About the Event
We invite you to immerse yourself in the enchanting world of Toda songs – a journey that unveils the lyrical tradition of the Todas. Delve into the intricacies of their verbal structures and rich cultural heritage as each song unfolds in couplets, rooted in a three-syllable unit structure and adorned with symbolic pairs known as [kon]. Through a diverse repertoire of themes ranging from legendary events to everyday lamentations, the performance illuminates the depth of Toda’s lyrical expression.
Explore the varied song types, from the amusing [neuv] to the sacred [porT] and women’s [tiim], each offering a unique glimpse into Toda culture. Traditional performance practices, including rhythmic wordplay and collaborative composition, provide an immersive experience of Toda musical traditions.
As you journey through the performance, discover the alluring nature of Toda lyricism, drawing parallels to oral epics and ancient lyrical traditions from around the globe. Join us in celebrating the enduring beauty, linguistic and cultural significance of Toda songs as we unravel the threads of creativity and tradition woven into each captivating lyric.

About the Curators
Vasamalli Kurtaz, the first woman to attain a postgraduate degree in the Toda community, is a beacon of academic achievement and cultural preservation. A prominent scholar and social activist, she has served on the District Tribal Welfare Committee and the State Wildlife Board until 2021. With a fervent dedication to the empowerment of tribal women, Vasamalli has tirelessly coordinated with Tribal Women Self Help Groups, fostering their development and empowerment. Renowned as a treasure trove of indigenous knowledge and language, she co-authored the seminal work Maarum Ulagil Maraiyaa Oligal, documenting Toda’s verbal art, published by Sahitya Akademi in 2017. Currently, she endeavours to publish a Toda Dictionary and a book on the Toda Mountains while also contributing articles about the stories, language, and culture of the Toda community, ensuring their rich heritage endures for generations to come.

Dr Karthick Narayanan is a Linguist with a PhD from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. He is passionate about documenting India’s rich linguistics heritage and is committed to leveraging digital tools and methods to promote intangible culture. He recently completed his post-doctoral fellowship at the Moturi Satyanarayana Centre for Advanced Study in the Humanities and Social Sciences at Krea University. He has also held key research positions at the Central Institute for Indian Languages, Sahitya Akademi, and Sikkim University, and he has taught at the Central University of Karnataka. He is the co-author of the book, Maarum Ulagil Maraiyaa Oligal. He also led the creation of India’s first endangered language archive, SiDHELA. He is currently working with Dr Sumitra Ranganathan to create a prototype for a multivocal digital archive dedicated to preserving India’s intangible cultural heritage, under a Krea Research Fellowship award.