Anglo Indian ladies whowhile on holiday in the Nilgiri Hillsmet for prayers. It was during one ofthese meetings that they decided, "toform themselves into a band, pledgedto write and speak to others on thespecial place Anglo Indians ought tobe filling in the mission field." Thus

A significant event inAnglo-Indian history.The founding of HMSI was a landmark in the history of thecommunity. Mountain Home School, Coonoor, a result of theSociety’s far-reaching initiative.

A picture from the 60s: Old students andbeneficiaries of the HMSI vision, Ms EnidScott (right) and Ms Molly Thacker returnedto serve as teachers in Mountain Home.

Mountain Home School & Junior CollegeBalaclava, Coonoor; The Nilgiris District,South India. Ph +91-423-2206471

Estd: 1911

in 1904, these women became thefounders of the first national AngloIndian Mission Society. The ladiesmeeting in each others homes soonrealised that there were many likeminded ladies who were also missionconscious. This led to the formalinauguration of the Women's HomeMissionary Society(WHMSI) onJune 28, 1905.The MethodistChurch at Richmond TownBangalore, was the chosen venue.In1909, the WHMSI called itself TheHome Missionary Society of India(HMSI) when they accepted men asmembers.The founding of theHMSI has since become a significantevent in Anglo Indian history. Itstood as a good example of whatAnglo Indians had done by unitingand consecrating their lives to theservice of the Lord. The organisationhad done much for the upliftment ofthe Anglo Indian community and theevangelisation of India.As HMSI enters the 21st century it

continues to build on the vision of thefounders - ‘to rouse' the community toevangelise that part of India and the worldwhere God has placed them and to carefor and encourage their children to carryon its vision responsibly. They the HMSIas always, live up to their motto “If anyman serve me, follow me."Similarly, Mountain Home, as it nears itshundreth year, lives up to the vision of itsfounders, empowering its students withthe power of knowledge.

Visionaries: The founders of HMSI

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the local oct 2010

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