Author PT Bopanna says while there are a number of theories on who the Kodavas are, none are scientific enough to establish the origin of the race

After retiring from journalism in 2010, with four decades in the field, PT Bopanna has championed the cause of Kodagu (Coorg) district in Karnataka. Bopanna’s passion to showcase Kodagu’s beauty, culture, cuisine and people serves as a mirror to the hilly region.

“I have documented the lifestyle, language and cuisine of Kodagu beyond the well-known akki rotti and pandi curry,” says 70-year-old Bopanna, who runs five Kodagu-centric websites, has published seven books and produced a documentary on Kodagu. Bopanna’s latest book, My Coorg Chronicles, (Rolling Stone Publications) traces his journey from journalism to activism, and his efforts to chronicle the unknown facets of Kodagu. My Coorg Chronicles has colourful photographs, illustrations and a caricature of Bopanna by cartoonist Ponnappa.

Bopanna speaks to MetroPlus about the many aspects of his journey.

Excerpts.

Would you describe yourself as a journalist, activist or chronicler?

After studying journalism at Bhavan’s College of Journalism in Mumbai, I started my career in 1981 as the Coorg Correspondent of The Hindu. I registered my first domain www.coorgtourisminfo.com in 2005. Initially the traffic to my website was not encouraging. So I decided to bring out the content from the website as a book in 2006. Discover Coorg was a runaway success. I brought out two more editions of the book, adding more content with each edition. It was also translated into Kannada.

Your research reveals Kodavas as being different from the rest of Indians…

Kodava women are highly educated. There is no dowry system, and women drape their saris opposite to the style adopted by the rest of India. The customs are unique. Kodavas are Hindus, but priests have no role in their marriages. Kodavas revere the Cauvery River, they worship nature and guns. The Keil Murtha festival is dedicated to guns. The harvest festival, Puttari, is ushered in with a gunshot. When I realised that the land has a rich culinary tradition and I compiled traditional recipes in the website, coorgrecipes.com in 2006.

Who exactly are the Kodavas?

This is a riddle that ethnologists are yet to crack. There are any number of theories on who they are, but none scientific enough to establish the origin of the race. One theory says they are the descendants of Alexander the Great, while another traces their origins to a band of Kurds from Iraq.

Why did you bring out a video on Kodagu?

During the course of my work I realised there was a lack of documentation on Kodagu. This was mainly because Kodava language does not have a script. The language is a mixture of Kannada, Tamil and Malayalam. Any documentation was only after the British annexed Coorg in 1834. They kept records and maintained diaries. After Independence, especially after Coorg merged with Mysore State (Karnataka) in 1956, there wasn’t any documentation. I decided to produce a video on various aspects of Kodagu and in 2014 brought out a DVD, Discover Coorg. The video features tourist spots, homestays, jewellery, hockey and golf, Kodava marriages and traditional folk dances.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Society / by Ranjani Govind / Bengaluru – August 18th, 2020

Kodagu Gowda Samajagala Okkuta has decided to support fully the priests who perform puja at Talacauvery Kshetra.

The decision was taken during a meeting held in the presence of Gowda Federation Youth wing, said Okkuta president Somanna Soorthale.

Okkuta office-bearers said, “The unscientific works at Gajagiri Betta led to its caving in. A delegation will be taken to the state government shortly demanding action against those who were responsible for such activities. At a time when the death of the Talacauvery priest and family members is still fresh in our mind, a few have been trying to recreate the history of Talacauvery, which is condemnable move.”

A few are trying to disrupt peace in peace-loving district, Somanna alleged. Kodi and Ballada families have been discharging their duties at Talacauvery and Sri Bhagandeshwara Temples for several centuries.

“We condemn all the unscientific activities that are carried out within 10-km radius of the Kshetra and all those that affect the sanctity of the Kshetra. However, we can not accept those who have been trying to harass those who are carrying out business activities in Talacauvery. Goddess Cauvery is worshiped by all. It is sad that a few are trying to distort the history of Talacauvery kshetra,” he added.

It is good that Akhila Kodava Samaja is planning to conduct Shatarudrabhisheka at Talacauvery on September 21. It would have been good if all the communities were invited for the same.

The meeting also condoled the death of Chief Priest Narayana Achar and four others in landslide at Gajagiri Betta in the first week of August.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> State> Karnataka Districts / by DHNS/ September 20th, 2020

Twenty years before the First War of Independence in 1857, there was the ‘Amara Sullia Dange’ or Kodagu- Canara Mutiny against the British government. This fight, which was labelled ‘Kalyanappana Katakayi’ (Loot of Kalyanappa), to tone down its significance, received unprecedented support from people in today’s Kodagu, Dakshina Kannada districts of Karnataka and Kumble region in Kerala.

After Tipu Sultan’s death in 1799, South Canara (Dakshina Kannada) passed into British hands. Neighbouring Kodagu, however, still maintained a precarious independence.

In 1834, the East India Company resolved to invade Kodagu, which was ruled by King Chikkaveera Rajendra of Haleri dynasty. On April 11, 1834, the political agent of the British at Mercara (Madikeri), Lieutenant Colonel J S Fraser, issued a proclamation annexing Kodagu into the British administration. Fraser also resolved to respect the social and religious customs of the locals, but the promise remained on paper.

The British introduced major economic, social, and even territorial changes in Kodagu, for their administrative convenience. Amara Sullia was separated from Kodagu and made part of South Canara district, which was then part of the Madras province. What further incensed the people was a change in the mode of tax payment, which was now to be made entirely in cash. The farmers were used to giving part of their produce as the tax, but the new system only added to their burden. Now, many of them refused to pay the tax outright.

After Kodagu’s annexation, there was a resistance movement planned. In 1835, Swamy Aparampara, a Jangama saint, appeared in Manjarabad in Hassan district and claimed that he was a legal heir to the Haleri throne.

His plan was to attack and occupy Madikeri Fort on December 5, 1836. The people of Kodagu believed him to be the son of Appaji, who was the uncle of Chikkaveera Rajendra. Aparampara planned a resistance movement with the help of other rebellions including Kalyanaswamy, Kedambadi Rame Gowda and Guddemane Appayya Gowda. Aparampara visited Subrahmanya and met Kujugodu Appayya Gowda and Mallappa Gowda, the representatives of the Ikkeri dynasty. From there, they marched towards Madikeri with a battalion.

The British got wind of the plan and imprisoned Aparampara, with the aid of Kodagu’s Dewan, Cheppudira Ponnappa.

Now, the responsibility of the movement shifted onto the shoulders of Kalyanaswamy. He claimed to be the second son of Appaji and therefore, a member of the Haleri dynasty. Declared a king by his men, he popularised the movement by proclaiming that if he became the king, he would stop collecting revenue for the first three years and abolish the duties on commodities.

Dewan Ponnappa proved that Kalyanaswamy didn’t belong to the Haleri dynasty. However, the rebel leader remained popular and enjoyed support from local leaders.

Kalyanaswamy slowly extended the movement to Sullia and other parts of South Canara. Kedambadi Ramegowda of Sullia was primarily responsible for the organisation of rebellion in South Canara. When Kalyanaswamy was travelling from Kodlipet to Wayanad, he was captured by the British forces, though his imprisonment was concealed. His friend Putta Basappa posed as Kalyanappa and continued the rebellion.

Meanwhile, the resentment against the new tax policy continued, and Kedambadi Ramegowda and Nanjayya decided to start a rebellion in Sullia. They killed Atlur Ramappaya, the Amaldar (Agent) of Sullia, who was loyal to the British.

The battalion, headed by Kalyanappa (Putta Basappa), Kedambadi Ramegowda and others reached Bellare and attacked the British treasury. The rebels then reached Mangalore and hoisted the Haleri flag in ‘Bavutagudda’ on April 5, 1837, to mark their victory over the British.

In response, the British brought in reinforcements from Kannanur, and attacked the rebels. Several leaders were captured and killed, while a few others escaped. Putta Basappa and Appayya Gowda were hanged.

The British Commissioner Cotton, who submitted a report on the Canara Insurrection to the government in 1839, mentioned the movement was a furtherance of the Nagar Peasants’ Revolt of 1830-32, in present-day Shivamogga. “The Amara Sullia insurrection has the features of primary resistance, as well as peasants’ movement; the main intention was to drive away the colonial intruders,” says K R Vidyadhara, a lawyer in Madikeri who has studied the uprising.

A few scholars have conducted extensive studies on the Amara Sullia mutiny, with the incident even being portrayed in a Yakshagana performance called ‘Kalyanappana Katakayi’.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> Spectrum> Spectrum Top Stories / by Charan Aivarnad / August 15th, 2020

Madikeri:

With the State Cabinet on Thursday sanctioning Rs. 8 crore for the renovation of the historical Madikeri Fort, the works on which has been taken up by the Archaeology Department, Madikeri MLA Appachu Ranjan has batted for retention of old architecture and heritage characterisitics of the structure, while also giving a modern touch to it.

Speaking to presspersons after inspecting the ongoing renovation works of the Fort located in the heart of Madikeri City, Appachu Ranjan, who is also a former Minister, said that as an MLA earlier too, he had raised the Fort renovation and development issue a number of times in the Assembly..

Pointing out that the renovation works has been taken up following a High Court order, he said that now the State Government has sanctioned Rs. 8 crore for the works and it is satisfactory to note that the works have been taken up at last.

Asserting that Madikeri Fort and the associated Palace is symbolic of Kodava tribe, he said that it was important to develop the Fort as a Museum, while retaining the original architectural characteristics of the structure.Underlining the need for installation of Sound and Light system in the Fort premises once the renovation works are completed, he said that the richness and uniqueness of Kodava culture, customs and traditions must be portrayed through this system, just as being done in the case of freedom fighters such as Veer Savarkar and Bhagat Singh at Andaman Jail.

Earlier, Appachu Ranjan received inputs on the progress of works from the Department Engineer, who said that 5mm metal sheet has been cemented to the roof of the Fort. Expressing displeasure at the quality of the sheet, he asked the authorities to ensure quality of tiles, wood and other construction materials being used for renovation.

Earlier, Appachu Ranjan received inputs on the progress of works from the Department Engineer, who said that 5mm metal sheet has been cemented to the roof of the Fort. Expressing displeasure at the quality of the sheet, he asked the authorities to ensure quality of tiles, wood and other construction materials being used for renovation.

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