Voices From the Valley

Twelve years ago, while researching for her book ‘Soul of the Nilgiris’, photographer Ramya Reddy found herself in the lush hills of the region, where she first encountered the Toda community—an ancient, indigenous pastoral tribe that inhabits the upper reaches of the Nilgiris. Known for their way of life deeply rooted in nature, the Todas are also custodians of a remarkable craft: their women practise a distinctive embroidery, instantly recognisable for its geometric motifs in striking black and red.

Ramya was so captivated by this embroidery that she incorporated it into the design of her book. The limited-edition publication featured a spine embellished with GI-tagged Toda embroidery, lending it a rare and memorable identity.

Determined to ensure the continuity of this fragile heritage, Ramya went on to establish The Toda Project under her collective, Coonoor and Co. The initiative has since grown into a collection that includes linen, scarves, stoles, home textiles, and artworks — all showcasing the Toda embroidery technique.

With the Toda community dwindling to around 1,500 people, and only 400 women continuing the craft, Ramya’s work is both documentation and preservation. Through her collaborations, she not only provides the artisans with sustainable livelihoods but also brings global recognition to a tradition at risk of being forgotten.

“Traditionally, the embroidery was done only on coarse cotton. While retaining that, we also began experimenting — introducing Toda embroidery on linen saris and even developing a new weave in Tiruppur, made from merino wool and cotton, that feels like muslin. It’s wearable, luxurious, and sustainable, and the artisans were involved at every step of the process,” shares the 43-year-old, who divides her time between Coonoor and Bengaluru.

Extensive trial and error went into testing fabrics, consulting weavers across the country, and reworking weave structures to accommodate the exacting demands of the embroidery before finalising the fabric base.

Weaving heritage

Toda embroidery is defined by its bold palette of red, black, and the occasional blue. Its motifs — buffalo horns, mountains, flowers, butterflies — mirror the Todas’ close relationship with the land and their pastoral way of life.

“It’s a brilliant handmade craft that often gets overlooked because of its simplicity, when in reality it’s extraordinary,” says Ramya. “The embroidery is done without a frame, and the threads are counted entirely by hand. The precision is remarkable.”

Every girl in the community learns the skill, with women working in groups, stitching without guides or sketches. They stretch the fabric by hand, counting threads purely by touch. No two pieces are ever alike.

A linen sari with Toda embroidery can take 40–45 days to complete, while a cotton shawl takes about two weeks. The process is painstaking.

“This is a very special craft because it comes from a very special place. The resonance the community has with its surroundings is extraordinary. It has endured centuries in the remote hills despite harsh conditions,” she says.

Ramya will be in conversation with Anuradha Gunapati on ‘The Art of Toda’ at Saptaparni on August 29 at 6 pm. The exhibition continues until August 31.