Kodagu pips Munnar as tourist destination

BANGALORE: Yes, you have read the headline right. Kodagu , the picturesque sleepy hills surrounded by the forested slopes of the Western Ghats, has overtaken Munnar in Kerala as a must-see place.

 

The figures available with Karnataka and Kerala tourism departments say it all.

 

In 2010, Kodagu had 5,94,467 tourists (5,87,216 domestic and 7,251 foreign tourists ), double that of Munnar which saw 2,45,438 tourists (of them, 19,690 foreign tourists). Up to November 2011, Kodagu saw a quantitative leap with over 15 lakh visitors.

 

"It is a huge number considering Kodagu is yet to be exploited commercially. Tourists to Karnataka ensure they accommodate a trip to Kodagu," said K Viswanatha Reddy, director, department of tourism, Karnataka.

 

Its popularity is largely attributed to the quality homestays that have come up in recent times.

Very good, but now will the state government do something about the poor infrastructure (which includes horrible roads) prevailing in Kodagu? Before we jump at the news, we should know that a happening tourist destination comes with a package – drugs, prostitution, land mafia, etc, etc will be here to stay. Be prepared to see the other side of the coin too. Mass tourism isn’t good always.

Nestlé India sets up coffee demonstration farm and training centre

NEW DELHI: Nestlé India has rolled out the India leg of its global Nescafe Plan by setting up a coffee demonstration farm and training centre in Kodagu district, Karnataka.

Nescafe Plan is the Swiss MNC's ambitious global initiative to bring under one umbrella coffee farming, production and consumption activities — one that it says will “help it optimise its coffee supply chain.” In 2010, when the world's biggest coffee buyer had unveiled the Plan, it had announced an investment of CHF 500 million (Rs 2,811 crore).

Mr Jawaid Akhtar, Chairman, Coffee Board of India, inaugurated the coffee demonstration farm at Bindhu Estate, Kodagu. Nestle will be training farmers in using technology and best practices for sustainable production of high quality coffee.

Mr Antonio Helio Waszyk, Chairman & Managing Director, Nestlé India, said, “In the Nescafe Plan, our team will work with coffee farmers as well as other experts and the Nestlé R&D Centre in France to combine the traditional wisdom amongst the coffee farmers in India with the benefits of modern science to make coffee farming more successful and sustainable.”

Nestlé, which purchases 10 per cent of the world's supply of green coffee every year, had launched the Nescafe Plan in 2010 in Mexico. Under the Plan, the Swiss MNC had said it would double the amount of coffee it sources from farmers directly to 180,000 tonnes in the next five years. (more)

Dhoom 2-style jewellery shop heist in Bangalore has a Virajpet link

BANGALORE: The techniques used by Hrithik Roshan to steal rare diamonds in Dhoom 2 inspired two youths from Virajpet to execute their own version of the heist, which netted them precious stones worth Rs 18 lakh.

The youths knew that breaking into a jewellery shop was impossible. So, they went to a mall dressed as sales boys and hid behind some waste boxes. Once the mall shut for the day, the duo went to work. They hoodwinked the security personnel on their way out the next morning. They could not be identified on CCTV footage of the jewellery shop because they had applied white powder on their bodies.

Tashwin Thimmayya, 22, and M A Subramani, 19, are from Virajpet in Coorg district. They loved the good life. Both would steal from their own houses to maintain they lifestyle, which included visiting Bangalore to splurge. Over time, their parents became strict and stopped giving them any money.

While the duo were grappling with their predicament, they happened to watch Dhoom 2. So impressed was Subramani with Hrithik's role that he convinced Tashwin that they could emulate him in real life. After a lot of discussion, they landed in Bangalore for a recce.

They visited big shops and malls to observe their functioning style. In the last week of October 2011, they decided to target a diamond shop in Bangalore Central, J P Nagar. They commissioned a tailor to stitch dresses worn by sales boys of the shop. On November 2, they entered the mall around 9 pm. Hiding behind some waste boxes, they waited until employees began shutting shops. Around 11 pm, all shops downed shutters and employees left the premises. The duo applied a white powder to their bodies before emerging from their hiding place. They broke into the diamond shop and looted ornaments worth nearly Rs 18 lakh.

Then they waited for dawn. At 5 am, mall employees started arriving for the morning shift. The security personnel opened the entrance door meant for them. After waiting for a  while, Tashwin and Subramani stepped out through that door and boarded a bus to Virajpet where they sold the ornaments. Loaded with money, they took their girlfriends to Bangalore. They bought a four-wheeler, clothes and other items. In between, they picked a fight with employees of a restaurant and were pulled up by the police.

Meanwhile, Venkatakrishna Reddy, manager of the diamond shop, had lodged a complaint in J P Nagar police station. The police began going through CCTV footage of previous days to look for suspicious shoppers. They narrowed the suspects to these two as they had visited the diamond shop several times, but did not purchase anything. The challenge was finding the duo since they did not turn up in their record of thieves. However, further investigation took the cops to the duo who had got into a scrap with employees of a restaurant.

Police recovered ornaments worth Rs 16 lakh from the duo.

Accident at Guddehosur

YASH reports: A tourist car from Bangalore collided with a jeep ferrying estate labourers at 2.30pm in Guddehosur along the Kushalnagar-Suntikoppa highway today. Some of occupants of the vehicles sustained minor injuries and were admitted to local hospitals. Witnesses said localites in the jeep manhandled the tourists who were at no fault for the accident. The highway remained clogged for 30 minutes, and the police were the last ones to arrive on the spot to clear the road.

(Photos: D J Nithin)

Unsung hero: K M Chinnappa

In Coorg, where men once loved hunting, K M Chinnappa broke the tradition by turning his gun to protect the forests. Anita Pratap captures the spirit of the man, and Mahesh Bhat his image

Hunting was a way of life in the verdant forests and foothills of the Western Ghats in Karnataka’s Coorg area. It was an integral part of tradition, folklore, manhood, sport, food and commerce.

From poor, forest-dwelling tribesmen to the flamboyant royalty and courtiers in bustling Mysore, everyone loved hunting. But one man stood tall to end this way of life. His name is K.M.Chinnappa.

K M Chinnappa was the Range Forest Officer of Nagarahole for over two decades and was single-handedly responsible for making it one of the finest national Parks of India

Born in 1941 in Kumtur village near Nagarhole to a soldier who fought in the First World War, Chinnappa spent his youth roaming the forests of his ancestral land, listening to birds, watching the cavalcade of animals in their habitat, absorbing the every day miracles of the rich eco-system.

An enduring love for nature was thus born in him. Like his father, he too would become a mustachioed soldier. But with a difference. He would become a gun-toting, frontline warrior of the forests, dedicated to protecting wild life. Says he simply: “Wildlife is the purpose of my life.” (more)

(Photo source: Tyndian)

Creating a vision for the Himalaya of Kumaon

KODAGUCOMMUNITY.COM EXCLUSIVE: The SOS Foundation is a registered public charitable trust founded by Amrita Chengappa and Vineeta Shekhar with the aim of improving educational, social, and environmental development in Kumaon in Uttarakhand‎.

By involving external parties, this local project does not only produce new ideas and solutions for problems which are globally relevant, but it also stimulates the rural population into participating in personally beneficial economic and educational activities.

Here are the excerpts of an exclusive email interview with Amrita Chengappa, who is also the granddaughter of General K.S. Thimayya.

Do share with us the story behind SOS Foundation and SOS Organics? When did the idea germinate? Since when has been this initiative functional?

SOS Organics was incorporated in 2002, but has been functional only since 2007. We are based in the middle of Pant Village, Chitai, in the Almora region of Uttarakhand‎. After having started Organic India, a company that deals with Tulsi Tea, we decided to move to the Kumaon area. We travelled for a few years to see what we could do to generate employment without ruining the environment and started working on making value addition products with regard to the local indigenous material available here. Our entire unit is run solely on rain water harvesting and all the people that work for us are from the village itself and from nearby surrounding areas.

What are the challenges you face to run the concept of SOS Foundation?

The biggest problem here is that people do not want to do farming anymore. Lack of water, combined with a poor market for the indigenous grains are some the reasons. The indigenous foods that grow here are basically super foods that the locals do not appreciate anymore. Poor nutrition is rampant in the area; people have stopped eating their local grains and cereals, depending solely on white rice and other inferior material that is sent up from the plains. The indigenous food that grows here, like finger millet, barnyard millet and amaranth are now being considered “poor people’s food” resulting in poor nutrition. We are trying to change their mindset by showing them that there is a large market that values their produce, encouraging them to use old techniques of multi-cropping as well as working with them on techniques of non intensive farming.

Why organic? What has been the response to your organic products? Are you contemplating moving out of the area you are now supplying to?

Given that traditionally crops were grown without the use of pesticides and given the harmful effects now being seen on the land and food quality, thanks to the intensive chemicals used during the green revolution, organic for us was the most logical step forward to begin healing the earth and making it more productive with better results.

What are the organic products that you sell?

We have a wide range of products, handmade soaps, creams, scrubs, lip balms, air fresheners, massage oils and more. We do herbal infusions, seasonings, local grains and cereals and bee wax candles.

Could share with us your connection to Kodagu?

I was born and brought up in Bangalore and my family name is Kongettira. Both my parents are from Kodagu. My father was in the army and constantly travelling and I remember spending many happy vacations at our family estate in Chettali. I have had tremendous inspiration from my father’s mother, an amazing lady whose qualities, for me, represent what Kodagu is about. A great amount of being able to do what I do must be credited to the support of my immediate and extended family.

Why did you establish this initiative in Almora?

I’ve always loved the Himalayas and I’d grown up hearing a lot about the Kumaon, as my grandfather was from the 4 Kumaon Regiment, and had always wanted to visit. After moving on from Organic India which is based in Lucknow, we moved up to Almora.

Your concerns include local, organic and bio-diverse farming, re-forestation among others. Any plans to bring the idea to Kodagu which also seems like an ideal place to implement these ideas?

I think Kodagu is a lot better off in terms of natural resources. There are still mixed forests and most estates have their own food forests. The climatic conditions here are very harsh and the land is not as productive as in the south. There are, however, living food forests in the interiors and we are trying to encourage people to go back to self sustainable models.

What is your message to the estate owners of Kodagu?

I think most estate owners in Kodagu do an amazing job with their estates. There is nothing in this region that comes close to the kind of mixed agriculture that is found in coffee estates. I think that there is a strong connect with Kodavas and the land, and that most people who work with the land are aware of the pitfalls of using too many chemicals. I think people are slowly moving back to practicing agriculture the way our forefathers used to.

Like you all have done, how can residents of Kodagu seek to implement socially, economically and environmentally sustainable projects that preserve the resources and culture of Kodagu? What can be the driving factors?

There is so much abundance in terms of nature and what it has to offer. Any value addition can generate income. I think there is a wealth of knowledge still in Kodagu regarding traditional medicines and other traditional knowledge systems that should be preserved and recorded.

Komfort Foundation: Educating the under-privileged Kodava children

PRESS RELEASE: Every child in this world should have access to basic education. In theory, this might be a governmental responsibility, but in practice, we all know that relying on the government for every little bit of social progress is absurd. There is such a thing as citizens ' Social Responsibility'.

'Komfort Foundation' is one such registered NGO that believes in individual social responsibility, A non-profit NGO that provides education for poor school children, it began with a reflection that "A solid education is the way to a better quality of life." With this goal in mind, Komfort Foundation came up with two different programs — Prevention of School Drop-Outs (POSD) programme and a full-time Educational Sponsorship Programme (ESP), conceived to help children coming from under-privileged, economically backward families.

Kodagu district has been taken up as a ‘Pilot Project’. Subsequently, the plan is to extend the programme to other regions on a phase-by-phase basis.

KOMFORT FOUNDATION has 12A income tax exemption from Central Government and is now seeking the 80G tax exemption.

Since Komfort Foundation began its charity trust on Jan.6, 2011, under Prevention of School Drop-Outs (POSD) programme, has assisted 104 under-privileged Kodava children's school fees at Kodagu and under full-time time Educational Sponsorship Programme (ESP), have assisted three brilliant poor Kodava students from Kodagu by three Kodava philanthropists , two for Engineering and one for graduation.

Komfort Foundation has a future plans of assisting a minimum of 100 such under-privileged meritorious Kodava students from Kodagu by identifying them for the full-time sponsorship under Education Sponsorship Programme (ESP). Identifying such brilliant students are already under way.

DONORS / PHILTHROPISTS:-
"In order to continue this good work and ensure that the foundation is able to meet the appeal for funding from an increasing number of students, it is vitally important to expand the donor base. Those of you donors / philanthropists, who are willing and able to help, please consider contributing towards the under-privileged Kodava children’s education to pay for their school fees to continue their education.

For more information on the activities of Komfort Foundation and find out how you can help /informations, please check the website: www.komfortfoundation.com. Alternately, can also call at +91 7829207555 / 94481 80955, or email at Help@komfortfoundation.com.

Happy Puthari

Kupya, chaley and peechekathi? Why insult Kodavas if you can’t get it right

Representatives from coffee growing regions pose during the 10-day coffee festival, Kaapi Trial, at the Bangalore International Airport yesterday. Is this the right version of donning kupya, chaley and peechekathi? Our guess is as good as yours.

This has become a joke. Earlier too the traditional attire was mocked. Yeah, we are peace loving people. Go on!

(Photo source: Businessline)

‘Kaapi Trial’ at Bengaluru airport. Well done, Coffee Board

BANGALORE: To increase local consumption and for showcasing coffees from South India, the Coffee Board has partnered Bangalore International Airport Ltd and the Karnataka Tourism Department.

As part of the promotion, coffees from Araku Valley, Bababudangiri , B.R. Hills, Chikmagalur, Coorg, Nilgiris, Sheveroy Hills, Travancore, Nelliyampathy and Pulneys are being showcased.

For the first time coffees from various regions are being displayed as part of a 10-day coffee festival, Kaapi Trial, at the Bangalore International Airport. The event will give passengers an opportunity to interact with coffee experts and experience live coffee-making demonstrations and cupping.

According to Mr Jawaid Akhtar, Chairman, Coffee Board, “The festival will help enhance and promote knowledge of the region and coffee-drinking habit of the State that is core to its heritage.”

“As part of the promotion, the coffees, specially selected from the regions, have been carefully blended and brewed to extract their best flavour. (more)

We need more such sustained efforts to market coffee the right way. Take it to the consumers, and they will come back to you.