A very tiny pastoral community is known as Todas. They live in a very isolated plateau of Nilgiri from Southern India. Prior to the 18th century, this community of the Todas where used to live with the other communities that includes Badaga, Kuruba and Kota in a loose community just like a caste. Todas were to be considered as top-ranking community against them. The population of the Todas has lingered around 700 – 900 in last century. Even though the population of the Todas are quite large in India Todas were unable to attract its attention as it holds all the ethnological aberrancy from the 18th century and also the way their unlikeness in their manners, appearance and customs. The deep study of this culture is most important in the creation for the field of Social Anthropology and Ethnomusicology.
They generally live in a group that is formed in the number of 3 to 7 in the tiny thatched houses, which is built in the design of the half barrels and are wide spread across the entire plateau. They do their business and trade the dairy products as their traditional with the people staying in Nilgiris. Toda is the religion centers on the buffalo. Hence, the ritual activities along with the ordination of priests from the dairy man are connected to the dairy products. The funerary and the religious rites have the social context in which there are complex songs in the form of the poem are performed. The theme for the songs are cult done to the buffaloes and are chanted in a group. The very common tradition in the Todas society is Fraternal Polyandry. However, this system has abandoned in a large scale. The Todas today get bound to the Toda culture and the society has also come in front of international efforts for the cultural sensitive environmental restoration.
They dressed in the single piece and wear it like the plaid like a Scottish highlander looks like Dhoti wore by men and the Skirt for females. They earn their economy form the cattle herding and also the dairy work which is their sole occupation. Todas do not go for the flesh food and are vegetarians. They do not go for the meat, eggs and the fishes. Buffalo milk is the converted into the butter milk, butter, cheese, yoghurt and the drunken plains. Rice is the most important food and is consumed with the curries and products.
