The present condition of Kaveri Kalakshetra hall in Madikeri.
Kaveri Kalakshetra hall in Madikeri will finally get a facelift. An action plan has been prepared at an estimated cost of Rs 1 crore under a special grant of the state government to take up development work.
The Kaveri Kalakshetra hall building will be repaired and the roof and floor of the hall will be renovated, said CMC Commissioner M L Ramesh.
The hall was constructed at the district headquarters even before Independence and it provided a platform for various cultural programmes.
Owing to the deplorable condition of the building, there was fear among the organisers to host programmes in the hall.
The cracked walls, broken window and doors, pathetic condition of the roof were attracting negative opinion of the visitors.
Though CMC had earmarked funds in its annual budget for the construction of Kaveri Kalakshetra two years ago, it has not materialised so far. The members had expressed displeasure at the failure of the government to release the grants in spite of submitting memorandum several times in the past.
The commissioner said, “Technical inputs from PWD have been sought for the renovation of the Kaveri Kalakshetra hall. An action plan has been prepared and the tender will be floated for the work shortly. The hall will also have new seating arrangements after the renovation work.”
Nagara Hitharakshana Vedike President Ravi Gowda said, “Kaveri Kalakshetra hall was crying for attention without any maintenance. A suitable platform should be provided for young talents and artistes after the renovation of Kaveri Kalakshetra.”
The local residents have urged the authorities to rent out Kaveri Kalakshetra hall for marriage functions to increase the income of the CMC.
Artist Raju from Kushalnagar said, “There is no dearth of artistes in Kodagu district. However, there are no platforms for the artistes to showcase their talent. The demand for Ranga Mandira and theatres in the district has not been fulfilled.”
source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> State> Mangaluru / by Adithya K A / DH News Service , Madikeri / December 09th, 2019
Ashwini Ponnappa (left) and Sikki Reddy, India’s top women’s doubles players
The Red Bulls Shuttle Up is a start up to encourage girls to take up doubles
Hyderabad:
Seasoned Ashwini Ponnappa, who combined beautifully with the indomitable Jwala Gutta by winning the Commonwealth Games gold and World Championship bronze, is on a mission. She is making an earnest attempt, through Red Bull’s Shuttle Up, to promote women’s doubles in a big way in the country.
The 30-year-old doesn’t mince words by saying that the women’s doubles is not getting the due in the country although it is a lot better than what it was a couple of years ago.
“There is exposure, better training facilities and a lot of youngsters are taking to doubles now. There are also a couple of coaches for doubles. However, I feel the women’s doubles is not getting the due. We don’t have women’s doubles in Premier Badminton League (PBL). It is quite sad and disappointing. Something needs to be done as regards to women’s doubles. The Red Bulls Shuttle Up is a start up to encourage girls to take up doubles. It is giving them a platform to play and hopefully it will help the growth of women’s doubles in the future. I would have loved to play with the youngsters but I got injured and I can’t play. When you have this kind of tournaments, one can see the rise of women’s doubles in the country,’’ said Ashwini at the Shuttle Up tournament finals.
She said she was very fortunate to have someone like Jwala as her doubles partner. “My style and Jwala’s game worked. It clicked from the word go. I became Jwala’s partner when I was young and I was very keen on putting up a good show. She was an experienced player and had done well in the senior circuit. Jwala and I had the advantage of experience and youth. My power from the back and Jwala’s net play proved successful. It was a wonderful combination. Now a lot of girls have taken up the doubles but they need to be guided. We have to work hard to bring out successful doubles players.’’
According to Ashwini, women’s doubles in international competition has grown phenomenally. “It is lot different now. Like when I played with Jwala, I could smash from the back and Jwala used to do brilliant job at the net. Right now, most of the Japanese have a very good attack as well a strong defence. They play at an incredible speed. We need to do a lot of work in this aspect. It is not about tossing and tapping. We can get away here but not in international circuit. There is a mixture of attack and defence. Women’s doubles has one of the longest matches in the world. Fitness has gone to another level. That is the critical point in women’s doubles. We need to work in right direction and that is important.’’
She added that she and Sikki Reddy had had some good matches this year. “But unfortunately these matches were not converted into wins. We had some tough first round matches. It is sad we lost to some close matches. Our choice of tournaments could have been better in this Olympic year. Hopefully next year, we will have better planning. Most importantly, we should be injury free.’’
The doubles expert was all praise for Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty. “It is one pair that has clicked beautifully. They understand each other perfectly. Satwik is a stronger player and Chirag is very good in creating openings for him. Their game style and goals are very good. The self-belief has helped them a lot. They have challenged and beaten most of the top players. We need more and more Satwiks and Chirags for the good of doubles in the country.’’
source: http://www.telanganatoday.com / Telangana Today / Home> Sport> Badminton / by N Jagannath Das / December 09th, 2019
Once the heroes, the number of people from the district in the Army has gradually fallen, but steps are being taken to groom youngsters.
Madikeri :
Known as the land of warriors, Kodagu district has contributed largely to the Indian Army. While there used to be at least one person serving in the Army from every family in Kodagu, the number has gradually decreased.“The number of youngsters attending direct recruitment for the Indian Army has decreased in Kodagu and this number is seeing an increase in North Karnataka. However, there are still a considerable number of men and women hailing from Kodagu who have attained high ranks in the Indian Army,” says Kayapanda Shashi Somaiah, a writer based in Madikeri.
He adds, “Currently, there are over 100 men from Kodagu in the Indian Army and are designated with high ranks including that of Rear Admiral, Lieutenant General, Training Commando and so on. Apart from this, there are nearly ten women from this district who hold ranks of wing commander, major and captain.”
A soldier’s boot stands in front of the General Thimmaiah Museum and invites youngsters to try on the boots in reality
Nevertheless, the number of soldiers from the district being selected in direct Army recruitment rounds has drastically decreased. “The recruitment process has become stringent. Along with being physically fit, aspirants are required to pass written tests that are either in Hindi or English. Also, the education qualification plays an important role in the selection process as today’s soldier is not just required to load a weapon and fire. He has to be well-versed in Science and Mathematics as he must be able to use advanced technological machines. Even in the recent surgical strike, High Altitude High Operation (HAHO) was followed and the soldier was required to know the proper ground reference and other technical information,” explains Major Nanda Nanjappa (retired).
He goes back in time and recalls how he had helped many youngsters from Kodagu join the Army during his service. “A family had asked me to help their son join the Army. I had taken this boy along with me and he used to work at the Army kitchen. While he wasn’t paid any salary at the beginning, he gradually attained a job there,” recalls Major Nanda. But this cannot be done today as he says, “There are no strings to be pulled now.”
Lieutenant Colonel Geetha M (retired) states, “In 2017, during the recruitment process that took place in Kodagu, 900 candidates applied for the selection process from the district. However, only 12 were selected among them. Since physical activity is less these days, the applicants seem to have lost in the selection process. Also, the overall outlook of parents and kids has changed. While a few years ago, ex-army men’s children always joined the Army, it is not the scenario today as there are lot many job opportunities and job security. A fresher in IT sector gets paid nearly Rs 40,000 and this is an easier job compared to joining the Army. The change in lifestyle in the once agriculture-based district has resulted in a paradigm shift.”
In the recent Army recruitment process that took place in Madikeri in October, candidates from 13 districts of Karnataka took part. Among them, the highest applicants were from Hassan district — a total of 1,993 out of the 9,572 applicants. Kodagu had third highest number of applicants – 1,495 — even though the recruitment process took place in the district.
Sanju, a student of Field Marshal KM Cariappa College had appeared for Army recruitment selection this year. He is disappointed over not being able to crack the test and says, “I failed in the running test as I could not complete 1,600m in 5.45 minutes. However, I will appear again for the exam next year.”
Darshan Bopaiah, a youngster working at a resort in Madikeri, was an Army aspirant and he is the son of an ex-army man. He settled in for a much easier job as he explains, “I used to be fascinated with the stories my father narrated while he worked at the Army. While I was looking forward to joining the Army, I could not crack the written test and after that I left the dream of joining the Army and tried other jobs.”
Colonel Kandrathanda C Subbaiah (retired) opines that internet has made youngsters lazy and has resulted in them opting for soft jobs over the Army. “Joining the Army was pride for people of Kodagu and they joined it by choice. While Defence was the number one choice for them, the scenario has changed. The increasing opportunities in soft jobs – that do not require physical or mental alertness — is being opted by youngsters. While the numbers in Indian Army from Kodagu district has reduced, the youngsters from North Karnataka are increasingly joining the Army,” states Col Subbaiah.
He points out how the Sainik School in Kodagu – that trains future army men – is populated mostly by students from North Karnataka. “There are less than a handful of students from Kodagu at the Sainik School,” he says.
Nevertheless, he says that a group of ex-army men from Kodagu are trying to get the numbers high as he explains, “We are organizing training programmes for youngsters where they are being trained to answer written exams. With the head-start of this plan from Major General Arjun Muthanna (retired), a training programme was recently organized at Kushalnagar and will soon be organized across the district. Ex-army officer Marchanda Ganesh is working at ground level conducting these training programmes across the district.”
He expresses the hope that the numbers from Kodagu district in the Indian Army will pick up. “We are hopeful that more people will join the Army and the number of people from Kodagu in the Indian Army will rise in another two years,” he says.
Steps being taken to encourage youngsters
War Memorial at Balugodu in Virajpet Taluk has names of all martyred soldiers of Kodagu. The memorial invokes a spirit of patriotism and is aimed at encouraging youngsters to join the Indian Army
General Thimmaiah Museum (an ongoing project at Madikeri) will retell the story of one of the greatest Generals of the Indian Army.
The museum aims at instilling patriotism among visitors while also encouraging youngsters to join the Army Statues of Field Marshal K M Cariappa, Major Mangerira Muthanna, General Thimmaiah, Squadron Leader Ajjamada B Devaiah adorn Madikeri town and narrate the contribution of people of Kodagu in the Indian Army
A few reasons for decreasing numbers
Increasing number of opportunities in soft jobs
Paradigm shift due to lack of enthusiasm, interest and hard work
Preference for more stable and less challenging jobs
Tougher entrance examination
The recruitment process has become stringent. Along with being physically fit, aspirants are required to pass written tests that are either in Hindi or English. Also, the education qualification plays an important role in the selection process as today’s soldier is not just required to load a weapon and fire.
— Major Nanda Nanjappa (retired)
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Bengaluru / by Prajna G R / Express News Service / December 01st, 2019
Coffee lovers are discovering new coffee destinations from within the cities all the way to the countryside, including the heartland of coffee in India – Coorg. This workshop provides an excellent opportunity to learn from a certified Q-Grader & connoisseur Marc Tormo, Roastmaster from Barcelona, who has more than 20 years of experience in the international coffee movement.
Harvest with the locals, learn about how coffee is sustainably cultivated in India while gaining a deeper appreciation of roasting techniques and experience the subtle notes hidden in the beans. Learn exciting brewing techniques and impress your friends with your barista skills creating art from the rich froth of your latte.
So, don’t miss the change to grab this opportunity with both hands! Because, this is a unique platform for all coffee lovers, coffee enthusiasts, those trying to make an entry into the coffee world, or simply those trying to impress their guests!
Date: 06th-09th December 2019
Venue: Old Kents Estate, Coorg
Price: Rs 30,000 ++ (all-inclusive stay in a spacious English cottage with a private garden)
For Reservations: Call 9789896454
source: http://www.hungryforever.com / Hungry Forever / Home> Events / by Christina George / November 29th, 2019
The work on Coorg Village in progress near Raja Seat in Madikeri. DH Photo
Those who visit Raja Seat in Madikeri are disappointed with only the park and hilly ranges in the surroundings. To attract tourists, the Department of Tourism and Horticulture have chalked out a plan for constructing ‘Coorg Village’ in two acres of land belonging to the horticulture department in front of Kundoorumotte Temple near Raja Seat.
The department has decided to use the land with a small lake for commercial purpose. Utilising Rs 98 lakh from the Department of Tourism, a total of 15 stalls will be constructed. Tourists who visit Omkareshwara Temple, Old Fort and Nehru Mantapa can spend their evening at the Coorg Village.
Under Coorg Village, three shopping complexes will come up with six, four and five stalls each in different locations. The home-made products prepared by SHG members under the Women and Child Development Department, food products prepared by flood victims will be sold in the stalls.
In addition, there are plans to develop the lake in the said land to promote tourism. Walkers path and seating arrangement will also be constructed for the tourists, said tourism department officials.
There are no plans to shift the stalls near Raja Seat right now. It has been decided to allocate stalls for the various departments, said tourism department assistant director Raghavendra to DH.
The surrounding nature is not harmed in the name of ‘Coorg village’, he added.
The foundation work on the complex has commenced. The stalls will be ready for inauguration before the monsoon, said labourers engaged in the work at the site.
Greens oppose idea
Kodagu Hasireekarana organisation has opposed the permission given to construct stalls for the flood victims in the land belonging to the horticulture department near Raja Seat.
Kodagu Hasireekarana president K G Harish said the department of horticulture has taken unilateral decision to allocate land for construction of stalls without gathering public opinion. The work should be stalled immediately.
He said, “Let the district administration identify government land in Madikeri and provide alternative facilities for the victims. The construction of stalls near Raja Seat will increase traffic congestion and will also increase the garbage mess. The district administration’s move to set up Coorg Village without floating tender and giving information to the public has raised doubts.”
He said there is a need to give priority to eco-friendly tourism. It is not right to spoil nature in the name of tourism promotion. The land owned by horticulture department should be earmarked for the park. The lake on the site should be rejuvenated.
Office-bearer of Kodagu Hasireekarana Kadratanda Pali Devaiah said, “The pedestrians will face inconvenience once bus services start on Race Course Road. The promise to instal a slab on the open drain to facilitate the movement of pedestrians by the CMC has not been fulfilled so far.”
source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> State> Karnataka Districts / by DHNS, Madikeri / November 29th, 2019
Kodagu’s harvest festival ‘Huthri’ will be celebrated across the district on Dec.11.
The date was fixed at a meeting held at Igguthapppa Temple on Monday.
Noted astrologer from Ammangeri Sashikumar announced the date at the meeting which was attended by heads of all thirteen Thakkas, members of the temple board and elder citizens.
The meeting also decided to celebrate the annual Kaladcha festival at Igguthappa Temple on Dec.10.
On Dec.11, the day of Huthri festival, Nere Kattuva ritual will be held at 7pm and reaping of new paddy crop at 8pm, following which prasadam distribution will take place at the temple.
On completion of the rituals at the Temple, the people of Kodagu will hold Nere Kattuva ritual at 7.35 pm, harvesting paddy at 8.35 pm and distribution of prasadam at 9.35 pm.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> In Briefs / Novemeber 27th, 2019
The 5th Edition of the world’s only Barefoot Marathon for the people of Kodagu will take place at Pollibetta in Kodagu on Dec.8, under the joint aegis of The Coorg Wellness Foundation and Milind Soman.
The category-wise prize money is as follows: 42-km: Rs.42,000 – 1st place and Rs.30,000 – 2nd place; 21-km: Rs.21,000 – 1st place and Rs.12,000 – 2nd place; 10-km: Rs.10,000 – 1st place and Rs.7,000 – 2nd place; 5-km: Rs.5,000 – 1st place and Rs.2,000 – 2nd place; 1.5-km: Medals only.
Only fully barefoot runners and local residents of Kodagu will receive cash awards; Non-resident winners of the above categories will be given goodie bags with local produce. Any form of transport to complete the run will immediately disqualify eligibility of cash award.
Registration fee is Rs.500 and children above 8 years of age can participate.
All proceeds of registration will go towards the Wellness of Kodagu, its people and its ecosystem via The Coorg Wellness Foundation.
For online registration, participants can log on to: https://you toocanrun.com/race/?ee=1867
Also, on-the-spot registration can be done at 5 am on Dec.8 at Tata Coffee Sports Ground, Pollibetta.
Note: #BYOB Bring Your Own Bottle – To continue the tradition of the event being an eco-friendly one, organisers have requested all participants and spectators to bring and carry back their own water bottles.
Those who wish to volunteer can contact Varun on Mob: 96868-55539.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Sports / November 28th, 2019
An excerpt from She Dared: Women in Indian sport, a book on the stories of leading women in Indian sport by Abhishek Dubey and Sanjeeb Mukherjea.
The women of the family and society form the fulcrum of many of the rituals related to the weddings in Kodagu (Coorg).The conducive ecosystem for the growth and development of the girl child manifests itself in the personas of the two Ashwinis who hail from this region – Ashwini Nachappa, in the closing decades of twentieth century India, and Ashwini Ponnappa in the opening decades of twenty-first century India.
As Ashwini Nachappa says, ‘The name “Ashwini” means “a female horse”.’ The two mares from Coorg have been brand ambassadors of Indian sports in terms of talent, strength, articulation and finesse. If Ashwini Nachappa galloped to success in athletics, Ashwini Ponnappa has been the stable and consistent force in the Indian badminton story. The two Ashwinis spread across generations give us the trailer of what the daughters of the country can achieve if they get a congenial environment for their growth. We have been through the pages of the sporting journey of India’s Florence Griffith Joyner or Flo-Jo, i.e. Ashwini Nachappa. It’s the turn of Ashwini Ponnappa now.
Born on 18 September 1989 in Coorg, Karnataka, Ashwini Ponnappa has sports flowing in her genes. ‘My dad M.A. Ponnappa was a hockey player. We have uncles who were hockey players and relatives who were into athletics and cricket. So, yes, we do belong to a sporty family. This has helped in my career as well. Dad was pretty fit and helped me with my physical fitness during tournaments, and in the off season when we didn’t have any training. Mum helped me with my diet and made sure that I ate right. More importantly, she helped me in keeping calm. The most important aspect is that they were with me always, irrespective of what happened in the match, and encouraged me to follow my dream of playing badminton and doing really well,’ says Ashwini.
Sports teaches us many things in life. And this is what one expects from parents who understand the meaning of sports. But did she take up sports as she happened to be from a sports family? ‘More than the sports family itself, I was a hyperactive child, and to keep me busy, my parents put me into sports. One thing followed another. Both my parents were working, and to keep me engaged, they put me in badminton. As is common amongst many of the players, I began with enjoying the game and playing with my parents. Thus, it all started as fun with badminton. Then I started attending coaching sessions. Actually, right next to Dad’s bank, there was a single badminton court which also had a coach. So it was convenient, as Dad used to drop me off there and then pick me up. After this, as this became part of my routine, Dad and mom started taking turns to pick me up and drop me off.’ Ashwini takes us down memory lane. This picking up and dropping off continued in the coming years with a new set ofchallenges. Professional sports demands frequent travel. In the case of a girl child, this becomes critical. For Ashwini Ponnappa, it was more challenging than usual—especially with both of her parents working. Her father used to travel with her for most of the tournaments, as her mother was at home looking after her younger brother who had asthma.
Among other things, what sports teaches us in life is the ability to take both victory and defeat in stride and move ahead. This lesson of sports, if learnt well, helps the best of the sportspersons not to take or put undue pressure. When a sportsperson is able to reach this zone, they perform their best.
Ashwini Ponnappa says, ‘There was no pressure as such from my parents to take up badminton. Most of us start as singles players and it was the same in my case. Gradually, I started moving up through the different age categories. I was runners- up in under-10, but the champion in under-13. Actually, it was from there that things started picking up for me. The state championships was followed by the nationals. I still remember that when I actually beat my partner, there was a change in the way I approached my game.’
Professional sports demand that one peaks as one starts entering the prime of one’s youth. This means forgoing many things that look like a sacrifice in the eyes of others. But for those who take up sports as their passion and a way of life, these are not sacrifices, but the means to achieve their end. Ashwini Ponnappa says, ‘I saw the best of both the worlds—school life and badminton. I was fortunate to have very good teachers in school. It was in the later stages i.e., when studies started getting serious in class VIII, that I started paying all my attention to badminton. And the fact that I was just an average student and more inclined towards badminton made my decision of taking up sports easier.’ And then she goes on to elaborate this further when she says, ‘I do remember my prelims happened when I was busy with my nationals. I fared badly in my prelims, but my teachers were very confident that I would do well in my board exams. They would say, “Don’t worry, you will do well.” My parents also did not put any pressure on me. It was during this time that I put in a lot of effort in my studies and I felt really happy when I did well.’ Ashwini does understand the significance of easing off the pressure during this crucial phase.
She says, ‘I had no pressure. I have seen my peers struggling to get permission to go for tournaments. But contrary to this, I easily used to get my leaves and had the liberty to leave the class early for my training sessions. For instance, my school closed at 3:30 pm, but I was allowed to leave at 2:30 pm. so that I could get an hour extra for my practice.’ Sports teaches us to be multitaskers in the formative years of our life. ‘At a young age, you learn how to juggle between your studies and sports, and I think this toughens you,’ she says. What was the regimen that gave her the initial rigorous training in multitasking?
‘My daily routine then was quite different because I had to manage both, my school, and then my college, along with training. Luckily, I had wonderful principals both in school and college. I was given permission to take off early from college to train. So my daily routine was waking up and starting my day with physical fitness exercises at the ground at around 6 am, then rush home to get ready for school which started at 8:30 am ‘Then I would leave school at around 2:30 pm for practice, even though school got over at 3:30 pm. I would finish practice and head back home at around 6:30 pm. So my entire day was filled with training sessions and practice, along with resting and eating,’ says Ashwini. If youngsters try multitasking as a routine early in life, it helps them in so many other aspects later on in life. One aspect follows another and eventually a beautifully-crafted success story emerges.
Excerpted with permission from She Dared: Women in Indian Sport published by Rupa Publications India. The book is available on Amazon for Rs 242 only.
source: http://www.thenewsminute.com / The News Minute / Home> Book Excerpt / by Abhishek Dubey and Sanjeeb Mukherjea / November 26th, 2019
Kodava Samaja Cultural and Sports Club, Vijayanagar, felicitated city advocate Jammada M. Aiyanna recently during the Cultural Day function of the Club.
He is seen with (from left) Nagachettira S. Uthappa – Committee Member, Machimada P. Nanaiah – President, Kuttimada D. Muthappa – Vice-President, Mechanda S. Bopanna – Committee Member (partially seen), Aramanamada M. Ponnanna – Committee Member, Kannambira N. Kushalappa – Hon. Secretary, Iychanda Ashwath Chengappa – Treasurer, Meederira K. Prakash – Joint Secretary, Alemada K. Nanjappa – Committee Member and Chemira B. Chengappa – Committee Member.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> PhotoNews / November 27th, 2019
Time to congratulate tennis ace Rohan Bopanna and his wife and psychologist Supriya Annaiah as they are celebrating their wedding anniversary.
The two, who tied the knot in 2012, are celebrating their seventh wedding anniversary.
Rohan took to social media and shared a stunning picture with his wife. He captioned his post as, “Wishing you a Happy 7th Anniversary wife & mom from Tridha & me Thank you for your all your support & your unconditional love. @supriya.perspective #weddinganniversary #marriage #7yrs.”
Along with fans, tennis player Mahesh Bhupathi, who is married to Bollywood actress Lara Dutta, and actress Nidhi Subbaiah, who acted in Hindi films like Oh My God and Ajab Gazabb Love, poured in love in the form of comments.
Check out Rohan Bopanna’s post right here:
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