HYDERABAD: The Department of Design, Indian Institute of Technology-Hyderabad (IIT-H), has taken an initiative to research, document and preserve the traditional practices of the Thoti community residing in the Adilabad district of Telangana. A documentary on the same was released on YouTube on Thursday. Thotis are associated with the Raj Gonds tribal community. They are one of the endangered tribal communities with a population of 4,811.
Thotis sustain their livelihood by depending on Gond patrons. The women belonging to the Thoti community are traditional tattoo makers. They practice conventional tattoo making as a part of healing and remedy. These practices of the Thotis are declining gradually, and only a few families are still continuing the generation-old practice and keeping the traditions alive.
Under the guidance of design department director Professor Deepak John Mathew, the research team conducted a field visit to the Thoti guda at Tosham village of Gudihathnoor Mandal. Professor BS Murty, Director of IIT-H, said, “I am delighted to see the work from our design department. Preserving traditions and cultural heritage using the design concept and encouraging future generations to sustain them fulfils our motto.’’
“This documentary beautifully describes the age-old traditions and science behind it. Our objective is to showcase these amazing techniques and help the community to sustain its cultural values. It is also a step towards connecting our today’s city generation to the rich cultural and social heritage of these communities,” said Prof John Mathew. The traditional music of Thotis has also been recorded using advanced technologies to preserve the intangible cultural heritage of the Thoti community.