EBR Centre Trust
The Edhkwehlynawd Botanical Refuge (EBR) Centre Trust is a dedicated organization established to address the urgent need for both ecological restoration and cultural conservation in the Nilgiris, South India. With its roots deeply connected to the Toda people, the Trust seeks to protect and revitalize the natural landscape that has been under threat from human activities and environmental degradation. The Trust operates with a multi-faceted approach to conservation, combining scientific research, traditional ecological knowledge, and community involvement. Its initiatives focus on restoring native ecosystems, particularly the shola-grassland mosaic unique to the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. By reintroducing endemic plant species and addressing habitat loss, EBR strives to bring balance back to areas where biodiversity has been diminished.
Dr. Tarun Chhabra examines the paradox of human compassion amid conflict and ecological disruption.
Restoring TRADITIONAL LANDSCAPES
in the Nilgiris.
Preserving the past, and protecting the future. Join us in restoring the iconic landscapes of the Nilgiris to their natural splendor for generations to come
Article 51A (g) of the Indian Constitution: “It shall be the duty of every citizen of India to protect and improve the natural environment including forests, lakes, rivers, and wildlife and to have compassion for living creatures”.
Our Projects
EBR has purchased 24 acres from the Ammagal Tea Estate within the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, aiming to restore this unique shola-grassland ecosystem. The project, supported by organizations, focuses on land restoration, rewilding, and propagation of culturally significant and endemic plant species.
The Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, established in 1986 under UNESCO’s Man and Biosphere Programme, is India's first biosphere reserve and has been the focus of extensive ecological research. Numerous studies, including those by Tarun Chhabra and colleagues.
EBR has conducted extensive floristic studies in the Nilgiris, focusing on species like Impatiens, discovering and naming several new taxa, and rediscovering rare species after decades. Their work also includes documenting culturally significant species like Eriochrysis rangacharii
The EBR Centre maintains a collection of 300 herbarium specimens and has documented 280 plant species used by the Toda people for cultural and medicinal purposes, preserving traditional ecological knowledge.
Toda Cultural Projects
Toda Nalavaazhvu Sangam
The Toda Nalavaazhvu Sangam (TNS), established in 1992, is a sister organization of EBR dedicated to reviving and preserving Toda culture. TNS has played a key role in reoccupying seasonal hamlets, rebuilding sacred dairy-temples, reviving traditional barrel-vaulted housing, and promoting Toda women's traditional embroidery, which earned a prestigious Geographical Indication (GI) patent from the Government of India. In addition to cultural efforts, TNS helps provide basic amenities like electricity, water, and footpaths in remote hamlets, as well as raising funds for medical and educational support for the Toda community.
EBR, in collaboration with TNS, has supported various Toda cultural projects, such as building sacred buffalo pens and restoring dairy-temples, with support from organizations like WWF-India and the Dancing Star Foundation. The Toda people’s culture is deeply tied to their buffaloes.
The Toda buffalo, a unique breed of the Asiatic water buffalo, is native to the Nilgiris and has adapted to its temperate climate with a thicker coat than its plains-dwelling relatives. These buffaloes thrive in the harsh conditions of the Nilgiri plateau, grazing over long distances and subsisting on coarse highland grasses.
In the past decade, many Toda students from the orthodox community have pursued modern education, with several completing high school and university, thanks to EBR's efforts and generous scholarships from donors. EBR also supports cultural projects, buffalo conservation, architectural revival, and assists in promoting Toda
These eco-friendly, carbon-sequestering structures, made from sustainably harvested materials, blend seamlessly with the landscape. By 1995, traditional Toda houses were nearly extinct, TNS and government officials like Mr. Shashi Shekhar and Mrs. Supriya Sahu led to the construction of over 30 traditional barrel-vaulted houses, reviving this architectural heritage.
Who we are
Founded in 1992 by Tarun Chhabra, the Toda Nalavaazhvu Sangam (TNS) focuses on preserving the culture and welfare of the Toda people of the Nilgiris, South India. TNS has led projects ranging from housing and electrification to cultural revival and ecological restoration. Tarun, along with Ramneek Singh, later established the Edhkwehlynawd Botanical Refuge (EBR) to further these efforts, emphasizing conservation and ecological restoration inspired by traditional Toda knowledge. Today, TNS and EBR work together to protect the rich bio-cultural diversity of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve.
Location
The (‘place with a spectacular view’ in Toda) Botanical Refuge (EBR) is a small oasis in theUpper Nilgiris of south India where a silent movement to restore an ancient ecological landscape is taking shape with the effort of ordinary citizens.2,400m. The mountainous terrainof the Nilgiris has led to a great diversity of vegetation, ranging from evergreen rainforests. moist and dry deciduous broadleaved forests,thorny scrub forests and lowland savannas, to the highland shola-grassland ecosystem, which also includes wetlands.
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PARTNERS
Edhkwehlynawd
The Edhkwehlynawd (‘place with a spectacular view’ in Toda) Botanical Refuge (EBR) is a small yet vital ecological sanctuary located in the Upper Nilgiris of South India. Here, a quiet but impactful movement is underway to restore the region’s ancient ecological landscape. What began as a modest initiative by concerned citizens has grown into a significant effort to conserve and revive the unique biodiversity of this globally recognized biosphere reserve. EBR sits at the heart of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, the first of its kind in India, acknowledged by UNESCO for its exceptional bio-cultural diversity. The refuge serves as a model for ecological restoration, inspired by the traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) of the indigenous Toda people.
