Ooty: Keeping in line with this year’s theme of International Mountain Day, namely, “Mountain Cultures: Celebrating Diversity and Strengthening Identity”, the greens here are calling for conserving mountain culture, and learn eco-conservation and traditional knowledge from the tribes and other hill communities in Nilgiris.
Mr V. Sivadass, managing trustee of the Nilgiris Environment and Socio-cultural Trust, said that that mountains are not only nature’s life supporting systems, but also the origin of water and fresh air, the two most important parameters for sustenance of life on earth; they are also the origin and abode of ancient culture and tradition with a host of tribes and other hill communities residing in the mountains acting as the connecting link between ancient times and the cyber era.
“Nilgiris is home to six primitive tribes in the country. Their lifestyle, tradition and culture are different but unique to each community. The Toda tribes live in the upper reaches of the hills. Their lifestyle shows their adaptation to extremities of cold weather on the top of the hills. The life of the Kota tribes depicts their crafts and pottery skills. The life of the Kattunayaka tribes reveals how ancient tribes live deep inside the woods in harmony with wildlife. The life of Kurumba tribes tells how they adjusted to make a livelihood with gathering forest produce like honey,” he explained.
“Their lives are nature oriented and they live in tune with nature. This is important for modern man to take eco-lessons from them to combat present day environmental challenges,” he pointed out.
