Culture
Badaga Village & Hethai Habba
Off the beaten path
The Badaga are the largest hill community of the Nilgiris; their winter Hethai Habba festival is the most vivid window into their living culture.
Badaga villages (hattis) of low whitewashed houses dot the slopes around Kotagiri and the Kil Kotagiri valley.
The Hethai Habba, held over December and January, honours the goddess Hethai with processions, song and traditional dress.
Visit with a local contact, dress modestly and ask before photographing people or shrines — these are active community spaces, not exhibits.
On the map
Good to know
- Access
- Hattis around Kotagiri and Aravenu; arrange through a local host
- Best time
- Hethai Habba, December–January