372
“there are a few Todas who claim to know the rituals for ‘closing the mouth’ of
predators, especially tigers …”.
37
The Toda buffalo physiology differs markedly from the Indian zebu cow (the
most widespread on the sub-continent). But most importantly, the fat content of
their milk is 30% richer than the zebu’s milk.
38
Female buffaloes are generally
known to the Toda as ïr, males as e-r. A large bull is called pïrer pïr.
39
But, generally,
male buffaloes are not given personal names, only the females when a buffalo
calves. The rites, upon calving, and the myriad duties necessary for the dairyman
(there are no dairywomen among the Toda) are all-consuming. Toda society is completely dedicated to the ethical and religious hierarchy of events, cycles, predictions,
communiqués between the deities, the buffaloes, the dairies, and all Toda. The
details are ingrained in the boys; the hamlets are consumed by the moral responsibilities to their companion buffaloes; and it can be said that the buffaloes are in
charge. The one “glitch” as it were in this perfect system—for dairy products are the
mainstay of the Toda diet—is the fact that, in former centuries, there was a time
when a male buffalo calf would be sacrificed, a ritual no more. But Rivers did record
such a ceremony in 1906, though since that time it does not happen, and the Todas
will not talk about it, clearly wanting to be understood by their very love of the buffaloes and, hence, to faithfully practice pure vegetarianism.
40
41.7 Ecological Spirituality
Like another Indian collective, the Bishnoi (Vishnoi) of Rajasthan, the Toda worship nature, and by their comprehensive involvement with every minute biological
detail of their world, they are botanically and meteorologically clairvoyant. As Dr.
Chhabra elaborates,
41
there are fundamentally some 280 plant species the Toda utilize and fully comprehend in every season. And that is only the beginning. The
Bishnoi, a desert people who number nearly one million, are a self-described Hindu
sect that worship Guru Jambheshwar (1451–1536). In 1485, he authored a book
known as the Jamsagar, or, “show people the light,” which prescribed 29 rules of
ecological sustainability, vegetarianism, and ethical activism. They rightly view
themselves as guardians of the Thar (Great Indian) desert, an expanse of some
200,000 square kilometers in northwestern India. Their diet comprises “curd,
37 op cit., Chhabra, 2015, p. 462.
38 op cit., Walker, p. 102.
39 ibid., p. 103. One must note that Dr. Chhabra has extensively revised Toda orthography from that
used by Anthony, as well as the earlier Professor Murray Emeneau who, in 1971 worked out an
initial transliteration system for the Toda language which is not written, only spoken.
40 ibid., p. 179. One could imagine that this ritual, cloaked today in silence and possibly a sense of
regret felt by Todas, was occasionally undertaken under pressure by neighboring tribes for whom
animal sacrifice was no anomaly. But this is merely speculation.
41 op cit., Chhabra, 2015.
41 The Conical Temple of Konawsh
“there are a few Todas who claim to know the rituals for ‘closing the mouth’ of
predators, especially tigers …”.
37
The Toda buffalo physiology differs markedly from the Indian zebu cow (the
most widespread on the sub-continent). But most importantly, the fat content of
their milk is 30% richer than the zebu’s milk.
38
Female buffaloes are generally
known to the Toda as ïr, males as e-r. A large bull is called pïrer pïr.
39
But, generally,
male buffaloes are not given personal names, only the females when a buffalo
calves. The rites, upon calving, and the myriad duties necessary for the dairyman
(there are no dairywomen among the Toda) are all-consuming. Toda society is completely dedicated to the ethical and religious hierarchy of events, cycles, predictions,
communiqués between the deities, the buffaloes, the dairies, and all Toda. The
details are ingrained in the boys; the hamlets are consumed by the moral responsibilities to their companion buffaloes; and it can be said that the buffaloes are in
charge. The one “glitch” as it were in this perfect system—for dairy products are the
mainstay of the Toda diet—is the fact that, in former centuries, there was a time
when a male buffalo calf would be sacrificed, a ritual no more. But Rivers did record
such a ceremony in 1906, though since that time it does not happen, and the Todas
will not talk about it, clearly wanting to be understood by their very love of the buffaloes and, hence, to faithfully practice pure vegetarianism.
40
41.7 Ecological Spirituality
Like another Indian collective, the Bishnoi (Vishnoi) of Rajasthan, the Toda worship nature, and by their comprehensive involvement with every minute biological
detail of their world, they are botanically and meteorologically clairvoyant. As Dr.
Chhabra elaborates,
41
there are fundamentally some 280 plant species the Toda utilize and fully comprehend in every season. And that is only the beginning. The
Bishnoi, a desert people who number nearly one million, are a self-described Hindu
sect that worship Guru Jambheshwar (1451–1536). In 1485, he authored a book
known as the Jamsagar, or, “show people the light,” which prescribed 29 rules of
ecological sustainability, vegetarianism, and ethical activism. They rightly view
themselves as guardians of the Thar (Great Indian) desert, an expanse of some
200,000 square kilometers in northwestern India. Their diet comprises “curd,
37 op cit., Chhabra, 2015, p. 462.
38 op cit., Walker, p. 102.
39 ibid., p. 103. One must note that Dr. Chhabra has extensively revised Toda orthography from that
used by Anthony, as well as the earlier Professor Murray Emeneau who, in 1971 worked out an
initial transliteration system for the Toda language which is not written, only spoken.
40 ibid., p. 179. One could imagine that this ritual, cloaked today in silence and possibly a sense of
regret felt by Todas, was occasionally undertaken under pressure by neighboring tribes for whom
animal sacrifice was no anomaly. But this is merely speculation.
41 op cit., Chhabra, 2015.
41 The Conical Temple of Konawsh