Thood 

1. Object Name

Thood

2. Kodava Name

Thood

3. English Name

Traditional Hunting Torch

4. Alternate Names

Poondhi / Pondhi — Thood refers to the same traditional fire torch associated with hunting and movement after dark.

5. Short Description

Thood was a traditional torch used by Kodavas during hunting and while walking around in darkness. It was originally made by burning cakes made from oily seeds and was later adapted by wrapping the combustible material in cloth to provide a longer-lasting flame.

6. Full Description / Long Description

Thood was an early form of portable illumination used in traditional Kodava life, particularly during night hunting and movement through dark surroundings. It served both a practical purpose and as an important part of the traditional hunting equipment of the time.

In its earliest form, Thood was made using cakes prepared from oily seeds. These oil-rich cakes could be ignited and carried as a source of light. As the need for a torch that would burn for a longer period arose, the method evolved. The oily material was wrapped in cloth, allowing the torch to sustain its flame for a longer duration.

Thood and Poondhi represent an earlier period when people relied on locally available natural materials for illumination. The torch provided a simple but effective source of light during night-time activities, particularly in the forests and rural surroundings of Kodagu.

7. Traditional Use

Thood was traditionally used:

• During hunting at night
• While walking through dark areas
• For providing portable illumination before modern lighting became available

8. Design & Form

The traditional Thood consisted of a burnable head containing oil-rich material, attached or held in a manner that allowed it to be carried as a torch.

The later form incorporated cloth wrapped around the combustible material, helping it burn for a longer period.

9. Materials

Traditional Thood was made using locally available materials, principally:

• Oily seeds
• Oil-rich seed cakes
• Cloth in the later form
• A wooden stick or handle for carrying the torch

10. Method of Making

In the earlier form, oily seeds were processed into cakes, which were then used as the combustible portion of the torch.

Later, these oil-rich cakes or combustible material were wrapped with cloth and secured to form a torch head. When ignited, the oil-rich material allowed the cloth-wrapped torch to burn for an extended period.

11. Variants / Development

The Thood developed through two principal forms:

• Early form: made primarily from cakes of oily seeds.
• Later form: the oily material was wrapped in cloth to increase the burning time.

12. Cultural / Functional Significance

Thood reflects the ingenuity of traditional Kodava communities in using locally available agricultural and natural materials to solve practical problems.

It provided essential illumination during activities that had to be undertaken after dark, especially hunting and movement through forested terrain.

13. Historical Context

Thood belongs to a period when artificial lighting was limited or unavailable in rural Kodagu. Night-time activities therefore depended on simple forms of fire-based illumination.

Its association with hunting also places the object within the broader material culture of traditional Kodava hunting practices.

14. Traditional Location / Setting

Thood would have been used around:

• Traditional Kodava houses
• Farm and village surroundings
• Forest paths
• Hunting areas and other places where movement after dark was necessary

15. Craftsmanship / Special Features

The distinctive feature of Thood was its use of oil-rich seed cakes as a natural fuel.

The later innovation of wrapping the material in cloth increased the duration of burning, making the torch more useful for longer journeys or hunting expeditions.

16. Reason for Decline

The use of Thood declined with the introduction of modern sources of illumination, including kerosene lamps, electric lighting, torches and battery-powered lights.

As these became readily available, traditional fire torches were no longer necessary for everyday movement or hunting.

17. Revival & Continued Use

Thood is no longer part of everyday life, but documenting it is important for preserving knowledge of traditional Kodava hunting practices and indigenous methods of illumination.

Recording how the oily seed cakes were prepared and how the cloth-wrapped version was constructed can help ensure that this knowledge is not lost.

18. Preservation

Preservation of Thood should include:

• Documenting surviving examples
• Recording the oily seeds traditionally used
• Documenting the preparation of the seed cakes
• Recording how the cloth wrapping was made
• Photographing the different stages and forms
• Collecting oral histories from elders familiar with its use