The Habba, Kotagiri

Food, film, forest wisdom

Church perch above Kotagiri, Habba backdrop.

A day in Kotagiri for The Habba, part of The Nilgiris Earth Festival, felt like stepping into a living classroom on food, culture and ecology.

The day began under clear blue skies and tea-covered slopes, a reminder of how much history and livelihood are packed into these hills.

Hall conversations + director of Wild Tamil Nadu.

Inside, The Habba brought growers, cooks, organizers and visitors into one room. Conversations moved easily from seeds and millets to recipes and memories.

The screening of the stunning Wild Tamil Nadu by Kalyan Varma left us re-looking at the familiar with fresh eyes – landscapes, animals and even the roads we had just driven on.

Beesalu circle—forest wisdom shared at Habba.

Beesalu added a quiet reminder of how much the forest and indigenous communities still have to teach. The idea that young bees – and young people – learn by being carefully guided into the world felt very close to what FarmSay is trying to do with food systems.

Days like this make the Nilgiris feel less like a getaway and more like a set of teachers we are only just beginning to listen to.

Thanks, Nilgiris. Back to FarmSay—clearer eyes ahead.