Oh! The O’Valley

by Vina Madappa 

Once again, I'm most happy to welcome a new writer. Thanks to Radha Madappa* for sending us this engaging story by her mother-in-law. Vina Madappa tells us about her early days as a planter's wife, and about the fine man who served the family as butler.   

It was in 1958 that we were wed and honeymooned and drove up to the Ouchterlony Valley Estates in the Nilgiris. This was the valley that the Raja of Nilambur gifted to Colonel Ouchterlony for having presented him an exclusive suit length from England. At first the Raja offered the Colonel gold in appreciation, but he expressed his desire for a piece of land. The Raja then led him up a hill in Naduvattum (about 30 kilometres from Ooty town) and pointed to a valley down below and said with a generous sweep of his arm, “All this I lease to you for a hundred years as a gift!” The gift encompassed 15,000 acres of pristine rainforest.

The Valley was then cultivated with tea and coffee and prospered. It had been sectioned into different estates for cultivation and administrative purposes. So there was Lauriston, Guynd, Glenvans, New Hope and Kelly. The Ouchterlony Valley Estates was popularly referred to as the OV or O’Valley.

 With my husband Tata Madappa at Suffolk bungalow, 1958

I was a bride when we moved to Suffolk Estate, a division of Lauriston which was the closest to Gudalur - the little town where we sourced all our essentials. The butler at Suffolk had been with my husband, Pilfering and nimble fingered, lined his pockets with no fear at all. Being just out of college I had no inkling of cooking and store-keeping, or of supervising the bungalow staff, who luckily were well trained.

In Mysore from the Metropole Hotel we interviewed and engaged a butler cum cook. A small-made, sprightly and pleasant faced man called Chinnappa. This was shortened to Chinnan which suited us all better and eventually our children (Navina and Vinod) called him ‘Chin’!!

With Vinod and Navina at Lauriston, 1964

He proved to be a good cook and punctual too. Only drawback was the quantity- having worked in a hostel and hotel, he was accustomed to producing big quantities for just the two of us!! He soon cut down and all was well.

He was willing and good at learning varied dishes. “You teach it me Madam, I make its keeping you”! Yes, Chinnan spoke not “Butler English” but his own style, a quaint language in which he was amazingly fluent. I had to unlearn my English so I could comprehend and instruct him-- as he insisted on speaking only in English! Never did he fumble for words or pause or stutter. His sentences flowed like a stream down a mountain. His narrations and statements were so utterly delightful and hilarious, but I was so intent on understanding his communications that never did I laugh. When we asked him if he had passed on a certain message, he’d promptly declare “I told me Madam” or “I tell it me Madam”. There was no ‘he’ or ‘him’ at all in his vocabulary. When I felt blue he’d be so concerned and enquire “Why Madam looking dim”?

The Valley was lush and beautiful, of a rich green, with the blue mountains of the Nilgiris bordering it along one side. The mountains so blue and magnificent such a feast for the eyes and humbling to the soul. The Nilgiri Peak and the Needle Rock were visible to most of the bungalows. In the summer, jungle fires broke out on the mountains in pretty chains, quite a spectacle. Except in the summer, the mountains were veiled and unveiled all day by the mist - an enchanting sight. The bungalows were not too far apart, about half to one hour’s drive over some good, some bad roads. The numerous streams were delightful, either tumbling over rocks or gurgling under the small bridges. Waterfalls cascaded down the mountains and just by gravity facilitated all the needs of the valley- including irrigation of some areas.

The tea in the Valley was emerald green and flourishing. The shade trees, mostly silver oak, looked ethereal and lovely. There is a tale, or a joke perhaps, about a foreigner who on his first visit to a tea estate admired the trees and finally looked down to comment- "But there are too many weeds (i.e.the tea bushes), you ought to control them”!! The Valley was teeming with wildlife. Chinnan would excitedly tell my husband, “Too much jungle pork coming in one place Sir, master shoot betters. I make it nice spig roast and spig fry”.

Our family, who visited often, loved to engage Chinnan in conversation and when they burst into laughter and he’d merrily “gallop” (actually) back to the kitchen. Our daughter Navina was fond of him and he’d patiently push the pram while we were at the table. When she was six years old there was no avoiding admitting her in a boarding school in Ooty (Nazareth Convent). The worst drawback to wedding a planter.

Chinnan with Navina and my husband

Whenever we set out once a month to visit her at school, Chinnan would call out- “Tell it Baby, ask it me”!! Meaning,     tell her, “I enquired”. This message was unfailingly entrusted to us and it went on to become a family favourite and is still used. We often entertained friends for a meal and I being no cook would get all wound up and anxious. Then repeatedly impress on Chinnan that he must prepare all the dishes really well and on time. “They’ll be here at 7 p.m Chinnan. Everything should be ready”. 7:30 then 8 p.m. and no sign of the guests. He’d corner me- “Why this Madam simply worry-ed. Guest coming coming say that, not-aay coming”!!

When my parents came from Bangalore, I'd be so excited. Wanting to show off how well I ran the home and especially the kitchen, I would draw up an elaborate menu for Chinnan to prepare. His reaction every time was, “Why this simply make it so much Madam? Big Madam bringing lots and lots- not make anything here”. It was a fact that they always came laden with food to last us a few days.

Chinnan was an excellent cook and enjoyed improvising and producing new dishes. O’ Valley club hosted the Annual inter club tennis ‘do’, it was attended by all the neighbouring clubs - Mango Range, Mepadi and Prospect club. It was always Chinnan who made the popular Biryani for lunch.

He was of the firm opinion that boy babies were better. “Girl babies we spend too much for school fees and books then marriage. Then they go away. Boy babies good. When big man, they work job and make money”!!

Never did he take a day off work. Except once when his wife went to her village and was marooned in the floods. He rushed off and returned very soon, with tales of the disasters there. His wife, he found shivering on a tree with water all around. He described this incident as- “Monkey sitting no? Thassus- way sitting”! He was honest and responsible. One day we rushed off forgetting to lock our bedroom door. What did our Chinnan do? He stood watch by the bedroom door without budging the whole day till we returned. He didn't trust the other domestic help. I am sure he was one of a kind.

He was invaluable, in that he inspired in me confidence to cook. “Why this fraiding Madam? Go to kitchen, show powers. Nothing go wrong”!! Eventually I followed his advice and fared well.

Such a dear, loyal and reliable chap was our Chinnan who stayed with us through all the transfers. When my husband retired, he did too. “After working Master and Madam, I no work for anybody”, he declared. He visited us in Coorg and attended our daughter's wedding. We were lucky indeed to have him take good care of us all those years.

  Meet the writer: Vina Madappa

I am a Kodavathi from Kodagu and was born in Mysore. At that time Jayachamarajendra Wodeyar was the The Maharaja of Mysore. I marvelled at the grandeur of the Dussehra celebrations of great pomp and splendour. I did my schooling in Mysore from where I completed the Lower Secondary School. My father, an Ayurvedic doctor, was then transferred to Bangalore where I did my final school year and then went on to complete my degree in English Literature ( Honours) from Mount Carmel College.

My favourite hobbies were reading, playing tennis, listening to music and watching movies. I married a planter and settled in the Nilgiris and took to the game of bridge like a fish to water. Besides my hobbies, the occasional get- togethers, partying and picnicking with friends in the OV, Wayanad and Ootacamund, were mainly what made our lives exciting. Lots of tennis and bridge was possible. We had two great blessings, our daughter Navina and son Vinod. On retirement we settled down in Kodagu on our property and I continue to enjoy my hobbies. 

*You can read Radha's story here: Darjeeling Days

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My name is Gowri Mohanakrishnan and I'm a tea planter's wife. I started this blog because one of the things that I wouldn't want us to lose in a fast changing world is the tea story - a story always told with great seriousness, no matter how funny - always true (always), maybe a tall tale, long, or short, impossible, scary, funny or exciting but never dull. 
Happy reading! Cheers to the spirit of Indian Tea!