Nilgiri

The Nilgiri Hills rise above the plains of southern India at the meeting of the Eastern and Western Ghats. Their high plateau is a mosaic of grasslands and sheltered patches of forest. Several communities have long inhabited the hills, including the Toda, whose buffalo herds and dairies occupy a central place in their pastoral life. A Portuguese priest visiting in 1603 described the Toda and their reliance on buffalo milk and butter.