Actress Nidhi Subbaiah is all set to wed her beau of one and a half years, Lavesh Khairajani, in an intimate ceremony in Coorg (her hometown) this February.
The actress tells us that she met Lavesh, a tech entrepreneur hailing from a business family in Mumbai, through common friends.
“He had the most romantic proposal, and the cherry on the cake was that it was in Coorg. He had booked a table at a resort on January 1, replete with champagne, cheese, flowers and the works. He spoke for an hour about his love for me and, eventually, went down on his knees to tell me, ‘Nidhi, marry me’ and put a ring on my finger,” recalls Nidhi.
As for Coorg being the wedding venue, she says, “The options were between Coorg and Goa. Since Goa has been done to death and Lavesh’s friends find Coorg exotic, we chose to have it in my hometown.”
But will marriage and domestic bliss put an end to her acting career? “Lavesh’s family is supportive and has told me that I can do as I please when it comes to work and they will stand by my choices,” adds Nidhi.
The actress plans to invite her closest industry buddies to the ceremony.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> News> Entertainment> Kannada> Movies> News / by Sunayana Suresh, TNN / January 21st, 2017
The invigorating aroma of the coffee blossoms carried by chilled breeze, the midnight green ambience along the loopy roads… it is not just the abundant natural beauty that makes Kodagu a distinct place. Its people — the Kodavas — with discrete culture and heritage, boost the glory of this coffee land.
Be it the language (Coorgie), cuisine, attire or rituals, Kodava culture moves away from the humdrum reckoning a distinct ethnic identity. And safeguarding this ethnicity while preserving their way of life is the architectural legacy known as the ain mane or ballya mane.
Ain Manes (ain in Coorgie translates to original) are the ancestral heritage homes of the Kodavas that reflect the eminence of a sanctum sanctorum. With quintessential framework, an archetypal heritage home comprises traditionally-carved wooden pillars, bricked white and red walls, intricately-carved wooden doorways and windows. With a typical style, each of them has an unmatched old-world charm.
Every corner of the house is given a name and holds mythical importance. With two types — the othe pore (single roofed house) and mundh mane (courtyard house) — the traditional features of ain manes include kannikamba (a sacrosanct pillar), kayyale (verandah), aimaras (wooden slabs in the verandah), machi (wooden ceiling), mundh (open courtyard) and kannikombre (worship room). Most of the ain manes have kaimadas – a sacred shrine built to worship the ancestors. Since the existence of nuclear families, there were outhouses built around the premises called ale pore.
While the interiors reflect somber and subdued beauty, its exteriors manifest valour and strength. As Chakku Chengappa, a member of Nadikerianda clan, explains, “Hidden and safeguarded amidst the estate were the fort-like structures of ballya mane (ballya means huge); built in this manner to prevent an ambush from enemies. The entrance to the ain mane has many sections. There is a long curvy oni (alley), bakka pare and ala pare (extensions of the alley), which lead to the verandah.”
Nonagenarian Nadikerianda Muthamma adds, “The Kodava women were known to be beautiful, and this is why ain manes needed to be protected at the time of British rule. However, today the ain manes play an important role in reuniting families.”
“Much more than just a roof over the head, ain manes are an important part of the tangible heritage of the native community of Kodagu,” write Boverianda Chinnappa and Nanjamma in their book Ainmanes of Kodagu. Built in the ancestral or the jamma land, the ain mane is a binding force that is a pillar of strength — both literally and figuratively. Many findings state that the inception of the concept of ain mane dates back to eighth century.
The origins
“The early settlers of Kodagu stayed in forests as a family. Due to feudal fights, it was common for people with the same bloodline to stay together in a small thatched hut. These settlements grew in size and became stronger, which made the ruling king seek their support. In return, the king gifted them land, which is the jamma land. As their living conditions improved, they built a strong fort-like structure on the jamma land, which came to be known as ain mane or ballya mane,” explains Boverianda Nanjamma.
However, the architectural style takes its root from Kerala. She adds, “Kodagu grew paddy abundantly but depended largely on Kerala for other commodities. During the travel for exchange of commodities, the Kodavas were pleased by the Kerala architectural style and there flowed workmanship from Kerala to build the ain mane.”
While there are over 900 clans in existence in Kodagu, not all of them have an ain mane. Nanjamma explains, “During the research work for our book, we found out that many deteriorating ain manes were never rebuilt.” According to their findings, only 40% of the ain manes were renovated keeping the tradition intact and the rest did not see the light of the new era.
Today, there are over 400 ain manes in existence and each of them belongs to a patriarchal clan, which is recognised by unique family names known as mane pedas. They bustle with ritualistic celebrations during festivities including Putthari, Kailpodh and annual kola (spirit dance). “The annual hockey matches conducted between families shed light on the revival of ain manes,” opines Kayapanda Shashi Somaiah, a journalist in Kodagu. Nonetheless, the revival of the ain manes are not just a process of renovation of age-old structures but also a resurgence of Kodava culture.
Unity in diversity
The Kundyolanda clan, which has 35 families, has its ain mane in Kolakeri village that was recently renovated to its pre-eminence. The rituals followed in this ain mane are uncompromising and many. “It is a family temple for us. We strictly adhere to the rituals and it is mandatory for women to wear traditional Coorgie saree and vastra (veil) over the head while entering the house. Apart from this, there are various other restrictions followed religiously in the ain mane,” explains Kundyolanda Dinesh, owner of a hotel.
They have a 400-year-old othe pore ain mane with 14 rooms, but there is no one residing here. However, it is made sure that lamps are lit twice a day and the house is maintained meticulously. “Each nuclear family of the clan takes turn to maintain the house and no one can back out from their duties,” he explains.
The Nadikerianda clan, with over 40 families, has a mundh ain mane in Karada village, which bustles with ritualistic activities during the festivals. A diligently maintained heritage home, it reflects the glory of the past and is keeping alive the culture and traditions. A 350-year-old house, it has a kaimada and a snake shrine in its premises. With 10 rooms, it has a beautifully-carved wooden window frame and a small wooden post box at the entrance. The huge mundh open to the skies is supported by four wooden pillars — all carved differently.
The Arapattu Mukkatira clan has their ain mane in Kadanga village. With 13 rooms, the uniqueness of this ain mane is that it has two mundhs and two kayyales. A 300-year-old structure, it is said that the temple treasure from the village Bhagavathi Temple was locked safely in a wooden treasure box kept in the attic of this ain mane. This wooden treasure box still lies in the attic. “We are a clan of 45 families. The age-old rituals are still in practice here. The renovation of the house is soon to take place with help from all the family members,” explains Katty Uthappa, deputy manager of a bank.
The Biddanda family has the ain mane built in the property gifted by King Veeraraja in 1795. With eight partitions in this mundh mane, there is a kaimada close by and the pictures of ancestors of eight generations can be seen hanging on the wall at the entrance. “One of our ancestors, Sarvakayaka Bopanna, was very close to the king. His (Bopanna’s) tombstone is right next to King Veeraraja’s tombstone,” explains Biddanda S Ganapathi, a retired navy officer.
The ain manes are a matter of pride to the Kodavas and are unique to their ethnicity. This uniqueness in architecture has been adopted by many resorts in Kodagu that woo the tourists. However, ain manes do not just demonstrate pride but bespeak culture. They are the souls of Kodava rituals, and their revival provides a surety to Kodavas’ customs and legacy.
source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> Supplements> Spectrum / Prajna G R / January 24th, 2017
Madanda Cup-2013, this year’s version of the annual Kodava hockey festival, is being organised by the Madanda family, and is currently underway at Balugodu near Virajpet in Kodagu. The festival has earned the distinction of being the most eagerly looked forward to event by the Kodava families in the district since the last 16 years.
The founder of the festival, Pandanda Kuttappa (Kuttani), hit a silver hockey ball with a silver hockey stick to formally inaugurate the festival at the grounds of the Kodava Sports and Cultural Centre, amidst applause from a large crowd, on April 14. As many as 225 Kodava family teams are participating in the 24-day fest and many teams have already been eliminated.
This is the first time the festival is being organised at the Kodava Sports and Cultural Centre at Balugodu, where the entire complex is coming up at an estimated cost of over Rs. 12 crore. A sum of nearly Rs. 4 crore had already been invested. The matches are being held simultaneously on two grounds located adjacent to each other. All previous 16 editions of the festivals were held in different venues of the district with Ponnampet and Ammathi having the credit of hosting most of the festivals.
Every member in a family irrespective of age or gender could play for their teams. There have been several instances where father-son-daughter combination had played for a particular family team. The festival is already is the Limca Book of Records for it sheer magnitude and volume in terms of number of participants and visitors to the matches.
According to Mr. Kuttappa, the very purpose of organising the festival is to bring the Kodava clans under one roof and help enhance camaraderie. Indeed, it has helped forge many matrimonial alliances and cement the bonds of friendship between the Kodava clans, besides restoring relationships among members of the same families. The festival, which did not have a competitive edge initially, had also thrown up some wonderful talents that have donned the State and national colours successfully.
As usual, on the day of inauguration of the festival, guests and senior members of the organising family would arrive in a procession from the main entrance of the centre to the ground. Madanda family members had the honour of unfurling the family flag this year by virtue of being the organisers while Mr. Kuttappa unfurled the flag of the Kodava Hockey Academy, under whose aegis the festival is being held. Olympian Anjaparavanda B. Subbaiah, who was conferred a doctorate by the Mangalore University recently, was felicitated on the occasion by the Madanda family members.
The president of the Federation of Kodava Samaja, Mallengada N. Belliappa, who was the guest, addressing the gathering, utilised the opportunity to appeal to the members of the Kodava community to come up with contributions to help complete the Kodava Sports and Cultural Centre and make it a model in the entire State.
Government sponsorship
What is significant about the festival is that it has been able to garner support from the State government in the form of sponsorships since 2008. Starting from Rs. 5 lakh, it went up to Rs. 30 lakh in 2012 and could garner more in the coming years. Speaker of the just dissolved Legislative Assembly, K.G. Bopaiah, was instrumental in securing this largesse from the government. Reputable private companies too have been making a beeline to sponsor the festivals these days. The government also promises to come up with more synthetic hockey playing surfaces in the district to encourage local talent, keeping in view the rich hockey tradition in Kodagu.
Many hockey stars such as Maleyanda D. Muthappa, Mollera P. Ganesh, Maneyapanda Somaiah, Anjaparavanda B. Subbaiah, Baleyada Subramani, Paikera Kalaiah, Baleyada Poonacha and Sannuvanda Uthappa among the new crop, and a host of others playing for leading hockey institutions hail from Kodagu. Even non-Kodava players have made the district proud such as V.R. Raghunath, who is currently the vice-caption of the Indian team, S.V. Sunil, V.S. Vinay, and Arjun Halappa carrying forward the rich hockey tradition of the district.
Mr. Bopaiah has said that efforts would be made to get more number of synthetic hockey playing surfaces laid in different parts of the district.
The event has now drawn the attention of Hockey India. Its president, Mariamma Koshy, had attended the Iychettira Cup Kodava Hockey Festival last year held at Ammathi. She had promised help to lay three more synthetic hockey playing surfaces in Kodagu district, if the district administration sent proposals in that regard. Chief Coach of the Indian hockey team, Michael Nobbs, was present on that occasion.
The Vice-Chairman of the Murugappa Group, M.M. Murugappan, who was a guest at the Iychettira Cup last year, had lauded the hockey tradition in Kodagu, saying the game has enhanced the prestige of Kodagu in all forums. His company was closely associated with the game of hockey in the last 50 years by conducting prestigious hockey tournaments, he had stated.
Kootanda, Kullettira, Palanganda and Nellamakkada families have accounted for a large number of wins in the festivals so far.
The ‘Pandanda Cup’ held for the first time in 1997 was won by Kaliyanda family team. Kullettira team won the ‘Kodira Cup’ in 1998, Kootanda and Kulletira were joint winners of the ‘Ballachanda Cup’ in 1999, Kootanda won the ‘Cheppudira Cup’ in 2000, Kootanda won again the ‘Nellamakkada Cup’ in 2001, Kullettira won the ‘Chekkera Cup’ in 2002, and Nellamakkada won the ‘Kaliyanda Cup’ in 2003.
Kootanda won the ‘Maleyanda Cup’ in 2004, Nellamakkada won the ‘Biddanda Cup’ in 2005, Palanganda won the ‘Kallichanda Cup’ in 2006, Mandepanda won the ‘Mandettira Cup’ in 2007, Anjaparavanda won the ‘Alamengada Cup’ in 2008, Nellamakkada won the ‘Mandepanda Cup’ in 2009, Palanganda won the ‘Maneyapanda Cup’ in 2010 and defended it successfully in 2011 by winning the ‘Machamada Cup’. It completed a hat-trick of wins by winning the Iychettira Cup held at Ammathi in 2012.
K. Jeevan Chinnappa
Ongoing ‘Madanda Cup-2013’ is the 17th edition
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hind / Home> Features> Features Plus / by K . Jeevan Chinnappa / May 11th, 2013
Struggling to improve yield levels with traditional methods at his coffee plantation, Hoysala found great success with technological innovations.
Hoysala at his plantation. Credit: M.J. Prabu
Farming, especially in India, is generally considered to be a traditional field that’s averse to innovation, however M.G. Hoysala’s successful decision to quit banking for farming with the help of technological innovations, shows that keeping an open mind towards new, nontraditional cultivation techniques and interacting with experts in the field is essential for achieving farming success.
While many come into the profession unwillingly, Hoysala represents a section of people that actually wants to take on the family vocation. After spending five years working at a private bank, Hoysala came to realise the importance that the agriculture and plantation sector held for him. So he left his job and took over his father’s coffee plantation.
Since he took over, the Hoysala’s 40 acre farm in Karnataka’s Kodagu district has become a role-model of sorts for the other farms in the area.
As is common in the region, Hoysala grows Arabica coffee on his farm, but what differentiates his farming practices from the rest is the presence of tall indigenous trees that grow alongside the rows of coffee bushes, their height providing shade for the lower shrubs. Another distinguishing factor is the presence of black pepper vines that cover the trees’ trunks.
Starting off as an amateur, Hoysala initially followed the locally practiced traditional forms of cultivation. However, his lack of experience and the absence of proper guidance worsened his predicament. Disease-damaged crops, low productivity and a lack of knowledge about advanced production technologies were just some of the problems Hoysala faced when he took over the coffee plantation.
Collaborating with experts
Hoysala recalls contacting the Indian Institute of Spices Research around the same time as he started to realise that he would need technology if he wanted to stabilise his plantation’s yield level in a sustainable manner. His association with the institute started when he attended an eye-opening seminar organised by the organisation’s regional station at Madikeri, Kodagu.
That first seminar taught him about the varietal wealth of black pepper along with information on various crop production, protection and processing technologies that were being developed at the institute.
Drawing on his experiences from the banking sector, Hoysala was certain that the timely and meticulous adoption of technologies designed to aid crop production were essential to maintaining a profitable plantation.
“The productivity of vines was below the level of expectation and we could hardly harvest six tonnes from an area of 40 acres. We understood that not adopting recommended measures in time, especially to control diseases, could lead to heavy crop loss,” says Hoysala.
“Moreover, we were unaware that instituting shade regulation before the monsoon and irrigation during the summer months would improve the setting of berries and ultimately increase the yield.”
After Hoysala had established a close relationship with the regional station’s scientists, he set about addressing his plantation’s problems one by one.
Shade regulation was the first priority, followed closely by the scheduling of fertiliser, increasing organic inputs fortified with growth-promoting organisms, regularly monitoring the crops for diseases and irrigation during the summer months.
“By adopting these [new and] improved technologies, we have increased the production from six to 12 tonnes. [Which is] on average a two-fold jump within a time span of five years,” said Hoysala.
The plantation’s irrigation system was further strengthened by the construction of water harvesting structures like farm ponds and bore wells. Besides these measures, Hoysala also had pits dug between the rows of coffee plants to harvest run-off water as it also helps with enriching the soil.
The changes extend to pepper cultivation as well. Two years ago, Hoysala took ten acres of land which was used to grow ginger and transformed it into a well-designed pepper plot with silver oaks to serve as standards for the vines and robusta coffee bushes interplanted with the pepper vines.
It currently costs Hoysala a total of Rs 85,000 per acre to implement these measures along with paying the regular operational costs of running the plantation. In return, he earns Rs 1 lakh per acre per annum from the coffee and black pepper grown on the farm, allowing Hoysala to maintain the sustainable, profitable plantation he aspired to.
For further information, contact: M. G. Hoysala, Sri Siddalingeshwara Estate, Hardur P.O., Suntikoppa, Kodagu, Karnataka–571 237, mobile: 09449682430.
Email: hoysala.mg@gmailn and his guiden Dr. S. J. Ankegowda, Principal Scientist and Head, ICAR-Indian Institute of Spices Research Regional Station, Hervanadu Post, Appangala, Madikeri, Karnataka – 571 201, Phone 08272 – 245451; 245514; 298574. Mobile: 09663069241, email: crc@spices.res.in;gowda@spices.res.in
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source: http://www.thewire.in / The Wire / Home> Agriculture / by M J Prabu / December 29th, 2016
All SOS organics products are made from crops that are completely rain fed, chemical free and using natural farming and sustainable agricultural techniques.
A quick look at SOS Organics website and you will realize that there is something more than natural and organic in their varied products. Gur Shakkar, Khandsari sugar as alternatives to white sugar and sweeteners, soapnuts as natural cleansers, environmentally sound beeswax candles devoid of soot/smoke, home care products made of native plant oils, herbs and natural essential oils – these catch your immediate attention. All these products are made from crops that are completely rain fed, chemical free and using natural farming and sustainable agricultural techniques.
The Alternative spoke to its founder, Amrita Chengappa about her venture in Uttarakhand.
A little bit of everything to nourish and heal
Pulses, flour, millet, spices, herbs, pickles, jams, marmalades and honey, tea, as well as beeswax candles – there is a little bit of everything needed to lead a healthy life. Amrita says, “Our line of natural cosmetics is based on apricot kernel oil, and includes soaps, hand creams, face creams, body and foot scrubs, lip balms, and body oil. All items are made with beeswax and precious essential oils and are free of chemicals and hormones.”
Himalayan terrace farms are the source of SOS organic products Courtesy: SOS organics Facebook page
In Uttarakhand, farmers have very small land holdings that are completely dependent on rain. So instead of asking the farmers to grow one particular type of crops, say only rice or millet, Amrita has encouraged mixed farming. “We are targeting indigenous low input crops that they have been growing over the last hundred years. We encourage them to grow a little bit of everything so that it all adds up to become a basket full of goodness to nourish and heal the body,” says Amrita.
Their latest products are based on the humble nettle which has an abundance of health benefits. “One day we became aware of just how much nettle was growing all around us in the wild and nobody was using it. After some in-depth research that took us all the way back to Milarepa, who lived on nettle soup for years while meditating in a Himalayan cave, we began experimenting and created nettle tea and nettle flakes,” says Amrita.
The Inspiration
Amrita and her husband who have set up a village unit in Uttarakhand have been closely working with locals there.
“We had the inspiration to move to the Himalayan foothills in 2002, with only an idea to work in a village and bring meaningful employment in the area,” says Amrita. She adds, “We have found that the specific environmental conditions of the Himalaya produces incredible crops. The mineral content in the soil adds to the quality of the crop and it has many medicinal properties as well.”
One of the main issues in the state has been a lack of employment opportunities. So they decided to set up a self-sufficient unit at Kumaon. “My main concern was employment of the local ladies as I believe that all over India it has always been women who run the show and they deserve to be empowered,” adds Amrita.
Happiness that comes with healthy living is the only true happiness! Courtesy: SOS Organics Facebook page ita at this point also mentions,“We did not want to take something or destroy anything from the environment, rather our emphasis has always been on the preservation of biodiversity and environment, and the providing of holistic technologies to ensure highest quality.”
Every village needs to be self-sufficient
The company strongly believes in Mahatma Gandhi’s saying that every village needs to be self-sufficient. Their entire unit runs on rain water harvesting. And they work with local small scale farmers from over 70 villages in the Himalayan region.
Amrita further adds, “SOS Organics is an ongoing experiment dedicated as a model for holistic sustainable living in the villages of the Himalaya.”
In addition to the farming techniques, natural processing and product development have also been undertaken. The Foundation is presently deeply involved in special holistic milling techniques, sun drying and sun-UV-radiation, ventilation drying, dehydrator development for low temperature drying, vacuum packing and systematic moisture proof storing of raw material. An extensive initial product line of natural farming produce has been developed and tested in the market and is now available online and in select holistic outlets.
Engaging community and being in tune with rural life
“The problem in the hills is that you cannot do anything that has a lot of volume because the lifestyle is different. We have six hour working days for the ladies as on most days they have to go home, collect water, cut wood etc. Plus in the winter it gets darker soon and the area where we live there are leopards and other wild animals,” she says.
So they had to modify their business model, making it in tune with the local life and with less stringent deadlines. They also make sure to celebrate local holidays and to stay connected with the community in all possible ways. “Our aim has always been to make the business model sustainable for everyone from the consumer to the person actually engaged in making these products. We make the people working here comfortable and the orders are worked around this,” says Amrita.
Challenges
Amrita says, “So much of the incredible knowledge of the Himalayan people is in danger of getting lost. The older living generations have often not been able to pass on their wisdom to the younger people as they have set out to live everywhere else than in their own village, embracing modern life and technology.”
She adds,“The scary thing is that we do not have a proper understanding of traditional knowledge system and what we are replacing it with does not seem to make the grade. People here feed millet to animals as they have been told the white rice is aspirational. We are striving to work against this kind of a mindset.”
Future Plans
“We very much live in the here and now, which is full of experiencing, learning, and understanding. New insights and inspirations happen on their own and we are always ready to say yes! – and embrace yet another venture,” concludes Amrita.
source: http://www.thealternative.in / The Alternative.in / Home> Magazine> Lifestyle / by Usha Hariprasad / Juine 18th, 2015
Since time immemorial, a film without an antagonist has remained incomplete. The villain has always drawn applause with his devilish avatar or chilling dialogues, in recent times, the negative character has seen a transformation. More and more filmmakers are now looking for handsome villains and the latest to hit the ‘evil’ stands of Sandalwood is good-looking hunk Thaarak Ponnappa.
Hailing from Coorg, this stylish actor will be making his debut and will be seen facing off Manoranjan in Nanda Kishore’s upcoming directorial, a remake of Tamil-hit Velaiyilla Pattathari (VIP) made under Rockline Productions. Thaarak Ponnappa
The actor, all of six feet and two inches, has entered the second schedule of shooting today. He says there is a new trend of good-looking villains in Kannada industry. “I feel good to be part of it,” says the model-turned-actor.
According to him, there is a thrill in playing the antagonist and he is confident he can carry the evil side very well. “My role model is Sonu Sood and I aspire to make a mark in a similar way in Kannada industry,” says the 25-year-old who completed his MTech before entering the industry.
On choosing acting as a career, having spent so many years on academics, Thaarak says that it his passion for films that made him take that decision. “I did my education as a backup,” he says.
Having done his research into what goes into playing an antagonist, the budding talent has gone for a personality makeover and has worked out for a six-pack. “Before entering the industry, I was modelling for four years,” he says.
“I was fit even before entering the industry.”
Getting to debut with a Nanda Kishore film, Thaarak is confident that he has caught a dream start.
“If we are good at what we do, then things will come and fall in our lap,” he says.
“I want give my best and hopefully it will work out for me.”
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Entertainment> Kannada / by A Sharadhaa / Express News Service / January 10th, 2017
Cycle Pure Agarbathies, certified carbon neutral agarbathi manufacturers, took another step forward in their commitment towards development of sports in the country by associating with Joshna Chinappa, a leading young squash player from Chennai.
Joshna is one of the two players representing India at JP Morgan tournament of champions in New York from January 14 to 19. This will be the 20 edition of the tournament of champions in Grand Central Terminus.
The 30-year-old Joshna reached a career-high world ranking of world no. 10 in July 2016. She was the first Indian to win the British Squash Championship title in 2003 in the under 19 Category and was also the youngest Indian women’s national champion. At the 2014 Commonwealth Games, she along with Dipika Pallikal Karthik, won the squash doubles gold medal, making it India’s first ever Commonwealth Games gold medal in the sport. Currently, Joshna is ranked at 13 in the international arena.
Thanking Cycle Pure Agarbathies for its support, Joshna Chinappa said, “It is an absolute pleasure to be a part of a prestigious brand like Cycle Pure Agarbathies, who have been doing so much towards shaping the careers of youngsters like me. We sportsmen thrive on passion and I’m thankful to the brand for believing in me and fuelling my passion for squash. I am very grateful to the Cycle brand for their support and hope to do well in 2017 in preparation for the 2018 Commonwealth and Asian Games.”
Arjun Ranga, Managing Director, Cycle Pure Agarbathies, said, “We at Cycle Pure Agarbathies have a rich legacy of nurturing sporting talent. We have always tried to foster a sense of respect, reverence and adulation through our innovative products and this association with the squash prodigy Joshna Chinappa is a logical manifestation of our vision. We also believe in supporting and providing reasons to pray, and what could be better than praying for her win. We wish Joshna all the very best,” added Arjun Ranga.
source: http://www.citytoday.news / Home> Mysore / by CT Bureau / January 15th, 2017
by Mandetira N. Subramani, President, VeKare Ex-Servicemen Trust, MysoreM N Subramani
Most of the Ex-Servicemen of yore, who joined the British Indian Armed Forces during early 1940s, and participated in World War-II, are no more. However, there are still numerous widows of World War-II veterans, around 70 odd years of age, living in Mysore and Kodagu region, who narrate their helplessness and pathetic stories.
It was customary for men of yesteryears to marry a life partner who is younger to them by 10 to 15 years. It is quite but natural that most of such wives become widows and may live for 10 to 15 years, or even longer, after the demise of their husbands. Trends have changed. The present day men don’t mind marrying a life partner elder to him by 3-5 years and the educated ladies consider it as out of fashion and a mismatch to marry men who are 3 or 4 years elder to them.
Reverting to the subject of helplessness of widows of World War-II veterans, a gentleman barged into my office a few days ago with a complaint that his 76-year-old mother, living in a remote village called Kiggal, near Murnad, Kodagu (erstwhile Coorg), is not being granted defence family pension even after a lapse of 12 years after the demise of his father, due to some vague reasons projected by the Army’s EME Record Office, Secunderabad. The hapless widow happened to be one Mrs. Kaveriamma, widow of a World War-II veteran, Naib Subedar Ballachanda Nanjappa Ayyappa.
Mrs. Kaveriamma & late Nb Sub B.N. Ayyappa.
I being not only an Ex-Serviceman myself but also a son of a World War-II veteran who served in the Corps of EME and died unsung and unheard 22 years ago, decided to help the Late Nb Sub Ballachanda N.Ayyappa’s widow Kaveriamma with whatever little bit of knowledge and expertise I had gained during the course of taking up the cause of Ex-Servicemen and widows of Ex-Servicemen since the past 22 years after I quit the Armed Forces.
I believe in “seeing is believing.” Hence, I told late Naib Sub B.N. Ayyappa’s son, Ganapathy, that I wished to see his mother Kaveriamma personally, without doubting his (Ganapathy’s) version of the pathetic story of his mother. Without a second thought, Ganapathy informed me that his 76-year-old mother has been suffering from all sorts of old age ailments and that if I wished to see her, I would have to visit his ancestral Ballachanda House in Kiggal village in Coorg, which is well over 150 kms from Mysore. He also suggested that I could accompany him the following day itself to his village to see his mother. Though there was a clash of opinions between my mind and heart regarding his suggestion, I decided to listen to my heart, which is always weaker than the mind. The widow’s old age and ill health became a priority over my next day’s assignments and engagements all of which I had to abort.
It was indeed a huge expedition on the next day. It took almost nearly three-and-a-half- hours to reach the 100-year-old ancestral house of late Nb Sub Ayyappa in his village, which resembled a bit of British architecture. However, it took me waiting for nearly two hours to get the audience of the grand-old-lady, as she took time to wake up from her sleep, get ready and come out of her bedroom with the support of her son. B.A. Kaveriamma, widow of late Nb Sub B.N. Ayyappa.
During the waiting period, in Kaveriamma’s house, I had to perforce spend my time speaking to an 87-year-grand-old gentleman, who was resting in his easy chair. I was amused when he kept showing extra attention and courtesies to me than what I really deserved. This grand-old-gentleman, however, kept firing some uncomfortable questions to me such as, when did I join the Armed Force? When did I quit? Why did I quit? What was the last rank held by me? What I have been doing after quitting the forces etc… etc… as if I were put in a witness box for some crime committed by joining the Armed Forces! If someone around my age had asked me those questions, I would have blown my trumpet about my life in the Armed Forces, my last rank held as equivalent to one of those one star or two stars rank etc. But, I held back, because, in my subconscious mind I saw something very special in him that made me to tell him only the truth, including the last rank held by me, that is, Sergeant in the Indian Air Force.
While answering all the questions fired at me by this grand-old-gentleman, I was also looking at the walls of the huge verandah to deter him from firing anymore questions. However, I found some old photographs of late Naib Sub Ayyappa’s father, who was a Sub-Inspector of Police during the British regime, hung on the wall. Among the numerable old photographs on the walls, I also noticed a certificate framed and hung in a remote corner, which I could not read because of the size of the certificate, and my failing eye sight. I was compelled to remove the framed certificate and read it just out of curiosity. To my surprise, it was a citation of a gallantry award, that is, “Mention in Dispatches” awarded to Flight Gunner Sgt. Ballachanda N. Medappa.
Ex-Warrant Officer B.N. Medappa, M-In-D
I became very curious and asked Ganapathy as to who this Flight Gunner was ? Ganapathy pointed out at the grand-old- gentleman who was sitting on the same easy chair busy reading a Kannada daily Mysooru Mitra and said, “he is my father Nb Sub Ayyappa’s younger brother Ex-Warrant Officer of the Indian Air Force.” I realised that he is really an ‘Ex-Air Warrior,’ a term commonly referred to all Ex-Air Force personnel of late. I too sometimes proudly call myself as an Ex-Air Warrior to my advantage but it proved to be otherwise all the time with my retired rank ‘Ex-Sergeant.’
In the meantime, the widow of Nb Sub Ayyappa managed to come up to the verandah with the support of her son. As per the customs of the Coorgs’, I touched her feet to seek her blessings, and took a few photographs of her from my worn camera. After speaking to her for a few minutes I casually told her that I would try to resolve her defence family pension issue, at which she nodded her head casually, without any anxiety or hope of receiving it in the near future. I understood that she was fed up of trying for her defence family pension for the past 12 years.
On our way back to Mysore from Coorg after having met the widow, my thoughts were more on the unassuming Ex-Air Warrior I met that day than the problem of the widow of World War- II veteran Ayyappa. I tried to make a guess as to how many such great war heroes were still living or dead, unheard and unsung, among the tiny Kodava Community besides the number of General Officers this tiny Coorg District has produced till date. I even started calling up all my fauji friends, as if there was an impending war.
All armed forces veterans who served three decades ago know that there was a separate Coorg regiment, which largely included people from non-Kodava backgrounds while the Kodavas themselves served in different other regiments; this is in keeping with the Army’s non-bias policy. Field Marshal Kodandera Cariappa of the Rajput regiment and General Kodandera Thimayya of the Kumaon regiment are the most distinguished Army men among the Kodavas. Other illustrious Kodavas from all ranks lead from the front in their own way, not only during wars but also in war-like situations and counter insurgencies.
Lt. Gen. Apparanda Aiyappa is best remembered for his contributions towards the Corps of Signals and towards Bharat Electronics Limited. There were several war heroes as well such as Nadikerianda Bheemaiah, a JCO who was the first among Coorgs to be awarded the Vir Chakra for conspicuous bravery in J&K Operations during 1947, and Air Marshal Cheppudira D. Subia, a daring fighter pilot, was awarded the Vir Chakra during 1950 for his courageous and relentless attacks on the enemy targets which has largely contributed to the successful capture of Garais in Jammu & Kashmir.
Squadron Leader Ajjamada B. Devayya (known as the ‘wings of fire’), a fighter pilot of rare acumen, was awarded the Maha Vir Chakra after the 1965 Indo-Pak War, posthumously. Lt. Col. Ganapathi Puttichanda Somaiah (then known as the ‘Major who kept his cool’) was awarded the Maha Vir Chakra for his conspicuous bravery of fighting against the militants under odd condition while deployed in Sri Lanka as part of Indian Peace Keeping Force.
Lt. Col. Anjaparavanda Ganapathy was decorated with Vir Chakra for his valour during the 1965 war. Maj. Gen. Kuppanda Nanjappa and Colonel Mandettira Ravi were decorated with Vir Chakra for their valiant display of courage and gallantry in the face of the enemy on land during the 1971 Indo-Pak war. Sqn. Ldr. Mandepanda Ganapathy was awarded Vir Chakra for shooting down one of the first Pakistani Sabre Jets, which intruded into Indian air space during the 1971 war.
Wg. Cdr. Ballachanda Karumbaya is another war hero to be decorated with the Vir Chakra for displaying his gallantry in the air during the 1971 war. The youngest among the above said war heroes is the then Capt. Baleyanda M. Cariappa to be decorated with Vir Chakra on 21st June 1999 for displaying repeated acts of valour, bold leadership, unparalleled courage, leading from the front and devotion beyond the call of duty in the face of the enemy.
Kodagu being one of the smallest districts across India, today boasts of the highest density of devoted, daring, dedicated, disciplined and duty-bound gentlemen soldier officers, with many adorning the highest echelons of the defence services in India.
At any given point of time, till 1980, the number of persons serving the forces far exceeded the proportion of any other set of people from any other region in India. The contribution of Coorg to the cause of the nation has been phenomenal and Armed Forces Martyrs from Kodagu District are innumerable.
The appended list of Army General Officers the tiny District of Kodagu [population 5 lakh and population of Kodavas is about 1.3 lakh] has produced over the last 65 years is testimony to the fact that the District is a cradle of mighty Generals:
1. Field Marshal Kodandera M. Cariappa, OBE; 2. General Kodandera S. Thimayya, DSO; 3. Lt. Gen. (Retd.) Apparanda C. Aiyappa PVSM, MBE; 4. Lt. Gen. (Retd.) Biddanda C. Nanda PVSM, AVSM, ADG; 5. Lt. Gen. (Retd.) Codanda N. Somanna PVSM; 6. Lt. Gen. (Retd.) Bittianda K. Bopanna PVSM, AVSM, VSM; 7. Lt. Gen. (Retd.) Ballachanda K. Chengappa; 8. Maj. Gen. (Retd.) Guddanda C. Somanna; 9. Maj. Gen. (Retd.) Kongetira M. Chengappa; 10. Maj. Gen. (Retd) Kotera C. Bheemaiah; 11. Maj. Gen. (Retd.) Codanda K. Karumbaya SM; 12. Maj. Gen. (Retd.) Cheppudira I. Jay Appachu AVSM; 13. Maj. Gen. (Retd.) Somaiyanda K. Kariappa AVSM, YSM; 14. Maj. Gen. (Retd.) Madaiyanda M. Belliappa AVSM, VSM; 15. Maj. Gen. (Retd.) Bovverianda M. Aiyanna; 16. Maj. Gen. (Retd.) Bachamanda A. Cariappa; 17. Maj. Gen. (Retd.) Moovera C. Nanjappa AVSM, VSM; 18. Maj. Gen. (Retd.) Kuppanda P. Nanjappa AVSM, VrC; 19. Maj. Gen. (Retd.) Kelapanda B. Swaraj; 20. Maj. Gen. Kodandera Arjun Muthanna; 21. Maj. Gen. Paruvangada M. Cariappa VSM.
Courtesy: Star of Mysore
source: http://www.exservicemen.in / Ex-servicemen India / Home> India> News> Views, Articles / by M N Subramani / October 19th, 2012
Rotary Club of Madikeri Hills represented by Dr Prashanth, and Gopalkrishna, clinched the 11th annual Rotary quiz trophy securing 190 points. Rotary Club of Mangaluru Metro team represented by Dr Ranjan and Sumith Rao secured 160 points and were declared runners up.
Rotary Club of Mangaluru Central as a part of Rotary Movement Awareness Campaign conducted their inter club Rotary quiz contest on Friday on Rotary related affairs.
Mysuru city-based eminent businessman and Rotary past district governor Dr G K Balakrishna was the chief guest. He lauded the valuable contributions of Dr Devadas Rai, the quiz master and the organizer to the Rotary Movement and the annual quiz. He later awarded the Rotary trophy, certificates and a cash prize of Rs 2,000 to the winners and Rs 1,000 to the runners up and congratulated the respective teams on their achievements.
Eleven teams from Mangaluru, Bykampady Surathkal, Bajpe, Deralakatte, Madikeri, Kushalnagar, Mysuru took part in this contest.
Dr Rai, the quiz master officiated the closely contested quiz. Vikram Datta, assistant governor zone-3, guest of honour, released the weekly club news bulletin. Anil Gonsalves, club president, presided over the function. Raymond D’Cunha, secretary, presented the monthly report. Prakash Chandra proposed vote of thanks.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News> City News> Mangalore News / TNN / January 15th, 2017
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