Category Archives: Arts, Culture & Entertainment

Here comes Mother Cauvery…

The Talacauvery Kshetra. DH Photo

Countdown has already begun for Cauvery Theerthodbhava, which occurs on Tula Sankramana, in Talacauvery on Saturday morning at 7.03 am.

Owing to Covid-19 situation, the district administration has allowed a limited number of people to be physically present during the event. The live telecast of the Theerthodbhava will be streamed on social and electronic media for a larger number of people to witness the event.

Taking a dip in the Theertha pond is prohibited. The holy water emerging out of the Theertha Kundike, will be sprinkled on the people present at the venue. Entry will be given to only those who carry Covid-19 negative certificate.

Entry of vehicles from Bhagamandala to Talacauvery will be allowed only after 6 am.

Inauguration

District In-charge Minister V Somanna inaugurated a new building meant for ‘Mudi’ offering, ‘Pinda Pradana’ and for performing other rituals near Triveni Sangama in Bhagamandala.

Virajpet MLA K G Bopaiah, ZP social justice standing committee president Kavita Prabhakar, Deputy Commissioner Annies Kanmani Joy, SP Kshama Mishra and others were present. The minister later offered special prayers at Talacauvery. ‘District admin’s move not right’

MLC Veena Achaiah objected to the move of the district administration to impose ban on the entry of devotees into Talacauvery on the occasion of Theerthodbhava.

“This is a sensitive issue. Devotees wait for Theerthodbhava with which they have emotional attachment. It is not right on the part of the district administration to hurt the feelings of people, under the pretext of Covid-19.”

The MLC said that the district adminstration should have prevented the entry of tourists into the district, 15 days ago, if it wanted to reduce the crowd.

“The opinion of the local elected representatives was also not elicited by the DC before issuing the order. It is not appropriate to pass the order in the last minute,” she added.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> State> Top Karnataka Stories / by DHNS, Madikeri – October 17th, 2020

Kicking up (gold) dust

The furore over Tanishq’s new commercial has advertising professionals wondering about their creative freedom and safety in the field.

Illustration: tapas ranjan

Bengaluru : 

A Muslim mother-in-law, a baby shower, an expectant Hindu daughter-in-law. These were the simple elements in jewellery brand Tanishq’s commercial for their latest jewellery line, aptly named Ekatvam. But what was meant to be a heartwarming display of oneness landed in troubled waters when enraged netizens promptly proclaimed the video a promotion of ‘Love Jihad’.

Many in the advertising fraternity, however, are still trying to figure out what was so controversial about the ad. Joyeeta Patpatia, the director of the Tanishq video ad, has known all along that advertisements have been conversation starters, but she never anticipated that the new campaign would blow up to this extent. Mumbai-based Patpatia, who has directed commercial videos for brands like HP, Britannia, Ikea, etc in her 15-year career so far, tells CE that this is her first experience with such an issue. “The story is about two women, where in the backdrop is the religion. But that the religion part will be blown up is something I had never expected,” says Patpatia, who has even been getting threats over the ad. 

This kind of hate (one of the brand’s stores in Gujarat also received threats over the ad) has only left advertising professionals stressed about the safety of their field. For instance, Nilma Dileepan, founder of city-based Yellow Umbrella Production, who has been making ad films for 10 years, says, “I am scared because if I make a video on interfaith marriage or same sex relationships, people might come to my house to pelt stones at it.

Thoughts like  this take away your creative freedom as an individual,” adds Dileepan. Though she has not encountered any controversy about her work, Dileepan has been trolled after her wedding. With a Malayali and Kodagu lineage, Dileepan wore a traditional saree from Kerala in a Kodagu fashion. This, in addition to, incorporating some Kannadiga traditions since she was marrying a Kannadiga. “My friends told me that my wedding video was trending in Kodagu. People thought I was destroying their culture,” says Dileepan.

While one might think that making a commercial video is a fun job, Vidyaa B Reddy says it’s about finding a balance. “Although we follow the brief by the clients, it is important to take care of people’s opinions so that it does not upset different communities,” says Reddy, founder of Kettle Studios. Patpatia, however, talks about how the ad has also received a huge amount of love. “Many have even come up with different caricatures of characters,” she says. 

heart to heart
The controversy has sparked debates about whether the video would get the same reaction had the religions of the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law been swapped. Ex-model and transformation coach Tamanna Pasha, who was brought up by a Hindu mother and Muslim father, questions the same. “Aside from irritating those who are against interfaith marriage, the video also challanges the perception that the mother-in-law has to be evil.

The video was heart-warming but a segment of people, especially those with non-secular beliefs, have a lot of time to troll,” says Pasha, who is married to event manager Rafiushan Pasha. She adds, “I feel blessed to celebrate Diwali with my mother and Eid with my in-laws. Now people are more accepting. But the way my parents handled it during their time was incredible.”

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Bengaluru / by Monika Monalisa / Express News Service / October 15th, 2020

Akhila Kodava Samaja Youth Wing Formed

Chammatira Praveen Uthappa unanimously elected President

Virajpet:

Chammatira Praveen Uthappa has been unanimously elected as the President of the newly-formed Akhila Kodava Samaja Youth Wing.

This was announced by Akhila Kodava Samaja President Mathanda Monnappa at the General Body Meeting of the Samaja held at the Samaja Auditorium in Virajpet on Saturday.

Addressing the meeting, Monnappa said that the Youth Wing has been entrusted with the responsibility of moulding the younger generation of the community on the lines of Kodava culture and customs. Pointing out that youths are the assets of the country, he said it is important to attract them towards Kodava culture and traditions. 

Noting that handing over power to younger generation may bring about winds of change in administration, Monnappa said that the Youth Wing was to be launched six months ago but it got delayed due to the outbreak of deadly COVID-19 pandemic. 

Asserting that Akhila Kodava Samaja will not interfere in the affairs of the Youth Wing, he said that, however, the Wing should progress under the guidance of senior community leaders and work towards the betterment of the youths. 

Newly-elected Youth Wing President Chammatira Praveen Uthappa, in his address, said that the Wing will work towards harmonious living with members of all other communities. Maintaining that the Youth Wing will strive towards taking all Kodava speaking people along with it, he said that all differences that have arisen between communities due to misunderstandings will be sorted out in the coming days.

Asserting that Kodagu is a land of peace and harmony, Uthappa contended that Kodagu had never witnessed caste clashes before. But now, caste conflicts have surfaced because of vested interests who are out to disturb peace in the otherwise quiet hilly district, he said.

Maintaining that Kodavas do not want caste or community conflicts in their homeland,  he warned that, however, Kodavas cannot remain silent when their roots get attacked by vested interests or communal elements.

Stating that the Youth Wing was for resolving  local issues by bringing all communities under a single platform, Uthappa cautioned that at the same time, Kodavas will not remain silent spectators if their traditions and customs are threatened.

Office-bearers

The following were elected as office-bearers of Akhila Kodava Samaja Youth Wing: Annira Harish Madappa –  Vice-President; Ajjikuttira Prithvi Subbaiah – Organising Secretary; Sannuvanda Darshan Kaverappa – General Secretary; Appanderanda  Devaiah- Joint Secretary; Cheriyapanda Vishu Kalappa – Treasurer; Dr.Mullengada Revathi Poovaiah –  Advisor.

The Youth Wing Membership drive will begin soon after the formation of a full-fledged Managing Committee.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / October 11th, 2020

Boundaries and borders are imaginary lines: Priya Belliappa on her short film Frayed Lines

The film won the best short film award in the Karnataka competition section of the Bengaluru International Short Film Festival 2020

Set in Kodagu or Coorg, Karnataka, Priya Belliappa’s short film explores the lives of migrant labourers who come from across the country to work on coffee plantations. 

A young man from a poor family in Kodagu, Kalappa (Avinash Muddappa) is one of the many educated unemployed Indians vying for just a handful of jobs. Despite having a doctorate, he finds that life in the city is not as lucrative as he had imagined and decides to join the workers on the coffee estates.

He meets Tabu (Geetanjali Thapa), a migrant worker from Assam who has travelled over 2,000 miles from her home to find a means of livelihood in the estates. But her name has not been included in the updated draft of the National Register of Citizens (NRC).

The film was conceptualised by Belliappa when she saw the influx of people travelling from Assam to work on the estates for a couple of months during the coffee season. The lives of the labourers who uproot themselves and their entire family for a few months for work made her curious, and the political and economic issues in the country formed the backdrop against which her story plays out.

Belliappa said, “The film is questioning a lot of things and these are questions that I do not have answers to but they nag me.”

The layered film questions lines and borders that define country, religion, language and caste; lines that become blurred in the struggle of life. 

Speaking about how much of the film was shaped by the debates around the NRC and Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), she said, “The film was shot before the NRC and CAA became a national debate. It was not a topic that everyone really knew about. If you look at the larger picture [in the film], it’s about belonging…I also put in the idea that boundaries and borders are imaginary lines for states or districts, and you sit back and you think about questions of humanity.”

The character of the young man too is a reflection of the status of youth in the country, who are increasingly finding themselves with a bagful of degrees but no jobs and was shaped by a newspaper article that reported that people who with a PhD degree were standing in line for a peon’s job. The filmmaker wondered, “It really hit me hard because everything grows up thinking that if they get a certain education, they are guaranteed a certain job…but we look at what is the education system today where you cannot assure somebody who has done a PhD a job…Everybody needs a certain income to survive, but if it [education] cannot guarantee you a job, what is it that one needs?” 

The short film format allowed the filmmaker to delve into certain spaces with greater creative freedom and she said, “The reason that I made this into a short film was that I did not want to be bogged down by the commercial aspects of it. When you make a feature film, you need to think much more about economic aspects like what is going to happen to the film, how are you going to get the money back…So I chose to go with a short as it would give me a certain creative freedom to explore this subject in the way that I wanted using the silences and the spaces that I create. In a short film, you can use your creative freedom with a lot fewer restrictions as opposed to a feature.” 

The film won the Best Short Film Award in the Karnataka competition section of the Bengaluru International Short Film Festival (BISFF) 2020. Responding to the recognition that the film has received the filmmaker said, “As a creative person, I want there to be a conversation [about this] and I hope that it reaches as many people as possible…if somebody thinks about this [the film], it’s good enough for me.”

She added, “The world over, there is a conversation about migrants moving, working…and we need to address it.”

Belliappa is planning to develop Frayed Lines into a feature. 

source: http://www.cinestaan.com / Cinestaan / Home> Interview / by Sukhpreet Kahlon / New Delhi – October 08th, 2020

Jai Jagadish: We discuss only cinema in our house

Puttanna Kanagal cast Jagadish as the lead in ‘Phalitamsha’ even though he had no prior experience in acting.

After the first few days of shoot of Phalitamsha, he wanted to give up

Filmmaker Jai Jagadish had no background in films or interest in it during his childhood. He belonged to a family, where his father, a farmer, insisted on Jagadish becoming a double graduate.

Puttanna Kanagal cast Jagadish as the lead in ‘Phalitamsha’ even though he had no prior experience in acting. Filmmaker Jai Jagadish had no background in films or interest…

Childhood and films

Hailing from Somwarpet taluk, Kodagu, he belonged to a family of coffee, pepper, cardamom and paddy growers. “My family consisted of five daughters and two sons. My father was a farmer.”

The filmmaker studied at the government school nearby. “I was a naughty child and uncontrollable, so I was sent to study in Sri Ramakrishna Vidyashala, Mysuru.” Jagadish’s father insisted on him becoming a double graduate. He did his BA from St. Philomena’s College, Mysuru.

Jagadish never acted in a drama, and never thought of acting in films. “Cinema was not my cup of coffee. My friend, Manjappa, a college leader from Maharaja’s College asked me if I would act in a Puttanna Kanagal’s film, if he got me the role. I was amused by the idea and I challenged him to find me a role,” he says.

Jagadish had read in film magazines that no actor had been finalised for ‘Phalitamsha’. In a couple of days, he got a call for the role, against four heroines. “I said I wasn’t going to act in it. My friends tried to convince me. I told them that I had other intentions and want to start my own business,” he says.

Even so, he went to Bengaluru, to meet Puttanna Kanagal. “I was asked if I knew anything about acting and I immediately responded that I didn’t. My looks and physique came in my favour, I was offered the role. I was shocked.”

Jagadish was told to leave to Badami and join the shoot immediately, but he insisted on informing his family. “I made a lightning call to my father. I knew he wouldn’t agree, and as expected after I called and explained, expletives followed. In the corner of mind, I knew I shouldn’t let go off the opportunity so I went for it,” he says.

After a few days of shoot, he wanted to give up. “I had only one lungi and a toothbrush on me and I decided to flee from the sets. Kitty, Kanagal’s wife’s brother, saw me from a distance and asked me what I was doing, he told me to rethink and give best shot at acting,” Jagadish says.

Jagadish’s first film released in a grand manner but didn’t do well. “In ‘Phalitamsha’, some shots were taken at the flying training school, Jakkur. The principal of the school, Patil, was impressed by me and I spoke about my interest in flying. A year later, I met him on M G Road and he told me to meet him at the school next day,” he says.

Jagadish was asked to do some medical checkups and joined the school. He studied for almost two-and-a-half years, while he waited for acting roles. “S Siddalingaiah called me and asked me to play the role of Vishnuvardhan’s brother’s role in ‘Biligiriya Banadalli’,” he says.

The role with dark shades, created a new turn in his career. “Directors were looking for a young villain, which led me to many other films.”

He was soon seen in films like ‘Bandana’, ‘Paduvarahalli Pandavaru’, ‘Daranimandala’ and ‘Parajitha’

He has worked with different actors like Vishnuvardhan, Srinath, Rajkumar (in Guri), Puneeth Rajkumar. Ravi Chandran. “I’ve worked with maximum films with Vishuvardhan, he was my favourite hero and a good friend. I’ve acted with films in Ambareesh to…

Planter now

Jai Jagadish has an estate in Kodagu, and he calls himself a planter and farmer now. “This is my work now. I have decided to stay away from filmmaking as I won’t be able to withstand the losses now,” he says.

Demonetisation soaked the spirit of filmmaking off him. “Most people decided to not invest into films. After ‘Yaana’ that was directed by my wife and starred daughters Vainidhi, Vaibhavi and Vaisiri, didn’t do as expected in the box office, I decided to stay awayfrom production,” he adds.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> Entertainment> Entertainment News / by Tini Sara Anien / DHNS / October 04th, 2020

The princess and the sharpshooter

Ancient abode: The ancestral house of Mukkatira Ipanna, the sharpshooter, in Nalvathoklu village in Kodagu. Photo by Boverianda Chinnappa

Mukkatira Aiyappa of Bonda village in Kodagu had three sons: Muddayya, Ipanna and Bopayya. Muddayya became a Munshi (clerk) in the Diwan Kacheri (minister’s office). Linga Raja II was the ruler of Kodagu at that time. With his first queen, a lady from the Chowrira family, he had a son Chikka Vira Raja. His second queen, Palanganda Devaki, was his Pattada Rani (chief queen). They had two daughters Muddammaji and Devammaji.

In 1816, Linga Raja was on a hunt in Murnad, Kodagu. He was accompanied by Muddayya when they came across Ipanna. Linga Raja challenged him to shoot a bird off a bison’s back as he was a famed sharpshooter. The bison was at a long distance and a gunhad to be used. Ipanna shot it and impressed the Raja who summoned him to the court the next day. 

The next day, Ipanna went to the court dressed in a white Kuppya (traditional coat). The Raja asked him the significance of the colour of his costume. Without any hesitation, he replied that a Kodava normally wore a white Kuppya on two occasions — in his wedding and then during his funeral. Those days, rarely one spoke boldly in front of the Raja. But the Raja was not displeased. Instead he surprised all by saying that he would get his elder daughter Muddammaji married to Ipanna. 

Ipanna was converted into a Lingayat, since the Raja was one. Ipanna was given a new name, Chenna Basavappa. Muddammaji and Chenna Basavappa were married and gifted a farm. But Muddammaji fell sick frequently. So, this farm was exchanged with another farm which belonged to the Raja’s relatives in Appangala. However, Muddammaji died within two years after her marriage. The Raja then got his younger daughter Devammaji married to Chenna Basavappa in 1819.

In 1820, Linga Raja died. His queen Devaki committed suicide by consuming diamond dust. Chikka Vira Raja became the Raja. Chenna Basavappa and a few others were discontent with his rule. So they schemed to have him ousted. They failed in their in their endeavour and Chikka Vira Raja came to know of it. Chenna Basavappa and Devammaji were kept under house arrest.

In 1832, Chikka Vira Raja planned to have Chenna Basavappa executed. Devammaji and Chenna Basavappa learnt of this. On Shivarathri, they drugged the guards and escaped from Appangala on horseback. They crossed the borders of Kodagu and reached Mysore , where they headed to the house of the British Resident Casamajor and sought refuge. Meanwhile, the couple’s one-and-a-half-year-old son fell into the hands of the Raja’s men and was handed over to the Raja whose queen took care of him.

Muddayya was an intelligent and respected man. He had been promoted to become the Raja’s Khas Munshi (chief accountant). A favourite of the Raja, he was deemed to be a future Diwan. When Chikka Vira Raja first heard of Chenna Basavappa’s escape he got angry with Muddayya who was his elder brother. He then beat him up. His Diwan, Kunta Basava, got Muddayya executed. But, in truth, Muddayya was not aware of his brother’s plans.

Chikka Vira Raja demanded that the two fugitives should be handed over to him. But Casamajor forwarded this matter to the British East India Company Government. In 1833, the Government declared that the couple should not be surrendered to the Raja. Chenna Basavappa and Devammaji were moved to Bangalore and were given a pension. Chikka Vira Raja schemed with Nanda Lal Bharthi, a merchant from Mysore, to have Chenna Basavappa murdered. But these attempts failed.

In 1834, the Company invaded Kodagu. The Raja surrendered to the British and was exiled. Chenna Basavappa and Devammaji returned to Kodagu. Their Appangala farm was returned to them. Chenna Basavappa assumed the title of ‘Arasu’ (king). He petitioned the Company to provide him with one of the other palaces of the Raja. He also wanted the former Raja’s farm at Nanjarajapatna and be placed in charge of the Gaddige (the Rajas’ mausoleum). But the Company didn’t agree to this. Chenna Basavappa died in 1868.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> Spectrum> Spectrum Statescan / b y Mookonda Kushalappa / July 06th, 2019

How the modest Nalknad palace sheltered Kodagu’s royals

Linga Raja I was the king of Kodagu and a subordinate ally of Nawab Hyder Ali of Mysore. In 1780, the king passed away, leaving his first son, the 16-year-old Dodda Veerarajendra as heir to the throne. Hyder Ali saw this as the perfect time to bring Kodagu under his complete control. 

So, he moved the king’s family members from the Madikeri Fort in Kodagu to Gorur Fort in Hassan. Displeased with the king’s removal, Kodagu rose in rebellion against Hyder.

Elsewhere, the second Anglo-Mysore war was raging on. In 1782, Hyder died and his son Tipu Sultan succeeded him. Linga Raja’s family was shifted and imprisoned at Periyapatna Fort in Mysore. In December 1788, Dodda Veerarajendra, his wife, daughter, brothers Linga Raja II (aka Lingarajendra) and Appaji Raja and other family members managed to escape from their confinement.

According to scholar H Moegling (in 1855) ‘some faithful Coorg friends assisted him (the king) and conducted him safely’. Historians I M Muthanna and D N Krishnaiah identified these friends as Kulletira Ponnanna, Pattacheruvanda Boluka, Appaneravanda Achaiah, Ketolira Achuvanna and others. They disguised themselves as oil-vendors and reached Periyapatna, where they were able to release the royal family. 

The people of Kodagu declared Dodda Veerarajendra their king but the new raja and his family had no place to stay. The Mysore Sultan still held the Madikeri Fort. The king first stayed at Kurchi where he made a temporary, makeshift residence.

One day, when the king was away, bandits from Wayanad attacked Kurchi; they killed the queen, looted the ornaments and burnt down the place.

D N Krishnaiah writes that with the king living near poverty, Ketolira Achuvanna recommended his own native village — Yavakapadi near Kakkabe — as a suitable place for the raja to stay till the war was over. Back then, Kakkabe was a remote location, surrounded by mountains and jungles. Achuvanna accommodated the raja in his own ancestral house until a new palace was built.

A farmland of the Puliyanda family was found to be the most secure site for a palace; hidden by natural barriers from all sides, it was relatively inaccessible to invaders.

Four brothers of a family living there were asked to vacate the place, with the promise of compensation. Everyone complied, save for the youngest brother Karichcha.

When the palace’s construction began, Karichcha troubled the construction workers during the day and hid in the forest at night. Displeased with this, the raja got him captured and put to death

The palace eventually came up at the place and is called ‘Naalnaad aramane’ or Nalknad aramane, after the name of the region. The palace was relatively simple: a two-storey building with a thatched roof, built in the native Ainmane tradition. 

The descendants of Achuvanna and his two brothers became the Aramane thakka (palace chamberlains); they were the hereditary chieftains in-charge of the Naalnaad palace. Meanwhile, Kodagu became free of Tipu’s rule in 1792. For Dodda Veerarajendra, life had come full circle, as he gained possession of his father’s old residence.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> Spectrum / by Mookonda Kushalappa / October 03rd, 2020

Rashmika Mandanna turning busy with ‘Mega’ projects

Young Kannada beauty Rashmika Mandanna is in fine form as her previous two films Sarileru Neekevvaru and Bheeshma minted big bucks at the box office. Consequently, she is bagging big offers in Tollywood and she will next be seen in Allu Arjun’s ‘Pushpa’.

Interestingly, Rashmika is in pole position to sign for Acharya as well. The makers have reportedly arranged a look test featuring Ram Charan and Rashmika Mandanna early next month. They will be taking the final call on whether to bring her on board or not based on the output. She is consideration for Ram Charan’s love interest role in the film.

If Rashmika bags Acharya offer, she will be turning super busy with two projects starring mega heroes. These films could well provide Rashmika with the ticket to the elite league of actresses and she would be hoping to make the most of it.

Rashmika is already in Hyderabad and she is raring to get back to sets. Both Acharya and Pushpa will be hitting the floors very soon and the young actress is likely to work on them simultaneously if things fall into place.

source: http://www.telugubulletin.com / Telugu Bullettin / Home> Movie News / by TB Cinema / Hyderabad – September 26th, 2020

Works On Kodava Heritage Centre To Be Completed In 10 Months, Says Minister

Bengaluru:

Tourism Minister C.T. Ravi said that the works on ‘Kodava Heritage Centre’ at Vidyanagar near Madikeri, the district headquarters of Kodagu, will be completed in ten months. The project was envisaged by the Government in 2004-05 for introducing the unique Ainmane tradition of Kodavas with a museum.

The Kodava Heritage Centre Project features an Ainmane, a Hall, a small indoor water pond, an open auditorium, a library, a museum and drinking water facility. The Project is coming up on a 4-acre land at Karavale Badaga village close to Vidyanagar on the outskirts of Madikeri City, near Mahindra Holiday Resort.

Replying to a question by Congress MLC Veena Achaiah in the Legislative Council yesterday on why the project was lying in limbo for long, Ravi assured that all the works on the Heritage Centre will be completed in ten months. Attributing the delay to the lethargic attitude of implementing agencies, change in structure design and multiple revision of estimate, Ravi said that part of the works have been completed and the rest will be completed at a cost of Rs.97 lakh. The contractor has been asked to finish the works in ten months, he added.

Continuing, Ravi said that the Union Tourism Ministry sanctioned Kodava Heritage Centre in 2004-05, with the project estimated to cost Rs. 88.75 lakh then, following which Rs. 33.54 lakh was released to Jungle Lodges and Resorts, the implementing agency. But the project did not take off and subsequently it was decided to execute the works through the district administration at a cost of Rs.1.45 crore. After administrative approval on Aug.18, 2010, the contract was awarded  on Sept.12, 2010 to M.B. Hemashankar of Mysuru, who was asked to finish the works in a year, the Minister said.

Though the project took off, only the walls of the structure came up, amid complaints of poor quality work and improper planning and architecture.

Ravi said that due to doubts about the stability of the structure’s foundation, the Government was sought a redesign of the project  in 2011. On account of the changed design, the project estimate was revised to Rs.2.68 crore, which was approved by the Government on April 26, 2012. The contractor who resumed the works based on the revised estimate went slow, following which the contractor was served notice a number of times asking him to expedite the project. But as the works were not finished, the contract was terminated on Nov.27, 2018. By the time the contract was terminated, the contractor who was paid Rs.1.68 crore by then, had partially constructed the retaining wall and  tiled-roof (Mangaluru tiles). Later, the PWD Chief Engineer  submitted a revised estimate of Rs. 3,30,45,110, which received administrative approval on May 27, 2020. The PWD has now been directed to complete the works in ten months, Ravi explained.

The  cost of the Project which was first planned in 2004-05  has gone up from Rs. 88.75 lakh to Rs.3.30 crore in the 15-year period and the people of Kodagu are hoping that the Project will be wholly executed soon and the Heritage Centre becomes a major tourist attraction.

It may be mentioned here that Kodagu Deputy Commissioner Annies  Kanmani Joy, who is also the District Tourism Development Committee Chairperson, surprised and upset over the undue delay in the execution of the project, held a meeting on Sept. 6, 2020, during which she ordered the officials to expedite the project. 

Later Tourism Minister C.T. Ravi held a meeting with officials on  Sept.11, when the Minister was shocked to learn that an important tourism project like Kodava Heritage Centre was lying in limbo for the past several years.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / September 27th, 2020

International Hockey Player Uthappa Ties Knot

International hockey player Sannuvanda K. Uthappa, son of Sannuvanda Vasanth Kushalappa and Niraj of Devarapura, tied the nuptial knot with Sanjana, daughter of Puttichanda Uthappa and Leela of Bollarimad, at The Yellow Bamboo Resort in Balaji, South Kodagu, yesterday.

Only family members of the couple and close relatives were part of the simple ceremony (Dampathi Muhurtha) held last evening.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Sports / September 28th, 2020