In Kuppam for our second trip, we stumbled on a few ‘joyful souls’. We were immediately reminded of ‘neera’ of Mumbai-Pune and ‘toddy’ which we had heard about growing up in Secunderabad-Hyderabad (Andhra Pradesh). But, a quick Google, X and Instagram search, did not throw up a single mention of ‘Made in Kuppam Neera or Toddy’. Social media platforms were full of videos of tourists enjoying toddy in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, but there was no video of Andhra Pradesh or Kuppam. Some ‘coconut/ toddy festivals’ of Kerala also popped up on our smartphones. So, we decided to investigate the matter.
Neera, like coconut water, is rich in sugar, vitamins, minerals, and potassium, and is considered as a healthy drink suitable for all ages. Neera is made from the sap of a coconut tree by slicing the spathes, while coconut water is found inside the shell of a coconut. On the other hand, toddy (naturally fermented neera with 4 percent alcohol) is considered a natural alcohol. But, in Kerala, toddy too is a health drink.
The word ‘toddy’ traces back to the Proto-Dravidian root ‘tāẓ’ which means palmyra/toddy palm and gave rise to words like ‘tāḍi’ or ‘tāṭi’ in Telugu/ Gondi and ‘tāri’ or ‘tāḷi’ in Kannada/ Tulu. The Sanskrit word ‘tāḍi’ which refers to an extract from palm trees, is a loanword from Dravidian.
We learnt our new friends from Kuppam viz; Rajesh and Rakesh (Instagram @kuppam_kanthris) knew of a toddy maker and so we requested them to take us to him. On our third visit to Kuppam, we ran into Shankar Mahadev (Instagram @shankarmahadev_photography) atop Mallappakonda. He was there to cover the first cultural evening being conducted by Mahavtar Babaji Tadekam Foundation (MBTF) for Kuppan Area Development Authority (KADA) on 05 March 2025. But we had leave early next day for Tirupati to catch our return flights. Shankar agreed to take us to Animiganapalli village at 7am. We needed cameramen, and it did not take much time to convince Vicky (Instagram @kuppam_diaries) and Manjunath (Instagram @mr_manju_nath_gt650) to help. We all woke up on time on 6th March and were in the coconut grove at 7:30 am. The balance of the story is in the attached video.
No we have to find how to brand and market ‘Made in Kuppam’ neera and toddy to tourist visiting Kuppam. How about neera as an energy drink before bouldering and a let-your-hair-down/ kill-tiredness toddy cocktail in the evening around a campfire with a traditional show of tambourine music and folk dance and drama? Wow. Let’s do it.