Happy New Year

Tourists throng Kodagu during new year

MADIKERI: This New Year rings in good news for Kodagu. With the introduction of home-stays and resorts, there has been a remarkable increase in the tourist flow to this hilly spot.

Since Friday evening a record number of tourists from Mangalore and Bangalore have reached Madikeri to spend New Year eve in Kodagu. This time, the home-stays in villages and coffee estates in between, have become the favourites of tourists. ''This time we are looking forward for a calm and quiet place like Kodagu to welcome the New Year. (more)

Story of a ‘gorment aspathre’

Anesthesia machine is gathering dust at the Government Hospital in Somwarpet. Shortage of proficient staff to handle surgical equipments is said to be the reason.

Operation theatre at the same hospital has become non-functional for a longtime. (Pix: Shakthi)

Small growers say Chandragiri not new

BANGALORE: The Karnataka Growers' Federation (KGF), representing small growers in India's main coffee-cultivating state, has claimed that the Chandragiri Arabica plant material, released here for commercial exploitation on December 28 by Union minister of state for commerce Jairam Ramesh, is nothing new!

KGF President Dr N K Pradeep has stated that the same material had been released under the name Nandi in 03-04, that it had been with growers for eight years and that it was resistant to leaf-rust but not the white stem-borer (WSB) which has devastated India's Arabica crop. (more)

Bopaiah, Ranjan in BJP’s first list

BANGALORE –– State BJP has released its first list of 100 candidates to contest the forthcoming Assembly elections. The BJP, which has decided not to have tie-up with any party, will field candidates in all the 224 Assembly segments.

The list includes G.T. Devegowda from Hunsur who recently joined the party, film director S.Mahendar from Kollegal, K.G.Bopaiah from Madikeri, B.B.Shivappa from Sakaleshpur, Abbas Ali Bohra from Mandya and Appachu Ranjan from Somwarpet. (Source: Star of Mysore)

Robin Uthappa is ‘Coorg Person of the Year’

MADIKERI: Hard-hitting Indian cricketer Robin Uthappa is the unanimous choice for Coorg Person of the Year in a poll conducted by www.coorgtourisminfo.com, the first news and tourism portal of Kodagu (Coorg).

The other nominations included Indian Ambassador to Armenia and Georgia Baddira Reena Poovaiah, a career Indian Foreign Service officer, and Pandanda M Kuttappa, who conceptualised the Kodava ‘family hockey’ festival. Kodagu, considered one of the nurseries of Indian hockey, has contributed several outstanding players to the national team. In the recent years, cricket has slowly begun taking over the place of hockey in Kodagu. Robin is the first from Kodagu to make it to the Indian cricket team and 2007 has been a special year for him. (read more)

Good news for coffee growers: Chandragiri is here

BANGALORE: Coffee lovers can soon relish their cuppa brewed from the seeds of a new Arabica plant variety called Chandragiri, developed by the Central Coffee Research Institute at Balehonnur in Chikmagalur district after 21 years of research.

The Chandragiri plant, with clusters of coffee fruits, was introduced to coffee planters for commercial exploitation by Union Minister of State for Commerce Jairam Ramesh at a function organised by the Coffee Board here on Friday. Eminent scientists M.S. Swaminathan, MP and Chairman of the National Commission on Farmers, and C.N.R. Rao, Chairman of the Scientific Advisory Council to the Prime Minister, were present.

Chandragiri is the name of the hill range in the district where the first seeds of coffee, believed to have been brought by Baba Budan after his pilgrimage to Makkah, were planted. The variety is hybrid derived by crossing Villa Sarchi, a semi-dwarf mutant of Bourbon coffee, and Hibrido de Timor, a spontaneous hybrid of Robusta and Arabica resistant to coffee leaf rust. (read full report)

Omani link for Kodavas

Is there a link between Omanis, the native inhabitants of Oman, and Kodavas? Yes, there is. A peek into the traditional outfits of Omani and Kodava men point to the fact that there is a prominent curved dagger – Khanjar for Omanis and Peechekathi for Kodavas –– that is suspended with the support of a silver thread or webbing and worn at the waist. Both the Khanjar and Peechekathi have ornate carvings on sheaths made up of silver and sometimes interlaced with gold pieces. While Khanjar is worn along with dishdasha, the traditional dress for Omani men, the Peechekathi in worn on top of kupya (wraparound robe) and hung around the chele (shawl) at the waist for Kodava men.

Kodavas have a unique culture and tradition unlike other communities in southern India. Though they are Hindus, Kodavas do not have brahmin priests in ceremonies like wedding. The elders of the community help in organising the ceremonies. There have been debates on Kodavas having a Greek and Arab connection in the past. The similarity in daggers between Omanis and Kodavas could be one more link in that direction.

Iruppu Falls: Delving into nature's bounty

The cascading falls.

The Rameshwara temple. (Photo source: Flickr.com)

How to reach there: The best time to visit the Iruppu Falls is during the monsoons. The falls is situated at a distance of 50km from Virajpet. To hit the falls, take the road from Gonikoppal to Nagerhole National Park, and take a deviation after Srimangala. Iruppu falls is a pilgrimage spot as well. A famous Shiva temple, the Rameshwara temple, is situated on the banks of the Lakshmana Thirtha River, en route to the falls.

Irony

How many restaurants serve a cup of authentic Coorg coffee in Madikeri?
None.

How many restaurants serve local cuisine (Kodava food) in Madikeri?
Around 2-3.

How many restaurants serve North Indian cuisine in Madikeri?
ALL.

Comments moderation

Dear Readers,

After more than four months of running this blog without comment moderation, I am putting a ‘soft moderation policy’ in place. The major reason is the recent increase in the number of comments that are off-topic or with no susbstance or some of which are very slanderous in nature.

I respect my readers’ time and effort in visiting this blog and would not wish to waste their effort by letting half-baked comments come in the way of an intelligent reading/discussion.

Henceforth ALL comments on this blog will be “soft moderated” by me. Comments that are offensive, libelous, slanderous, abusive or otherwise irrelevant may be removed without prior notification.

If you do not agree with this, please do not submit your comment.

Thanks for your patience and support.

Astroturf stadium in Madikeri will be ready by Feb

SAI Administrator C A Karumbaiah seen along with astroturf roll which arrived from Melbourne in Australia. The astro turf maidan will come up near SAI residential quarters in Madikeri.

MADIKERI -- Astroturf worth Rs 2.25 crore has arrived from Melbourne in Autsralia to Madikeri. The atro turf stadium will come up near SAI residential quarters in Madikeri. SAI Administrator C A Karumbaiah said the astroturf is seven metre wide and 110 metre long. Once the weather reaches 27 degree celsius, the work on laying astroturf will begin. He said PWD department has been given the contract to lay the astroturf. Through Jubilee Sports Technology Institute, PWD department purchased astroturf from Melbourne Sports Technology Industries Pvt Limited. (Read full story)

(Pic and text source: Deccan Herald)

Image-conscious Club Mahindra ‘romances’ bloggers in Madikeri

SPECIAL REPORT: For one, Club Mahindra resorts surely knows the tricks of the trade to remove a thorn by a thorn. If you recollect, this blog (Kodagu Community) had highlighted the issue of ‘Mock Marriage’ in their Madikeri resort, and after much hullabaloo, the resort had removed the reference to ‘Mock Marriage’ from their website permanently.

Now, in the first week of December this year, Club Mahindra orgainsed a paid-all trip (free junket) for some bloggers all over India to visit their Madikeri resort as part of the PR exercise to boost their image in the blogging world. However, I am smelling a rat here. Of all the places, why did they have to choose Madikeri as the location of visit for these bloggers? It is a known fact the their Madikeri resort was selling by itself and was in no need of great marketing or publicity.

The idea is plain and simple. It was organised just because the ‘Mock Marriage’ issue had become an embarrassment for them since the online petition we started had evoked tremendous response. So how do you quell doubts in the minds of public? Easy, offer a paid-all trip to bloggers and make them write rosy stuff about the resort and its facilities. Write, they did, but it is to be seen how much of a difference it will make to their ‘once dented’ image of Club Mahindra.

Finally, all you bloggers who enjoyed Club Mahindra’s hospitality for three days, please thank this blog for your trip. This blog did it all.

Also, read experiences of some of the bloggers who enjoyed Club Mahindra’s benevolence:

Arun, Mridula, Sudhir, Anil, Srinidhi, Anita, Dev.

PS: I am not anti-Club Mahindra nor I am jealous of bloggers who were invited to Madikeri. I still have a 3-months old ‘invite’ from the Resident Manager of Club Mahindra, Madikeri, to visit their facility when I am in town. Visit, I shall, but by spending from my own pocket.

Will train connectivity boost tourism in Kodagu?

Hugh & Colleen Gantzer say:

Kodagu is the one of the most sought after tourist destinations in Karnataka. But it is the only district in the State which has no train connectivity! Tourists have to depend on roads, which are bad. According to Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation personnel, tourist influx in Kodagu has come down drastically as the roads connecting the districts are bad. (read more)

Cauvery marathon on Dec. 23

MADIKERI: The fourteenth annual Kodagu Cauvery Marathon-07 will be held here on December 23. Addressing the media here on Saturday, Kodagu Cauvery Marathon Trust president Panathale Vishwanath said that as part of the Marathon, two free medical camps were also organised at Bhaghamandla and at the Ashwini hospital here on December 22.

“Five super specialist doctors in various disciplines from the USA will attend the camp,’’ he said and added that the doctors from the Narayana Hrudayala would also participate in the camp.The Marathon would be started from the Gandhi Maidan to Triveni Sangama at Bhaghamandala covering the distance of 42.2 kilometres, he said and added that former MLA K G Bopaiah would inaugurate the marathon.

Boon or bane of tourism?

Live performances for visitors at Club Mahindra, Madikeri. (Pic source: kiruba.com)

Kodava dance forms are showcased to tourists at unearthly hours in the Club Mahindra resort in Madikeri. While tourism brings in a lot of jobs for locals, it also means the culture and tradition of the place takes a beating by way of pure commercialization. It does not end here, in fact Club Mahidra is planning to expand its operations in Madikeri – which indicates they are making enough moolah and they are eyeing Madikeri as a money-spinner in the long run.

We, locals, have to be contended by running a few nondescript home stays, which pays pittance when compared to the coffers of Club Mahindra. Why can’t some local players be part of a big plan? Are the Capitol Villages and Honey Valleys listening?

Fewer postings

Sorry folks, I am unable to do justice to my normal quota of blogging for the last few days. Lots of work, and equally bad net connectivity are the real culprits. I hope to return to form very soon. Like they used to say in the good ’ol Doordarshan days: ‘Rukawat ke liye khed hai’!

Boom time for home stays

A home stay hoarding in Abyathmangala near Siddapur. (Pic source: Flickr.com)

For the record

Myth: Tibetan monastery in Bylakuppe in part of Kodagu district.

Truth: Bylakuppe is part of Periyapatna taluk in Mysore district.

Abracadabra…Rs.508 turns Rs.25,679!

Shakthi reports: Dotty Poovaiah of Kodava Sahitya Academy is in news again – this time for tampering of official bills. Talking to presspersons on Monday, Sara Chengappa, president of the Kodava Janangakarada Koota and Addanda Cariappa, Taluk Panchayat member, showed tampered receipt by the academy from Rs. 508 to Rs. 25,679.

It was alleged, Dotty Poovaiah had been to Bangalore and stayed at the Bangalore Kodava Samaj Club and had paid a bill of Rs. 508 for her stay. Back in office, they erased the original figure and changed it to Rs. 25,679. A similar change was noticed in other bill too. It is alleged Dotty may have misused more than Rs. 25 lakhs during her stint in the academy so far.

Free-for-all traffic?

Traffic comes to a standstill at the busy General Thimmaiah circle in Madikeri a few days back. (Pic source: Shakthi)

…and the winner is

Winners of the Miss Bangalore 2007 contest organised by Infant School of Fashion. (Left to right) First runner up Ujwal Uthappa; winner Trupthi Manjari and second runner up Vibha Varya. (Pic source: Deccan Herald)

Did you know?

Some of the Kodava delicacies are influenced by Greek culture.

Corporal punishment at schools banned

MADIKERI: Corporal punishment has been banned and all schools should take serious note of this, Madikeri Block Education Officer Sridhar has said.

In a press release here on Thursday, he said this was in compliance with the orders of the Supreme Court and directions from the State Government. Education was the right of every child, and the Department of Public Instruction was taking all steps to ensure it in Kodagu. Punishment was one of the reasons for students dropping out, which should stop, he said.

Mr. Sridhar’s observation comes in the wake of a complaint lodged with the police against two teachers of a private school here on Wednesday. The teachers have been accused of beating up a sixth standard student. The student, it is said, had to be hospitalised. Mr. Sridhar warned that errant teachers would be dealt with seriously if the Education Department received complaints against them.

Time for some nostalgia. Is anyone here from St. Joseph’s Convent, Madikeri? Guys especially. Do you remember those nerve-cracking hits to knuckles from Sr. Angela?

She is a teacher I will remember for a very long time, not for her hits, but for her skills as a teacher. She was fantastic, mind-blowing, superb!

Temple reconstruction at Heravanadu

MADIKERI: Residents of Heravanadu village, about 5 km from here, have decided to reconstruct an ancient temple of Madurappa, said to be an incarnation of Lord Shiva, at a cost of Rs. 1.08 crore.
The ruins of the temple, discovered by some villagers in 2001 in a jungle near the village, is said to have been destroyed around 200 years ago. However, an ‘ashtamangala prashne’, a ritual performed to ascertain what existed in a spot in the past, revealed that the temple was more than 3,000 years old. (full story)

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Why aren’t we drinking enough coffee?

As per the statistics, the domestic coffee usage in the country is stagnant which stands around 68,000 tonnes and the remaining coffee is dependent on international market. But in 2006-07, the total production in the country was 2.88 lakh tonnes and the domestic use was only 82,000 tonnes, the report said. (read full report)

Coffee Days, Baristas, etc, are going great guns by opening outlets all over India, and still the rate of coffee consumption is abysmal in the country. Have people taken to tea drinking in north India and rejected coffee outrightly?

How many of you have a dose of coffee everyday? It is time for Coffee Board to avail services of a top consultant to market the famous brew as a lifestyle product.

Daisy Bopanna: Hottest babe

Rediff.com has listed Daisy Bopanna as one of the hottest babes of Kannada film industry.

Daisy was a top model of Karnataka before she worked in films. Now, she has made a big name in the Kannada film industry with her competent performances in many films like Aishwarya, Rama Shaama Bhaama, Sathyavaan Saavithri with leading stars like Upendra and Ramesh Arvind. Her next film -- Gaalipata is opposite hotshot star Ganesh, to be directed by Yogaraj Bhat.

(Source: Rediff.com)

Pronunciations…aaaaaaarrrrrgh!

Mudkeri, Madikere, Coorgu (Kannadiga tourist folks from Bangalore/Mysore)

Mercara, Madagara, Kodag (Malayalis from Kerala/Kasaragod)

Virapet (Bus agents in Madikeri referring to ‘Virajpet’)

I know there could be plenty of these. If you recollect more, feel free to add.

PS: I still can’t digest Kodagu being referred to as Coorg!

Did you know?

People called Field Marshall K. M. Cariappa ‘Brown Sahib’ as he had inadequate knowledge of Hindi. It so happened that soon after Independence, he addressed his troops, “Is waqt aap muft, hum muft, mulk muft, sab kuchh muft hai”(by muft he had meant free or liberty).

(Source: Organiser)

Taumey Mahendrappa: The Dirtman

When he was barely out of knickers in Kodagu, India, seven-year-old Taumey Mahendrappa took a handful of soil, placed it in a container, added water and shook. As sand and grit settled to the bottom of the container and murky water rose to the top, Mahendrappa showed it to his mother and told her all he knew about the properties of soil.

Fifty-eight years later, 65-year-old Mahendrappa - a.k.a 'The Dirtman' - is still getting his hands into the earth as senior soil chemist with Natural Resources Canada and he's not interested in quitting his life's work anytime soon. Mahendrappa's father supported the family as a schoolteacher and his mother contributed to the family income by growing coffee and rice. In 1961, when he graduated from Karnataka University in India with a bachelor of science in agriculture, Mahendrappa was quick to want to test his knowledge. "I said: 'Mom, I know so much about soils, I can help double your yield. She looked at me, smiled and said 'I'm very proud of you, but keep your knowledge to your job,' " he says. "She wouldn't let me do the farming." ( read full story)

(Source: Shakthi)

Cops’ day out in Madikeri

For a change, they shed their ‘khaki’ image and chilled out like any other ordinary folks during the Annual Police Day celebrations in Madikeri on Sunday. The above image shows a group of policemen dressed as gods, goddesses and demons who were part of the ‘Mahishasura Mardhini’ tableau depicted on the occasion.

(Source: Shakthi)

Bopanna’s coffee is spicy, peppery … robusta. What’s yours?

CHENNAI: Ten years ago, a roaster from abroad visiting a coffee festival asked K.A. Bopanna of Badra Estates in Karnataka to describe the coffee produced in his plantation. Mr Bopanna replied: “Plantation A, AB” but the roaster was not satisfied. Frustrated, the roaster asked: “Tell me how does your coffee taste?”

“We had no answer and were embarrassed. That was because we never knew how our coffee tasted,” he says, recalling the incident. “It was then that we woke up.”

He made a visit to Coffee Labs Ltd owned by Ms Sunalini Menon and began training his staff. “We first started by segregating our coffee. We learnt the significance of quality picking,” Mr Bopanna says, adding that he, along with others in his company, began attending a training programme of Coffee Labs and the Coffee Board. “We also started attending more fairs and exhibitions and learnt the basics of cupping in robusta and Arabica,” he said. (read more)

(Link sent to us by: A Few Lines)

‘Bane’ land row takes ‘well deserved nap’!

MADIKERI: The “Bane” land controversy, which was a hot topic during the last few months in Kodagu, appears to have died down. None of the main protagonists, the Kodagu Asthitva Horata Samiti or the Bane Hakku Rakshana Samiti, are raking up the issue anymore. The absence of an elected government in the State could be one of the reasons, feel observers.

Bandhs were organised in Kodagu on two occasions, July 2 and November 1, to protest against the Government for not conceding the demands of landholders in Kodagu. The question being asked by people demanding rights over “Bane” land is: why is Kodagu excluded when the Karnataka Land Revenue Act, 1964, is in force in all other districts of the State. These lands have been inherited and cannot be treated as “encroachments” is another argument. (read more)

Enthu Zilla Panchayat Prez meets governor for funds

MADIKERI: President of the Kodagu Zilla Panchayat Deerghakeshi Shivanna has requested the Governor to release a special grant of Rs. 203 crore in order to reconstruct, maintain and develop rural roads and bridges in the district.

Ms. Shivanna met the Governor recently in Bangalore to apprise him of the need. The Chief Secretary too has been apprised of the matter. She said the topography of Kodagu, was different from other regions. A large part of the area was either forested or had coffee plantations. A memorandum presented to the Governor said that of the total stretch of 4,134.63 km of rural roads in Kodagu, 1,450.79 km was asphalted and 876.81 km was metalled. The remaining 1,807.03 km consisted of kutcha roads in the rural parts of Kodagu, she said.

British lady gifts ambulance to Madikeri town

MADIKERI: A gritty British woman who lost her fiancé nine-months ago at Madikeri during a trek, has donated an ambulance to the town. Ms. Lena Liambe and her fiancé David Lord arrived in Madikeri in February after visiting Goa and Mangalore.

The couple, along with their tour guide Nanda, went on a trek. When they were in the midst of a forest, 4 km from Madikeri, David started feeling breathless and suddenly collapsed.

Lena sent Nanda to fetch an ambulance from Madikeri town. When the latter came back, instead of bringing the ambulance, he had brought an open jeep. If only an ambulance had arrived, probably, David would have survived the ordeal.

The tragedy did not deter Lena who decided to do something, so that others would not face with such an ordeal.

She returned to her country and began organizing various events to mobilize funds for setting up a trust. She returned to Madikeri with Rs 9 lakh and set up David Lord Trust with Nanda as its managing trustee. At a function held at Madikeri, Lena gifted an ambulance to the residents of Madikeri. Poverty-stricken people living in 10 km radius of Madikeri, can use the service of the ambulance free of cost and others can avail the service at a nominal rate.

Nursery rhyme re-mixed

Dotty, Dotty,
Yes, Papa,
Minting money?
No, Papa
Telling lies?
No, Papa
Open your suitcase
Ha! Ha! Ha!

‘Upset’ Dotty postpones Kodava convention

IN THE DOCK: Ulliyada Dotty Poovaiah

The World Kodava Convention, scheduled to be held in Madikeri this month under the auspices of the Kodava Sahitya Academy, has been postponed till further notice. It is to be noted that Ulliyada Dotty Poovaiah, president of the Kodava Sahitya Academy, has come under fire from various quarters over her alleged corruption deals in run up to the convention.

‘Kodagu Community’ had termed the convention as a plain ‘money making exercise’ in August this year, and now the facts prove that our report was correct.

Also read:

World Kodava Meet: Is it about showcasing culture or simply a money making exercise?