The Toda people of the Nilgiri Hills are those people from Tamil Nadu who have lived closely with nature over the centuries and who still carry on with great traditions that pertain to their land. The examples of such utility items are few, but one interesting example is this ladle made out of coconut shell, which balances utility, simplicity, and craftsmanship. The ladle has a long handle made from bamboo split. Split bamboo is often selected due to lightness, strength, flexibility. It also has the added functionality that the coconut shell was cut in half to form the scoop-an indication of the skilled Toda in utilizing natural materials in construction.
The attach point of the handle into the coconut shell is an excellent design feature allowing for a functional yet durable kitchen tool without modern glues or fasteners.Such ladles are traditionally used for serving diluted buttermilk, soups, or milk-these are staple items of the Toda diet. They are mainly pastoralists, keeping buffaloes and producing dairy products, and using simple but effective tools like this ladle in their everyday life. These objects are both useful and friendly to the environment and serve as the complement of this traditional Toda zero-waste philosophy. This captures in bits holding onto objects that work towards an intangible heritage and revitalizing and relaying lessons of sustainability that modern societies might have a lesson or two from.