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Imagining Kashmir: emplotment and colonialism

breathtaking photographs taken by the author of the Nilgiri landscape and myriad dimensions of Toda culture. It is a pictorial delight for the reader (it contains over 400 photographs). The book explores the sacred dimension of the certain temple rituals, Toda indigenous ecological knowledge and of the Nilgiri landscape. The book highlights in great depth the sacred dimension of the landscape, its flora and fauna and its relevance for Toda life. The sacred geography, water, peaks, the place of plants and animals, the journey after death to the afterworld and the role of honey in Toda life all have not been studied in-depth by earlier scholars. Chhabra has also documented the sacred chants and prayers of the Todas with translations in detail. Meticulously detailed, the monograph showcases the passion, dedication, hard work and scholarship of the author. The chapters, ‘The Traditional Toda Relationship with Honey’, ‘A Journey to the Afterworld’, ‘Flowers in my Toda Garden’, ‘Sacred Peaks’, ‘Sacred Water’ and ‘Cornerstone plants of the Todas’ bring out the deep association of the Toda people with plants, animals and the Nilgiri landscape. The Toda relationship with water and its judicious use and other resources ensures the survival of both ecology and culture, making the Toda the true guardians of the Nilgiri ecosystem. In the appendix of the book, Chhabra provides a detailed list of English and Toda names of 280 flora species and 109 fauna species in the Nilgiris, which will be particularly interesting for scientists and conservationists. The chapter ‘Toda Dress and Embroidery’ brings out the place of women in artwork, handicrafts and economy. In Toda society, women are excluded from temple rituals and the milking of buffaloes; such exclusion is an indicator of the status of Toda women in Toda society. If viewed from a Marxist or ecofeminist perspective, dimensions such as power dynamics, property rights, politics, equality and exclusionary spaces of members within Toda society have not been analysed by the author. Chhabra writes in detail and with precision about the various places of the Toda landscape, enabling one to physically locate these places in the Nilgiri hills. His effort is to document Toda practices for the younger generation of Todas who may lose their rich heritage in the future. Chhabra’s monograph may be viewed as a work in salvage ethnography. For example, he remarks ‘It is my hope that these materials will someday prove useful to the Todas themselves’ (xxxiii), and ‘I decided therefore to devote my efforts primarily to making Todas aware of the uniqueness of their ethos, and of the need to preserve it’ (xlviii). Chhabra’s book is a must read for those interested in the Toda lifeworld, Nilgiri people and landscape.