Sketch by: Trish Taylor Ponappa
Monday, August 31, 2009
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Kiran Subbaiah aims for world record
MADIKERI: This serpent sculpture is all set to grab the world's attention. The five-foot tall 135 hooded stone sculpture could steal the title of the biggest Adishesha in the world from Nepal. The sculpture at Nepal's Pashupathinath temple is 108 hooded.
Aiming at the world record is sculptor Alamengada Kiran Subbaiah from Kodagu. Kiran says that the sculpture will have an engraving of 45 other snakes. It also has an Om, Sreechakra and Gayathri mantra, considered to be sacred for Hindus.
Working on the sculpture for three years, Subbaiah says it will be ready for auction in one year. The five-foot tall serpant is placed on a base of a width of 3 feet and breadth 3.8 feet.
(Photo source: Shakthi)
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Does it take 17 months to inaugurate a hockey pitch?
It was a defining moment for hockey buffs and budding players when a synthetic hockey turf was finally laid in Madikeri in March 2008. Sadly, even after 17 months, the surface is yet to be inaugurated officially. This means the turf was not put to good use when the whole thing cost a staggering Rs. 3.5 crore. Where did this money come from? Well, it is tax-payers money, including yours and mine. Who is to be blamed for the mess?
A report last week says the new synthetic hockey turf to be inaugurated in September 2009.
The newly laid synthetic hockey surface here will be inaugurated in September, according to a decision taken at the monitoring committee meeting of the Sports Authority of India (SAI) here on Wednesday. Laying of the Rs. 3.5-crore synthetic turf brought from Australia was completed last year. The playing surface was not thrown open for national and international competitions on the grounds that it was not certified by a technical team from the International Hockey Federation (FIH). The team from Australia inspected the ground here three months ago and certified it as “fit for play”. (more)
'Turf highlights' for the last 17 months:
* “Polygrass XL”, an artificial playing surface for hockey, is ready for use at the Sports Authority of India (SAI).
* This is the third such artificial playing surface available in Karnataka.
* A sum of Rs. 3.50 crore was spent to prepare the turf.
* SAI says the playing surface can be used for competitions only after the International Hockey Federation (FIH) approved the ground for technical and tactical correctness.
* The SAI was told to make trainees play on the ground for some time to assess its condition.
* Controversy arose when the Coorg Hockey Association (CHA) announced in September 2008 that the Super Division Hockey League would be played on the synthetic turf at the SAI grounds here from September onwards.
* The CHA had tied up with the Karnataka State Hockey Association (KSHA) to organise the league matches here, featuring the best men’s hockey teams in the country. But, due to non-clearance from the FIH, matches could not be held here. The Super Division Hockey League was consequently shifted to the SAI grounds in Bangalore.
* The CHA authorities blamed its former office-bearers for the cancellation of the league in Madikeri. The ground was leased by the University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore, to the CHA.
* The newly laid synthetic hockey surface here will be inaugurated in September 2009.
* The FIH team from Australia inspected the ground here three months ago and certified it as “fit for play”.
* The synthetic playing surface would be shared between the SAI and the CHA in a manner that it does not clash with each other’s schedule.
* The CHA representatives brought up the issue of construction of a Club House at one portion of the ground. The SAI authorities would request the UAS, Bangalore, to cede nearly two acres of land in front of the SAI hostel here for utilising it as the practice/warm up ground before the commencement of the matches.
* SAI has proposed for the construction of an additional open well as water from the existing open well would suffice only for watering the surface up to a maximum of three matches.
* Construction of gallery, players’ change rooms were also mooted by the SAI.
What the heck? They’ve spent Rs. 3.5 crores and still there is no gallery or players’ change rooms. Most probably, the players will have to rely on restrooms at the KSTRC bus stand for changing and the spectators will have climb some nearby hillocks or high rise buildings to watch the matches, if at all there is one.
* “Polygrass XL”, an artificial playing surface for hockey, is ready for use at the Sports Authority of India (SAI).
* This is the third such artificial playing surface available in Karnataka.
* A sum of Rs. 3.50 crore was spent to prepare the turf.
* SAI says the playing surface can be used for competitions only after the International Hockey Federation (FIH) approved the ground for technical and tactical correctness.
* The SAI was told to make trainees play on the ground for some time to assess its condition.
* Controversy arose when the Coorg Hockey Association (CHA) announced in September 2008 that the Super Division Hockey League would be played on the synthetic turf at the SAI grounds here from September onwards.
* The CHA had tied up with the Karnataka State Hockey Association (KSHA) to organise the league matches here, featuring the best men’s hockey teams in the country. But, due to non-clearance from the FIH, matches could not be held here. The Super Division Hockey League was consequently shifted to the SAI grounds in Bangalore.
* The CHA authorities blamed its former office-bearers for the cancellation of the league in Madikeri. The ground was leased by the University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore, to the CHA.
* The newly laid synthetic hockey surface here will be inaugurated in September 2009.
* The FIH team from Australia inspected the ground here three months ago and certified it as “fit for play”.
* The synthetic playing surface would be shared between the SAI and the CHA in a manner that it does not clash with each other’s schedule.
* The CHA representatives brought up the issue of construction of a Club House at one portion of the ground. The SAI authorities would request the UAS, Bangalore, to cede nearly two acres of land in front of the SAI hostel here for utilising it as the practice/warm up ground before the commencement of the matches.
* SAI has proposed for the construction of an additional open well as water from the existing open well would suffice only for watering the surface up to a maximum of three matches.
* Construction of gallery, players’ change rooms were also mooted by the SAI.
What the heck? They’ve spent Rs. 3.5 crores and still there is no gallery or players’ change rooms. Most probably, the players will have to rely on restrooms at the KSTRC bus stand for changing and the spectators will have climb some nearby hillocks or high rise buildings to watch the matches, if at all there is one.
Well done, SAI. Kodagu is proud of you!
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Family of four commits suicide in Kakkabe
MADIKERI: Four members belonging to a family committed suicide after jumping into a tank at Kakkabe, near Napoklu town, in Madikeri taluk of Kodagu district on Sunday night, the police said here on Monday.
The victims were identified as K. Nitya Bheemaiah (45), his wife Vincy (37), daughter Mridula (13) and son Raj Devaiah (two-and-a-half years), Deputy Superintendent of Police, Madikeri, J.D. Prakash, told The Hindu here.
According to one version, Mr. Bheemaiah had a huge debt on him, borrowed from banks to develop his 10-acre property.
Mr. Bheemaiah’s sisters had allegedly staked claim for the father’s property and this upset Mr. Bheemaiah and Ms. Vincy. They had celebrated Mridula’s birthday at a relative’s house near Kakkabe on Sunday evening and had gone back to their home. Mridula was studying in a school in Bangalore. The postmortem report revealed that all the four had consumed sleeping tablets before jumping into the tank.
Mr. Bheemaiah had written suicide notes and posted one copy to the Napoklu police. Three more copies were found in the house in Monday morning.
Based on the letter, the residents of the village had informed the police and rushed to the tank nearby only to find Mr. Bheemaiah’s body floating in the water.
The police were informed by the residents. Divers recovered all the four bodies. Mr. Prakash said that a case of unnatural death had been registered.
(Photo source: Daijiworld.com)
The victims were identified as K. Nitya Bheemaiah (45), his wife Vincy (37), daughter Mridula (13) and son Raj Devaiah (two-and-a-half years), Deputy Superintendent of Police, Madikeri, J.D. Prakash, told The Hindu here.
According to one version, Mr. Bheemaiah had a huge debt on him, borrowed from banks to develop his 10-acre property.
Mr. Bheemaiah’s sisters had allegedly staked claim for the father’s property and this upset Mr. Bheemaiah and Ms. Vincy. They had celebrated Mridula’s birthday at a relative’s house near Kakkabe on Sunday evening and had gone back to their home. Mridula was studying in a school in Bangalore. The postmortem report revealed that all the four had consumed sleeping tablets before jumping into the tank.
Mr. Bheemaiah had written suicide notes and posted one copy to the Napoklu police. Three more copies were found in the house in Monday morning.
Based on the letter, the residents of the village had informed the police and rushed to the tank nearby only to find Mr. Bheemaiah’s body floating in the water.
The police were informed by the residents. Divers recovered all the four bodies. Mr. Prakash said that a case of unnatural death had been registered.
(Photo source: Daijiworld.com)
Muddu Raja Keri or Muddurakayray is today’s Madikeri
We were in Madikeri when we heard this story. A Haleri king was on a hunting expedition when he suddenly saw his wild dogs chased by a hare on a small hillock. He decided to build a fort there immediately as he felt a powerful energy vibrated from the region which made a meek hare courageous. A mud walled garrison was built there and the hamlet, which became the capital of the dynasty was named after the king. The king was Mudduraja, the dynasty was Haleri and the capital was called Muddu Raja Keri or Muddurakayray, what we today call Madikeri.
The Haleri kings who ruled Coorg or Kodagu for over 200 years were Lingayats and their origin is traced to Veeraraja, a nephew of Sadashiva Nayaka of Ikkeri dynasty. As the Vijayanagar empire crumbled, Veeraraja, who dreamt of establishing his own dynasty was looking to exploit the weakness of local kingdoms. His ambition took him to Kodagu which was then ruled by various Nayakas. (more)
The Haleri kings who ruled Coorg or Kodagu for over 200 years were Lingayats and their origin is traced to Veeraraja, a nephew of Sadashiva Nayaka of Ikkeri dynasty. As the Vijayanagar empire crumbled, Veeraraja, who dreamt of establishing his own dynasty was looking to exploit the weakness of local kingdoms. His ambition took him to Kodagu which was then ruled by various Nayakas. (more)
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Mahindra “Great Destruction” Rally?
MADIKERI: It was an exhilarating, yet daring drive through the treacherous terrain of the district for rally drivers participating in the 51st Mahindra Great Escape Rally that was flagged off from a resort near here on Saturday.
The event not only tested drivers’ efficacy at manoeuvring through slippery roads, negotiating heights and passing through rivulets, but also the endurance of their vehicles. Over 300 participants from Goa, Mumbai and Karnataka drove through the designated route before regrouping at the resort. A few locals also participated. (more)
Now, read about the ‘great achievements’ of the rally:
1. A resident of Mukkodlu has lodged a complaint with the police stating that rally vehicles trespassed into his property, causing damage to paddy fields and roads.
2. Some allege that beer bottles were thrown into paddy fields and in some places the bottles were broken. It is said the school children do walk through the same roads and the organizers have shown utmost carelessness and have thrown rules to the wind.
3. A family had to threaten the merry-making rally drivers with a gun to stop them from creating ruckus in their property.
If this is the case, ban the Mahindra Great Escape Rally from Kodagu, I would say
(Image source: The Hindu)
Monday, August 10, 2009
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Adventure sports not by choice
Not really. A woman is seen crossing a rickety handmade bridge during monsoon at Nadanalli Village off Pushapagiri Hills in Somwarpet. Below the bridge flows a furious river. This village has been devoid of basic infrastructure from time immemorial. A textbook example of India shining, no? (Pic: Shakthi)
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
KodaguCommunity.com turns two
Dear readers,
It is time to celebrate. KodaguCommunity.com completes two years today. Since the launch in August 2007, this blog has provided infotainment to readers from various corners of the world. We have had exclusive features and news stories, and much, much more. My sincere thanks to readers, contributors and well wishers who according to me are the source of inspiration to keep this blog alive.
Now, it is feedback time. Readers, kindly do let me know the kind of content you are really looking for in a blog like KodaguCommunity.com. Customer is king -- your suggestions are very valuable. Please use “comments” section below or email your feedback to cariz123 [at] gmail.com
Jai Kodagu!
Cheers,
Cariz
