T.N. Governor visits Toda village in Ooty

Tamil Nadu Governor R.N. Ravi dances with the Toda community, visits temple, and interacts with college students in Udhagamandalam.

Tamil Nadu Governor R.N. Ravi danced with members of the indigenous Toda community at the Muthanad Mund near Udhagamandalam on Friday.

Mr. Ravi, who came to the Toda village along with his wife Lakshmi Ravi, paid a visit to the Moonpo temple in Muthanad Mund. They were welcomed by the community with traditional song and dance. They watched as young men from the village demonstrated their feats of strength in stone lifting.

They then danced with members of the community, before Mr. Ravi addressed the villagers, stating that he was happy that the community still had ties to its cultural roots and that he had wanted to pay the community a visit for a long time. He thanked the members for extending their hospitality towards himself and Ms. Lakshmi Ravi.

Members of the community showed him traditional Toda shawls as well as other crafts produced by the Todas in the Nilgiris. The Governor also interacted with college students who were visiting the village from Coimbatore.

Mr. Ravi arrived in Udhagamandalam on Thursday and is expected to stay in the Nilgiris till Sunday. He was welcomed by Nilgiris District Collector M. Aruna on Thursday evening. In preparation for the Governor’s visit, security was stepped up across Udhagamandalam town, especially along Garden Road. Police personnel have been posted in large numbers in front of the Government Botanical Garden where the Raj Bhavan is located.

Also present during the visit was the Nilgiris district Superintendent of Police P. Sundaravadivel, District Forest Officer (Nilgiris), S. Gowtham and top officials from the Nilgiris district administration.