The Nilgiris Earth Festival 2025: From December 18 to 21

“When you sit with an organic farmer in the Nilgiris, understand the labour behind each ingredient, and then taste a dish created by a celebrated chef from the country, something shifts internally,” says Ramya Reddy, founding donor and festival director of The Nilgiris Earth Festival (TNEF) 2025. The TNEF returns for its fourth edition from December 18 to 21 in the heart of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve across Udhagamandalam, Coonoor, and Kotagiri with over a dozen experiences rooted in food, culture, and ecology.

A guided tour of native native shola-grassland species of the Nilgiri Plateau is part of the festival
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Special Arrangement

The Chef’s Table, Bengal to Nilgiris, will partner with Sienna Calcutta, one of India’s most celebrated restaurants, whose team, led by chef Avinandan Kundu, will craft a meal that brings Bengal’s culinary artistry into dialogue with the Nilgiris produce. “A huge highlight this year is Sienna Calcutta. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience for our guests,” adds Ramya. Each course draws on produce from local farmers and cooperatives, including TOHFA (The Nilgiris Organic Horticulture Farmers’ Association), a weekly market for organic produce of small farmers in the Nilgiris, and Aadhimalai, a collective of local indigenous producers.

Chef Avinandan Kundu
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Special Arrangement

Since 2022, the festival has brought together thought leaders, writers, artists, chefs, farmers, ecologists, residents, indigenous communities, well-wishers, and travellers to talk about shared stewardship. Writer and educator Afshan Mariam from Sky Islands will lead Edible Memories, a sensory workshop on food as a living archive of migration and belonging. Archaeologist Suresh Sethuraman, in collaboration with Vanavarayar Foundation, will present Stories in Stone, a guided walk tracing Ooty’s layered heritage. Suresh Belliraj and the women of his family will host Ammana Hittu: From a Badaga Mother’s Kitchen at Odae, Aravenu, a Badaga kitchen gathering that celebrates community and cuisine.

Soft shell crab
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Special Arrangement

Ecologist Vasanth Bosco opens his nursery-garden for guided tours where visitors will step into a sanctuary where more than 150 native shola-grassland species of the Nilgiri Plateau, plants once nearly erased from much of the landscape, are being tenderly grown back into existence. “Our ecology walks are immersive. When you walk into a native grass nursery and hear directly from an ecologist, the connection becomes real,” explains Ramya adding that all the events are intentionally small-format with very gentle footprints, many can’t even hold 15 people. “This is not a scale-driven festival. It’s a sensitive region, so we keep experiences intimate and meaningful. We also want to raise awareness about conscious travel, another reason everything is small and controlled.” The Heritage Table, Food and Fun Fete co-created by Inside43, will bring together settler cuisines, storytelling, and local music. There will also be a Ginko Solstice Walk, a haiku-led landscape walk with poet Shobhana Kumar at Cairn Hill, Udhagamandalam.

Listening to the Forest (curated especially for donors and friends of TNEF) is a guided immersion by Rohan Mathias, associate producer of Nilgiris: A Shared Wilderness, which combines nature walks, a film conversation, night listening in the jungle, and a morning birding session, all of which are crucial reflections on eco-conscious travel. At Tranquilitea, fourth-generation planter Sandeep Subramani will host an estate visit and a tasting of organic, high-grown, fine Nilgiri teas, followed by a short session in making hand-rolled tea and a special tea menu.

One of the sessions is on tasting of organic, high-grown, fine Nilgiri teas
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Special Arrangement

This year, they have expanded the ecology segment significantly and The Habba 2025 at the Keystone Foundation, Kotagiri, a full, vibrant day of indigenous food, music, and conversation has grown bigger. “We are also hosting the official screening of Wild Tamil Nadu, directed by Kalyan Varma, a celebrated, Emmy award-nominated filmmaker followed by a conversation with Supriya Sahu IAS, Guest of Honour, Principal Secretary (Environment, Climate Change and Forests), Government of Tamil Nadu, and Kalyan Varma.” Supriya Sahu will present the TNEF Award 2025 honourin grassroots leadership in conservation, and culture in the Nilgiris. Guest speakers will be Madhu Chandan of Organic Mandya and Divya Mudappa and TR Shankar Raman of Nature Conservation Foundation, who will share grounded perspectives on conservation and sustainable food systems.

From one of the previous sessions at the Habba
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Special Arrangement

At the Habba, over 15 communities from across the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve will share their foods and crafts, with a free indigenous lunch open to all. Says Ramya, “The festival is a conduit. We want people to come, experience the place deeply, and then support the ongoing conservation projects. It is more than a gathering, a bridge that connects the Nilgiris with the sensitive projects under the Nilgiris Forever movement, with donors and supporters who care deeply about this landscape. The larger goal is bringing stewardship to the Nilgiris.”

From December 18 to 21 at locations across Udhagamandalam, Coonoor, and Kotagiri. To register, visit tnef.thenilgirisfoundation.org/

Published – November 28, 2025 11:54 am IST