Preserving Indigenous Identity: A Study of Traditional Customs among the Toda Tribe

Abstract

This article explains the value of preserving the Toda community’s indigenous identity in a modern context by looking at their practices. The Toda community is located in the Nilgiri hills. The article discusses the history of the community, its social organization, and cultural practices such as dress, religion, life-cycle rituals, and oral histories, combining fieldwork and secondary materials. The article also addresses the effects of migration, urbanization, and changes in social values on the Toda way of life and also partners in the efforts of the Toda community and others, to preserve the culture. The article ends by asserting the importance of cultural practice and suggests ways of preserving that culture into the future.