Kodagu Community

Coffee drying machine is here

2012-02-16T08:25:00.000+04:00

MADIKERI: A demonstration on coffee drying machine was held at Venkitt valley estate at Kandanakolli near Madikeri on Wednesday. A large number of coffee growers visited the estate to have a glimpse of the drier. Estate owner Raghu Cariappa said that shortage of labourers is affecting coffee estates off late.

The coffee drying machine can be used for drying with the help of minimum labourers. “Otherwise drying coffee requires 10 to 12 labourers. However, with the machine, one can finish the drying work with just two labourers,” he saidSKF company representative Ramadas said that parchment coffee can be dried within 10 to 12 hours using the machine. Normally it takes five to six days for drying in the yard. Coffee cherries can be dried within 16 to 18 hours. In the yard it will take at least 10 to 12 days. The machines come in two models namely semi-automatic and automatic. The consumption of power is also less. Coffee Board member Nanda Belliappa said the Board provides subsidy for the machines which has the capacity of more than two tonne.

Kodagu pips Munnar as tourist destination

2012-01-09T12:46:00.001+04:00

BANGALORE: Yes, you have read the headlineright. Kodagu , the picturesque sleepy hills surrounded by the forested slopesof the Western Ghats, has overtaken Munnar inKerala as a must-see place.

The figures available withKarnataka and Kerala tourism departments say it all.

In 2010, Kodagu had 5,94,467tourists (5,87,216 domestic and 7,251 foreign tourists ), double that of Munnarwhich 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 numberconsidering Kodagu is yet to be exploited commercially. Tourists to Karnatakaensure they accommodate a trip to Kodagu," said K Viswanatha Reddy, director,department of tourism, Karnataka.

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

Very good, but now will the stategovernment do something about the poor infrastructure (which includes horrible roads)prevailing in Kodagu? Before we jump at the news, we should know that ahappening 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 cointoo. Mass tourism isn’t good always.

Nestlé India sets up coffee demonstration farm and training centre

2012-01-06T08:38:00.004+04:00

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

2011-12-28T12:33:00.000+04:00

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

2011-12-21T16:30:00.003+04:00

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

2011-12-16T09:55:00.002+04:00

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

2011-12-13T12:28:00.002+04:00

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

2011-12-11T16:39:00.005+04:00

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

2011-12-07T17:41:00.001+04:00

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

2011-12-06T16:01:00.003+04:00

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

2011-12-06T15:42:00.001+04:00

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.

‎Kodava movie 'Naa Puttna Mann' to hit screens on December 2

2011-11-29T12:42:00.001+04:00

‘Mint’ article on Kodavas and dwindling numbers: KodaguCommunity.com’s view

2011-11-26T10:17:00.001+04:00

Fair-skinned, educated and Westernized, they are the Parsis of the south. And their numbers too are declining— from 175,000 in 1992 to 125,000 in 2010 (Bureau of Economics and Statistics). Kodavas, or Coorgis, are concentrated in Coorg, Karnataka, which the British turned into a major district of coffee plantations. The land is also known for its mist-cloaked hills scented with honey, cardamom and oranges.

Kodavas are more numerous than India’s Parsis, Bahá’ís and Jews but that’s no solace. “We might vanish by 2030,” says Chepudira M. Thilak Subbaiah, president of the Kodava Samaja Bangalore that held its centenary celebrations in early November. “Young Kodavas are educated workaholics and don’t care about families. They don’t want more than one child.” According to Subbaiah, Bangalore has the largest population of Kodavas (35,000) after Coorg (70,000).

“The concern is not so much of losing at a numbers game,” says Sarita Mandanna, whose debut novel Tiger Hills was set in Coorg at the turn of the 20th century, “but the risk of losing an entire way of life, and the land as we once knew it.”

Kodavas are warrior-caste Hindus but their festivals and rituals are different. They have no priest, no holy fire and no dowry in weddings. They are great pork eaters. They worship Kaveri, the river that originates in Coorg. With a literacy rate estimated at 80%, their vocabulary is a mix of Persian, Sanskrit, Hindi, Kannada, Tamil and Telugu. Almost everyone has an estate—it could be 1 acre or 500 acres. Some say they migrated from the Kurd region in West Asia, others claim they are descendants of Alexander’s army. Traditionally a martial race, they have produced army icons like K.S. Thimayya and K.M. Cariappa. Other notable Kodavas are athlete Ashwini Nachappa and VJ Nikhil Chinappa. (more)

Wow, people of Kodagu are now protesting

2011-11-18T12:42:00.002+04:00

Protest over desecration of the statue of the late Field Marshal K M Cariappa in Madikeri. (Photo source: Mangalorean.com)

KC writes: It is encouraging to know that people of Kodagu are coming-of-age by protesting against Field Marshall K M Cariappa's statue desecration that happened last Monday. Without mincing words, statue desecration should be condemned and the culprits should be punished for belittling the deeds of a great man.

What is more encouraging in the whole episode is the fact that people of Kodagu have joined hands to protest in unison. Till now, the normal complaint has been that people of the district are too laid back and don’t believe in fighting for their rights unlike people from other parts of Karnataka.

Now, it is up to the people of Kodagu to fight in unison for the following:

1. Karnataka gets a sum Rs. 10,000 crores from Kodagu by way of taxes and revenue, but the government hardly gives 20% in return for development of Kodagu. Is this fair?

2. Roads in Kodagu are in pretty bad shape except for the highway passing through Kushalnagar and Madikeri. How many years can you keep quiet travelling on bumpy and potholed roads?

3. Kodagu is being promoted as a major tourist designation by Karnataka. Isn’t it only fair that infrastructure is take care too?

4. River Cauvery takes care of water requirements of Mysore-Mandya region, Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry. But, unfortunately Madikeri faces acute water scarcity in summer months every year. Isn’t this ironical? Can you do something for the backyard?

Finally, if Kodagu has good infrastructure, more companies will set up business, tourism will flourish, more jobs will be on offer and less people will migrate to bigger cities. Quality of life will improve by leaps and bounds.

A crying baby gets its milk. If people of Kodagu sit quietly and wait for issues to get resolved on its own, then god save us. Instead of being called Scotland of India, Kodagu might slip into being called ‘Africa of Karnataka’.

Act before it is too late.

Proposal for central university in Madikeri with a focus on Kodavology

2011-11-17T12:47:00.000+04:00

BANGALORE: For the dwindling Kodava population, here's something to rejoice. The government will send a proposal to the Centre to start a central university at Madikeri, with emphasis on Kodavology.

Higher education minister V S Acharya told reporters after the Karnataka State Higher Education Council meeting on Wednesday that they would send a proposal to the Centre. The Codava National Council had requested that they start a subject that deals with their culture. This university will focus on it, apart from having other subjects. Kodavology will look into the culture, ethnicity and history of this group.

The government will also look into providing scholarships to deserving candidates and not restrict it to marginalized groups. "We are looking at private-public partnership for scholarships. We'll hold talks with the UGC and ministry of social justice to see if we can get any tax exemption. We also want to extend it to students from private colleges instead of restricting it to government colleges," the minister said.

The council also decided that every time a new sectoral university on fishery, horticulture and veterinary science is opened, the advice of the ICAR would be taken into consideration.

The higher education council has also suggested the formation of a small committee comprising vice-chancellors to equalize degrees from different universities to make the merit list in the admission process more transparent and simple.

‘Patt Potti’ from Kodava Brats

2011-11-15T16:20:00.002+04:00

BANGALORE: The picturesque Coorg aka Kodagu is renowned for its food, hockey, hospitality and unique culture. Part of the robust culture is also its music — the traditional ‘Valaga’ is a common feature in Kodava marriages. Besides, there are folksongs sung in ‘Kodava Thakk’ that revolves around their culture and folklore. The other ‘side’ of their music is where the fun is: ‘parody’ songs laced with everyday situations, love stories and even alcohol. Like most traditional items, sadly these days not much of it is heard as it used to be. At a time when not many venture into the Kodava music scene, especially when it comes to releasing albums, a group of four ‘brats’ has dared to do so.

‘Kodava Brats’, that is how they named the band, has two techies, an operational analyst and a finance executive from Bangalore. The outfit released their album ‘Patt Potti’ (a box full of songs) early this month in Coorg.

“We feel Kodavas have got an extraordinary talent in music, but the exposure and public reach is sparse. So we decided to bring it to light and keep it alive,” says Vinu Uthappa, the vocalist, when asked about the motivating factor behind the release.
‘Patt Potti’ consists of eight originals and two remixes, including songs such as ‘Kodava naad’ and ‘Naanor Kodava’ that revolve around the themes of ‘being a proud Kodava’. Other compositions touch up on hockey, beautiful Kodava women, college love stories and of course ‘Kall’ (alcohol).

“We consider our work to be Kodava pop with a blend of folkish touch,” says Rashi, the lyricist.

The songs definitely have a ‘Kodava feel’ with the help of lyrics, style and also a ‘spoonful’ of classic Kodava tune. The moment you start listening to the songs even a non-Kodava will be able to clearly identify the ‘language’, thanks to the vocalist whose chords belt out the message that he is unmistakably a Kodava. Also the clear diction is something that is noteworthy. As the name of the album suggests, it’s a ‘collection/box full of songs’ and is not exactly genre specific. While some songs have an upbeat feel, others can be termed hopeful ‘teen pop’ music.

The four have been planning something similar for the last two years. The band has no instrument players as such. “We write songs and we tune it vocally. Then we get help from drummer and lead guitarist of Agam (a Carnatic band) Ganesh Nagarajan and Praveen Kumar,” says Rashi. Once the band members come to a definitive conclusion, then they belt out the tunes vocally and then get musicians to custommake their music.

When asked if their music has gone down well with the audience, Shabarish says, “Our first performance was at the Coorg Institute of Technology in Ponnampet and the response was awesome. Students started ‘liking’ our Facebook posts and many have bought our CDs.”

They also performed at the Kodava Centenary Celebrations held in Bangalore and “received tremendous support”.

The message they want to give out to Kodavas through their music is “not to forget our mother land, mother tongue and our culture”. “Kodagu is rich in culture and heritage it’s highly respected and envied. We have to strive to keep it serene,” says Achaiah. And the most important thing to be done by Kodavas is to support youngsters who come up with innovative and creative ideas and spread the word, says Vinu, before saying ‘Sari andaka kanga’ (goodbye).

(Photo and text: Bangalore Mirror)

Bah, not a single Kodava player in Indian hockey team now…

2011-11-14T08:12:00.001+04:00

It is no secret that playing hockey comes naturally to the Kodavas. The national sport is a passion for them and many of the great Indian players hail from Kodagu. MP Ganesh, MM Somaya, CS Poonacha, AB Subbaiah, BK Subramani, PK Kalaiah and KK Poonacha are some among them.

Even now, Kodagu continues to produce hockey players in large numbers and there is always representation in the Indian team. But what attracts Kodavas to hockey? Former Indian captain and coach Ganesh explains: “Kodavas have a strong tradition of serving in the armed forces from the British era. Hockey was popular in the army then. At that time, only the army got to represent the country. So, our community has a strong liking for the game.”

Like many other players, Ganesh says he is what he is because of hockey.

“Hockey is life for me. I am known and recognised, thanks to this great game. It has taught me a lot of values in life,” he says. Having played for India in the World Cup and Olympics when the country was at its best in world hockey, Ganesh is not happy with the current state of the sport in the country. The number of players from Kodagu in the national team has come down slightly and he urges more kids to play hockey seriously. (more)

Save Kodavas, we can save the tigers later

2011-11-09T08:04:00.001+04:00

BANGALORE: Kodavas, a distinctive race in Karnataka, have often been dubbed 'tigers' largely because of the courage, honour and loyalty shown by two popular generals of independent India, Field Marshal K M Cariappa and General K S Thimayya.

However, like real tigers, they too are now facing the threat of extinction. According to a recent census by the Karnataka unit of the Bureau of Economics and Statistics, the population of Kodavas has alarmingly dwindled from 1.5 lakh in 2001 to 1.25 lakh in 2011. This at a time when the human population is growing at an alarmingly fast rate. If this situation continues , community leaders fear that Kodavas, who are largely concentrated in Kodagu (70,000), Bangalore (30,000) and Mysore (15,000) will be wiped out by 2030, considering the slow population growth rate in recent times. (more)

Bus shelter today, gone tomorrow

2011-11-08T13:09:00.002+04:00

YASH writes: A tea shop owner near Anekadu reserve forest along the Suntikoppa - Kushalnagar state highway has demolished a bus shelter to make his house bigger. Though the shelter was barely used, it used to be the only source of cover during rains for bike riders and the local people. Buses used to stop there only because of the simple reason that the bus stop was there. The tea shop owner now has removed the wooden planks and tiles from the bus shelter and all that is remaining are the four pillars which might be demolished soon. Concerned authorities should look into the encroachment.

This lady hockey umpire from Kodagu is going places

2011-11-07T10:52:00.001+04:00

KODAGUCOMMUNITY.COM EXCLUSIVE: Anupama Puchimanda is the first Indian woman hockey umpire to officiate in the Junior World Cup, Commonwealth and Asian Games. She is also the first international woman umpire from Karnataka. Hailing from Kodagu, Anupama was an attacking mid-fielder during her playing days and has represented Karnataka in the sub-junior, senior women's National hockey championships. She has also played for Mangalore University at the All-India Inter-University Championships.

After passing the Karnataka State Hockey Association umpiring exam, she officiated for the first time at the Cheppudira family hockey tournament in 2000. Anupama hasn’t looked back since. She is the first woman hockey umpire from India to officiate in 75 international matches.

Anupama officiated in the recently concluded Lanco International Super Series 9s hockey match in Perth, Australia. Asked about the experience in the tournament which was experimented as a bold and fascinating format, she says the game was very fast. The tournament featured international teams, with Australia, India, Pakistan, New Zealand, and Malaysia competing in the men’s and women’s competition.

Fitness, concentration, match preparation, reading the game, positioning and clarity are important in umpiring, Anupama says, adding her role models in umpiring are Satinder Kumar (India) and John Wright (South Africa) in the men’s version and Carolina De Funente (Argentina) and Marelize De Klerk (South Africa) in the women’s.

What is her advice to girls who would want to take up hockey umpiring? If you like umpiring, just go for it, says the 31-year-old Anupama who dreams of officiating in the Olympics one day.

In a cricket-crazy India, it requires a lot of passion and conviction to purse a passion like hockey umpiring. KodaguCommunity.com wishes Anupama all the best and hopes to see her officiating matches in the Olympics in the years to come.

'Elephant Utsav' organised at Dubare

2011-11-02T11:18:00.003+04:00

(Photo source: Shakthidaily.com)

In pics: Thousands witness theerthobhava at Talacauvery

2011-10-19T10:22:00.004+04:00

(Photos: Mangalorean.com)

Happy Cauvery Sankramana

2011-10-17T08:17:00.002+04:00

(Photo courtesy: Manoj NV)

The thirthodbhava in Sri Kundike in Talacauvery, the birth place of river Cauvery, will occur tonight. Cauvery emerges from Kundike (the holy water source) at 11.43pm IST in Mithuna Lagna.

TV9 Kannada channel will be live telecasting the thirthodbhava today. Click here for the online link to watch TV9 Kannada.

Tamil Nadu: Goddess Cauvery finds prime place in a Vishnu temple

2011-10-16T09:37:00.001+04:00

The rich tapestry of myths that bind India’s two mighty rivers – Ganga and Cauvery-- are widely known, but not quite their iconographies deifying these two sacred water bodies that have nurtured a great Asian civilisation.

Besides the Talacauvery shrine, there is a small cave temple called the ‘Shervaroyan cave temple’ in Yercaud Hills near Salem, where Goddess Cauvery is represented as a deity along with Lord Shiva, say experts.

Yet, the form of this river goddess, unlike that of other popular deities of the Hindu pantheon, is hardly in human memory’s radar though many temples along its 765 km-long course, including the grand abode for Lord Vishnu at Srirangam, are eulogised as a manifestation of “Dakshin Ganga”.

In the entire Cauvery basin with its many tributaries, the search for an unmistakable icon of the river goddess could be a wild goose chase, though metaphorically, she is as much in the paddy fields she irrigates along as in the sweet-smelling flowers that adorn the gods of temples on her bosom.

However, pilgrims and tourists may be excited to know that one ancient Lord Vishnu temple near Kumbakonam in Tamil Nadu, close to the heart of the Cauvery delta, has till this date preserved a unique, finely chiseled awe-inspiring stone image of goddess Cauvery in its sanctum sanctorum. (more)

Karnataka govt seems to have forgotten Madikeri? Yes, yes, yes

2011-10-14T11:36:00.000+04:00

Here is an eye-opener article on the state of towns in India like Madikeri which are woefully bereft of decent schools, let alone colleges, and, more importantly, health care.

Almost two decades ago, I went to Madikeri in Karnataka. In the heart of coffee country, the town is the district headquarters of Kodagu. Despite a booming trade in the beverage, Madikeri was sleepy and shabby.

Two weeks ago, I was back at Madikeri, and to my utter shock and dismay, I found the town caught in a time warp. It was as dirty as ever with no visible signs of growth, despite the prospering coffee business. The government seems to have forgotten Madikeri.

In fact, the story of Madikeri may well be the story of any other small town or village in India.The rural picture is bleak, to say the least. It is such a distressing scenario that pushes millions, in the first place, to leave their home and hearth, even their traditional livelihoods, and travel to urban areas, big cities in particular. (more)

Greater Talacauvery project likely to displace 2.20 lakh people

2011-10-12T16:14:00.000+04:00

MANGALORE: The Mangalore Centre of Malenadu Joint Action Committee has opposed the proposed project of Greater Talacauvery National Park by combining the three wildlife sanctuaries — Brahmagiri, Talacauvery, and Pushpagiri — as one contiguous area.

Its founder-president Pradeep Kumar said about 2.20 lakh people in 120 villages in Karnataka and northern Kerala would be displaced if the project was implemented. The promises of rehabilitation could not be trusted as the people did not enjoy land rights on their present holdings. The tribal people who were displaced from the Kudremukh forests had not been rehabilitated properly even today, he said.

People in the villages on the periphery of forests in Puttur and Belthangady would be badly hit. Several villages in Kodagu, Chikmagalur, Hassan, Shimoga, Uttara Kannada, and Udupi districts would be displaced in large numbers. (more)

FYI, dear forest minister of Karnataka

2011-10-10T11:27:00.002+04:00

MADIKERI: Based on information that smugglers from Kodagu district have been transporting timber illegally to Kerala, the Kodagu Forest Department is zeroing on those accused of being involved in the crime.

According to information received here on Saturday, certain timber traders in Kodagu have been accused of misusing transportation permits issued by the Forest Department to shift rosewood from the government depot at Thithimathi in the Virajpet forest division by adding private timber (also rosewood) outside the depot. They have been finding easy passage at the Kodagu-Kerala border check-post at Tolpatti near Kutta, Kodagu, thanks to alleged connivance of forest personnel.

Two forest guards have been suspended since Friday by Kodagu Conservator of Forests Millo Tago in this regard. Mr. Tago was not available for comment.

Sources said the Range Forest Officer at Ponnampet, whose complicity in the crime was reportedly established, has been “relieved” of his job after the incident came to light three days ago. His residence has been locked.

Virajpet division Deputy Conservator of Forests Kantaraj confirmed the news of the illegal trade and told The Hindu that all information gathered would be furnished to the Conservator of Forests.

According to a source, a senior official of the rank of Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests would arrive in Kodagu to verify the matter.
Modus operandi

A trader in Virajpet town, who got his firm registered with the Sales Tax Department for carrying out pepper and coffee trade, learnt that as many as 11 loads of timber were transported to Kerala by taking advantage of his sales tax registration number to pass through Tolpatti.

The person who had connived with the smugglers by allowing misuse of the sales tax registration number is believed to have agreed to pay a fine of Rs. 9 lakh, on the condition that his name is not revealed to the police.

The role of certain officials of the Forest Department too could come under the scanner in this case, sources said. Criminal cases could be registered against timber traders accused of being involved in the case.

Madikeri Dasara comes to a colourful end

2011-10-08T12:14:00.002+04:00

MADIKERI: Madikeri Dasara celebrations concluded with the grand procession of “dashamantaps” (10 bedecked chariots) in the city after Thursday midnight and culminating in the puja at the “Banni mantapa” at Mahadevpet on Friday morning.

‘Mahavishnumaye’ of Gaulibeedi Sri Kanchi Kamakshi temple won the first prize. (Photo source: Shakthi)

Over two lakh people including the locals witnessed the procession of the Dashamantapas. Each of the Dashamantapa was distinct and outdid the other in terms of size, design, size and concept thereby enthralling the spectators.

Pete Sri Rama Mandira had taken the responsibility of Dashamantapas. The temple has been taking lead of the event since 150 years now, right from the era when Kodagu was ruled by Haleri dynasty.

Another tableaux. (Photo source: Vivek B R)

‘Mahavishnumaye’ of Gaulibeedi Sri Kanchi Kamakshi temple won the first prize, while ‘Bhandasura Vadhe’ of Kundurumotte Sri Chautimariyamma temple and ‘Shanmukha killing Tharakasura’ of Chikkapete Sri Dandi Mariyamma temple shared the second prize. ‘Ugra Roopi Ganapati v/s Yamadharmaraja’ by Kote Sri Mahaganapathy temple pocked the third prize.

The entire Madikeri city was decorated with lights and embellishments to host the historic Madikeri Dasara festival. Not just the temples, even government buildings, commercial complexes, private buildings and many houses were embellished for the festival, adding to glitz. Security was beefed up so as to avoid any untoward incident.

Kodagu a hotspot for weekend party revelers now?

2011-10-07T11:34:00.000+04:00

A report says:

BANGALORE: Who said Bengaluru’s night life is dead? Party hoppers and youngsters are not willing to take it lying low.

Virgin destinations outside Bengaluru are the new hotspots for party revellers. Yelagiri, Mysore road highway, Wayanad, Nandi Hills, Coorg and Masinagudi are the popular locales for weekend parties.

“The shutter has to be down by 11.30 pm, so there is no point partying in the city,” says 20-year-old Akash Singh, a student who doubles up as a DJ at these parties.

There are no restrictions, no time limit, no one bothers them about the high volume levels and it is an affordable trip. “It works out for all of us. Each one of us carries a bottle of alcohol. We usually order food at the venue, but then there are other enthusiastic souls who carry that as well. Accommodation is very affordable and at Wayanad it is the cheapest, just Rs 100 per head,” says Bipin Basil, a brand consultant.

The amount varies between Rs 400-Rs 1,000 per head, depending on the place they stay. People normally stay at farmhouses or local cottages.

Not just boys, even girls like to venture out and have fun. “In the city cops fuss about girls staying out. So they like to party away from the police glare,” says Raunak Jana, a student.

Even parents are not too perturbed about their daughters’ partying out of town as long as their security is taken care of. “Usually, parents call to find out the location of the venue and if the place is safe, they readily give their permission,” says Singh.

It takes anywhere between two to five hours to reach their destination Youngsters usually drive out on a Friday evening or a Saturday afternoon. But it is not the same crowd at every party.

“We are generally 10-12 of us. Sometimes it is the same group of friends, but often there are many new faces that join us,” says Sherene Varghese, a copy writer.

The only question here is of police intervention. But all the party revelers agree that there hasn’t been any interference from the cops. “So far, no cops have bothered us. In turn we take permission from the closest station,” adds Varghese.

Party non-stop

*Yelagiri, Mysore road highway, Wayanad, Nandi Hills, Coorg and Masinagudi

*Travel Time: Two to five hours

*Travel expenses: Minimum Rs 1200 for four

*Accommodation: Rs 400 to Rs 1000 per head

*Food expenses: Nil (Carry your own food)

*Police Intervention: Nil

God save Kodagu. We can only hope it doesn’t end up becoming another Goa.

Dasara special: Slush Fest Race in Gonikoppal

2011-10-06T07:48:00.001+04:00

Source: Suvarna News

A man-made paradise in Birunani

2011-10-04T11:10:00.000+04:00

This little sanctuary in South Kodagu is a man-made paradise. We are talking about Save Animals Initiative (SAI) Sanctuary, which encompasses an area of 300 acres and is a village by itself.

The fact that the forest in the area has been nurtured and retained in its purest natural form is due to the efforts of Anil Kumar Malhotra and Pamela Gale Malhotra, Managing Trustee and Co-Managing Trustee of SAI Sanctuary Trust.

“We started this initiative way back in 1993 with a meagre 55 acres and have expanded it as forest land. Some of the area is also used for cultivation of coffee, cardamom, bamboo, rice, banana, tomato and other vegetables and fruits,” adds Pamela. Anil quips, “The Western Ghats region is key source for fresh water and Kodagu is the heart serving Maharashtra and Karnataka.” The duo has settled in India, after donning various hats in the US (finance professionals, waiters, bartenders and hoteliers), only to find later that nature was their true calling.

“Preserving pristine water resources, expanding and protecting the sources of fresh water, cultivating natural organic foods without disturbing native trees and putting waste land to proper use,” has been their mission and they modestly admit to having achieved it gradually and add that they have miles to go. (more)

No takers for Coorg Institute of Technology?

2011-10-04T11:09:00.001+04:00

BANGALORE: Empty classrooms will continue to haunt engineering and dental colleges in the state this year as well. Just that their numbers have got bigger.

According to information furnished by the Karnataka Examination Authority (KEA), the number of seats that have gone abegging would come up to a whopping 13,000 seats through the Common Entrance Test (CET). ComedK has 9,328 seats that were unfilled after their final round of counselling. In short, the number of vacant seats would be around 22,000 this year.

The curtains fell on the three-month-long seat selection process of medical and engineering seats through CET on October 2 with the pre-university supplementary candidates.

Interestingly, some 30-odd colleges did not find even a single taker through ComedK. Like Coorg Institute of Technology or Alva's Institute of Engineering and Technology - all the 108 and 126 seats respectively remained untouched after the counselling. (more)

Gulshan Devaiah is making waves in Bollywood

2011-09-27T16:19:00.004+04:00

He is a fashion designer-turned-actor who is being noticed in Bollywood for his stellar performances in Dum Maaro Dum, Shaitan and the recently-released That Girl In Yellow Boots. Kambeyanda Gulshan Devaiah, the actor from Kodagu, has dreamt of acting in Hindi movies from his childhood, and his dreams are now coming true. As Gulshan is getting ready to act in his fourth Bollywood movie, he is being approached and tested by noted Bollywood directors for their forthcoming movies.

In an email interview with KodaguCommunity.com, Gulshan talks about his early years and journey to Mumbai. Here are the excerpts:

Tell us something about your background, family, early years, etc.
I was born in Bangalore as both of my parents were employed with Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL). I spent around two years of my early childhood until I was school-ready at my granny (mum’s mother) place in Polibetta. I called her maaji and I still do. Till 7th standard, I studied at Cluny Convent in Jalahalli and then at St Joseph’s Indian High School, Kasturba Road, till 10th. I was very active in dramatics, music and sports throughout my schooling days. I did everything from short-skits to Shakespeare. My mother was often doing stage work with BEL and we would travel around Bangalore and sometimes out too with her plays.

Both of my parents were fabulous singers and composers, so I grew up in a family that loved and encouraged art. We were particularly fond of Hindi music and this fueled my desire to act in Hindi films one day. My most troubled and confusing years were Ist and IInd PUC at BEL Pre-university College. I failed in chemistry and electronics, and could manage only third class grades overall after passing in the supplementary exams. I was at crossroads which is when fashion school came to my rescue. I was always good in drawing and painting, and was considered creative in school. I wrote the entrance exam for NIFT in 1997 and graduated three years later in flying colors with several awards. I was good at it and it helped me with my confidence and gave me the opportunity to pursue theatre in Bangalore. I also made some money to move to Mumbai to follow my heart. I am retired as a fashion designer now. Since 2008, I have turned a full time professional and working actor. I have no formal training as an actor – I have learnt from experience, observation and two short but intensive workshops.

What interests you more – films or theatre?
Films for sure. Firstly, I have always fantasized about movies all my life. I also enjoy the process of filmmaking -- the hours of waiting and the chaos. It is hard to be focused but that is the challenge too. Theatre taught me a lot of things and it helped me to get rid of my inhibitions. Cinema and I are like old lovers.

What are the new projects you are working on?
In October, I will begin shooting for my next film with a debutant director Vasan Bala. The film is untitled as yet. It is a small but hard and gritty film. Vasan and I have worked on shorter formats before and he is a super filmmaker.

Do you think Bollywood has the tendency to typecast actors in a certain role?
I have heard this so much from others and have been asked this question by almost every journalist who has interviewed me. I am pleased to say that with me Bollywood has been very gracious and kind. I am now being offered a variety of roles from new and established filmmakers. So it not true at all. I also have a different process each time I attempt to play a new character. This helps me play differently and be a bit fresher each time.

Have you been offered roles in regional cinema including Kannada, Tamil, etc?
Nothing as yet.

Who are your favourite actors and why?
Daniel Day Lewis, Cristian Bale, Cris Cooper, Boman Irani and Irfan Khan are my usual favourites with Daniel being at the top. I have never seen a sloppy job from him. The other guys are great too but not as impeccable as him. Cristian is a hot favourite for me because of his emerging versatility. Cooper plays his part with amazing ease and detail. Boman is probably the best working actor in our business and the man is capable of anything. Nobody has more expression than Irfan in their eyes and acting seems so easy when I watch him.

Do you hope to be behind the cameras or turn to production one day?
I hope I am never behind the camera as I am an actor and want to die as one too. I may produce theatre when I make some cash for myself.

Picturesque Kodagu has the potential to attract more Bollywood movie makers. Have you tried putting in a word with the filmmakers?
Vishal Bharadwaj’s 7 Khoon Maaf was shot there. Many people already know about Kodagu as a prospective location to shoot films. There are a few hurdles though. For eg. one has to travel to Kodagu by road and the roads are quite challenging and all the equipment must be transported by road from Bangalore. It is not very cost effective but things will change and I am sure of that. If I do get an opportunity to suggest my beloved Kodagu as a location, I definitely will.

Preparations are in full swing for Madikeri Dasara

2011-09-24T12:10:00.001+04:00

MADIKERI: Preparations are in full swing for the celebration of historical Dasara in Madikeri begining September 28. The 10 ''mantaps'' will go round the town during night hours on October 6-- Vijayadashami Day.

Pete Sri Rama Mandir, Dandina Mariamma, Dechur Ram Mandir, Chowdeshwari Temple, Kanchi Kamakshi temple, Kote Ganapathy, Karavale Bhagavathy Temple, Chauti Mariamma and Kodanda Rama temples will prepare various figures of Gods and Goddesses.

The Chief Minister has released Rs 50 lakh for celebration of the Dasara festivities.

Madikeri Dasara Festival will begin here on September 28 with the taking out of the four ''Karagas'', representing the four temples of 'shakti devatas' in the town, Dasara Committee Working President Robin Devaiah told UNI.

The Karaga procession would start from the Pampinakere here after the traditional puja. The persons who will carry the ''Karagas'' will visit the Ram Mandir and later visit households seeking blessings from citizens.

The Karagas from kanchi kamakshi, Dandina Mariayamma, kote Mariamma and Kundurumotte Temples has the traditional and historical background. The priests who carry ''karagas'' will follow 'vratha' before a month of the dasara festival.

(Photo: Shakthi)

Karnataka govt to take back Jamma land

2011-09-23T17:37:00.000+04:00

BANGALORE: The state government has decided to withdraw the right to use of Jamma Bane land which is a part of the evergreen forests in Kodagu district, after paying compensation to the land users which was granted to them during British regime.

Addressing newsmen here on Thursday, Forest Minister C P Yogeshwar said that the Britishers had granted forest land to the farmers to raise the cardamom crop in 1900 but did not transfer the right of ownership of the land. He added that the state government has decided to take back the tract of forest land.

Informing that about 1,8500 acres of land is spread over Virajpet, Madikeri and Talacauvery region in Kodagu district, the minister said that the government may need about `60 to 70 crore to pay as compensation and take back the forest land “The government will take back the land from those wanting to voluntarily surrender their land,” he stated.

A proposal in this regard has been discussed with Assembly Speaker K G Bopaiah and CM Sadananda Gowda who have accepted it. The matter would be taken to the state cabinet shortly for its approval, the minister said.

Cauvery Thirthodbhava on Oct 17 night

2011-09-21T10:55:00.000+04:00

MADIKERI: The Cauvery Thirthodbhava in Sri Kundike in Talacauvery, the birth place of river Cauvery, occurs on October 17 night. Cauvery emerges from Kundike (the holy water source) at 11.43pm in Mithuna Lagna during Thula Sankramana.

This was announced at the district officers' meeting organized by Kodagu deputy commissioner N V Prasad on Tuesday. Sampathkumar, the Thalacuavery-Bhagamandala Temple manager, gave details of the programme.

The religious performances will commence from September 28 at Bhagamandala. All district officers were present at the meeting. Talacauveri-Bhagamandala executive officer Jagadishkumar was present.

Robin Uthappa formally embraces Christianity

2011-09-18T14:47:00.000+04:00

CoorgTourismInfo reports: International Kodava cricket player Aiydua Robin Uthappa has formally embraced Christianity. The hard-hitting batsman, aged 25, was baptised by Bangalore archbishop Bernard Moras at a ceremony in the Holy Ghost Church at Pillana Garden in Bangalore on Saturday.

Robin’s father, Venu Uthappa, an international hockey referee, confirmed to this portal that his son was baptized at a confirmation ceremony.

According to reports, Robin’s sister Sharon Uthappa too was baptized on the occasion. The ritual involved the archbishop asking the parents whether they wanted to baptize their children into Christianity.

Robin’s mother Roselyn is a Christian and hails from Kerala. Both the parents attended the ceremony along with about 50 friends and relatives.

The dashing batsman known for not showing any mercy to bowlers is a born-again Christian and showed his affinity to Christianity on the field by his gestures.

The ceremony involved pouring water over the head by the archbishop and anointing with holy oil on the forehead and covering Robin with a white garment.

During the ceremony, Robin and Sharon prayed: “Lord help us to be committed Christians, growing in relationship with You, the church and the world around us. May our prayers be more people-centered, lifting up needs of others, to improve the quality of our lives.”

Robin has represented India in more than three dozen one-day internationals and also a former captain of the Karnataka cricket team.

Hockey stars Sunil and Raghunath honoured in Madikeri

2011-09-17T12:19:00.001+04:00

MADIKERI: S.V. Sunil and V.R. Raghunath, who were part of the Asian Champions Trophy winning Indian hockey team, are of the opinion that Indian team has the capacity to qualify for the London Olympics in 2012. They were felicitated by the Kodagu district administration, zilla panchayat and the Department of Youth Services and Sports in Madikeri on Friday.

Both players hail from Kodagu.Sunil said that the financial assistance being given by the Union and State governments encouraged players to perform well in future. Chief Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda, who announced Rs. 5 lakh each to players hailing from Karnataka, should be complimented, he said.

Raghunath said that support of the people played a key role in the success of the Indian team at Ordos in China, the venue of the championship. It had helped the team give its best shot. He was all praise for coach Michael Nobbs, who had taken steps to correct the mistakes and put the players in the right groove. (more)

Food demo: How to prepare pandi curry

2011-09-10T13:03:00.003+04:00

(Source: Livemint)

Kodava food predominantly depended on local produce

2011-09-10T12:51:00.000+04:00

It’s an old-fashioned thrill for game or hunting that’s given the Coorgis their love for pork, one of the few regions in the country that pays particular attention to this form of meat.

The Kodavas, a martial race once defiant of Muslim rule, historically remained fearless soldiers. Their food habits reflect this cultural trait because the pork is not domesticated bovine but wild hunted boar, which is how the community would prefer it. With forests getting depleted and wildlife laws prohibiting game hunting, the Coorgis have, however, had to settle for less in their pork.

Chandra Shekhar Pandey, executive chef at the Courtyard By Marriott Pune Hinjewadi, who did a project on Coorgi food while in catering college in Bangalore, says pork makes its way not just into the famed Pandi curry but also into meat pickles. The pickles traditionally do not use oil as a preservative; instead, spices and salt brine are used. Coorgis also make pickles using fish, kumu (mushroom) and baimbale (tender bamboo).

“Kodavas are basically agriculturists who get busy transplanting in the rice fields from June to August-end,” says Kishor Cariappa, a media consultant and the moderator of a blog on the community. “So on 3 September, they have a festival Kailpold or Kail Muhurta where pork is consumed in abundance. Farmers need the extra fat and energy after the hard work for three months transplanting rice. Coorg is also cold and monsoon months can be harsh.” (more)

The majestic Chingara falls

2011-09-05T16:48:00.003+04:00

The Chingara falls is one of the bigger waterfalls in the Virajpet side of Coorg in Karnataka. This waterfall, tucked between coffee estates and tropical forests is an ideal place for a tropical trek and that too especially in the monsoons. But, for those who are not in the mood for a trek can still enjoy this waterfall by taking the small concrete road that turns left from Kabinnakad junction on the Virajpet – Madikeri road.

When I was here with my friends sometime back, we preferred to do the tropical trek in the rains from Honey Valley to Chingara Falls. The total round trip for the trek was about 5 kilometres. One side of the journey is a steep descent, while the other one is an ascent that will send the heart racing for even the fittest. The trek is fairly straight forward except for a knee deep stream that needs to be crossed to reach the waterfall. This stream crossing adds some excitement and variety to the trek. (more)

(Photo and text: Beontheroad.com)

Off-road rally in Madikeri

2011-09-03T15:58:00.002+04:00

(Source: TV9 Kannada)

Kodava women achievers

2011-08-16T16:30:00.001+04:00

Did you know that the first Indian woman hockey umpire to officiate in more than 50 international matches was Mrs. Anupama Mundanda? Many such interesting facts will be revealed in a book that will be published shortly.

Principal of Cauvery College, Virajpet, Dr. A. S. Poovamma as part of her research project has embarked on a mission to document Kodava women who have excelled in their field of work. Dr. Poovamma says: “There are a lot of women who have not been recognized but have been giving their best and contributing their might to the nation. My study will unearth these hidden gems and will be documented for the future generations.”

She has urged Kodava women in the field of education, sports, entertainment, business, social work, research etc to access her website www.kodavawomen.com and fill in the details so that they can be contacted by her. General public too can pass on the leads, if any.

(Source: Kaliyatanda Nanjappa)

Kodagu beauties

2011-08-09T16:10:00.000+04:00

Abbey Falls is not tourist-friendly

2011-08-05T13:29:00.003+04:00

KISHOR CARIAPPA writes: Come weekends in monsoon and Abbey Falls is always buzzing with activity. It is common sight to see tourists thronging the place from across Karnataka to catch a glimpse of the majestic falls in full flow.

But, unfortunately the place is not tourist-friendly and nor have the authorities taken the trouble to provide more facilities for young and old visiting the place.

It is a long walk from the main gate to the actual falls. You have to traverse through a coffee estate, but sadly there are no railings on both sides of the path from the start point to the finish.

It is a basic requirement since elderly people find it difficult to walk in slippery conditions and the railing can stop a person from sliding into the ditch.

It is another story that it is impossible for a disabled person or a person on a wheel chair to get there. But no tourist spot or city in India can boast of such a facility.

The walking path is in miserable conditions with concrete chipping off in many places.

When authorities charge Rs. 20 as parking fees for cars, what facilities are they giving in return?

Zilch.

Tourists messing up the place with plastic bottles, food packets, etc.

It is high time authorities invested on tourist spots in Kodagu. Are you listening Sadananda Gowda and K G Bopaiah?

Nidhi Subbaiah is going places

2011-07-28T10:47:00.006+04:00

The Kodagu girl won many a hearts with her portrayal in the movie Pancharangi. Set to enter other film industries, Bollachanda Nidhi Subbaiah is open to acting in a well scripted Kodagu film. Enjoying the success of the movies she has acted so far in, she wants to continue acting for years to come. In an email interview with KodaguCommunity.com, she shares her thoughts.

You have been in the film industry for a couple of years now. How has the film industry been treating you? What has been your experience of being in the film industry so far?

It has been almost three years since I joined the industry. It has been very kind to me so far with me playing the lead roles in all my movies and getting to work with some big banners and directors. I started off as the face of ‘Fair and Lovely’ which was a huge ad campaign all over India so that helped a lot.

Are you happy with the kind of movies being churned out in the Kannada film industry? Do you wish even Kannada film makers start experimenting like some in Bollywood are doing or that young film makers attempt movie that play shorter hours?

I am still a child, work wise, to comment on how such a big industry functions and how it should be functioning. On the contrary, I can say that in the past couple of years we have had some extremely talented young directors coming up and like how. The movie -- Mungaru Male -- was one such example. It was just two hours and 11 minutes long.

Have you been offered films from parallel film makers?

Pancharangi was a parallel film for me, which also fared extremely well at the box office. It was a commercially successful parallel film.

What about other film industry? Have there been offers?

I will be working in other language film industries very soon.

What are the new projects you are working on?

I will be commencing shooting for my new film Shoki in a week. Three other projects are being finalised as I type this out.

Would like to do something for the fledgling Kodagu film industry?

I'd like to act in a Kodava movie provided the script is superb so that people will watch it.

Do you hope to go behind the cameras or turn to production one day? Or continue acting?

Ha ha, definitely not thought about going behind the cameras. As of now, I will enjoy the success of recent my movies and continue acting for a few more years.

(Pix source: Nidhi Subbaiah)

Kodava Sahitya Academy organises 'Maley Namme' in Mukkodlu

2011-07-27T17:41:00.002+04:00

For more photos and story, click here.

(Source: Mangalorean.com)

Is Kodagu the next Ooty?

2011-07-14T07:05:00.000+04:00

...and the FAQs.

Coorg Institute of Technology in Top 10 list

2011-07-14T06:52:00.001+04:00

MADIKERI: The Coorg Institute of Technology located in Ponnampet has made its way into the Top Ten Engineering colleges list of south zone of Karnataka. In a survey conducted by the market research firm Nielsen which collected opinions of all the stake holders of the institutions, CIT had made it into the list comprising of colleges of the south zone which comprises of engineering colleges of Mysore, Mandya, Hassan, Chamarajanagar, Kolar, Tumkur in addition to Kodagu district.

According to Cheriyapanda Rakesh Poovappa, Secretary of the Management Council, the
college getting into the Top Ten List has infused enthusiasm in everybody associated with the college and will surely help the parents in choosing the right college. He added that the college gives preference to students who are residents of Kodagu and encourages them with discounted fees. The mechanical department which was started in 2010 has also helped the students of this region, he said. The college under the guidance of Cheppudira Belliappa who is the President of the Management Council has proposed to have a state of the art lab and classrooms for the Mechanical Department. The college which also offers hostel facility to 550 students has incorporated Smart Campus Software which helps the students to get the information they need easily.

Starting the Civil Engineering Course, ATM Facilities for students, more impetus towards soft skill training to make the students job ready and push towards more campus placements are some of the future plans being worked out by the management.

The marquetry artist

2011-06-17T09:23:00.003+04:00

NANJAPPA K C writes: Marquetry is the art and craft of applying pieces of veneer to a structure to form decorative patterns, designs or pictures. This unique art is being practiced in Kodagu by Mukkatira Somaiah of Byrambada. According to him, it is the art of applying pieces of veneer to a structure to form decorative patterns, designs or pictures.

The Wodeyars of Mysore had encouraged this art form and it was prevalent during those times with inlay being done in ivory and shells. Somaiah said V.M Sholapukar, ex-dean of CAVA, developed this new type of art work using natural textured and coloured wood.

According to Somaiah, at first a few natural textured wood pieces (of around 3mm) are brought together forming a collage of wood. These pieces of wood are shaped according to the desired patterns and then joined with an adhesive which make up the components of the final picture. This completed picture is then pressed onto a plywood sheet of about 10mm thickness which serves as the base. A suitable framing is then provided for the final picture. The finished piece is then duly polished and varnished.

As an artist practicing the craft, Somaiah aims to gain exposure for the craft and his forte is making traditional Kodava designs.

Tadiandamol mountain range is free-for-all?

2011-06-15T16:28:00.003+04:00

A 48-hour party experience in the Western Ghats? It is scary that these kind of events are getting approval.

Madikeri-Sampaje road opens for traffic

2011-06-02T06:50:00.003+04:00

MADIKERI: Amidst incomplete works, the Madikeri-Sampaje road has been opened for traffic on Wednesday. Kodagu Deputy Commissioner had banned the movement on 28 kms of road to facilitate the development works from January 1 to April 30.

However, the road works were stopped between April 11 and 20 owing to untimely rains in the region. Hence, movement of vehicles were banned till May 31 and was directed to complete the work. However, owing to the shortage of gravels (jalli), the work on the road could not be carried out in an expected speed. Of the 28 kms, only 18 km road work has been completed from Madikeri to Devarakolli.

The reamining 10 kms stretch is yet to be completed. As the remaining 10 kms road does not come under ghat section, there is no need to ban the movement of road, said Karnataka Road Development Corporation Ltd (KRDCL) engineer. With the ban on the movement of vehicles, the people from coastal districts were finding it diffiult to reach Kodagu or Mysore.

To go to Mysore, one had to go to Sampaje in one bus, then take another mini-bus to Madikeri and then yet another bus to reach Mysore, which was posing severe inconvenience to the commuters.

(Photo source: Mangalorean.com)

Tamara Coorg Resort chops hundreds of trees in Devarakadu limits

2011-06-01T11:06:00.005+04:00

NAPOKLU: The villagers staged a protest against the proposed construction of a resort at Peroor. Hundreds of acres of land has been allegedly purchased at Peroor to construct resorts.

The protestors said that the resort is coming up on the road en route to Malma hillock from Peroor Iguthappa temple. Hundreds of trees have been felled for the construction. “The water resource in the region has been damaged with a plan to construct a tank in one acre land,” the villagers said and added that the resort owners are using the reserve forest and Devara Kadu road. With mounting pressure from the villagers, the work on the tank has been stopped.

Cauvery Sene Chief Ravi Chengappa who visited the spot said the forest department is keeping mum when trees worth lakhs were felled in the region. “If the forest department fails to initiate action, then Cauvery Sene will gherao forest department on June 3,” he said.

Meanwhile, Tamara Resort Managing Director Mathew clarified that Tamara Coorg Resort is being constructed in Kakkabe Panchayat limits by following the rules. “No rules have been violated,” he said.

Speaking to presspersons, he said “license has been taken from the Gram Panchayat for constructing resorts. The work was started after taking permission from tourism and environment department.”

The locals will get employment once the resort is completed. About 170 acres of coffee land was purchased in the region. Of which, 2 acre land will be used for the construction of cottages. The greenery around the region will not be destroyed. The impure water is being treated within the resort and will be utilised for the parks, he informed.

Resort Director Senthil Kumar said that in the first phase, 30 cottages have been constructed.

The work on remaining 26 cottages will be undertaken in the second phase. Trees have not been cut for the cottages, he clarified.

170 acres of coffee land was purchased in the region for a resort? How easy was this? People wake-up, your beautiful Kodagu is being ‘raped and abused’ by the greedy lot.

Current status of Kundamestri drinking water project for Madikeri

2011-05-30T09:15:00.004+04:00

(Photo source: Shakthi)

Kunde Habba: Festival of tribals in Kodagu

2011-05-27T10:03:00.004+04:00

(Photo source: Mangalorean.com)

Click here for more photos and details.

Temperatures rarely rise above 28 degrees? Hello, 33 degrees is here!

2011-05-21T08:53:00.002+04:00

According to the The National:

Summer, from March to June, is the best time to visit Coorg. Because the city sits at 1,000 metres above sea level, temperatures rarely rise above a pleasant 28° Celsius during the day. The nights can get quite chilly so don't forget to pack a sweater or two.

A quick check in Weather City about weather in Madikeri this week proves otherwise.

In fact, residents of Madikeri are feeling the heat and a couple of days in May touched the dreaded 33 degrees mark. Kodagu is a hill station? Not so during peak summer.

Dear tourists, stay off Madikeri please!

2011-05-19T10:46:00.000+04:00

MYSORE: The drinking water scarcity has hit Madikeri city this summer also with the City Municipal Council (CMC) authorities deciding to resort to water supply once in four days.

Kootuhole, the main reservoir, located on the outskirts of the city, is almost dry. CMC president H.M. Nanda Kumar, who visited the reservoir along with presspersons on Wednesday, said that four tankers were being used to supply drinking water to households and three more would be pressed into service by the end of this week.

The situation had worsened since Galibeedu and vicinity, which formed the catchment area for the reservoir, did not receive enough rains in April and May. A brief spell of rain on Tuesday night raised hopes but it failed to ease the situation, Mr. Kumar said.

Tankers were supplying water drawn from outside the city to the residents of Roshanara, Kannandabane, Pumpinakere, and Putaninagar areas, Mr. Kumar said. Situation could become worse if it did not rain in the next couple of days, he said.

Kundamestri project, which was estimated to cost Rs. 30 crore, had been approved by the Centre. It would take at least a couple of years to finish. The Centre had approved Rs. 10 crore, Mr. Kumar said.

Construction of jackwell at Kundamestri had been completed and huge water pipes had arrived. Water from Kundamestri would be pumped to the Kootuhole reservoir to augment the source. Contractors had been asked to expedite the project to get over the drinking water woes of the citizens of Madikeri, Mr. Kumar said.

CMC Commissioner Shashikumar said Kundamestri could provide 95 lakh gallons of water a day to the Kootuhole reservoir from where it would be pumped to the filter houses located in the city for supply.

The current water requirement of Madikeri was 45 lakh gallons a day, said Mr. Kumar.

Kodagu Community poll

2011-05-17T09:40:00.005+04:00

Kodava Family Hockey Cup should be held every year in a centralized location to cut costs and build infrastructure for future…customer surveys

Palanganda clinch Machamada Cup 2011

2011-05-15T16:23:00.002+04:00

(Photo credit: Cauvery Agencies)

Sullia murder: Madikeri advocate arranged contract killers?

2011-05-11T12:09:00.001+04:00

MANGALORE: The killing of KVG Medical College administrator A S Ramakrishna in Sullia on April 28 keeps remaining in the news. Police investigations have revealed that Dr K V Renukaprasad, alleged mastermind of the murder, had plans to flee to Delhi and therefrom, if need be, to go into hiding abroad.

But being nabbed in Madikeri has thrown a spanner into the works. Incidentally, there are conflicting versions about his arrest. Reliable sources said he was in fact arrested from Somwarpet in Kodagu, where was reportedly hiding in the house of a relative. The story about the Ooty trip and police having trailed him from Mysore could only be for public consumption.

An air ticket to Delhi via Bangalore was found in the possession of the accused. An advocate from Madikeri, who arranged for the contract killers, is said to be his constant counsel, even in matters not related to law and justice.

The advocate is said to have advised Renukaprasad that as the screws were being tightened on him, the escape could be the only way out. (more)

Kodava Taliban are back in action

2011-05-08T17:22:00.004+04:00

BANGALORE: A group of Kodavas representing organisations like ‘Kodavame’ and ‘Nellakki’ yesterday disrupted a wedding at Kodava Samaj Bangalore. They warned they will not allow any kind of inter-caste marriages happening as per the Kodava tradition.

A group of men and women thronged the wedding hall and stopped the traditional rituals being carried out. The bridegroom belonged to the Mukkatira family while the bride belonged to a different caste.

The protestors said that they will not object the marriage, but will not allow it to be solemised as per the Kodava tradition. They also stopped the ‘Kodava valaga’ from being played and other rituals like ‘Ganga Pooja’. The bride and groom were made to sit inside a room, instead of the ‘mantap’ to receive blessings. (Source: Shakthi)

Attention readers: If you have photos / videos or more details of the above incident, please mail it to cariz123@gmail.com. We will post it on the blog.

Also read: Do you agree with ‘Nanga Kodava’?

Read between the lines

2011-05-03T15:36:00.001+04:00

MADIKERI: Speaker K G Bopaiah said all the original inhabitants of Kodagu should be given a special privilege to own guns, at Hathur near Gonicoppal.

Inaugurating the 10th Heggade Samaj Sports meet at Hathur, Bopaiah said the original inhabitants must have a weapon under special privilege, as only jamma landholders enjoy this privilege at present.

He said the samaj can demand reservation in politics and also take up this issue during the formation of the special committee. He regretted that the untimely rainfall in April is delaying road repair works in Kodagu. P G Aiyyappa, president, Heggade Samaj, said the Kodava community should strive for the development of other communities also.

The Kodagu Heggade Samaj opposed the separate Kodava land demand by the Codava National Council (CNC) organization leader N U Nachappa.

Do you geddit?

Thanks to Malabar Gold, Kodava jewellery will go places now

2011-04-29T07:53:00.004+04:00

Malabar Gold TV commercial

Malabar Gold print ad

A slice of the ad to highlight Kodava jewellry

(Hat tip: Ballimada Mohan Devaiah)

Colonel cremated with military honours

2011-04-26T05:39:00.002+04:00

MADIKERI: Lieutenant Colonel Chowrira Vishranth Nanjappa, who died in a helicopter crash in Sikkim on April 21, was cremated with full military honours in his native village Hoddur on April 25. Vishrant’s wife Nayana and his 18-month-old daughter Neha paying their last respects in the photo above. (Photo source: Shakthi)

Nothing wild about it

2011-04-20T11:40:00.001+04:00

What happens when an elephant and its calf stray close to the highway? Well, excited tourists go berserk clicking photos not knowing that the cow elephant was tied to the bamboo by its mahout. This incident happened at Anekadu reserve forest range near Suntikoppa.

(Pix source: Yash Russia)

Kodagu lad Arjun Halappa is new Indian hockey team captain

2011-04-07T11:13:00.006+04:00

Veteran midfielder Arjun Halappa replaced Rajpal Singh as the captain of the Indian hockey team for the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup next month, Hockey India said on Wednesday. But the federation dropped two of the senior-most players from the list of probables on disciplinary grounds. Drag-flick specialist Sandeep Singh and defender Sardara Singh have been left out after they failed to attend the selection trials, which were held in New Delhi on April 4 and 5, as they are playing in the Belgian League. The duo did not take NOC from HI to play in a foreign league.

“It is not right on their behalf to play a league abroad without informing us. Hence, they have not been considered for the Azlan Shah Cup and we will see what action can be taken against them,” HI secretary-general Narendra Batra said.

The HI has also set up a committee headed by Pargat Singh to decide their future after they return from the league, which ends on May 30. Both, Sandeep and Sardara, were key to coach Harendra Singh’s plans for the tournament, which begins in Ipoh (Malaysia) on May 5. While Sandeep has been instrumental in the team’s recent success, Sardara is the only Indian to be named in the international hockey federation’s list of best 11 for 2010. (Source)

Announcement

2011-04-01T21:03:00.001+04:00

Dear readers,

We have tweaked a few social media features into the blog including Facebook likes. You can find these at the end of each post. We are on Twitter too. You can also follow this blog by email (please check the right hand panel).

We try to provide fresh content every day, and if you come across anything interesting to share with our readers, please do send them across to cariz123@gmail.com.

Sincere thanks to contributors who chip in every now and then.

Keep reading!

Moderator,
KodaguCommunity.com

General Thimmaiah remembered

2011-03-31T19:33:00.000+04:00

BANGALORE: The 106th birth anniversary of General K S Thimmaiah was observed today by Bangalore Kodava Samaj representatives and senior Army officials at the ASC Centre in Victoria Layout.

(Source: Mohan Devaiah)

Off the beaten track

2011-03-20T15:33:00.006+04:00

He is into real estate development, but wildlife photography is his passion. Kiran Poonacha thought of getting into serious photography after visiting a herpetology camp conducted by his friend Gerry Martin in 2006. He has not looked back since.

In an email interview with KodaguCommunity.com, Kiran shares his views on wildlife photography and his accomplishments.

Tell us something about your background and family?

I belong to the Muddanda family from Madapura of North Coorg. My dad’s name is Poonacha. Apart from being a planter, he runs a D.Ed college at Madapura. My mom Rohini is a housewife.

My wife Neeta is an Interior Designer and our son Yanni Uthappa is studying in the 7th grade.

I am into real estate development as a profession and work for a company called Cornerstone Properties in Bangalore.

How did you get into photography?

I was always interested in photography since my school days. In 2006, I visited a herpetology camp conducted by my good friend Gerry Martin. There I met a couple of people with DSLR cameras and got quite amused by it and this was when I put a serious thought to start photography. So, without any knowledge on cameras, I just went to a camera shop and asked him to give a DLSR and the journey began.

Later, I joined a forum called India Nature Watch which gave me great exposure into wildlife photography and helped me a lot to improve my skills.

How difficult is it to shoot wildlife or birds?

For me, the only difficultly is to find time for photography. Otherwise you are driven by that passion to get that particular shot or species which makes you forget about the danger and difficulties. One main issue would be the cost of equipment which is very high at a professional level and this makes wildlife photography expensive.

Who do you look up to in the photography circles?

I look up to and respect every single wildlife photographer. I would treat the two forums I participate -- India Nature Watch and Bird Photographers -- as my gurus and teachers. All the great photographers from India and the world participate in these forums and I have learnt everything from them.

What are the qualities required for a good photographer?

To be a good wildlife photographer you need have a lot of patience, good knowledge about your subject (the bird or animal you want to shoot), and lots of dedication and the eye to capture a unique frame.

The other important thing I feel is good support from your family. I sure have to give a lot of credit to my mom and my wife for their support. They make sure that I have my hot coffee and good food for my adventures ready even at 3 am!

Tell us about your awards and achievements?

Awards are something that I am still coming to terms with because it is quite difficult to understand what the judges are looking for. However, I was honoured to represent India last year in 15th Nature Biennial World Cup in nature photography that was held for the first time in India. It was a team event with about 50 countries participating. We won the gold in the projected images section for the first time in history and two of my images were selected for that category but overall India finished second. Also, I recently won first place in the nature digital images section along with two certificates of merit in the 2010 YPS All India Photography Salon.

Tell us an interesting incident while shooting the wildlife/birds?

I have had a lot of interesting incidents. One such incident was close to Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary. I was driving around on the outer periphery of Ranganathittu when I came across an old quarry pit with water in it. There was a lot of bird activity around the pit, so I parked and walked right to the bottom of the pit and setup myself close to the water edge to click images of weaver birds making their nest. As I kept looking through with viewfinder, I lost myself with the birds but my conscience kept giving me a feeling as though something was around. Then when I looked down into the water there was a huge crocodile just about 5 feet away from me and that gave me a shock of my life. It was not that the croc was stalking me, but I never thought of finding a 6-8 feet croc in a small quarry pit. I slowly backed up, had a big laugh to myself and came back.

Do you think machine (camera) controls the photographer these days?

Yes, to make good quality pictures you need good equipment. But to make great pictures, it has to come from you.

Who are your favourite photographers and your favorite location?

I have a big list of favorite photographers because many have inspired me to learn. My favorite location has to be Bhakthi, at the foot of Pushpagiri in Kodagu. It has a lot of untouched spots where I go camping to spend a day or two.

Miss India 2011 contestant - Dayana Erappa

2011-03-17T18:59:00.002+04:00

More details here

Government rules out creation of separate Kodagu state

2011-03-16T12:38:00.000+04:00

NEW DELHI: Union minister of state for home affairs Gurudas Kamat stated in Lok Sabha on Tuesday that there was no proposal to create any new state, including Kodagu and Telengana, in the near future.

He also denied that the government had any plan to constitute the second states reorganization commission with a view to creating new, smaller states at this juncture.

He also said there had been demands from various organizations and individuals to carve out states like Kodagu, Telengana, Vidarbha and so on, but no proposals or demands had come from any state.

This categorical statement has come as a setback for vociferous demands heard from Kodagu and Telengana for respective new states.

In Kodagu district of Karnataka, formerly known as Coorg, over the past years, the Codava National Council, led by N U Nachappa, has staged rallies in Bangalore and sometimes in Delhi, demanding separate statehood for Kodagu.

Interestingly, Kodagu was a 'C' class state until the reorganization of states in 1956 and had its own assembly, chief minister and MLAs. It then merged with Mysore state (now Karnataka) that year. Its erstwhile chief minister, the late Chendrimada Muthanna Poonacha, later became a union minister and thereafter appointed governor for a few years.

The union government takes into consideration various aspect while taking any decision on the subject. Only if found reasonable and necessary and only if a consensus emerges among all the parties concerned, it gives its nod to the proposal.

Currently there is a demand for the creation of the following states:

* Bhojpur out of parts of UP, Chhattisgarh,
* Gorkhaland out of West Bengal,
* Koshalanchal out of parts of Orissa,
* Mithilanchal out of parts of UP and West Bengal,
* Purvanchal, Harit Pradesh, Brij Pradesh and Awadh Pradesh out of UttarPradesh

As Kamat said, the demands have come from various bodies and organizations, and not from any state government.

Oman’s Team Coorg runners-up at Dubai hockey festival

2011-03-10T20:38:00.001+04:00

UTSC beat Oman team for hockey title.

(Photos: Kuttappa)

Pepper separating machine

2011-03-09T09:42:00.003+04:00

NAPOKLU: It is a pepper season in Kodagu. Most of the farmers are engaged in harvesting pepper and separating from its bunches. Majority of the growers grow pepper as mixed crop along with other main crops in Kodagu.

In the recent years, owing to the shortage of labourers, the growers are finding it difficult to harvest and separate pepper from its bunches. To reduce the work, few farmers have developed machine to reduce their work.

A farmer Mahabaleshwar Bhat from Kodapadavu in Vittal of Dakshina Kannada has invented a machine that simplifies the task of separating pepper from peppercorns. The machine runs on electric power. The machine is fitted with half Hp to 3 Hp motor.

There is a rotator inside the machine, which is fitted with a belt from the motor. The pepper bunches are put into a funnel-like structure. Once the rotator turns, pepper is separated from its bunches. The machines are available in various models. Some machines can separate one quintal pepper from its bunches in one hour. There are others which can separate six to seven quintal pepper. Several farmers in Kodagu have started showing interest in the purchase of the machine.

Ravindra of Napoklu has purchased this machine. He says “it is a best suitable for separating pepper from its bunches. It works out with less strain. It is better, if one uses this machine after keeping pepper for a day after its harvest.” For details one can contact: Mahabaleshwar Bhat at 08255-267475.

You can find one of the world's most expensive coffees in Kodagu…

2011-03-07T14:48:00.000+04:00

Kari Beckoo (so called in Kannada) or Kopi Luwak is one of the most expensive, most aromatic coffees in the world. Internationally, it can fetch anywhere between Rs 15,000 and 20,000 a kilo. A cuppa will set you back by a cool Rs 2,000. For something so obviously exclusive, Kopi Luwak (as it is known in Indonesia and the Philippines), has very down to earth origins.

It comes from the poo of the civet cat. Our visit to the Civet Creek Camp, located 18 km from Madikeri, the district headquarters of Kodagu or Coorg, was centred around an agenda very different from that of regular tourism. We were hot on the trail of the Asian Palm Civet cat and its bowel movements to inspect it from a purely epicurean perspective. The Palm Civet cat's droppings, left under coffee plants, are responsible for one of the most expensive and aromatic coffees in the world.

Read the full article.

Madikeri-Sampaje road will be thrown open to traffic from May 1

2011-03-02T11:59:00.001+04:00

(Photo source: Shakthi)

Thalasserry-Mysore line which passes via Kodagu announced in rail budget

2011-02-26T11:31:00.002+04:00

MYSORE: Kerala finally got in this year’s railway budget what was promised 55 years ago -- the Thalasserry-Mysore line. This line connects Kerala with Karnataka and touches tourist destination Coorg. Of the 68 new trains announced in Friday’s railway budget, poll-bound Kerala got 12, and out of the four passenger terminals, it got two (Kottayam and Nemom in Thiruvananthapuram).

For track doubling, electrification and other infrastructural work, enough funds have been allocated. Besides, surveys would be conducted for five new rail projects including the Thalasserry-Mysore line.

(Image source)

Kodagu is only district without rail connectivity in Karnataka

2011-02-23T15:02:00.000+04:00

MADIKERI: Even as the Metro coaches roll out in Bangalore, at the other end of the spectrum is Kodagu, the only district without rail connectivity. It also appears that fixing this problem is not a top priority for the state government.

This is evident from the fact that the memorandum submitted by the Karnataka government prioritizing its projects to the railway ministry does not include a demand to conduct a route survey to provide Kodagu with rail connectivity. Oddly enough, Manifestos of the Congress and BJP during the assembly and parliamentary elections have harped on rail connectivity for this district.

When the decision was taken to conduct a survey for the Mysore- Kushalnagar -Madikeri route a few years ago, it met with a mixed response. While some groups welcomed the decision, some environmentalists opposed it, claiming that laying the tracks would destroy the forest and coffee estates. Things returned to normal after authorities decided to extend the railway tracks only till the plains of Kushalnagar.

Interestingly, Cheppudira M Poonacha from Kodagu was a railway minister during 1967-69 and presented three budgets under the leadership of Indira Gandhi.

Gaddige torched

2011-02-23T14:57:00.001+04:00

(Photo source: Shakthi)

MADIKERI: Miscreants set fire to the ornate main door of a 19th century tomb said to be that of Lingarajendra and his Devammaji at Mahadevpet in Madikeri on Monday night. Three people have been arrested while the prime accused is said to be at large. They are all also wanted in dacoity cases, police said.

According to police, the guard Seetharam, who reported for duty, saw the fire and called the priest of the tomb, Basavaraj, who resides nearby. By the time they tried to douse the fire, the door was completely destroyed.

As soon as news of the incident spread, Deputy Commissioner K H Ashwathanarayana Gowda, SP Manjuanth Annigeri, Kodagu ZP president S B Ravi Kushalappa, president Madikeri CMC H M Nandakumar and others rushed to the spot.

Archeology curator Rekha lodged a complaint with the Madikeri town police in this regard.

The tomb is among the three at the spot and there are no guards on duty at night.

ASN Murthy, IGP, Mysore range, visited the Gaddige area and gave instructions to the police to maintain law and order and intensify investigations.

Gopal, director for the Mysore division of the Archaeological Survey Of India told Express that he will visit the tombs on Wednesday and take the stock of the damage. He also added that Rs 20 lakh had been released for the renovation and development of the tombs and added that a decision on improving security will be taken within a week.

The tombs were constructed in 1820 and have been a places of pilgrimage and tourist attractions since they are located on an elevated spot where one can view Madikeri.

The Raja's of Kodagu had reserved around 19 acres for Gaddige but it lies in a state of neglect.

Just one of those crazy Google search keywords…

2011-02-17T12:07:00.000+04:00

…tracked in this blog’s analytics!

How to wear saree in Coorgi style? Total WTF video

2011-02-16T13:07:00.000+04:00

We are active on Twitter again

2011-02-14T18:45:00.003+04:00

After a long hiatus, we are back on Twitter (Twitter.com/KodaguCommunity). The updates are shown on the right-hand column of the blog. We adopted this social media tool during its early days, but people were not ready then. Now, we hope to connect with like-minded folks.

The power of 140 characters...

Robusta Cherry fetches Rs 2,550 per bag in Kodagu

2011-02-14T16:44:00.004+04:00

Gold coffee bean pendant. Image used for illustrative purposes only. (Source)

Breakfast in Mysore, lunch and shopping in Bangalore and dinner at Orange County in Siddapur?

Are you game? :P

‘Team Coorg’ hockey team rises in the US

2011-01-31T20:48:00.002+04:00

(Click on the image for full size or click here)

DEEPTHI AIYANNA writes: The thing that matters the most to a Kodava, is preserving the identity of being a Kodava. The simple traditions of ancestral worship, respect for the motherland, love for nature, physical might and natural inclination of being a sportsperson sets us apart. It is this undercurrent that unifies all of us.

With time, a lot of the Kodavas, have moved away from the land and settled abroad. Much has been said, done and written about the dilution of culture due to external influences. There was a small acid test to this that I witnessed recently. It is the marvelous result that I saw that made me happy and encouraged me to share this first hand account with the Kodavas in and outside Kodagu.

It all began with the sport of hockey, which is better known as “Field Hockey” in USA specifically to set it aside from the more popular “Ice Hockey”. A small group of Kodavas based in Phoenix, Arizona, with a special place for this sport in their heart, had a dream of putting together an all Kodava hockey team, to create an identity for the Kodavas in America. With much effort, sponsorship and enthusiasm from Kodavas in USA, “Team Coorg” was formed in 2010.

“Team Coorg” successfully debuted in their unique gold jersey in the 6th Annual Phoenix Cactus Classic Hockey Tournament organized by the Phoenix Scorpions. I had the opportunity of accompanying the team this year in their red jerseys when they represented “Team Coorg” for the second time at the tournament. This year the team participated in the social division which required three female members to be on the field at all times.

We, the friends and family of “Team Coorg” showed up at the venue with just our enthusiasm and without much expectation. “Team Coorg” took the ground against the club “California Surfers”. Surfers drew first blood with 1-0 lead. “Team Coorg” equalized shortly after closing half-time at 1-1. The match then closed with a 2-2 draw. For “Team Coorg”, this came as a very huge morale boost. What better way could a Kodava celebrate? We played the “Vaalaga” on a boom-box and danced the traditional “Kodavaat”!

The team then played against ASU Sun Devils losing 0-1, against Colorado 1-4 and equalizing against Houston the next day 1-1.

Why would I call this marvelous and that this performance calls for a celebration? For one, the members of “Team Coorg” met for the first time on the day before the tournament and practiced for little less than two hours together. Some of the team members couldn’t reach on time for the practice session as they were still commuting from different coasts of US. This meant they dint quite know the strengths and weaknesses of their teammates. It was blind faith in a Kodava’s ability to play hockey. Mind you, the teams that they played against are university teams and clubs that are collocated and play hockey professionally all year round. Also, our team featured an under-15 Kodavathi!

What set the Kodavas apart that they were in such a great position to frustrate the other teams and hold them to such low scores? It was the instant bond that the Kodavas formed with “Kodava Thak” and unique ambience created by the sweet sound of “vaalaga” that reminded the players at all times that it was for Kodagu and to keep the spirit of Kodava kindled in their hearts. Far away from motherland, Kaveramme still beckons her children of Kodagu. No external influence could dilute this love of the land, culture and sport.

Team Coorg, USA, has a vision that “Team Coorg” will one day represent itself in all hockey tournaments across USA. For this to happen, we would like to reach out to more Kodavas out there who are willing to pick up the stick.

Please visit the Facebook page of Team Coorg and the blog for more information.

Special thanks to the Phoenix Kodavas, Ballachanda Appachu, Muruvanda Madhu and Kundranda Harish for coordinating this event with all their hearts.

United Kodava Organisation takes shape

2011-01-14T15:39:00.002+04:00

MADIKERI: United Kodava Organisation (UKO), an organisation aimed at protecting the interests of the Kodava people in the social, political and cultural fields, and to act as the voice of the Kodavas has come into being in Kodagu.

Kokkalemada Manju Chinnappa made this announcement at a press conference here. He said the unique Kodava community which had carved out a niche for itself had started losing importance due to various factors, of late. It had been facing the threat of cultural erosion. The UKO would stem the rot, Mr. Chinnappa said.

Kodavas used the guns in all religious and cultural celebrations and it had become an integral part of the Kodava culture.

The demand by other communities amounted to “cultural onslaught” on the Kodavas, he said.

The UKO would work towards educating the Kodavas not to sell their lands to outsiders indiscriminately and foster the Kodava identity symbols such as “ain mane” (ancestral home), ‘mand' (place of religious congregation), graveyards and so on.

It will counter the efforts of certain dubious individuals and organisations to buy lands in Kodagu under fictitious names in the garb of tourism promotion. Members of the UKO were present.

(Photo: Shakthi)

Coffee plantations blend history and hospitality

2011-01-01T17:28:00.000+04:00

From New York Times: Like many mornings, this one started with a cup of coffee. But while our group of four had traveled far to get to this quiet, mountainside veranda in the southwestern Indian state of Karnataka — my wife, Katy, and I from Mumbai, our friends Franklin and Sarah all the way from the United States — our coffee had not.

Our perch was at the center of an old, but still active, coffee plantation, owned by Prasad Poovanna, and the beans that went into the brew we were sipping had been harvested directly from his estate. They had made the short trip to the nearby town of Virajpet, where they were roasted and ground, before being carted back to their source and brewed for our cups.

Savoring the earthy, deeply flavored blend, we watched mists drift across the plantation and the verdant, wooded hills of Coorg beyond. (While the official title of the region has reverted to its original name, Kodagu, the Anglicized version is still widely in use.) For decades, the area has been home to such plantations; now, as they begin to welcome visitors, they are drawing attention for the very hospitality that we were enjoying.

The area was not always so friendly to outsiders. Long ago, before the British began planting coffee here in the 19th century, neighbors feared the military prowess of the Kodavas, the original inhabitants of the region. The thick forests were also home to wild animals, deadly insects and feisty blood-sucking leeches. A lengthy monsoon, which can extend up to six months every year, compounded the menace.

When India gained independence in 1947, the original British planters sold their estates to Kodavas and other South Indians. While the Indian planters initially flourished, the liberalization of the coffee market in the 1990s ushered in an era of greater economic volatility. In recent years, as a strategy for countering the unreliable price of the commodity, these planters have added lodging facilities to their estates. (more)

Machamada Family Hockey Cup in April

2010-12-30T15:10:00.001+04:00

MADIKERI: “Machamada 2011”, 15th edition of the Kodava Hockey Festival, will begin in the third week of April 2011 at Ponnampet, chairman of the organising committee, Machamada Kanda Bheemaiah, said here on Tuesday.

He was speaking to presspersons here. The family expected to get a record entry of more than 300 Kodava teams in the festival. This was the fifth occasion that a Kodava hockey festival was being held in Ponnampet.

Mr. Bheemaiah and working president of the festival Machamada Dolly Chengappa unveiled the logo of the festival featuring the traditional Kodava symbol and a hockey player in action with a message to save and preserve the unique Kodava culture.

Mr. Chengappa said the Machamada family would make efforts to attract all Kodava teams, including those which could not afford to participate, to the festival. There would be more seating arrangements to accommodate more people and clean drinking water facilities for the spectators. The Chief Minister would be the likely guest either on the inaugural day or the finals, he said.

Machamada T. Cariappa, spokesman of the festival, said finals would be held on May 15, 2011. Details of the festival, including day-to-day results, could be found on the website www.machamada.org. A laser show and fusion music would be presented.

(Text and photo: The Hindu)

When Kodagu ‘ignored’ Pramila Aiyappa…

2010-12-27T11:55:00.001+04:00

MADIKERI: Asian Games bronze medallist Pramila Aiyappa arrived in Madikeri on Sunday only to find that there was no official from the district administration present to welcome here. She then quietly went to her house along with her husband.

Later speaking to presspersons, Pramila expressed disappointment that her own district did not make an effort to recognise her achievements.

She said that she practiced for 12 long years to achieve this with her husband Aiyappa as coach. Pramila said that she will take a two months break before beginning her practice for the 2012 Olympics. Coach and husband Aiyappa said that he expected gold in the Olympics and they will certainly aim at it again.

(Text and photo: Shakthi)

Kannur airport will be the closest international airport to Kodagu

2010-12-22T07:05:00.002+04:00

KANNUR: Kerala Chief Minister VS Achuthanandan on December 17, 2010 laid the foundation stone for the fourth international airport of the state here. Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel presided over the function attended by an array of dignitaries, including federal and state ministers and top bureaucrats.

“The airport, to be commissioned by 2013, will cater to one-thirds of the 2mn strong Keralite workers in the Gulf and trigger fast-phased economic development of northernmost part of the state,” the chief minister said after lighting the traditional lamp marking the beginning of the work on the Rs10bn airport project.

“Currently, 14 percent of the Gulf-bound migrants are from the district and the airport would be a boon for them. People from the neighbouring districts of Kasaragod, Wayanad and Kozhikode will also benefit from the airport besides the bordering areas of Karnataka state,” he added to applause from the overjoyed crowd.

The chief minister hoped that the new airport would boost export activities from the region, particularly in the textile, fisheries and spices industries. He said his government would also exert pressure on the Centre for a rail link to the new airport, to be commissioned by 2013. Efforts were also on to extend the National Waterway from Kottappuram to Neeleswaram. (more)

Madikeri-Sampaje road will be closed from December 20 for widening

2010-12-18T07:11:00.000+04:00

MADIKERI: The work relating to the widening and strengthening of the 25 km stretch of the Madikeri-Sampaje road, leading towards Sullia in Dakshina Kannada district, will be taken up from Monday.

The road will remain closed for regular traffic till the roadworks are completed at the end of April next year.

Repair work would start from the Bhagamandala I Cross, about 3 km from the General K.S. Thimayya Circle here, towards Mangalore road.

The road was part of the Rs. 97.28-crore package under the Mysore-Mani Highway project from Kushalnagar to Sampaje.

The Kushalnagar-Sunticoppa-Madikeri stretch (barring Kushalnagar town stretch) was completed just before monsoon this year. Widening and improvements of the Kushalnagar town stretch (up to petrol bunk), which was under way, would be completed by this month,

Assistant Engineer of the Karnataka Road Development Corporation Limited (KRDCL), Venkatesh, told The Hindu on Friday.

The KRDCL was executing the project. The stretch from Kushalnagar (including town) to Madikeri was 29 km. “We intend to start the Madikeri town stretch of 6-km (from Aranya Bhavan) to the Bhagamandala I Cross as soon as the City Municipal Council completed its work of laying the water pipelines, Mr. Venkatesh said. It could start next week. (more)

Powerful politician behind move to dilute Kodava gun privilege?

2010-12-17T16:41:00.000+04:00

Coorgtourisminfo.com says: Is a powerful politician from Kodagu behind the diabolical move to marginalize the Kodavas (Coorgs) by taking away their gun privilege?

According to sources, the move to dilute the privilege has the backing of the politician from the district holding an important constitutional post in Karnataka.

It all started with the demand of the Kodava Takk Janangakarada Okkoota (Kodava-language-speaking groups) in Kodagu, comprising 18 groups, for ‘exemption certificates' (ECs) to possess firearms, on the lines of the privilege enjoyed by ‘Coorg by race and Jamma tenure landholders' in the district.

The Kodavas and the Jamma-holders, including non-Kodava groups, have the privilege of possessing firearms without licence granted to them first by the British and then under the Indian Arms Act after Independence.

The Okkoota president wrote to the Kodagu deputy commissioner in February this year to include these Kodava-speaking groups in the ‘Coorgs by race’ category.

The groups mentioned were Heggade, Amma Kodava, Airi, Koyava, Kodava Savita, Banna, Kudiya, Kembatti, Kaniya, Meda, Kodava Madivala, Kodava Nayar, Maleya, Panikka, Boonepattama, Koleya, Golla and Baniya.

Apparently at the instance of the powerful politician from Kodagu, the deputy commissioner wrote to the Karnataka principal home secretary in June seeking an opinion.

The home department replied in October that it was for the deputy commissioner to ascertain whether the 18 groups came within the ambit of ‘Coorg by race' or ‘Jamma tenure landholders' and consider granting the exemption.

The President of the Akhila Kodava Samaja Mathanda C. Monnappa and the head of the Codava National Council N.U. Nachappa have strongly opposed any move to include other communities in the ‘Coorg by race’ category.

It is a well known fact that the Kodavas are a unique race and this fact has been recorded by the British historians. Most of the other Kodava-speaking groups in Kodagu migrated to Kodagu from outside.

In his Gazeetteer of Coorg published in 1870, G. Richter says: “The Coorgs, or Kodagas as they are properly called, are the principal tribe of the country and from time immemorial the lords of the soil. For the last two centuries they are known as a compact body of mountaineers who resemble more a Scotch clan than a Hindu caste…. it ought to be the pride of the Coorgs to discard the notion of caste altogether, which in fact does not apply to them, and to stand upon their own merit as “Kodagas”, the remarkable mountain clan of Coorg.”

Open letter to Areyada Pavin Ponanna

2010-12-10T15:47:00.003+04:00

Dear Areyada Pavin Ponanna,

We are extremely happy to know that your organisation ‘Nanga Kodava’ has taken the initiative to protect Kodava tradition and culture. At the same time, it is worrisome news that a few youngsters of ‘Nanga Kodava’ created ruckus at Bangalore Kodava Samaj a few weeks back by objecting to the non-Kodava bridegroom in Kodava attire as part of wedding celebrations. We have no connections to the bride or groom involved in the wedding, but as responsible human beings we feel sad that a few people spoiled the marriage celebrations. Imagine the plight of parents/relatives of the bride and groom?

If you are so concerned about the so called inter-caste weddings, do send a notice to Kodava Samajas so that they don’t provide the hall/space to conduct the weddings. Why go and create problems for the bride and groom’s families at the venues? We are sure if people are informed that inter-caste weddings are not possible in Kodava Samajas, they will look for alternative arrangements in hotels/halls. It is not like they have no options left.

In this era of globalization, inter-caste and inter-faith wedding are nothing out of the world phenomenon. It is up to the two matured adults to realize what is right and what is wrong for them. We are sure no educated man or woman would want an adhoc group to give sermons about culture and tradition in a demeaning way.

‘Nanga Kodava’ is bothered about Kodava culture and tradition, but what about certain resorts in Kodagu using kupyachaley-clad Kodavas to dance and entertain the tourists. Isn’t it hurting the sentiments? Or are they exempt from this ‘law’?

Also, there are enough of more Kodavas and Kodavathees who are qualified but finding it difficult to find Kodava partners for themselves. Why not start a forum which will help these types in matchmaking? There are enough and more reasons to pitch in and show concern, if you really want to make a difference.

We want to ask ‘Nanga Kodava’ volunteers why they didn’t question the non-Kodava bride who married a Kodava businessman in Bangalore last week. The groom’s father owns a newspaper in Mysore. The bride was clad in a sari draped in Kodava style. Do we assume that ‘Nanga Kodava’ has no guts to touch the rich and powerful?

All we want ‘Nanga Kodava’ to do is to preach about culture and tradition to the youth in a responsible way. If possible try to do something good for the community so that people appreciate your efforts and you can have an influence in community matters.

If you try to do a Taliban in Kodagu/Bangalore, then god save you guys.

Sincerely,

Moderator,
KodaguCommunity.com

Do you agree with ‘Nanga Kodava’?

2010-11-22T12:52:00.005+04:00

Click on the images to read the story.

Kodagu Community hopes ‘Nanga Kodava’ did something about the dress code of waiters of Golden Chariot, Karnataka’s luxury train. They are wearing black kupya, a traditional Kodava dress. We’ve blogged about it earlier (details here). Isn’t this disrespecting attire and culture?

Kodava wedding

2010-11-19T12:33:00.003+04:00

SEETA15 WRITES IN HER BLOG: I have safely returned to the states from my trip to India. The primary reason for my visit was to attend my cousin-sister’s wedding… and it was perfect. Kodava weddings are one of a kind, filled with rich culture, beauty and more importantly eating, drinking and dancing.

The Kodava wedding is a 2 day ordeal and the Kodava bride wears a traditional sari draped in the typical Kodava style (pleats in the back, border wrapped over the right shoulder) and a veil covers the bride’s head. The groom wears an ornamental robe with fitted trousers and wears a “peeche kathi”, which is an ornamented dagger that can be worn on the waist band. The wedding is typically performed without a priest; the elders bless the newly married couples. The dowry system is an unknown concept in Kodava culture. Another unique characteristic is the serving of non-vegetarian dishes and liquor in Kodava weddings, which is rare among the Hindu community.

The formal preparations start the day before the actual wedding day. Kodava’s have a ‘Pathaak’ (gold marriage necklace) and it is tied by the bride’s mother on the “oorukuduva” day. The “oorukuduva” day (when the villagers get together to help with the preparation of food) or the “Karikmuripa” day (the day when the vegetables and meat are cut for the wedding) is normally celebrated separately in the bride and the groom’s house. Kodavas are a warrior community and their wedding rituals involve symbolic warfare. This ritual of cutting banana shoots is to show respect to maternal family. There will be 3 sets of banana-stump cuttings. (more)

Shoddy road work

2010-11-10T10:56:00.003+04:00

YASH writes: Cracks have developed on the newly laid road by KRDCL along the Kushalnagar-Madikeri state highway. What does this mean? Was the road work of sub-standard quality? If so, concerned authorities should fix the issue as soon as possible. We expect quality work from KRDCL, not shoddy job.

Trish Taylor Ponappa: Artist par excellence

2010-11-03T21:14:00.004+04:00

KISHOR CARIAPPA writes: I happened to see high quality drawings of Ummathat and Pariya Kali dotting the living room wall of my cousin’s place last year. It was quite a sight. Quite nostalgic as well. A closer look at the drawings revealed the name of the artist -- Trish Taylor Ponappa. Upon enquiry, my cousin told me a variety of drawings were available at ‘Nambikay’ outlet in Madikeri. This summer, I visited the store to pick up a few drawings. My friends loved the works immensely and have asked me to buy a few pieces when I visit Madikeri next. With an effort to know more about the artist Trish Taylor Ponappa, I emailed her, and promptly got a reply.

Below is an email interview with the person behind these magical creations.

Can you give us a brief background about yourself, your works, and your association with Kodagu/Kodavas?

I grew up in the U.S., in the state of Idaho, in a rural environment. I obtained my Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Idaho, and I worked as a graphic artist for many years before coming to India. I met my husband, Dr. Tilak Ponappa (Kuppanda) in the U.S. where he was studying and then working as a scientist. He knew that eventually he would have to come back to Kodagu to fulfill his familial obligations as the only son. After much consideration and deliberation, we decided to relocate to Kodagu in 1999.

What is the motivation for you to document Kodava lifestyle and people in the form of drawings?

For several years after coming here, I really didn’t do much with my artwork; just an occasional volunteer project now and then. For me, I have to be in the right frame of mind for the artwork to turn out successfully. After initially coming here, I had a lot of adjustment issues that I had to work through; so when I did artwork at that time, it often didn’t turn out as I had hoped and I would become very frustrated. But, after a time, I started doing some graphite pencil drawings of the native crop plants and turned them into prints and note cards.

Some friends and relatives were opening a resort* and I did a little brainstorming with them as to the artwork they would require, and they wanted art that highlighted Kodava culture. So I started doing some drawings relating to that. As things go here, the building kept getting delayed, so I started making prints and cards of the drawings that I had done. I hooked up with ‘Nambikay’ in Madikeri and people started to show an interest in them. My goal was to make them simple and affordable.

Do you come up with new drawings every now and then?

Yes, I try to do new drawings and paintings on a regular basis. But that is also dependent on my time, as I do my own framing (so when I get a lot of orders for prints, it tends to cut into my time for producing new works). Lately, the new pieces I have done are more oriented to the natural aspects of Kodagu, but I have ideas for more cultural pieces as well.

Are you based in Kodagu?

Yes. My husband and I live in Konankatte, which is a small village located near Balele. We live on a coffee estate so we are both busy with all that entails, and we have a large herd of pets including 15 dogs (most of those are adopted strays and their offspring that we were not able to find homes for), 9 cats, 3 geese, and 8 chickens. I love nature and animals (obviously) and since Kodagu is so rich in biodiversity, it offers an endless array of subject matter for my work.

What are your impressions about culture and tradition of Kodavas?

It is a rich heritage where in times past, the customs and rituals were based on necessity, and survival. Today, these same practices are often symbolic. But in performing them, the past is remembered and the traditions are kept alive. The main social events of the community are centered around the cycle of life: weddings, funerals and naming ceremonies. It is a celebration but also a chance to meet friends and relatives and catch up on what has been happening in each other’s lives.

How do you think the next generation can be made aware of the rich heritage of their ancestors in Kodagu?

As the world becomes smaller and ways of life become more similar, I think it is really important to keep one’s cultural heritage alive because it is the differences that make people interesting. There have been so many books published now by Kodava authors about Kodagu that reading those books should be encouraged within families. Also, participation in the community gatherings such as Puthari. My husband has fond memories of viewing the Puthari dances in Patti Bane near Bittangala. We attended several times, as spectators, and it sets a scene of the past and future coming together. The regal Kodavas in their traditional attire, performing the Kol and Pariya Kali in the glow of the afternoon sunlight is truly picturesque. Unfortunately, I think many of these events are not as well attended as they used to be.

How has been the response to your drawings among Kodavas and non-Kodavas?

My artwork has been overall well received by those who have seen it. It is only displayed in a few places so not everyone knows about it. Since Kodagu is a hotspot now for homestays and small resorts, people like to put up some of my prints so that their guests can learn about the area. Also, I know that local Kodavas purchase the cultural prints to send to their family and friends who live outside the area, so they are reminded of their heritage wherever they may be.

What is your impression about Kodavas and their culture?

Basically, I think people are the same wherever you go…it is only the customs and traditions that make them different. The people of Kodagu are very family oriented, and the ties are very strong. Because it is such a tight knit community, it seems that most people are connected through blood, marriage or acquaintance. When strangers meet and start talking, they will find a common thread there somewhere. The people here are very warm and welcoming, but sometimes for an outsider, this very strong bond that they have can make one very aware of how much they miss their own family connections.

(*SIDE NOTE: The resort I am referring to is called Ambatty Greens in Bittangala. It will be opening this month. Prints of my paintings and photographs are hanging in the guest rooms.)

KodaguCommunity.com wishes Trish Taylor Ponappa all the very best and hopes she will continue to document Kodagu through her intricate art works in the years to come.

Let her tribe increase.

We're proud of you, Ashwini

2010-10-15T12:21:00.001+04:00

MADIKERI: Ashwini seems to be a lucky name for sports as far as Kodagu is concerned. After Ashwini Nachappa, who shot to fame as India's sprint queen, it is the turn of Ashwini Ponnappa Machimanda to come up with a gold medal winning performance in the women's double event of the Commonwealth Games badminton championships in New Delhi on Thursday.

“Fantastic,” is what Ashwini's father, Ponnappa, had to say about her winning performance along with Jwala Gutta, when contacted over telephone. He said that Ashwini had been training hard at the camp in Hyderabad for the last four years. Mr. Ponnappa, who works with the RBI in Bangalore, was transferred to Chennai, but for Ashwini's sake he had to seek a transfer to Hyderabad where he is working for the last two-and-half years.

Mr. Ponanappa attributes his daughter's success to hard work and devotion to the game. Jwala Gutta and Ashwini have been together only for 15 months and striking a winning combination in that span of time was really splendid, Mr. Ponnappa said. “Ashwini was always confident of coming up trumps in the Commonwealth Games,” he added. Ashwini has won the State championships in the Under-16, U-19 women's categories in the singles and doubles events and is a recipient of the State Ekalavya award and Karnataka Olympic Association award.

Sports runs in her blood. Mr. Ponnappa was an acclaimed hockey player. He was in the Indian hockey camp during the 1982 Asiad. He has represented the South Zone in hockey.

(Text and photo: The Hindu)

Teertodbhava at Talacauvery on October 18 at 3.11 am

2010-09-25T09:35:00.000+04:00

(Photo: Shakthi)

Dear Yeddyruppa, please include Appachu Ranjan in the cabinet…

2010-09-21T10:35:00.000+04:00

…because he has been a MLA for three terms and the district deserves a place for all its saffron-backing all these years. Well, we are sure there are no powerful lobbies backing Ranjan’s candidature unlike many other first time MLAs who are threatening the chief minister with ‘dire consequences’ if they are not given ministerial berths.

People of Kodagu are civil and cultured, and don’t take the electorate for a ride. If you ignore Kodagu, in the next elections BJP will be wiped out in the district. Please don’t test our patience level.

48 hours in Kodagu

2010-09-17T15:44:00.001+04:00

If your idea of bliss is to sip freshly brewed coffee while watching the mist roll in from the hills, then Coorg in India is a destination for your wish list.

Tourists looking for a haven away from India's bustling cities rave about the delights of this scenic district in Karnataka, 250 km (155 miles) from the southern city of Bangalore, that the British nicknamed the "Scotland of India."

Coorg, or Kodagu, meaning "dense forest on steep hill," is about is 1,500 meters above sea level with acres of coffee and tea plantations, orange groves, and lush forest. It also boasts three wildlife sanctuaries and one national park, ideal for trekkers.

The best way to reach Coorg is to drive from Mangalore or Mysore, both less than 150 km away, with local resorts including Club Mahindra and Orange County.

Reuters correspondents with local knowledge help visitors get the most out of a 48-hour visit. (more)

United we fall, divided we stand

2010-09-17T15:40:00.001+04:00

Madikeri: M.C. Nanaiah, MLC, has called upon all Kodava-speaking groups to display unity in a bid to foster their rich and unique culture for posterity.

He was speaking after inaugurating the “Samskriti-Sangama” programme on Thursday organised at the Kodava Samaja, Murnad, 15 km for here, by the Karnataka Kodava Sahitya Academy, an official press release said.

Mr Nanaiah said the influence of modern lifestyle could have a deleterious effect on the rich Kodava culture.

Expressing concern over the dwindling population of the Kodavas in Kodagu, Mr. Nanaiah said the 18 Kodava-speaking groups in the district should not nurse a feeling that their group was above the others.

The Kodava folklore was based on the worship of gods and hence displaying them on the streets might not be a good augury, he opined.

Murnad Kodava Samaja president Baduvanda Achappa said elders should impart the Kodava culture to the younger generation for them to follow it.

Academy president Rani Machaiah gave an account of the efforts made by her organisation to foster the Kodava culture. (more)