204 



MANUAL OF THE NILAGIRI DISTRICT. 



CHAP. IX, 

 PART II. 



Dress, &c. 



Census ami 

 Divisions. 



Mode of life. 



air of deci.sion. The men wear their hair^ which is black, straight 

 and longj parted down the middle, either loose or tied in a knot 

 behind. In the men the forehead is inclined to be prominent. In 

 the women this defect is more marked, and they are generally- 

 less good-looking. Their noses are shorter and incline to a 

 snub, and the chin is short and angular. 



The dress of the men consists of the usual coarse unbleached 

 cloth. The women have a similar one, which is worn over one 

 shoulder and under the other arm, and forms a kind of petticoat 

 reaching just below the knees. They are fond of rude ornaments, 

 bracelets, armlets, and necklaces of seeds and wire. The dress of 

 the dancers who attend festivals is peculiar. It is a loose ill-made 

 goivn of calico, with a skirt gathered very full round the waist 

 and reaching to the ankles. This is ornamented with country 

 red cloth sown on in patterns, a bright-colored girdle or scarf, and 

 a handkerchief round the neck. Trousers of colored cotton stuff 

 and a turban complete the costume. Their national dance 

 requires six or eight performers, who stand in a row, their 

 motions being uniform. The effect of these dresses when the 

 dancers twirl together from one side to the other is most quaint 

 and laughter- moving. Indeed the main characteristic of the 

 dance is the way in which their draperies swing to and fro with 

 the measure. 



They recognise no caste among themselves. The only divisions 

 are of a very indefinite nature, and are called Keris or streets, but 

 appear to have very little to do with locality, for Mr. Breeks 

 mentions that " inhabitants belonging to all three Keris " are 

 found in one Kotagiri.^ They always seek their wives fi'om 

 another KerL They are distributed as follows : — 



\ 



There is another Kotagiri near Gudalur in Wainad, which is 

 not included because it was not within the district prior to the 

 annexation. 



The Kdtas are the artizans of the Hills, and are necessary to all 

 the other tribes as their blacksmiths, carpenters, tanners, rope- 

 makers, umbrella-makers, potters, mu.sicians, and workers in gold 

 and silver. Consequently, their villages have sprung up in the 



1 i.e., Kdta hill. This probably is a Badaga corruption of Kotakeri, or Kota 

 street. 



