Category Archives: Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg

Cricketer Robin Uthappa conferred with IIM Kozhikode National Excellence Award

Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Leaders, Records, All, Sports

Kozhikode, Apr 8 (PTI): Cricketer Robin Uthappa was on Thursday presented with the National Excellence award instituted by IIM-Kozhikode for his contribution in the field of cricket.

This is the 3rd edition of the award, presented annually to eminent personalities for their contribution to the world of sports, and to commemorate IIMK”s iconic Calicut Half Marathon which is now into its 12th year.

The event, which is going completely virtual for the first time is scheduled to be held from April 9-11, according to a IIM-K release.

Presenting the award, IIM-K Director Prof. Debashis Chatterjee recounted Uthappa”s contribution to the game of cricket and how he ably carried his team forward by demonstrating resilience, focus and determination – a quality that resonates with the legend of Arjuna.

Traits like Focus, Flexibility and Freedom were the idea behind constituting this national award, he said and recalled the iconic moment when Uthappa tipped his cap and saluted the crowd after hitting the stumps in In India”s famous bowl-out win over arch-rivals Pakistan in 2007 T20 World Cup, as one of the most memorable events in the game of cricket, an IIM-K release said.

Paralympian and Arjuna Awardee Dr Deepa Malik and Babita Kumari Phogat, renowned wrestler are the previous winners of the award, instituted two years ago.

Uthappa expressed gratitude about his debut and relived the days when he shared the stage with cricketers like Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid and Virender Sehwag among other Indian cricket legends.

Sharing with the IIM-K community the importance of not giving up, especially when the chips are down, he said one should always have self-belief in taking challenges head-on one step at a time, in order to achieve their goals.

Calicut Half Marathon is the largest student-driven marathon organised every year for the past 11 years.

The marathon aims in contributing towards different social issues that can bring a phenomenal change when assimilated together.

It is this belief that the students of IIM Kozhikode wish to encourage and promote through the marathon.

IIM-Kozhikode Calicut Half Marathon in its 12th edition is bringing the theme ”Better Together United Despite Distances,” the release added.

source: http://www.outlookindia.com / Outlook / Home> The News Scroll / PTI / April 08th, 2021

ITF men’s tennis tournament: Niki Poonacha caps dream run with trophy

Amazing Feats, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Records, All, Sports, World Opinion

Niki Poonacha, who had won the National championship in 2019, beat fourth seed Oliver Crawford of the US 6-3, 7-6 (5) at the DLTA Complex in New Delhi on Sunday.

Champion Niki Poonacha in the ITF men's tennis tournament in Delhi on Sunday.
Champion Niki Poonacha in the ITF men’s tennis tournament in Delhi on Sunday.

Where there’s a will there is a way. Former national champion Niki Poonacha had a fairy tale finish to his dream run in the $15,000 ITF men’s tennis tournament as he beat fourth seed Oliver Crawford of the US 6-3, 7-6(5) at the DLTA Complex in New Delhi on Sunday.

“I am very happy with this trophy. I had no expectations coming into the tournament. I had retired in the last tournament in Pune with a wrist injury. My hope was to stay pain free,” said the 25-year-old Niki, after his second victory in the professional tour.

Niki had won his first title as a qualifier in Indonesia in 2018. He won the National championship in 2019. During the pandemic, he had tried to stay fit, training at the Rohan Bopanna Tennis Academy in Bengaluru.

“I haven’t had good results in the last six weeks. Once I started winning here, I kept my focus to one match at a time, playing without any expectations,” said Niki.

He was treated by physio Anand Dubey right through the tournament. Even though the pain had gone away, there was heavy taping on his forearm as a precautionary measure.

Even though Niki served big and stroked with purpose, there was no doubt that Crawford who had won the title last week in Pune, was woefully off colour, quite uncharacteristically, on the important points.

For three weeks in Egypt, followed by the three events in the country in Lucknow, Indore and Pune, Niki had failed to win a match.

Once he settled into his groove with the wins over Nishant Dabas, Filip Bergevi of Sweden and Lorenzo Bocchi of Italy, luck smiled, as his semifinal opponent Dalibor Svrcina of the Czech Republic gave a walkover on medical grounds.

In the final, the twist to the tale came in the ninth game of the second set, when facing three set points at 3-5, 0-40, Niki managed to hold serve with one of his six aces in the match. In the tie-break, Crawford led 4-2 and the only point the American won of the next six, was through a double fault by Niki.

Niki converted all the three break points he forced and saved four of five break points that he faced in the match.

After Zane Khan of the US had won the first two tournaments in the current circuit, and Crawford beat Zane in the final in Indore, it was a welcome sight for the home fans to have an Indian champion in singles.

“I will train for three weeks in the academy and then plan my next series of tournaments’’, said Niki.

source: http://www.sportstar.thehindu.com / SportStar / Home> Tennis / New Delhi – April 04th, 2021

Kodava Samaja Remembers General K.S. Thimayya

Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Leaders, Records, All

Marking the 115th birth anniversary of General K.S. Thimayya, Kodava Samaja, Mysuru, had organised a simple function at its premises in Vijayanagar 1st Stage here this morning.

Office-bearers of the Samaja offered floral tributes to the portrait of Gen. Thimayya. Samaja President Kekada M. Belliappa, Vice-President Mechanda M. Ponnappa, Secretary Malachira M. Ponnappa, Treasurer Mukkatira B. Jeevan, Joint Secretary Padiyanda Vimala Poonacha and former Presidents of the Samaja were among those present.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Photo News / March 31st, 2021

‘End Man-Animal Strife In Kodagu Through Policies’

Agriculture, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Green Initiatives / Environment, Leaders, Nature, Records, All

Former President of Coorg Wildlife Society writes to CM and suggests sustainable ways and means

Mysore/Mysuru:

In the wake of increasing man-animal conflict and tiger attacks in Kodagu where at least three human lives have been lost within a span of 15 to 20 days, former President of Coorg Wildlife Society Col. (Retd.) Cheppudira P. Muthanna has written to Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa drawing his attention towards how the people are being victimised by mindless destruction of wild habitats in the name of big projects and how wild animals are entering human areas in search of food. 

Keeping in mind the increasing human killing by wild animals including tigers and elephants, Muthanna has suggested the appointment of an Officer on Special Duty in the rank of Deputy Conservator of Forests exclusively for Kodagu. This officer must be based in Thithimathi with adequate staff and resources and he must be able to be a link between the Government and the people to solve pressing problems of the district, he stated. 

Sharp-shooters

Secondly, tigers that kill human beings must be hunted down at the earliest to prevent further deaths and the existing regulations should be modified accordingly. “Kodagu has a number of excellent shooters and ten such shooters should be identified and provided with sophisticated telescopic rifles and ammunition. Whenever there is a dangerous situation arising due to tigers or leopards outside the forest habitat, they should be given permission to assist the Forest Department,” Muthanna said and added that local shooters will be more familiar with the terrain and conditions and would be able to defuse a dangerous situation without loss of time and it would save human lives.

According to Muthanna, a major reason for the tiger menace is due to vast areas of the forests covered by invasive species like Lantana Camara and Senna Spectabilis. “Deer and other prey congregate in small patches of forests that are free from weeds and are fit for grazing. This leads to a number of tigers also congregating in the same restricted area and causes the tigers to fight one another. In most such cases one of the tigers will be wounded and forced out of the forest. Therefore sufficient funds are required for eradication of invasive species,” he has suggested. 

Some of the other measures suggested to the CM are, opening up of wildlife corridors from Nagarahole to Brahmagiri area in Kutta region of South Kodagu, establishing an Ecological Territorial Army Unit for Kodagu. “These units comprise mainly of able-bodied ex-servicemen who can join as volunteers and the unit can be utilised for forest land restoration, forest fire mitigation and eradication of invasive species,” he said. 

Destruction and fragmentation of forest habitat is a primary cause of human-animal conflict and there is a need for a policy decision to prevent further destruction of forests due to so-called development projects such as dams, highways, railways, powerlines etc., he added. 

Tourism has done tremendous damage to Kodagu. There should be no further investment in Kodagu for tourism. Tourism in Kodagu should be regulated and not promoted, he wrote. All the proposed project investments in Kodagu must be diverted to improve the economic condition of the people in the district through sustainable living and also to prevent human-animal conflict, he opined. 

“There is a need to protect Kodagu as the principal catchment of River Cauvery and the proposals for multi-lane National Highways, railway lines and airport for Kodagu must be scrapped as none of these projects will benefit Kodagu or its people in any way and will only serve to further destroy the environment and landscape of Kodagu,” he urged the CM. 

Tiger menace: Overnight protests continue

Overnight protests in parts of South Kodagu demanding the capture or shooting of elusive tiger still continues. The protests began five to six days back and residents of Bellur, Thavalageri, Shettigeri and Srimangala are participating in the dharna. They light campfires daily to keep themselves warm. Tents have been pitched by the side of the road for protection from rain. Protesters are upset as despite the Government shoot-at-sight orders and the intervention of MLAs K.G. Bopaiah and M.P. Appachu Ranjan and MLC Veena Achaiah, who came to Bellur recently, the Forest Department has failed to net the tiger. 

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / March 13th, 2021

HC Orders Tahsildar To Survey Madikeri Gaddige Land

About Kodagu / Coorg, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Historical Links / Pre-Independence, Leaders, Records, All

Bengaluru/ Madikeri:

The Karnataka High Court has directed Madikeri Tahsildar to conduct a survey of 19.86 acres of the area where Raja’s Tomb (Gaddige) is situated at Mahadevpet near Madikeri.

A Division Bench, headed by Chief Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka, was hearing the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by J.S. Virupakshaiah, a former State Information Commissioner. It might be mentioned here that Virupakshaiah had even filed a PIL regarding the pathetic state of Madikeri Fort and had drawn the attention of the High Court contending that the Fort and Palace premises are heritage sites, dating back to more than three centuries and have been grossly neglected. 

In his PIL on Gaddige, Virupakshaiah alleged that there are several encroachments in the historical tomb area. Rajara Gaddige is one of the tourist attractions in Kodagu and tourists who visit Abbey falls will pass Rajara Gaddige en route to it. However, it is in deplorable condition owing to the negligence of the Government and encroachment of land by local residents and vested interests. 

Encroachments galore

Initially, the Gaddige had 19.86 acres of land. However, the land has been encroached. Some have even built houses on the encroached land. Even a Government building has come up on the Gaddige land. The Gaddige area has become land for immoral activities in the evening.

Hearing the petitioner, the High Court directed the Tahsildar to visit the Gaddige with a view to ascertain the present condition of the tomb. The Bench said the Tahsildar has to ascertain in the report whether there are any encroachments. The Bench has also directed the Tahsildar to prepare a sketch of the entire land and point out encroachments, if any. The Tahsildar has been directed to submit the survey report within six weeks.

Also, the High Court has directed the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and the Centre to file affidavits stating whether the Raja’s tomb is an ancient monument and is of national importance. It asked the State Government to consider whether powers, under Section 19 of the Karnataka Ancient and Historical Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act 1961, should be exercised for the declaration of the protected area.

Deep-rooted history

The Rajara Gaddige situated in a hilly region at Mahadevpet has been built in such a way that it can be seen from all the four directions. They have been built in Mohammedan style with tombs at the centre and turrets at the corners. Nandi figures are carved on top of the corners.

The entrance of the tombs has carvings too. Lord Shiva is placed and worshipped inside the tomb since the king was Hindu. There are three tombs built for the royal dynasty. The central tomb which is the largest among the three is of Kodava king Doddaveerarajendra and his wife Mahadeviamma. The right tomb is built by Chikkaveerarajendra for his father Lingarajendra in 1820. 

The left tomb belongs to Veerarajendra’s guru Rudrappa built in 1834. Closer to the tombs is the burial place of the two brave royal officials Biddanda Bopu — Bopu Dandanayaka — and his son Biddanda Somaiah who sacrificed their life fighting with Tipu Sultan. In fact, Doddaveerarajendra had erected a plaque in the memory his soldiers in 1779.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / March 29th, 2021

Kodagu To Be Included In Heliport Project

Business & Economy, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Leaders, Records, All

Madikeri:

The Centre has identified six districts in Karnataka including Kodagu for Heliport project under Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik (Regional Connectivity Scheme), claimed Minister for Tourism C.P. Yogeeshwar. 

He was speaking at an event at a private resort in Madikeri yesterday that was organised by Kodagu District Hotel, Resorts and Restaurants Association, Home Stay Association, Tours and Travel Association. The Associations had invited the Minister to discuss about tourism prospects of Kodagu and this was Yogeeshwar’s first visit to Kodagu after assuming the charge of  Tourism Department.

Yogeeshwar told the gathering that establishment of Heliports as part of the Heli Tourism Circuit would be a reality soon as districts including Bengaluru, Mysuru, Hubballi, Mangaluru and Kodagu have been identified for the project and Kodagu will not be neglected at a time when grand plans are afoot to develop Karnataka Tourism in a big way. 

He stressed that while promoting tourism, it will be kept in mind that even environment has to be taken care of. “Our intention is sustainable tourism. The Tourism Department is formulating plans to introduce caravans at an estimated cost of Rs. 30 lakh and the project will come to Kodagu too and local hotels and resort can make the best use of the  same,” he said. 

In all, 10 heliports would come up across Karnataka and more and more tourists would come to Kodagu after the 10-lane work of the Mysuru-Bengaluru Economic Corridor is completed. “We intend to build tourist rest houses on Hunsur-Sampaje route with all the amenities for tourists,” he assured. Hotel and Resort Association  President Nagendra Prasad, Home Stay Association President B.G. Ananthashayana, Tours and Travel Association President Cheeyanda Sathya and others were present.  

source: http://www.starofmysore.com/ Star of Mysore / Home> News / March 29th, 2021

I would love to be the first batsman to score 1000 runs in an IPL season: Robin Uthappa

Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Sports

Robin Uthappa would be playing for CSK for the first time in his career in the upcoming season.

Robin Uthappa
Robin Uthappa. (Photo Source: Twitter)

Veteran batsman Robin Uthappa will be seeking a fresh start in the Indian Premier League (IPL) when the upcoming season gets underway. The 14th edition of the tournament is scheduled to start on April 9 with a clash between defending champions Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bangalore. Uthappa will be playing for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in IPL 2021.

The right-handed batsman will ply his trade for the Chennai-based outfit for the first time in his IPL career. In January, Rajasthan Royals had traded him to CSK in an all-cash deal. Uthappa only played the 2020 edition for the Royals, having been bought for INR 3 crore in December 2019. He played 12 games last season in the UAE but failed to cement a secured batting position.

Overall, he managed just 196 runs in IPL 2020. And ahead of the start of the season, Robin Uthappa has set some lofty goals for himself. In a recent interview with ESPNcricinfo, he spoke about the things he is looking forward to. The first question for Uthappa was to name the team he was looking forward to playing against in IPL 2021.

In reply, the T20 World Cup-winning player said that he is looking forward to playing against defending champions Mumbai Indians. Uthappa opined that beating the reigning IPL champions would make CSK’s intentions for the season clear.

“Mumbai Indians. I think Mumbai Indians is the team that I would be looking to play against and doing well. They are a formidable side. Playing them and beating them would send a message across the board that we mean business,” said Robin Uthappa.

What is Robin Uthappa’s personal goal?

In another question, Robin Uthappa was asked about his personal goal for IPL 2021. In reply, the former Kolkata Knight Riders star said that he wants to win as many games as possible for his team. CSK will be looking to bounce back this season after a poor campaign in the last edition where they failed to make it to the playoffs. “To contribute to as many victories as possible. Win at least a handful of games for my team,” said Uthappa.

Uthappa also revealed the record he would like to break in IPL 2021. He stated that he would like to become the first player to score 1,000 runs in a single IPL season. No player in the history of the competition has managed to score more than 973 runs in one season. The record for scoring most runs in a season is currently held by Virat Kohli.

Uthappa’s most prolific season came in 2014 when he amassed 660 runs. “To be the first guy to score 1000 runs in a season,” said Uthappa.

source: http://www.crictracker.com / CricTracker.com / Home> Cricket News / March 29th, 2021

Education should instil culture among students: Dr Parvathi Appaiah

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Education, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Records, All

Stressing on the need for more reservation for women in education and in the job sector, Dr Parvathi said that girls should not be deprived of education

Participants at the International Women’s Day programme organised by Karnataka Kodava Sahitya Academy and Aimanda Pommakkada Koota, in Maragodu village. Credit: DH Photo

Education becomes more meaningful if it instils cultural values among students, opined Karnataka Kodava Sahitya Academy chairperson Dr Parvathi Appaiah.

She was delivering the keynote address during the International Women’s Day programme observed by Kodava Sahitya Academy and Aimanda Pommakkada Koota, in Maragodu village recently.

Stressing on the need for more reservation for women in education and in the job sector, Dr Parvathi said that girls should not be deprived of education.

Madikeri Government First Grade College lecturer Bodukuttada Radhika Kuttappa said education alone can bring positive development among girls.

During the session, Taluk Panchayat former president Revathi Parameshwar spoke on ‘Kalakottaneke Pommakkada Badkal Badalavane’.

Aimanda Divya presented her views on ‘Kodagra Samskruthi, Samkraratha Bolachel Avvangada Pathra’.

Books and CDs brought out by Kodava Sahitya Academy were kept for exhibition and sale.

As part of the cultural programmes, students from Kaveri Degree College, Gonikoppa, members of Aimanda Pommakkada Koota and dance troupes from Virajpet performed dances on the occasion.

The best performances were awarded cash prizes, sponsored by Non-resident Indian Aimanda Jagadish.

Prior to the programme, office-bearers of Aimanda Pommakkada Koota and Kodava Sahitya Academy took out a cultural procession in the town.

Pommakkada Koota president Pushpavathi, Maragodu Gram Panchayat president Ayyandra Poornima Shrinivas, academy member Gowramma Madammaiah, academy former president Rani Machaiah, former principal Dr Pushpa Kuttana, academy members Babbira Saraswathi, Prabu Kumar and registrar Ajjikuttira Girish were present, among others.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> State> States> Karnataka Districts / by DHNS, Madikeri / March 14th, 2021

Shubra Aiyappa is excited about her next project, a Tamil action film

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Records, All

Supermodel  and actress Shubra Aiyappa is excited as she is set to shoot for her second Tamil fim. She has signed an action revenge drama titled  Aaganya , where she plays the titular role. Shubra is currently training and working on her physical fitness in preparation for the role.
“This film is titled Aaganya, which means rising from the flames, and I play the titular role. I am particularly thrilled about this film as I have always wanted to do an action film. This is the closest that I’ve come to doing it,” she reveals, saying that she had to not just audition with dialogues but also prove to the action director that she is physically fit and capable to do the role.

“The film is akin to the likes of Lara Croft in some ways in terms of the action and I am going to be kicking some serious butt. This revenge drama will see me in two shades. People will get to see a mean action avatar and then there is another side to me. It gives me a lot of scope to prove my worth as an actor and I’m looking forward to giving my best,” says Shubra, who is preparing for the role with some action classes in Bengaluru, following which she will be partaking in more classes and workshops in Chennai.

“I was shooting for the Rishi starrer Ramana Avatara prior to the onset of the pandemic. I haven’t really shot for a film ever since and am glad I get to return to the sets. I did a Tamil film a few years ago, but haven’t done anything after, though I do a lot of Tamil ads, I’m glad that I get to be a part of this film,” says Shubra, who hints that the makers might release this film as a multilingual eventually. Shubra will be shooting for 35 days for this film, as per the schedule, she shares.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> News> Entertainment> Kannada / by Sunayana Suresh, TNN / March 16th, 2021

Mysuru-Kodagu MP Greets New NSG Director General

Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Leaders, Records, All

Senior IPS Officer from Kodagu district, Maneyapanda A. Ganapathy, yesterday took charge as the Director General of National Security Guard (NSG), an elite counter-terrorism unit under the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Picture shows Mysuru-Kodagu MP Pratap Simha congratulating M.A. Ganapathy at the NSG Head Quarters in Palam, New Delhi, this morning. Also seen are MP’s wife Arpitha Simha and daughter Vipanchi Simha.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Photo News / March 19th, 2021