‘Permanent solution needed to prevent elephant-human conflicts’

Madikeri:

“There is an urgent need to find a permanent solution to prevent wild elephant-human conflicts,” stated Meriyanda Sanketh Poovaiah, Member of the State Board  of Wildlife (SBWL).

Speaking at the ‘World Elephant Day‘ celebration organised by the Madikeri Wildlife Division of the Kodagu Circle at Harangi Elephant Camp, Poovaiah highlighted the critical role of community involvement.

“Rescuing wild elephants is not solely the responsibility of the Forest Department and the Government. There is an immediate need for the participation of border residents, organisations and the public in this effort,” he emphasised.

Poovaiah also mentioned that, to address the rising human-wild elephant conflicts in Kodagu district, a consultation meeting was held with Forest Ministers and officials from the neighbouring States of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. A decision on this matter will be taken by the Chief Minister’s Legal Advisor and Virajpet MLA A.S. Ponnanna.

During the event, Dubare Elephant Camp Veterinarian Dr. Chittiappa educated students about elephants and their habitats, answering their questions. Madikeri Regional Division Deputy Conservator of Forests (DCF) Bhaskar underscored the significance of World Elephant Day.

The elephants at the Dubare camp, including Lakshmana, Eshwara, Ekadanta, Vikrama, Rama and Karna, were bathed, anointed with castor oil, adorned and honoured with a puja. Mahouts Putta, Manju, Vishwanath, Nagaraja, Sanju and Manja guided the elephants in raising their trunks to greet the guests.

Notable attendees included Kodagu Elephant Task Force DCF P. Anusha, Virajpet Subdivision Conservator of Forests N.H. Jagannath, Forest Mobile Squad DCF Syed Ahmed Sha Hussain, Madikeri Wildlife Division DCF K.A. Nehru, ACF Srinivas, along with Forest Officials N.C. Shaman, Mariswamy, Range Forest Officers (RFOs) Rathan Kumar, Kotresh, Aravind & Ravindra and Deputy Range Forest Officers (DRFOs).

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / September 02nd, 2024

Winners of 14th Celebration Mysore Marathon 2024

Mysuru:

More than 800 sports enthusiasts took part in the 14th edition of Celebration Mysore Marathon, organised by Life is Calling in city this morning.

The marathon was flagged-off by Mountaineer Dr. Usha Hegde  in front of Kote Anjaneyaswamy Temple near the Balarama Gate of Mysore Palace at 6 am.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Usha Hegde said that taking part in sports event is important for people to stay fit and healthy. “Events like marathon should be organised more frequently to enhance the health conditions of those taking part,” she added.

The event comprised 30K Run, 21K Half Marathon, 10K Run and 5K Fun Run/ Walk. Organisers had made all necessary arrangements for the runners including drinking water at various points, medical team and ambulance on stand-by, and direction boards for the benefit of the participants.

Results

Open Male 10K Run

1. S.Y. Prajwal (36:35.7), 2. A. Abishek (36:35.9), 3. K. Kiran (37:00.00).

Senior Male 10K Run

1. Chandrasekaran Subramanian (45:14), 2. K.R. Ramakrishna (48:18), 3. N.T. Ranjit (48:37).

Veteran Male 10K Run

1. Ravindra Gundurao (54:18), 2. Hosur Udaykumar Shetty (56:26), 3. L. Ananth (59:42).

Open Female 10K Run

1. Deepika Prakash (46:45), 2. Seema Dasila (50:51), 3. Sandhya Satyan (51:53).

Senior Female 10K Run

1. Mamta Bharaktiya (01:04.44), 2. Shobha (01:07.12), 3. Dr. B.H. Vatsala (01:11.23).

Veteran Female 10K

1. Shamala Padmanabhan (01:33.38), 2. Geetha Vijaya (01:53.23).

Open Male Half Marathon (21K Run)

1. Madhusudhan (01:20.26), 2. Syed Atif Umar (01:29.51), 3. Dhanasekar Rajendran (01:31.36).

Senior Male Half Marathon

1. B.K. Madhukar (01:34.49), 2. Bhagya Mohan Konwar (01:45.02), 3. R. Sujanya (01:45.09).

Veteran Male Half Marathon

1. Girish Gubbi Dasappa (02:23.52), 2. Sanjeeva Balkur (02:25.20), 3. Kurupath Sureshkumar (02:35.20) .

Open Female Half Marathon

1. Meera (02:05.34), 2. Bharathi Chandrashekar (02:16.44), 3. K. Madhavi (02:16.45).

Senior Female Half Marathon

1. Divya Madaiah (02:22.04), 2. Sarvanidhi Thakur (02:24.24), 3. Rashmi Urs (02:44.03).

Veteran Female Half Marathon

1. S.G. Vijaya  (02:18.58).

Open Male 30K Run


1. Mohmmad Sahil Annigeri (01:54.12), 2. Sreejin Thankamani (02:13.08), 3. Chan Pasha (02:19.22).

Senior Male 30K Run

1. Reji Kumar Aravindakshan (02:25.58), 2. Ravikumar Yalagach (02:26.00), 3. Siddhartha Menon (02:27.04).

Veteran Male 30K Run

1. G. Mohan Rao (04:14.20), 2. Ramakrishna (04:44.54).

Open Female 30K Run

1. Pragati Gupta (02:36.17), 2. Mamta Yadav (02:53.19), 3. Bindu J. Prakash (03:25.23).

Senior Female 30K Run

1. Suman Srinivasa (02:56.02), 2. Rajalakshmy Mani (03:37.26), 3. Chintana M. Patkar (03:56.56).

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News (headline edited) / September 01st, 2024

Home Minister calls on Mittoo Chengappa

Madikeri:

Home Minister Dr. G. Parameshwar called on senior Congress leader Mittoo Chengappa at his residence in Kushalnagar on Thursday, 16th May 2024.

Earlier, Dr. Parameshwar had gone to Kumbaragadige village near Mutlu in Somwarpet, Kodagu district, where he met the family of U.S. Meena, a minor girl who was recently beheaded by a man. The Minister inquired about Mittoo Chengappa’s health and reminisced about old memories as Congress activists and wished him good health before leaving.

Madikeri MLA Dr. Manthar Gowda, former MLC Veena Achaiah, KPCC General Secretary K.P. Chandrakala, Congress youth leader N. Madhu and other prominent leaders were present with the Minister during his visit to Chengappa’s residence.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / May 18th, 2024

Aditi Chengappa roots for indie filmmakers’ creativity

Busy working on high-budget Telugu period-drama “Rudhramadevi”, southern actress Aditi Chengappa is simultaneously working on multi-lingual film “X”.

Busy working on high-budget Telugu period-drama “Rudhramadevi”, southern actress Aditi Chengappa is simultaneously working on multi-lingual film “X” and says she agreed to do the indie movie because she prefers “quality over quantity”

“X” is being directed by eleven filmmakers – Abhinav Shiv Tiwari, Anu Menon, Hemant Gaba, Pratim D. Gupta, Q, Raja Sen, Rajshree Ojha, Sandeep Mohan, Sudhish Kamath, Suparn Verma and Gautham Vasudev Menon. She is wowed by the creativity brought forth by the independent filmmakers to the project.

“I think what makes independent filmmakers brilliant is their creativity and resourcefulness. It is far more challenging, and I have a lot of respect for them. The crew seemed more like a group of my friends. We had a fantastic time shooting, no ego, no fuss, just hardworking and enthusiastic filmmaking.

Despite knowing “X” is an independent project and might have a limited release, Aditi signed the film because for her “it’s always been quality over quantity”. 

“I’m aware that it may not have a wide release, however what satisfies me is that I’m part of a very classy and intelligent filmmaking process, honestly a dream come true.”

Aditi, who has starred in southern films such as “Konjam Koffee Konjam Kadhal” and “Takita Takita”, is cast opposite Rajat Kapoor in “X”.

“It was a pleasure working with Rajat, who is so talented and respected and yet down to earth. I was nervous initially, but he broke the ice and made things comfortable with his great sense of humoUr on the sets,” Aditi said.

She further added: “I admire his presence of mind in every moment. His attention to details in each performance and situation is impeccable.”

Aditi, who calls this exercise of collaborating and working “a unique concept”, has been shooting for her part for over the past few days. The part featuring her is being directed by Sudhish Kamath.

“X”, being produced by Manish Mundra, is slated to release later this year.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Telugu / by IANS / August 29th, 2013

Centre to boost coffee growers with Rs. 308 crore aid package

Chikkamagalur:  

The Union Commerce Ministry has announced a significant boost for coffee growers with a grant of Rs. 307.80 crore.

This aid, channelled through the Coffee Board, aims to provide much-needed support to the coffee industry in the region. It will provide coffee planters with access to subsidies for plantation development.

According to Coffee Board President Dinesh Devabrinda, the grant has increased by 36 percent compared to the previous year. In 2022-23, Rs. 228.23 crore was allocated, while in 2023-24, the amount was raised to Rs. 307.80 crore.

Package highlights

Key highlights of the aid package include subsidies for machinery and infrastructure, an education fund for workers’ children and support for coffee community initiatives.

Dinesh Devabrinda said that the eligibility criteria for subsidies have been expanded, raising the limit from 10 hectares to 40 hectares.

Coffee planters can now receive subsidies for a range of purposes, including the development of drying yards, warehouses, pulper units and coffee bean drying machines. Additionally, subsidies are available for establishing open wells, constructing tanks, installing sprinkler and drip irrigation systems, and upgrading machinery in coffee curing units.

“Our goal is to support growers by providing subsidies to increase the quantity and quality of coffee produced,” he said.

Damage survey

In collaboration with the Revenue Department, the Coffee Board will conduct a survey to assess damage to coffee plantations, with compensation to be provided to those with damage exceeding 33 percent.

To improve education for the children of coffee plantation workers, the Government has allocated Rs. 4 crore for scholarships. Additionally, 17 committees have been formed following the recent coffee community meeting to explore ways to increase coffee production.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / August 27th, 2024

Annual Kail-Poldh Get-together at Kodava Samaja on Sept. 8

The Annual Kail-Poldh Festival Get-together of Kodava Samaja, Mysuru, will be held on Sept. 8 (Sunday) at 10 am at Samaja premises in Vijayanagar 1st Stage here.

The day-long programme from 10 am to 5 pm comprises Ayudha Puja, Sports and Games, Lucky Dip, Honouring eminent Kodavas and distribution of Scholarship to meritorious children.

Scholarships: In all, 44 scholarships will be awarded to Kodava students who have studied in Mysuru and passed the respective examinations. Children of Samaja members are eligible for scholarships irrespective of their place of study and Kodava students who have studied in Mysuru are also eligible.

Details of Scholarship: 

Highest scorers in final exams of 7th Std., SSLC, SSLC (English), SSLC (CBSE), SSLC (Economically Weaker Section); PUC, B.A, B.Com, B.Sc. (Computer Science / Maths), BBM, MBA, Law, M.A., M.Com, M.Sc., (PEM/CBZ); B.E., B.E.(Mech), B.E. (Arch), B.E. (Computer Science), BDS, MBBS, B.Sc./M.Sc. (Ag), Diploma in Commercial (Secretarial) Practice, Best sports students in PUC I and II year; CBSE XI and XII and ICSE XI and XII, SSLC (CBSE), highest marks in Science; Post-Graduation in Medicine, MD or MS;

Achievers in sports at State-level; Graduation in Home Science or Hotel Management; Highest marks in SSLC for Kodava Police Family, representing University of Mysore, Kodava Samaja Members highest marks in B.Ed.

Applications for scholarship and honouring of eminent Kodavas for their achievements in various fields should be sent to the Hon. Secretary, Kodava Samaja, Mysuru, along with copies of relevant marks card and certificates before Aug. 31 by 5 pm.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> In Briefs / August 28th, 2024

I’ve always been intrigued about how people feel: Shubra Aiyappa

I’ve always been intrigued about how people feel: Shubra Aiyappa © Provided by The Times of India

Model and actress, Shubra Aiyappa, who abandoned formal education at 18 to pursue her passion of acting, feels that the right environment is crucial for one to be able to chase what their heart desires. In a conversation with us, she talks about her upbringing and emphasises the need for balancing boundary setting with being sociable.

Excerpts:

“I excel at getting people to open up. My fascination lies in understanding emotions rather than actions, delving into the nuances of individuals,” says Shubra, talking about how most people she meets feel at-ease confiding in her. “My friends say I could have been a therapist, if not an artiste,” she adds.

Giving context to this nature of hers, she explains how all of her life’s learnings have been experiential. “Whatever I have learned in life has been through books and experiences. Stories inspired me and helped me do better in life. I hope to create a space where people can be open and vulnerable. When people share their stories with me, I just hope that those who’re listening find learnings and inspiration to keep going from it, because life will always hand you failures along with successes, and it all boils down to how you confront your testing times.”

‘I’m grateful to my parents for letting me carve my own path in life’

I come from a simple South Indian family. I took part in a modelling contest which I never thought I’d win but when I did, I told my parents that I will be discontinuing my formal education, and they agreed. I think I flourished because they let me carve my own path.

source: http://www.msn.com / further acknowledgement: The Times of India / by Devika V Menon / December 17th, 2023

Once A British Colony, This Place In Karnataka’s Kodagu Now A Major Tourist Attraction


A fountain is also situated in the Raja Seat’s garden.

Paddy plains between the coffee and cardamom plantations, vehicles, and the settlements on the adjacent hill are other attractions of the Raja Seat.

Raja Seat is one of the most famous tourist hotspots in the Madikeri town of Kodagu, Karnataka. According to the Local 18 Karnataka, there is a pleasant atmosphere in Raja Seat, the whole day. This culturally significant site has been constructed on the border of Madikeri town.

After the British rule had ended, the coffins of the natives were moved to different places and a garden was developed there. A moat (deep and wide trench around the rampart of a fortified place (such as a castle) that is usually filled with water) and a garden are situated on both sides of this tourist attraction. Features like the tall mountain peaks and the trees growing on the slopes between them add to the charm of the Raja Seat.

Paddy plains between the coffee and cardamom plantations, vehicles, and the settlements on the adjacent hill are other attractions of the Raja Seat. If you visit this site early morning, you will witness the paddy field covered with a dense fog. The trees on the hills are covered with a mist (a cloud made of very small drops of water in the air just above the ground, that makes it difficult to see).

A fountain is also situated in the Raja Seat’s garden. Ziplining sports are a major source of attraction as well for the children and elders. Zip lining is an action-filled recreational activity that involves riding a steel cable on a protective seat or a belt. In this sport, the people have to ride between two points and generally on a valley that exhibits spectacular scenery. There is also a play park for the younger children. An interesting fact related to Raja Seat is that it was once a British colony.

Raja Seat was known as the place where the King and Queen enjoyed the view of the sunset during the time of King Chikka Virarajendra. During British rule, a grand pavilion with four arches was built here using cement and tiles.

Visiting Hours – Monday to Sunday 9 am to 5 pm

source: http://www.news18.com / News18 / Home> News> India / by Newsdesk, Local18, Bengaluru / July 29th, 2024

World Masters Athletics Championships: Mysuru’s Reeth Abraham wins Bronze in Triple Jump

Mysuru:

Mysuru-born athlete Reeth Abraham has won the bronze medal for India in the women’s Triple Jump final event of the World Masters Athletics Championships held in Björlanda, Sweden recently.

Reeth finished with a best effort of 9.83 metres, behind USA’s Neringa Jakstiene (9.99 m) and Great Britain’s Joanne Willoughby (9.91m).

The 63-year-old Reeth finished a considerable margin ahead of fourth-placed Hilde Bottin of Belgium, who managed a best of 9.29 metres.

Now settled in Bengaluru, Reeth is the daughter of late Ballachanda A. Devaiah (Chimney) and Tomy Devaiah, resident of Saraswathipuram, Mysuru.

A former Asian medallist in long jump and 100 metre hurdles disciplines and a former National Champion in heptathlon, Arjuna Awardee Reeth Abraham has four sisters, popular as Devaiah Sisters (Preeth, Geeth, Seeth and Neeth), who too were prolific sportspersons and have represented their respective Universities, State and country in various sports fields.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Sports / August 27th, 2024

Three-time Olympian Poovamma credits family support and encourages young athletes to persevere

MR Poovamma, a three-time Olympian representing India, spoke at the Press Club’s ’Gaurava Athithi’ program organized by the DK Working Journalists Association on Saturday.

She credited her family, particularly her parents and husband, for supporting her throughout her sports career, stating that her achievements are shared with them.

Despite being 34, Poovamma emphasized that age should not be a barrier for athletes. “I wanted to prove that I can still compete and inspire others, regardless of age,” she said. She also expressed her intention to continue her career for a few more years and plans to open a sports academy post-retirement.

Acknowledging her husband Jitin Paul’s support in managing her training and household responsibilities, Poovamma praised her mother for her unwavering presence at all her events since her school days.

She highlighted the growing opportunities in sports, noting the government’s supportive role through programs like Khelo India and improved facilities. Poovamma advised young athletes to remain resilient in the face of setbacks, injuries, and failure, encouraging parents to support their children’s interest in sports. She stressed the importance of good practice, adequate rest, and proper nutrition for athletes’ physical and mental fitness.

source: http://www.mangaloretoday.com / Mangalore Today / Home> Main News / by Mangalore Today News Network / August 25th, 2024