Beyond the patchy stretch until Virajpet, the roads leading to Coorg seemed like butter. It was dusk when I felt a wobble and got a flat. Nonchalantly, I parked by the roadside, focusing on light emanating from a distant hill. A homestay, perhaps! I longed to be in the cozy confines of my homestay. Just then, I felt a tap on my shoulder. It was an elderly man from the neighbouring village. He was a witness to the incident and offered his assistance.

As my future visits proved, such acts of altruism are common in this part of the country.

A typical Coorgi is one with an endearing smile who is always willing to help. The numerous homestays in the region manifest this hospitable attitude of its residents. But mind you, there is a huge difference between servitude and being of service. For the people of Coorg, such friendliness is an ingrained habit. It is spontaneous and not forced upon.

A Kodava at Home

Most homestay owners are well-off Kodavas – the local name for Coorgis, with a cosmopolitan outlook. Folklore has umpteen tales of the origin and culture of the Kodavas. The common thread running through them is a highly educated martial race with liberal views. What’s interesting is that social evils like dowry or child marriage are unheard of in this community!

A Coorg Wedding Scene

On an ordinary day, they appear like the inconspicuous village folk. However, on auspicious occasions like marriages and festivals, the Kodavas can be seen in all their resplendent glory!

The men are dressed in black knee-length overcoats – Kuppya, that reaches until the elbow with a crimson sash – Chaley and a gilded turban – Mande Tuni. Befitting the warrior tag, they also carry a silver dagger – Peechekathi. The women sport the Indian sari but in an atypical way. The pleats run through the chest from behind, the end of which is clipped with a broach on the right collar bone.

Recent years in Coorg have seen, much to the angst of the elders, an exodus of the young for the lure of the lucre. The grass, as the cliche goes, is always greener on the other side. That’s why I, without a second thought, would love to be in the company of the exquisite Coorg dwellers over and over again!

Gaurav Srivastava

Gaurav is essentially a city boy, having lived in the capital cities of Lucknow, Hyderabad and Bengaluru. He managed to complete his B.Tech. in Computer Science from IIIT, Hyderabad. Apart from being an ardent motor-biker and traveler, Gaurav is a Technology Consultant by proffession. Having toured Ladakh on his bike, he is scouting around for the next challenging destination. Quite frequently, he uses '55 Fiction' as a stress buster. He currently lives and works in Mumbai.

This entry was posted on Thursday, August 12th, 2010 at 1:10 PM and is filed under Culture. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.