In what could be more financial stability for coffee growers in Odisha, Tata Coffee has agreed to procure coffee from the State. Announcing the development, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today informed coffee procured from growers in Koraput district by the Tribal Development Co-operative Corporation of Odisha Ltd (TDCCOL) will be sold by Tata Coffee across the country and abroad.
Patnaik further informed Tata Coffee has agreed to keep the uniqueness of Koraput Coffee intact while selling it in the market.
He hoped the cooperation of Tata Coffee will help the socio-economic development of coffee growers in the State. This will also ensure livelihood of tribals get secured, the Chief Minister added.
He heaped praised on Sulochana Khara from Kasamapadar village and said, “Khara has set an example for others as a successful coffee grower by selling over 200 kg coffee beans to TDCCOL. Her contribution in popularizing Koraput Coffee is commendable.”
The State government provided forest land rights of 46,000 acres to 30,000 families till June 2021. The TDCCOL procured 28,790 kg coffee beans from 193 tribal coffee growers in Laxmipur, Kashipur, Dasmantpur, Nandapur, Lamataput, Koraput and Pottangi blocks of Koraput district in 2020-21.
Official sources said the government targeted to grow coffee in 80 hectares more in 2021-22.
source: http://www.sambadenglish.com / Sambad English / Home> Odisha Latest / by Sambad English Bureau / August 08th, 2021
In fact, the Tokyo Olympics win is reminiscent of the 1980 Moscow Olympics, when India brought home the gold in hockey.
Chitradurga :
A resurgent India has shown the world that the fire is still alive, and Thursday’s 5-4 victory over a strong German side is much to cheer about. In fact, the Tokyo Olympics win is reminiscent of the 1980 Moscow Olympics, when India brought home the gold in hockey.
Former India captain and lone Karnataka player of the winning team, MM Somaiah, said the game at Tokyo reminded him of the day they had played Spain in the finals, and a timely turn by his teammates helped the team scoop up a victory.
“The present team, which was 1-3 down, fought back well against Germany and equalled the score 3-3 by half-time, and finally won 5-4. The bronze medal has given a new lease of life for Indian hockey and the team should start strengthening its game now on, so that we go back to the golden era,” he added.
The country’s national sport, which was in a slump for some time, is back in the forefront and needs government support to surge ahead, Somaiah added. India’s bronze medal effort has come in for praise by many former internationals, who felt the players showed the grit they did in the Moscow Olympics finals; July 29, 1980 is a red-letter day for India.
The lanky right-half from Kodagu said the present team is mentally tough and doesn’t fear beating teams with higher rankings. “Though down 1-3, the Indians bounced back as the final whistle was blown. The entire team played a cohesive game and as a single unit. We are emotionally charged by the way our boys fought back,” he said.
Timely intervention by coach Graham Reid and the technical bench also helped the team excel in all aspects of the games, said Somaiah. He said that players at all levels need more exposure, and the academies at Punjab, Haryana, Odisha and Manipur should be replicated in every corner of the country, to tap and train the best hockey talents.
On the need to support hockey in Karnataka and especially Kodagu, Somaiah said the game needs support from all sections of society, including the government, so that young talents can be nurtured. Reacting to a question on foreign coaches, he said the nationality of coaches is immaterial, but the person in charge of the team should give it his best shot.
The performance of the Indian team was exemplary, and our boys scripted a historic win on foreign soil after a gap of four decades. All the players played exceptionally well, though the efforts of goalkeeper PR Sreejesh were really commendable and his saves were excellent. The performance should inspire youngsters, so that hockey can flourish again in the country and Karnataka, said former goalkeeper and Hockey Karnataka secretary AB Subbaiah.
He said the time has come for governments to frame a sports policy where more school-level hockey tournaments and competitions take place. The private sector should also support sports in a big way, he added.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Sports> Olympics / by G Subhash Chandra, Express News Service / August 06th, 2021
Mangalore University will introduce Kodava as an optional language for undergraduate programmes. The University Academic Council has approved the introduction of Kodava as an optional language for degree classes in the colleges affiliated to the University. MA in Kodava language will also be introduced subsequently.
“Regulations have been prepared. Once it is finalised, it will be placed before the Syndicate and Academic Council for approval,” Vice-Chancellor Dr. P.S. Yadapadithaya said. The Academic Council also approved the syllabus for the undergraduate programmes.
Karnataka Kodava Sahitya Academy President Parvathi Appaiah, who is also the Academic Council Member, said that an Expert Committee has already prepared the syllabus. The textbooks will be printed by Prasaranga of Mangalore University.
Kodava language or the ‘Kodava Thakk’ is a mixture of all Dravidian languages. It has adopted words from Tulu, Kannada, Tamil and Malayalam. It has emerged into a separate linguistic identity now.
Kodava language is largely restricted to Kodagu district, besides a few settlers in Mysuru and Bengaluru and other major cities in the country and abroad. Kodava language is predominantly written in the Kannada script.
According to the census data, for the Kodavas, the problem of declining language is compounded due to a reducing population. Several Kodavas, especially those who have moved out of Kodagu, are now speaking English or Kannada at home.
The initiative by the Mangalore University to introduce Kodava as an optional language for Undergraduate courses will provide the much-needed boost to the language.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / August 05th, 2021
The 18th day of the solar month ‘Ati’ was celebrated as ‘Kakkada Padinett’ in Kodagu on Tuesday.
Special dishes ‘Patrode’ of taro leaves and porridge of ‘Ati Soppu’ were prepared on the occasion.
It is believed that the leaves are rich in medicinal properties on the 18th day of the month of ‘Ati’.
Consumption of various dishes, with the juice of ‘Ati’ leaves, is believed to boost immunity. Side dishes prepared out of meat are also served on the occasion.
The greetings of the special day were exchanged, along with the special dishes.
source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> States> Mangaluru / by DHNS, Shanivarasanthe / August 04th, 2021
A stromatolite. Such fossilized microbial mats are the oldest sign of life on Earth. D.BRESSAN
Virtually all oxygen on Earth was and is produced by photosynthesis, which was invented by tiny organisms, the cyanobacteria, when our planet was still a rather uninhabitable place. Cyanobacteria evolved more than 2.4 billion years ago, as stromatolites – fossilized microbial mats – show, but it took almost 2 billion years until Earth transformed to the oxygen-rich planet we know today.
“We do not fully understand why it took so long and what factors controlled Earth’s oxygenation,“ said geomicrobiologist Judith Klatt in a statement published by the Max-Planck-Gesellschaft in Berlin. “But when studying mats of cyanobacteria in the Middle Island Sinkhole in Lake Huron in Michigan, which live under conditions resembling early Earth, I had an idea.”
Klatt worked together with a team of researchers around Greg Dick from the University of Michigan to study the microbes and cyanobacteria community colonizing groundwater inflows on the bottom of Lake Huron, where the oxygen levels are very low.
A scuba diver observes the purple, white and green microbial mats covering rocks in Lake Huron’s … [+] PHIL HARTMEYER/NOAA/THUNDER BAY NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY
“Life on the lake bottom is mainly microbial, and serves as a working analog for the conditions that prevailed on our planet for billions of years”, says Bopi Biddanda, a collaborating microbial ecologist from the Grand Valley State University. “The microbes there are mainly purple oxygen-producing cyanobacteria that compete with white sulfur-oxidizing bacteria. The former generate energy with sunlight, the latter with the help of sulfur.”
source: http://www.forbes.com / Forbes.com / Home> Science / by David Bressan, Contributor / August 02nd, 2021
Joshna Chinappa sits 10th in the rankings and will next be seen in the British Open in Hull, England from August 16.
File Photo: Joshna Chinappa has entered the top-10 for the first time since 2016. – THE HINDU
India’s squash star Joshna Chinappahas returned to the top-10 of PSA world rankings following a pre-quarterfinal finish at the World Championships in Chicago.
Joshna had entered the top-10 for the first time since 2016.
The current rankings are dominated by Egypt with five of its players in the top-10, including world number one Nour El Sherbini. Joshna is 10th in the standings.
In men’s rankings, India’s Saurav Ghosal has dropped to 15 following a pre-quarterfinal finish in Chicago last month.
Joshna will next be seen in the British Open in Hull, England from August 16.
source: http://www.sportstar.thehindu.com / Sportstar / Home> Squash / by PTI / August 02nd, 2021
Rose Thampy of Edom Architects talks about balancing the contemporary with the vernacular to create a rustic forest home on a stunning coffee estate in Coorg, Karnataka
Kutta Estate House is an homage to its environment
Kochi-based architecture firm Edom Architects had the rare privilege of designing a weekend home in one of the most stunning landscapes of the country: a 2,000-acre Coorg coffee estate. A rustic, two-storey, 1,750-square-foot structure, Kutta Estate House is an homage to its environment, and is carefully crafted not just to be a warm, comfortable home in its own right, but an immersion into the luscious greenery of its surroundings.
The plantation, which is rich with a variety of wildlife in addition to the coffee plants, is almost like a forest of its own right. Lead architects Rose Thampy and Joseph T. Kallivayalil wanted to preserve the sensory experience of the environment, and kept the design earthy and rustic, as opposed to contemporary or overly ornamented. “We also decided to build a viewing deck,” Thampy says, “since one side of the site offers a stunning view of the Western Ghats.”
Cement-textured finishing on the exterior walls allows the building to blend into its environment. Large windows allow the home to remain open to the surrounding greenery, and also promote cross-ventilation throughout the interiors, while wooden louvres and jalis allow for the control of the airflow. “It was a very minimalistic concept, but I didn’t want to create a contemporary minimalistic feel,” says Thampy, adding, “The screen and wood added a little bit of vernacular style to the design.”
The style is vernacular in its approachThe home is surrounded by greenery
The interiors see a flourish of natural stones—from sandstone to slate and natural granite. The use of lime-yellow sandstone for the flooring enhances the sense of space and interconnectivity throughout the house. “We thought of sticking to one or two colours for the interiors, since the space is very small,” says Thampy, “but I wanted each space to have a slightly different feeling.”
Lounge and Dining Area
The entrance foyer breaks off into a combined lounge and dining area, which also includes a kitchenette. “We needed to create a subtle segregation between the living space and the dining and kitchenette,” says Thampy, “so we created a small deviation in the flooring pattern.” The staircase that leads to the top floor was crafted in metal, so as to reduce its sense of bulk, with a matte-black finishing that allowed it to blend into the grey-toned palette of the structure. An outdoor seating area leads from the dining space into the garden, offering a seamless transition between the interior and the environment outside. The home also has an outdoor kitchen, which is accessible from the dining room but also allows for food to be easily served outdoors. Much of the furniture and ornamental lighting is sourced from Mysore, Kochi and Bengaluru, while two large ceramic pots from Chettinad bring in a touch of the old world. Finally, two pig statuettes from Coorg make for a playful homage to the wildlife on the estate.
Viewing Deck
A significant portion of the first floor is dedicated to the viewing deck, which is underlined with slate flooring, so as not to distract from the true hero of the space: the view. A unique piece of furniture is the centre table, crafted from the stem of a coffee plant sourced from the estate itself.
The home is kept raw and rustic in appeal
Bedrooms
Two bedrooms—one each on the ground and first floors—see a continuation of the sandstone flooring, but are also warmed by rich wood tones of the furniture and window frames. Subtle textural details, like a patterned rug or vibrantly upholstered sofa, infuse the rooms with colour, but allow the space to feel open, warm and welcoming. In the first-floor bedroom, an abstract painting in blue sets the theme for the property: it is a pop of colour that accentuates the rustic nature of the space, while also serving as a visual complement to the climate.
Lighting
All architectural lighting has been sourced from Kochi, and has been designed to create a warm ambience throughout the home. Track lighting in the TV lounge highlights the cement texture of the walls, while decorative pendant lights from Bengaluru double as pieces of art. Clay pendant lights over the staircase reflect the rustic tones of the jali, and also allow the staircase area to seemingly merge with the outdoors. On the first floor, matt-black ceiling-mounted lights blend into the palette and allow the eye to focus instead on the views of the estate, and the Western Ghats beyond.
source: http://www.architecturaldigest.in / Architectural Digest / Home> Architecture & Decor / by Avantika Shankar / Photography by Turtle Arts / July 31st, 2021
