Hubbathala


Hubbathala is a census town in the Nilgiris district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.

Demographics

India census, Hubbathala had a population of 10,974. Males constitute 49% of the population and females 51%. Hubbathala has an average literacy rate of 73%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 82%, and female literacy is 65%. In Hubbathala, 11% of the population is under 6 years of age.

History

Rao Bahadur H. J. Bellie Gowder
Society grows due to education, a human being remains human due to education. The pioneer who helped the Community in the field of education, was Rao Bahadur H. J. Bellie Gowder, a great leader and the leading light of the people during his time.
He started a school for the upliftment of the community, which was incidentally one of the oldest non-European schools in the region, started on 1 July 1930. Students from all through the district and beyond came to study, education was free and so was the boarding and lodging - the school hostel to this day remains free and is run as a shelter by the family for deserving students. This school was later donated to the Tamil Nadu government and to this day known as the Rao Bahadur Bellie Gowder Higher Secondary School.
Hubbathalai Village
It is at the same Hubbathalai Village where he often used to invite the 'Seeme Gowdas' to discuss the situations and problems prevalent at that time and give his advice. People from "Naaku Betta" always kept coming to see him, seek his advise and settle their difficulties. In fact, it is said that the kitchen fire in the house of Bellie Gowder was never extinguished.
Like the proverbial seven philanthropists described in Tamil literature, he too was a great philanthropist. He gave a lot of importance to social justice, development and education, he established the Hubbathalai High School to help not only the poor, but the people in the region to be literate. He died on 10 April 1935.
This article was originally written in Tamil by A. Kari Gowder, General Secretary, "Porangadu Seeme Nala Sangam" and published , C-10 Hope Park, Kotagiri Post, Nilgiri Dist - 643 217, Tamil Nadu, India.