‘Bhakta Ratnakara Keerthane’, restored work of renowned Kodava writer, released.
Dignitaries release Appaneravanda Appachha’s ‘Bhakta Ratnakara Keerthane’ in Madikeri on Saturday. DH photo
Writer Bacharaniyanda Appanna has said that a chapter on the life of Kodava writer Appaneravanda Appachha should be included in school syllabus.
At a book release programme organised by Karnataka Kodava Sahitya Academy here, Appanna said Appachha laid foundation for literary activities in Kodagu.
Lauding the initiative of the academy to document the achievements of the writer in the form of a book, Appanna said such initiatives will bust the myth that the district still lags behind in literary field. Though most of the works are being brought out in Kodava, lack of adequate publicity has become an impediment in reaching literary lovers, he observed.
Study materials
Lauding Appachha as ‘Kalidasa of Kodagu’, Appanna said it is evident with most of the poems, plays and also theatre songs penned. The available study materials will help younger generation in getting a glimpse of the writer and his achievements, he noted.
Appachha’s works date back to over a century and he has written four plays in Kodava. One among them, ‘Bhakta Ratnakara Keerthane’, was facing extinction, but for the timely initiative of the academy. The work has got a new lease of life, he said.
Registrar of Kodava Cultural Study Centre, Mangaluru University, Kodeera Lokesh said, “Though the love for the land among locals is on the decline, there are very few who feel proud and also patriotic, speaking in awe about the contribution to defence forces in the country.”
The youths should take initiative in studying culture and tradition of the land. The academy is playing a key role in conserving the culture, by judiciously using funds provided from the government, he added.
Additional Deputy Commissioner M Sathish Kumar stressed on documentation of history related to Kodagu for history lovers. The available historical documents in the record room at deputy commissioner’s office can be digitised for the benefit of next generation, he suggested.
Works released
Researcher Biddanda Rekha Chinnappa’s book on ‘Swatantrya Poorva Kodagina Rajakeeya Parisiti (Politics in Kodagu During Pre-Independence Era), researcher Kambeyanda Deena Bojanna’s ‘Kodagina Mand Mane Kymada Mandgala Srimantha Parampare (The Rich History of Traditional Kodava Houses), Macchamada Gopi Seethamma’s ‘Neethi Joppe’ and journalist Ithichanda Ramesh Utthappa’s ‘Appaneravanda Appaccha Kavi Jeevanacharitre (Biography of the Writer) and Sirigandha Srinivasmurthy’s CD on ‘Kodava Bhashikara Samagra Dakaleekarana’ were released. Akademy chairman Biddatanda S Thammaiah, Madikeri Urban Development Authority Chairman Chummi Devaiah, writer Nagesh Kalur, deputy director (retd) S I Bhavikatti were present.
source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> Amp> Story> Content> 627810 / by DHNS / August 13th, 2017
Bacharaniyanda Appanna teaching I M Muthanna’s script at the Kodava Sahitya Academy in Madikeri.
Featuring unique words and vowels not found elsewhere, the Kodava language, spoken in Kodagu, is an independent Dravidian language. According to the most recent data from the Karnataka Kodava Sahitya Academy, there were 21 castes living in Kodagu who spoke the Kodava language: the Kodavas, Amma Kodavas, Kodagu Heggades, Kembattis, Airis, Koyuvas, Boonepattas and the Gollas (Eimbokalas), to name a few.
Kodagu was an independent principality in South India between 1633 and 1834. After the British annexed Kodagu in 1834, it was called Coorg and became a province of British India. After Independence, Coorg was retained as a state and placed under a chief commissioner. In 1956, when the states of the Indian Union were reorganised, Coorg became a district of Karnataka state.
Kannada was the official language in Kodagu for much of its existence. The Kodava language generally uses the Kannada script.
The earliest inscriptions found in Kodagu date back to the 9th and 10th centuries and are in Kannada. But there were two peculiar 14th-century inscriptions of Kodagu, dated around 1370-1371 AD found in the Bhagandeshwara temple of Bhagamandala and the Mahalingeshwara temple of Palur. Many have dismissed the inscriptions as a mixture of scripts and languages. In 2021, my work involved isolating letters used in both. I labelled the script used ‘thirke’ (meaning ‘temple’).
Several scripts
There have been a number of scripts invented for the Kodava language in the last 150 years or so. Koravanda Appayya, a doctor in the erstwhile Mysore State, had invented one with around 50 letters in 1887.
Kodagu scholar Iychettira M Muthanna invented another alphabet for the language in 1970. Appaneravanda Kiran Subbaiah, a sculptor in Mysuru, invented one in 1980. In 1983, he introduced a variant of the Kannada script to accommodate the Kodava language. Often, Kannada or Roman characters (the script used for English) were adapted, sometimes with additional changes.
Ponjanda S Appaiah, a professor, used the Roman script with his own transliteration system in 2003 to write in the Kodava language. In his Kodava-English dictionary, Appaiah used combinations of English letters for the Kodava language. He authored the entire book in the Roman script.
On the other hand, the ‘Kodava Arivole’ (Kodava dictionary) by Boverianda Uthaiah is in the Kannada script and makes use of 35 of the 49 Kannada letters.
In 2005, German linguist Gregg Cox introduced the Coorg-Cox script. Three years later, Charles Henry Kumar, a teacher from Mandya brought out another script to write the Kodava language.
Extra sounds
Boverianda Nanjamma and Chinnappa say that in addition to the five rounded Kannada vowels (with both long and short forms), the Kodava language has four unrounded vowels in their short and long forms and a nasal sound which accompanies some of the consonants. They have used five diacritical marks (symbols added above letters to indicate accent, tone and stress) in their works to accommodate these extra sounds.
In February 2022, under the presidentship of Ammatanda Parvathi Appaiah, the Karnataka Kodava Sahitya Academy discussed the various scripts used for the Kodava language. Bacharaniyanda Appanna, a former president of the academy, taught those assembled the script invented by I M Muthanna.
Upon comparison, it was declared that Muthanna’s script was the easiest to learn. The Kodava Sahitya Academy then recommended the Muthanna script to the Central Institute of Indian Languages to be made official.
Muthanna was of the opinion that his script was to be taught to children below the age of 15-16 years, says Appanna. “They will learn with passion and help promote the script when they write in it and inspire others,” he adds.
On why a script is important, Appanna says: “A script adds strength to a language, like how pillars strengthen a house. Yet, there are many prominent languages which do not have their own script. English uses Roman, Hindi uses Devanagari.” Having a native script is also important as it accommodates native sounds otherwise not found in other scripts.
Nerpanda Prathik Ponnanna, a language activist, has been popularising the Muthanna Kodava script by creating awareness about it through social media videos. He has also been getting signboards in the script for various shops, ancestral houses, and hockey tournament family teams.
source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> Spectrum / by Mookonda Kushalappa / May 10th, 2023
Traditional clothes, jewels and accessories set the Kodavas apart.
Madikeri :
Rituals and culture narrate the history and ancestral beliefs of a community. Traditional attire binds a community and signifies their identity, while also promoting its culture. One such is the Kodava community, nestled in the picturesque district of Kodagu, and boasts of a unique culture and even more unique attire.
Anyone who has attended a Kodava wedding will be familiar with the traditional dress worn by Kodava men. A half-sleeved knee-length black wraparound coat, a silk sash girding the waist and headgear make up the attire, known as ‘Kuppya Chele’.
“In the Kodava language, ‘Kuip’ translates to heat, and ‘ya’ means absent. In simple words, the attire that protects one from heat is the ‘Kuppya’,” analysed Bacharaniyanda Appanna, a Kodava historian. To hold the ‘Kuppya’ in place, a cloth belt called the ‘chele’ is used. The ‘Kuppya Chele’ is accessorised with traditional weapons.
Kodavas are a native Dravidian race that settled amid the thick forests of the ‘Malayadri Sahyadri’ range and speak the original Dravidian language of Kodava. Ancestors wore ‘Kuppya’ made of indigenous plant fibre called ‘Bolakka Balli’.
“When clothes started coming in from Kerala through the barter system, the ‘Kuppya’ or knee-length coat was stitched in white cloth. However, when the British came to Kodagu in 1834, the priests of the Church had issues with this attire. Since the white ‘kuppya’ resembled the habit of Christian priests, the British passed an order to change the colour of the Kodava attire,” explained Apanna.
It is said that the elders voiced their resentment against the British for meddling with their culture. However, a mutual understanding was arrived at. “During this rift, serge fabric came to India from England. Black serge was imported in large quantities, and became more convenient as it rarely appeared dirty. The ‘kuppya’ was soon stitched in black serge, but to ensure the survival of ancestral culture, white ‘kuppya’ is mandated on special occasions. The bridegroom, temple head or priest, village head or ‘thakka mukyasta’ are mandated to wear white ‘kuppya’. Even a dead body is dressed in white ‘kuppya’,” explained Appanna.
The ‘chele’ also witnessed a touch of modernisation, and the 25-ft long strong multipurpose cloth has been replaced with fancy brightly-coloured silk cloth. “During war times, the ‘chele’ was used to tie enemies and for other purposes,” said Appanna.
A married youngster wears the Kodava saree adorned with ‘pathak’
The comfort sari The women of the community also wear unique attire, and a mythological story is intertwined around it. The Kodava women wear a sari that is pleated at the back and the ‘pallu’ or loose end is wrapped around the front. “According to mythology, seer Agasthya and Cauvery had a rift, and Cauvery left Talacauvery discreetly. She showed up after ten days at Bhagamandala, and then left towards Balamuri, where villagers stopped her and requested her to stay. However, she flowed with great force, which caused the saris worn by the women to turn backwards. She was then calmed and promised to show herself every year during the Cauvery Sankramana celebrations,” narrated Appanna.
This sari also has scientific symbolism. Since Kodava women participated in agricultural activities, the back-pleat saris were more comfortable, and women could even climb trees easily. These saris hold great significance for the community and are paired with headgear called the ‘vasthra’. “Both Kodava men and women wear the head cloth. Our ancestors believed that the sun’s rays should never fall behind the neck and they covered it with ‘vasthra’. However, the headgear has been modernised to suit current trends and has intricate artwork, especially those worn by women,” he explained.
Traditional jewels The traditional knife called the ‘peecha katthi’, which was used in self-defence during ancestral times, forms part of the men’s attire and symbolises the tribal and warrior culture of the community. The ‘peecha kathi’ or dagger, and ‘odi kathi’ or traditional sword, are accessories for men, while a variety of traditional jewels add a touch of cultural flavour to the women’s saris.
“‘Peecha kathi’ was fixed to the attire using the ‘chele’. Earlier, these daggers had handles of wood. Now, they are carved in silver and gold and shine brightly on the traditional attire,” Appanna said.
The women have seven types of jewels. “At Talacauvery, the seven seers or ‘sapta rishis’ meditated. One could also find seven ponds at the centre, which are now covered. As a sign of blessings from the seers, the Kodava tradition mentions seven types of adornments from head to toe. However, only a few jewels have stood the test of time,” he explained.
Among the jewels, ‘Pathak’ holds great significance for married women. “When a girl goes to her husband’s house, her parents pack ten essential items – mostly traditional brass items – to be sent with her. These items are given to help her lead an independent life in her husband’s house, and must not be brought back to the girl’s house unless the couple is separated. To protect these items, a jewel consisting of ‘Naga’ (snake) god’s incarnation is tied by the mother of the bride during the wedding ceremony, called the ‘Pathak’,” explained Appanna. This jewel holds symbolic significance and is similar to a ‘mangal sutra’, while other traditional jewels include the ‘joe maale’ and ‘kokke thaati’.
Primarily nature worshippers, the culture, traditions and rituals of Kodavas are unique and tribal in nature. While the size of the community has shrunk in the past, steps are now in place to revive the community’s rich culture.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Karnataka / by Prajna GR, Express News Service / October 30th, 2022
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