The Story of Thottinayakkanur!

Image via Wikipedia

Image via Wikipedia

Image via Wikipedia

They are not nomads; they are not aborigines; they are not uncivilized; they are not crude people;they are fairly civilized, with a decent life style; they rear their children beautifully and so healthily; still they are badly lacking in something; just because they are deeply involved, deeply buried in mysticism and in superstition years together, they are denying themselves some legitimate rights, they are entitled to; burying their ambitions and their children’s in the name of their tradition; very hard to believe and digest; but it is the reality and the lifestyle of some 900 people living in a remote village called as Thottinayakkanur, in the Salem District, Tamil Nadu, India.

The girl was so cute and so charming; of course black in complexion; the girl belongs to a community called Thottinayakkars, which migrated from Andhra some hundred years ago.

‘Are you studying?’

‘Yes’

‘In which class?’

‘Eighth standard, in our village school

‘What do you want to be?’

‘doctor’

‘for your higher education where do you go ?’

‘I can’t

‘Why? …is your family poor? just because of your poverty you cannot continue your higher education?’

‘Not like that; just because I am a girl, I cannot study further

‘Is your family or is your community prevents a girl child from studying further?’

‘If I go to high school, I have to wear a blouse; I have to wear a Churidar, which my mother as well as my community will not permit

I was shocked and spell bound.I became even more curious to know about these unfortunate ,unlucky people.

When I entered the village Thottinayakkanur, the story of Thottinayakkanur was gradually unraveled to me.

These people especially the ladies have been very strictly following and observing a tradition for over hundred years.They never wear blouse, especially after attaining their puberty; even after getting married, even after giving birth to their children, they don’t wear blouses; just because they don’t wear blouses means they are not obscene or getting exposed;they wear their sarees in such a way that it cover their breasts fully.

I met some elderly people in the village known as panchayatdars.

‘You seem to be particularly your ladies are following a strange habit of not wearing blouses after attaining their puberty; are you not ashamed ?’

‘Hey man you withdraw your words; they are bound by the tradition of their village deity namely ‘Bommakka’; it was she who saved our village ladies during a heavy flood many years ago.Bommakka did not wear any blouse; she is our Goddess; just because she did not wear any blouse our ladies do not wear any blouse after attaining puberty;If any woman violates our tradition and wear a blouse, she will be ostracized from our village and from our community as well; for fear of losing their kith and kin no body dares to wear a blouse; similarly, if any woman from our community commits adultery, she will also be banished from our community; if a woman from any other village, gets married with a person in our community, she too should not wear any blouse when she comes to her marital home here.Even before the marriage, we make it clear to the bride’s family and only after getting an undertaking that they will follow our tradition, we fix the marriage.’

After hearing their story, I left the village with a heavy heart; the smiling innocent young children in their colorful attire bid farewell to me!