Jewellery designer Gina Joseph gives us a peek into the life and style of the colourful Nilgiris tribes.
A look at the traditional Badaga jewellery of the Toda tribe — kadagas (bangles), malaimani (necklace) and arnakair (waist belt). (Courtesy: Gina Joseph)
At Tamizhan mandu, a Toda settlement in Ooty, 75-year-old Narasamma is draped in a traditional Toda shawl with poothkuli embroidery. (Courtesy: Gina Joseph)
At Kil Anaiyatty village, Gina met 70-year-old Lakshmi, who proudly showed off her traditional Badaga gold mookuthi (nose pin) and chinna (earrings), designed like a wheel. (Courtesy: Gina Joseph)
This antique silver ankle collar, worn by the women of the Irula tribe as an everyday piece of jewellery, dates back to the 1950s. (Courtesy: Gina Joseph)
The Badaga kasumalai is worn on all auspicious occasions, from festivals to weddings, as it is believed to bring good fortune and luck. This silver piece is 50 years old. (Courtesy: Gina Joseph)
Gina poses in front of a Toda temple constructed in a circular pit lined with stones—with the buffalo head as a recurring motif— similar to Toda huts. (Courtesy: Gina Joseph)
A 72-year-old Kota woman shows necklaces her father had made when she was a bride. They're silver necklaces with motifs of seeds and flowers. (Courtesy: Gina Joseph)
On Gina's last day there, her host arranged a dance performance—with young girls from the village, dressed up in their traditional Badaga thundu mundu. (Courtesy: Gina Joseph)
