Beauty of the Nilgiris
The Nilgiri Hills literally means the Blue Mountains, and that it really is. You can see the cascading mountain ranges tinged with blue hue enriching to its exotic charm. As the most popular hill resort of the South, the Nilgiris attract a host of tourists from across the country and abroad.
The regions around the Nilgiris are equally famous for several colorful festivals and fairs. Tea and Tourism Festival organized in Jan-Feb is the perfect time for tea aficionados. The summer festivals have boat races and flower & fruit shows that make the atmosphere electric with excitement. Apart from these lively fests, the chief attractions of the region include the Botanical Gardens, Doddabetta Peak, Mukkurthi Peak, the Pykara Dam and sprawling tea plantations.
Strobilanthes
12 Years once blooms
Kurinji Flower
The flower that blooms once in 12 years. The kurinji (strobilanthes) is a type of flower that grows on the higher elevations of the Nilgiri Hills. The blue colour and the bell shape of the flowers characterize this plant. It is quite a sight to see the kurinji in full bloom as they tend to have a densely packed together in clusters making it look like a carpet of flowers. This plant is of great interest to flower watchers as it blooms only once in twelve years. The plant flowers on reaching maturity and then dies after the flowering period, making the blooming period even more special.
FOUND ABOVE 5000 FT.
RHODODENDRON NILAGIRICUM
BILLI FLOWER
This flowering tree usually found above 5000 feet in mountain regions, is native to the Nilgiris. A Himalayan species is also known. Though by no means, a sturdy tree, it shows up in any forest vegetation with its attractive red, crimson or pink flowers. Called BILLI in Badaga or BILLE in Kurumba, this lexical item has an unique Nilgiri origin; the Toda and Kota names are derived from the original BILLI or BILLE. Botanists classify it as Rhododendron nilagiricum.
The BILLI flowers are used as offering to Hethe at the Beregani festival of the Badagas. Of late, they are used by some Badagas at the puberty-rite ceremony and still others offer it at the fire walking ceremony. The Lingyat Badagas offer this flower at the time of Mahashivarathri puja; however, it seems to lack strict ritual sanction. A white (or albino?) variety of BILLI is also known from ancient times. The white BILLI used to be offered at the first-fire ceremony of the Badagas. This was similar to the Toda ceremony of “lighting the god’s fire,” though BILLI had no role in the ceremony. The main purpose of the ceremony was to ensure the fertility of the pastures. It used to take place once a year. The Badagas ascribed masculine dimension to the red variety of BILLI and faminine dimension to the white variety of the flower.
The regions around the Nilgiris are equally famous for several colorful festivals and fairs. Tea and Tourism Festival organized in Jan-Feb is the perfect time for tea aficionados. The summer festivals have boat races and flower & fruit shows that make the atmosphere electric with excitement. Apart from these lively fests, the chief attractions of the region include the Botanical Gardens, Doddabetta Peak, Mukkurthi Peak, the Pykara Dam and sprawling tea plantations.
Strobilanthes
12 Years once blooms
Kurinji Flower
The flower that blooms once in 12 years. The kurinji (strobilanthes) is a type of flower that grows on the higher elevations of the Nilgiri Hills. The blue colour and the bell shape of the flowers characterize this plant. It is quite a sight to see the kurinji in full bloom as they tend to have a densely packed together in clusters making it look like a carpet of flowers. This plant is of great interest to flower watchers as it blooms only once in twelve years. The plant flowers on reaching maturity and then dies after the flowering period, making the blooming period even more special.
FOUND ABOVE 5000 FT.
RHODODENDRON NILAGIRICUM
BILLI FLOWER
This flowering tree usually found above 5000 feet in mountain regions, is native to the Nilgiris. A Himalayan species is also known. Though by no means, a sturdy tree, it shows up in any forest vegetation with its attractive red, crimson or pink flowers. Called BILLI in Badaga or BILLE in Kurumba, this lexical item has an unique Nilgiri origin; the Toda and Kota names are derived from the original BILLI or BILLE. Botanists classify it as Rhododendron nilagiricum.
The BILLI flowers are used as offering to Hethe at the Beregani festival of the Badagas. Of late, they are used by some Badagas at the puberty-rite ceremony and still others offer it at the fire walking ceremony. The Lingyat Badagas offer this flower at the time of Mahashivarathri puja; however, it seems to lack strict ritual sanction. A white (or albino?) variety of BILLI is also known from ancient times. The white BILLI used to be offered at the first-fire ceremony of the Badagas. This was similar to the Toda ceremony of “lighting the god’s fire,” though BILLI had no role in the ceremony. The main purpose of the ceremony was to ensure the fertility of the pastures. It used to take place once a year. The Badagas ascribed masculine dimension to the red variety of BILLI and faminine dimension to the white variety of the flower.
