Badaga (Tamil: படகா, Kannada: ಬಡಗ ) is a southern Dravidian language (Old Kannada language branch) spoken by approximately 400,000 people in the Nilgiri Hills of  Tamil Nadu. It is known for its retroflex vowels. It has similarities with neighbouring Kannada language and it was earlier considered as a dialect of Kannada and now identified as an independent language. The word Badaga refers to the Badaga language as well as the Badaga indigenous people who speak it.