Asian Games | I was encouraged to quit, but here I am: Joshna

Amazing Feats, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Records, All, Sports, Women/Girls (wef. Sept 03rd, 2022), World Opinion, , , , , , ,

The forty-year-old is competing at the Asian Games for a remarkable seventh time; the veteran, still chasing gold, is keen to add to her tally of five medals at the quadrennial showpiece.

Joshna is still going strong. | Photo Credit: PTI

For nearly a quarter of a century, Joshna Chinappa has stood like a colossus on the squash court. At 40, Joshna doesn’t seem to have lost her fighting spirit and tenacity.

She knows she is ageing, has tweaked her training module accordingly and has remained one of the finest players in the country a good 24 years after she made her Asian Games debut in Busan in 2002.

Taking part only in the women’s team and mixed doubles (with Velavan Senthilkumar) events at the ongoing Aichi-Nagoya Games, the veteran from Chennai is more than eager to bag another medal.

Seeded third in mixed doubles, the Velavan-Joshna duo will take on the fellow Indian pair of Suraj Chand and Shameena Riaz in the round of 16 after having received a bye in the first. In the women’s team event (Anahat Singh, Tanvi Khanna and Shameena are her teammates), the No. 3-seeded India has been drawn in Pool C alongside Japan, China and Iran.

On the PSA World Tour, Joshna’s career has overlapped with three generations of elite squash players. Most of her contemporaries — Nicol David (43), Laura Massaro (42), Jenny Duncalf (43), Alison Waters (42) and Annie Au (37) — have long retired, underlining her remarkable longevity.

Placed 73rd in the chart, Joshna is India’s third-highest ranked woman behind the 18-year-old Anahat Singh (World No. 17) and Tanvi Khanna (World No. 71). A winner of 11 PSA titles, she continues to perform at a high level and is determined to make another significant contribution at the Asian Games. Everyone who has followed Joshna’s career knows how meticulous and disciplined she is in her preparation.

Saurav Ghosal, a former men’s top-10 player, perhaps perfectly summed up her longevity. “First and foremost, she really, really loves the game. She’s immensely talented, but she has also worked tirelessly on every aspect of her game to remain at the top for as long as she has. I hope that she comes back from the Asian Games with quite a few gold medals.”

In this interview with The Hindu, the five-time Asian Games medallist reflects on her longevity, debut at the 2002 Asiad, most cherished memories from the continental showpiece, and the motivation that continues to drive her at the highest level. Excerpts:

You are competing at the Asian Games for the seventh time, becoming the first Indian sportsperson to achieve the feat…

I honestly didn’t think I would make a seventh Asian Games appearance. I just focused on my training and tournaments. It definitely feels great to be a part of the Indian team again.

You have won five medals at the Asiad, but a gold remains elusive. What are the chances of clinching the yellow metal?

We have a strong team and yes, it would be great to win another medal. I have always taken my matches one at a time, so I am as prepared as I can be.

Looking back, which was your best Asian Games?

Performance-wise, 2018 would probably be the best I played (singles bronze and silver in women’s team).

How special was it to be on the Asiad stage as a teenager?

As a 15-year-old, it was amazing to see so many superstars of Indian sport in one Village. There is one memory that stands out from my first Games in Busan in 2002. We are usually given our official India clothing and I would obviously wear that to play and train. But in my down time at the Village, I wore a personal T-shirt at the food hall a couple of times, and legendary hockey player Dhanraj Pillay told me that I had to be in my India clothing. It’s something we should always be proud of. It was inspiring for me because it made me aware that I am always representing my country at the Games on and off court… that has stayed with me till now.

You were part of the top 10 in the PSA rankings thrice. When you got there for the first time as a 29-year-old in July 2016, how did you feel?

The top 10 is a special place. It took a lot of effort, especially coming back from my ACL surgery, and years of work with my team.

There were top players like Nour El Sherbini, Raneem El Welily, Nouran Gohar, Camille Serme and Massaro. So how difficult was it to get or stay there?

I definitely played with a bunch of incredibly talented and hardworking women who were greats of the game. Playing with them, beating some of them and making it to the top 10 was one of the best moments of my career.

What did the win over Nicol — an eight-time World champion — in the 2018 Asian Games women’s team semifinals mean to you?

It meant a lot because I have always looked up to her and admired how humble she is as a champion. I really wanted to do it for the team. She is one of the greatest of all-time. Coming in from the disappointment of losing singles and making the team final after beating a strong team like Malaysia was amazing!

You had a on-court rivalry with Dipika Pallikal but shared a bond and went on to bag medals at the Asian Games and Commonwealth Games…

We have had some amazing wins together for India and I will always think of my time competing with her and playing alongside her as inspiring and motivating.

You have won 11 Tour titles. You had to wait 10 years to earn your latest crown, at the Japan Open in 2025. Why did it take so long to end the drought?

I didn’t expect to win in Japan. It felt great to win after ages, especially since I beat girls who were in their early 20s and were ranked way higher than me. The difference now is that I am a lot more relaxed towards competing and I am more performance-oriented than result-focused. Maybe it just helps me enjoy and appreciate these moments more and play better squash.

Every title I have won has come at different times of my life: they all have come after years of training and preparation. Each one has been rewarding.

How have you been able to sustain at this level for nearly quarter of a century? Is it down to mental sharpness, your focus on fitness, outlook towards life or all three?

The main reason I am able to still compete today is my parents. My team, including my coach, strength and conditioning trainer, physios, nutritionist and sports psychologist, has been amazing. The support from my sponsors, the State government, Central government and Squash Rackets Federation of India has been great. It takes a lot to compete at the highest level and it’s only possible because of the amazing people I work with. I do work a lot on the mental and physical side of the game besides recovery. I really appreciate and worship my body, which has been so incredibly supportive.

Joshna took to the sport after playing with her father at MCC. | Photo Credit: Getty Images

How much has the sport evolved since you began playing?

So much! At the international level, the game has become so much more physically demanding, faster and skilful. Domestically, we have many players playing, and the level has improved a lot. Seeing so many PSA (World Tour) events happening in India is wonderful because many of our players benefit tremendously by playing in them and watching the top players competing here in India.

Squash will make its debut at the 2028 LA Olympics…

Such exciting times ahead for squash. India has a great chance to do well.

You had knee injuries/surgeries in 2011 and 2023? How challenging was it physically and mentally to come back from those?

I tore my ACL on the right knee in 2011 and was out of the game for a year. I was encouraged to quit playing and get into coaching. I had no financial support but I moved to Bombay (Mumbai) and worked with a really good Egyptian physio and trainer — Ahmed Youssef. When I got back to playing, coach Ritwik Bhattacharya helped me. Some of my best victories came after that surgery because I believed I had a lot more to offer to the game and I really wanted to play for India again.

And in 2023, during the last Asian Games, I found that there was no cartilage in my right knee and it also needed a surgery. But I did the surgery more for quality of life as it was painful to do basic things like driving, getting out of bed comfortably and jogging. My surgeon, Dr. Jagdeesh, who did my ACL surgery, also did my cartilage surgery and told me that I would be able to compete again. So I moved to Bengaluru and worked with Yash Pandey at Peak Performance. I got back on court after five months of rehab. I decided to train and play for a couple more years to see if I could play the Asian Games.

How big a support has your father been and what are your memories of playing with him at Madras Cricket Club?

My dad is the main reason I am here today. He introduced me to the game as he was a squash player himself. I have the best memories of tagging along with him to the MCC and playing squash with him, other MCC members and my friends. He was my coach and motivator for a very long time, especially when I was a junior.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Sports> Other Sports / by K Keerthivasan / September 24th, 2026

Karnataka coffee estates sit on forest land, owners in a pickle

Agriculture, Business & Economy, Coffee Board, India (wef. Nov 17, 2021), Coffee, Kodagu (Coorg), Records, All

Concern has intensified as the Coffee Board is undertaking a detailed land survey of coffee growing regions in India, including Karnataka.

The Board official said Karnataka produces 70 per cent of India’s coffee. File Photo | Express

Bengaluru :

Coffee estate owners in Karnataka are worried. Though the State Government passed a resolution opposing the 7th draft notification for implementation of the Kasturirangan report, it has now announced that it will undertake a detailed survey of forest land, buffer zones and eco-sensitive areas in and around forest patches. This comes as a concern as around 30 per cent of coffee estates sit on encroached forest and revenue department land parcels.

Sources in the Coffee Board said coffee estates in Karnataka abut forest land. “In the past, land parcels used for coffee cultivation were part of forest and revenue lands, but were not a concern. Now with rising man-animal conflict, the declaration of ESA and protected forest patches, the area under coffee plantation is becoming a concern,” a source said.

“Most of the areas of concern are in Kodagu, Chikkamagaluru, Shivamogga and Hassan districts. The encroachments have not yet been legalised. If the land parcels are taken away, the coffee plantation area in the state will be reduced, impacting coffee production too. Further, if the Kasturirangan report notification on ESA is implemented, 30-35 per cent of coffee growing region will be lost as it falls under protected areas,” the source said.

Concern has intensified as the Coffee Board is undertaking a detailed land survey of coffee growing regions in India, including Karnataka. Through the survey the Board is also assessing the impact of drought and unprecedented rainfall in parts of the state which would impact coffee production during the next financial year.

According to Coffee Board officials, during FY 2025-26, 3.62 lakh tonnes of coffee was produced. Looking at the blossoming period, the Board had estimated production at 3.80-4 lakh tonnes.

A senior Board member, seeking anonymity, said: “There is limited scope for expansion of coffee-growing region in Karnataka, which is around 2.46 lakh hectares. The Board is looking at utilising areas where arecanut is grown in Shivamogga and Sagar for growing coffee, apart from regions in northeast India and Andhra Pradesh. But Karnataka’s suitable climate for shade grown coffee will be destroyed if land parcels are recovered or declared as protected areas.

The Board official said Karnataka produces 70 per cent of India’s coffee, and the Union government has set a target of increasing coffee production in Karnataka to 7 lakh tonnes by 2047. But with land becoming a constraint, rising man-animal conflict and buffer zone rules, this target seems out of reach, the official said.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Karnataka / by Bosky Khanna / September 23rd, 2026

Grant official language status to Kodava, Arebhashe in Kodagu: MP Yaduveer Wadiyar

Records, All,

Commenting on Chief Minister D K Shivakumar’s recent visit to the coastal belt, Wadiyar described the region as a stronghold of the BJP and criticised the government’s track record.

Mysuru:

Mysore-Kodagu MP Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar urged the Karnataka State government to extend official language status to Kodava and Arebhashe in Kodagu district, similar to the recognition granted to Tulu as a second additional official language in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts.

Addressing a press conference, in Mysuru, on Saturday, Wadiyar welcomed the decision to grant recognition to the Tulu language, but demanded equal efforts from the government towards preservation and promotion of Kodagu’s native languages.

Responding to plans to hold Kambala, traditional buffalo race of the coastal region, during Mysuru Dasara festivities, the MP said, “Knowing fully well that we would object to organising Kambala as part of Mysuru Dasara, they are still pushing it forward, attempting to create division among us. We are neither anti-coastal nor anti-Kambala. Instead of bringing it here, the government should support and enrich the sport in the coastal region itself, by allocating necessary funds”.

Commenting on Chief Minister D K Shivakumar’s recent visit to the coastal belt, Wadiyar described the region as a stronghold of the BJP and criticised the government’s track record.

“Merely announcing schemes and projects is not enough. Former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah made several announcements in the past as well, but none of them saw actual implementation,” he alleged.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> India> Karnataka> Mysuru / by T R Sathish Kumar / September 19th,2026

Dubare Elephant Camp Reopens: New No-Touch Rules and Entry Guidelines You Must Know

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Dubare Elephant Camp in Kodagu reopens today, Sunday, September 20, with a strict no‑touch visitor policy. The Forest Department’s updated protocols replace elephant bathing and feeding with distanced viewing from barricaded areas. Expect time‑slotted batches, safety briefings and capped crowds as day visits resume after months.

What changes on the ground? Visitors must stay behind ‘green zone’ barricades with a minimum 10‑metre buffer. “Public shall be restricted to designated ‘green zones’ surrounded by barricades.” Touching, feeding, selfies and entering the river are barred. Sessions run in batches of about 50 for 45–60 minutes; only calm, cleared elephants are displayed. Camps also observe a weekly rest day, usually Tuesday.

Dubare Elephant Camp entry timings and on‑site ticketing Entry will be managed at on‑site counters near the access point, issuing time‑slot tokens. Arrive early to secure a morning batch and avoid noon queues. The SoP authorises slotting and batch caps. Official records note a dedicated ticket counter. Carry cash or UPI and government photo ID. Expect brief holds if elephants show stress; staff can reshuffle batches. Families with seniors should budget extra time for queuing and the safety briefing

Bengaluru route and Sunday return rush

From Bengaluru, follow NH‑275 past Ramanagara and Mandya to Srirangapatna, then continue via Hunsur toward Kushalnagar. This is the quickest, with predictable facilities en route. Expect Sunday return spikes on the Bengaluru–Mysuru Expressway between 4 pm and 9 pm. Leave mid‑afternoon or after 8 pm.

Weather, river‑flow watch and Dubare rafting

Today’s forecast for Madikeri shows afternoon thunderstorms and persistent cloud, which can slow crossings. Rafting at Dubare runs only when river flow is safe. Check status on site before detouring. Heavy discharge or sharp showers may pause activities without notice, so keep plans flexible

Nearby add‑ons and safe alternatives

If Dubare fills its batches, pivot nearby. Harangi and Mathigodu elephant camps are already open under the same safety rules. Kaveri Nisargadhama’s forest island and the Bylakuppe monastery circuit offer easy detours for families. These options keep your day rewarding without bottlenecks, and suit a Bengaluru start and Sunday return.

source: http://www.nativeplanet.com / Native Planet / Home> Travel Guide / by Priyank Gupta / September 20th, 2026

Kodava weddings: Keeping Coorg’s warrior legacy alive

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Centuries-old customs preserved through attire, weapons and ancestral rituals.

The peeche kathi and odikathi are traditional symbols of Kodava identity, worn as part of ceremonial dress (Photo: Yana Kaveramma/Wikkimedia Commons)

Held against the green hills of Coorg in Karnataka, Kodava weddings are distinctive for the Kodava community’s warrior heritage, ancestral traditions and close-knit social customs. From the bride and groom’s traditional attire and ceremonial weapons to rituals honouring ancestors and community participation, these weddings preserve a cultural identity shaped over generations.

Away from the better-known coffee plantations and mist-covered landscapes of Coorg, or Kodagu, in Karnataka, the weddings of the Kodava community offer a glimpse into a distinctive cultural tradition where marriage is closely connected with ancestry, family and martial heritage. Traditional attire, ceremonial weapons, ancestral homes, music and community rituals come together to create a celebration that reflects the history and identity of the Kodavas.

The customs surrounding a Kodava wedding have evolved over generations, shaped by the community’s distinctive social organisation and its long association with military service. While contemporary weddings may incorporate modern venues and practices, several traditional elements continue to connect families with their ancestral past.

A community shaped by warrior heritage

Kodagu has long been associated with the Kodavas, a community whose history includes a strong martial tradition. Kodava men traditionally served as soldiers and were known for their association with weapons, while military service remained an important part of the community’s identity.

This heritage is particularly visible during weddings, where ceremonial weapons form an important part of the groom’s traditional appearance. The peeche kathi, a small ceremonial dagger, and the odikathi, a traditional weapon carried as part of Kodava ceremonial dress, are among the symbols associated with Kodava identity.

Rather than serving a practical purpose during the wedding, these weapons represent values such as courage, honour and the community’s warrior past. Their presence also reflects the importance of family possessions and traditions passed from one generation to another.

Where wedding clothes reflect a community’s past

The clothing worn by the bride and groom are among the most recognisable features of a Kodava wedding. The bride traditionally wears a sari in the distinctive Kodava style, with the pleats tucked at the back. The sari is accompanied by traditional jewellery that forms an important part of the community’s visual identity.

Kodava ainmanes, or ancestral homes, are closely tied to family lineage, ancestral memory and important community gatherings (Photo: Raqesh Thimmaiah/Wikkimedia Commons)

The groom traditionally wears a kupya, a long, knee-length garment, with a chele, a traditional waist sash. The ceremonial dagger is worn with the sash, bringing together the community’s traditions of dress and martial heritage.

The attire is not simply wedding clothing. It carries elements of identity that distinguish Kodava customs from other wedding traditions found across Karnataka and the wider region.

Ancestral homes at the heart of tradition

For Kodava families, the ainmane, or ancestral home, occupies an important place in community life. These traditional family homes are closely associated with lineage and the memory of ancestors and have historically served as gathering places for important family occasions.

Ancestral customs remain an important part of Kodava social traditions. Weddings can therefore become occasions to reconnect with the family’s lineage and acknowledge the generations that came before the couple.

The role of the ainmane also highlights the collective nature of Kodava identity. Marriage is not viewed only as a union between two individuals but as an occasion involving two families and their wider social networks.

Ancestral customs at the heart of the celebration

Kodava wedding customs include ceremonies that reflect the community’s relationship with its ancestors. Karanang Kodpo is one such traditional ceremony associated with honouring and invoking ancestral spirits.

The rituals surrounding marriage have traditionally involved members of the extended family, reinforcing the idea that the wedding is a community occasion rather than a private ceremony involving only the bride and groom.

Unlike weddings where religious priests and elaborate rituals dominate the proceedings, traditional Kodava marriage customs have historically placed considerable emphasis on family participation, ancestral traditions and community practices.

A wedding celebrated by the community

Community participation is one of the defining features of a traditional Kodava wedding. Relatives and members of the wider community come together to assist with preparations, participate in ceremonies and share meals.

Music, traditional songs and dances can form part of the celebrations, helping preserve elements of Kodava oral culture. Such gatherings also provide an opportunity for younger generations to encounter customs that may otherwise be less visible in everyday life.

Food is another important part of the occasion. Traditional Kodava cuisine, known for its distinctive use of local ingredients and meat preparations, forms an important part of wedding feasts and brings families and guests together.

Weapons that carry memory

The ceremonial weapons seen during Kodava weddings are among the most distinctive symbols of the tradition. Their significance extends beyond the wedding itself, as weapons have historically been closely associated with Kodava family identity.

The peeche kathi is generally worn by the groom as part of his traditional attire, while the odikathi has a ceremonial association with Kodava traditions. In some families, such objects may be inherited, giving them an additional connection to family history.

Their presence at weddings therefore serves as a reminder of a time when martial traditions played a much greater role in the social life of the community. Today, they function primarily as cultural symbols, preserving that history within a contemporary celebration.

Kodava weddings adapt to a changing world

Like many traditional ceremonies across India, Kodava weddings have evolved as lifestyles and social circumstances have changed. Families increasingly hold celebrations in marriage halls, hotels and other modern venues, while some incorporate elements of contemporary Indian weddings.

Yet the changes have not necessarily removed the community’s traditional identity. Kodava attire, ceremonial weapons, ancestral customs, traditional cuisine and community participation continue to feature in many celebrations.

For Kodavas living outside Coorg, weddings can also become occasions to return to their ancestral homes and reconnect with relatives and community traditions. This has given the ceremony an additional role as a means of cultural transmission.

A living heritage of Coorg

A Kodava wedding offers more than a glimpse into a community’s marriage customs. As modern lifestyles reshape the way weddings are organised, these customs are also being adapted to new settings. Yet their continued presence ensures that the history of the Kodavas remains visible not only in Coorg’s landscapes and ancestral homes, but also in the ceremonies through which each new generation celebrates family and community. 

source: http://www.mediaindia.eu / Media India Group / Home> Tourism / by Ananya Karn / September 20th, 2026

Scientific paper on genetic make up of Kodavas published

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B.K. Thelma, Professor in the Department of Genetics at the University of Delhi, South Campus. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

A scientific paper on the genetic makeup of Kodavas  has been published by scientists from the University of Delhi, South Campus, and the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad.

The paper, titled ‘Unique Demographic History and Population Substructure Among the Coorgs of Southern India’, was published last year in Communications Biology, a peer-reviewed, open-access journal covering research in biology.

President of Karnataka Kodava Sahitya Academy President Ajjinikanda C Mahesh Nachaiah in the traditional Kodava attire – Kuppia. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Journalist and author P.T. Bopanna, who is shortly bringing out a book on the origin of the Kodavas (Coorgs) based on the findings, said Coorg-born Prof. Buttiyanda Kuttapa Thelma of the Department of Genetics, University of Delhi, South Campus, and her team had carried out systematic sampling of the Kodava population across Kodagu using available genetic analytical tools.

Discussing the study’s key findings, Bopanna said the Coorgs are not a single population but three, each with distinct histories and genetic makeups. The study segregated the present-day Coorg population into three genetically distinct sub-groups — Coorg1, Coorg2 and Coorg3.

According to a summary of the study, Coorg1 shows a strong tribal genetic component (70–80% of ancestral south Indian ancestry) and is estimated to have formed around 2,000 years ago through the admixture of a Palliyar-like group with another Dravidian group (proxy Mala).

Coorg3, on the other hand, emerged as the oldest of the three, with divergence dating to around 3,000 years ago. This group carries a distinct genetic component that does not match any contemporary South Asian or Eurasian population.

The analysis further revealed that Coorg1 and Coorg3 combined to form Coorg2 only around 330 years ago — a finding that may partly explain the socio-cultural homogeneity seen among Coorgs today, the study notes.

Yet despite this unified cultural identity, the genetics point to a far more fragmented ancestry. Y-chromosome analysis suggests male Coorg ancestors may have shared genetic ties with Eurasian and Middle Eastern populations, while female ancestors were primarily indigenous to South Asia, the study’s summary points out.

The findings also shed light on historical migrations that shaped the Indian subcontinent, pointing to male-mediated migration followed by assimilation with native females. The Coorgs appear to carry one of the oldest Y-chromosome lineages to have migrated from Central Asia into South India.

“They were among the first people to settle in India during the Bronze Age, before the majority of male-mediated migration, which includes the majority of caste groups in North and South India,” the study notes.

While noting that the findings underline India’s complex demographic history — marked by multiple ancient migrations and deeply divergent lineages — Bopanna said the Coorgs have practiced strict endogamy alongside family-level exogamy (marrying outside the immediate family but within the community). 

Geographical isolation in the Western Ghats, he added, helped preserve distinct genetic boundaries, while stating that the study makes a landmark contribution to understanding South Indian ancestry, ancient migration patterns, and genetic evolution.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News>India>Karnataka / by The Hindu Bureau / September 18th, 2026

Kodava Sahitya Academy seeks review of references to community’s origin, attire in CBSE textbook

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A chapter titled “Coorg” in Class X English textbook Glimpses of India indicates that the Kodava community is “possibly of Greek or Arabic descent”.

As the textbook is prescribed for class 10 students across the country, statements concerning the history, identity and origin of a community carry considerable educational and social significance and therefore require particular scholarly care and accuracy, the letter said. | Photo Credit: M.A. Sriram

The Karnataka Kodava Sahitya Academy has sought a review of references to the origin and traditional attire of the Kodava community in the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) Class 10 English textbook.

In a letter to the Chairperson and members of the CBSE Text Committee, Academy president Ajjinikanda C. Mahesh Nachaiah referred to passages in the Class X English textbook Glimpses of India, Chapter II, “Coorg”, and sought not only a scholarly review but also correction and withdrawal of historically unsubstantiated statements concerning the origin and traditional attire of the Kodava community.

Identifying the passages in question, Mr. Nachaiah said the textbook states: “The fiercely independent people of Coorg are possibly of Greek or Arabic descent.” It also says: “As one story goes, a part of Alexander’s army moved south along the coast and settled here when return became impractical.”

The textbook also refers to “the theory of Arab origin” and states that the traditional Kodava attire, particularly the kuppia, resembles the “kuffia worn by the Arabs and the Kurds”.

Need for credible scholarly review

As the textbook is prescribed for class 10 students across the country, statements concerning the history, identity and origin of a community carry considerable educational and social significance and therefore require particular scholarly care and accuracy, the letter said. The Academy had received representations and objections regarding the passages, it added.

Mr. Nachaiah emphasised that such statements, particularly when presented to school students, should be supported by credible historical, linguistic, archaeological and anthropological evidence.

“The Karnataka Kodava Sahitya Academy places on record its firm and considered position that Kodagu is the ancestral homeland of the Kodavas; the history, mythology, traditions and cultural identity of Kodagu are inseparably connected with the Kodava community,” the letter said.

“Therefore, theories attributing the origin of the Kodava community to Kurdistan, Arabia, Greece or to a section of Alexander’s army should not be presented to class 10 students as established historical facts without compelling and credible scholarly evidence,” it said.

The history and cultural heritage of Kodagu encompasses a long-standing body of traditions, customary institutions, mythology, oral narratives, social organisation and cultural practices associated with the Kodava community, the Academy said.

Kuppia vs. kuffia

Referring to the perceived resemblance between the traditional Kodava kuppia and the kuffia associated with Arabs and Kurds, Mr. Nachaiah said: “Similarity in clothing, design or appearance, by itself, cannot conclusively establish ethnic origin, migration or genealogical descent.”

Traditional attire can evolve through geographical, environmental, cultural and historical influences. Therefore, any inference concerning the ancestry or origin of a community based primarily on similarities in dress would require substantial supporting evidence, he said.

The Karnataka Kodava Sahitya Academy urged the Committee to consider its representation and take appropriate corrective action following a review by suitably qualified historians, linguists, anthropologists and other relevant scholars.

The textbook refers to ‘the theory of Arab origin’ and states that the traditional Kodava attire, particularly the kuppia, resembles the ‘kuffia worn by the Arabs and the Kurds’. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> India> Karnataka / by The Hindu Bureau / September 18th, 2026

India International Coffee Festival 2027: the national coffee championships prelims arrive in Mumbai

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Barista Championship (wef. July 28th, 2022), Business & Economy, Coffee News, Coffee, Retail-India (wef. Jan 25th, 2025), Records, All

From 2nd to 5th October 2026, Nexus Seawoods in Navi Mumbai will host the regional qualifying rounds for the National Barista Championship, Brewers’ Cup and Latte Art Championship ahead of the Bengaluru finals.

Mumbai Prelims

Navi Mumbai :

The India International Coffee Festival (IICF) 2027 is making its way across the country, and Mumbai is next. Presented by the Speciality Coffee Association of India (SCAI) and the Coffee Board of India, the regional prelims of India’s national coffee championships arrive at Nexus Seawoods, Navi Mumbai, from 2nd to 5th October. These are qualifying rounds, not the main festival. Winners earn a place at the National Finals, held at the flagship IICF event in Bengaluru in February 2027. Mumbai is one of three prelim cities on the national circuit, alongside Delhi and Bengaluru.

Over four days, India’s most accomplished coffee professionals compete across three disciplines. The National Barista Championship prelims, sponsored by Kaapi Solutions, open the stage on 2nd and 3rd October, where technical mastery and consistency separate contenders from champions.

On 4th October, the National Brewers’ Cup celebrates precision and technique across a range of manual brewing methods.

The competition concludes on 5th October with the National Latte Art Championship prelims, sponsored by Kaapi Machines, where espresso, milk and craft converge in a display of skill and artistry.

While these are qualifying rounds rather than the main festival, the experience extends well beyond competition. Leading coffee brands, roasters and equipment makers will be on hand making it a compelling stop for café professionals, home brewers and anyone serious about speciality coffee.

Dates: 2nd – 5th October 2026

Venue: Nexus Seawoods, Navi Mumbai

source: http://www.communicafe.com / International Communicafe / Home> Coffee > News> Trade Shows / September 15th,2026

A journey to an ancient underwater world

Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Nri's / Pio's, Records, All, Science & Technology, World Opinion, , , , , , , ,

Alpena :

What can Lake Huron tell us about early life on Earth? Join a live streamed exploration today at 11 a.m. of one of the Great Lakes’ most extraordinary underwater environments and discover a world that resembles the Earth as it was years ago.

The backup dates are Sept. 17-18.

Hidden beneath the waters of Lake Huron lies the Middle Island Sinkhole. Formed over thousands of years as groundwater dissolved the limestone beneath the lakebed, the sinkhole plunges 80 feet below the surface into a colorful ecosystem unlike anything in the Great Lakes. This rare environment attracts researchers from around the world seeking clues about early life on Earth.

Freshwater explorers and filmmakers Zach Melnick and Yvonne Drebert are teaming up with Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary and Great Lakes Now for the first-ever livestream from this underwater time capsule, providing an up-close look at an area that, until now, has only been experienced by advanced divers. Using a high-tech remotely operated vehicle (ROV) equipped with high-resolution cameras, the team will descend into the sinkhole, following divers as they collect samples from the remarkable microbial mats that carpet the bottom.

Viewers will get an up-close look at the sinkhole’s colorful bacterial communities, vast carpets splotched with shades of purple, brown, and white. Scientists believe this globally significant ecosystem can provide insights into how life evolved on early Earth and how the planet’s first oxygen-producing organisms transformed the atmosphere. While beautiful to look at, the sinkhole is deadly to most other lake lifeforms due to the water’s lack of oxygen.

Along for the journey will be Dr. Bopaiah Biddanda from Grand Valley State University, an Aquatic Microbial Ecologist who has spent years studying the sinkhole’s unique ecosystem. Sarah Morrison, Media Specialist at Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary, will share how the sanctuary supports researchers looking to uncover the secrets of the sinkhole.

Biddanda, Morrison, Melnick, and Drebert will answer audience questions in real-time during the dive.

The date and time are subject to last-minute change due to weather conditions. Follow Great Lakes Now and Hidden Below: The Great Lakes on social media to stay updated about the expedition.

Hidden Below: Live is a collaboration between Great Lakes Now and Inspired Planet Productions to bring real-time, interactive explorations of the Great Lakes to audiences around the world. Previous expeditions have included the deepest part of the Great Lakes and the fish-filled warm waters surrounding North America’s largest nuclear power plant

source: http://www.thealpenanews.com / The Alpena News / Home> Lifestyles / by The Alpena News / September 15th, 2026

Documenting Kodava Culture: A Trip That Rearranged Something in Me

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Records, All, Women/Girls (wef. Sept 03rd, 2022)

Under the “Enhancing Indic Oral Culture” initiative on Wikimedia Projects

For the past two years, our team (Mr Santhosh Notagar and Mr Hariprasad Shetty) has been part of the Enhancing Indic Oral Culture on Wikimedia projects initiative, travelling across North Karnataka to record folk traditions before they quietly slip out of living memory. I had already written about our time with the Lambani community for this same project. When it came time to choose a language for Phase 2, our team settled on Kodava — the language of Coorg. And if I’m honest, this one felt personal long before it felt like work.

I’ve lived in Mangalore for four years now, and in that time I’ve crossed paths with more students and colleagues from Madikeri and the wider Coorg region than I can count. There was always something different about them — an energy I couldn’t quite name. Part of it, I think, was how close they lived to nature. Part of it was the quiet pride with which they carried their traditions, their attire, their food, into every room they walked into. When we realized how little of Kodava language and community history existed online, it felt less like spotting a gap and more like being handed a responsibility.

A Sunday in Madikeri

On June 21st, 2026, a Sunday, we drove up to Madikeri to meet Mr. Bopanada Poonacha—a man who earned a Master’s degree in the Kodava language in his late fifties, not for a career, not for a title, but purely because the subject wouldn’t let him go. I haven’t stopped thinking about that. Most of us spend our fifties trying to hold on to what we’ve already built. He spent his time learning something new, just because it mattered to him. He and his family welcomed us the way you’d welcome someone you’d been waiting for, not strangers arriving with a camera. His home stopped me at the doorway—Kodava architecture everywhere, warm and lived-in, nothing performative about it. But it was the small temple space inside that undid me a little. It wasn’t like any traditional temple space we would usually find in other parts of Karnataka. Just a single traditional lamp, kept burning, representing Kaveri Amma. No face, no form — just light, quietly doing the work that a thousand statues elsewhere try to do. Standing in front of it, something in me went still. I understood, in a way I hadn’t before, why the river and the mountain and the forest hold the place they do in Kodava belief. Nature isn’t decoration for their faith. It is the faith, unguarded and unadorned.

The temple consisting of mainly a lamp inside traditional Kodava House

Mr. Bopanada Poonacha in Kodava traditional attire for DDIOC 2026 project interview

Small details kept finding me after that, the way they do when your heart is already open. None of the homes had ceiling fans—they’d simply never needed one, the climate having always taken care of that for them. It was only with the creeping heat of climate change that families were beginning to bring in stand fans, almost reluctantly, like admitting something they didn’t want to admit. And every home had a garden, not manicured for show but genuinely alive—flowering plants, fruit-bearing saplings, and soil that clearly got tended to before breakfast. Nature at home first, in the plainest, most literal sense I’ve ever seen it practiced.

History, Food, and a Marriage That Belongs to No One Else

Mr. Poonacha spoke for hours, and it never once felt like an interview. It felt like being let into a room we hadn’t yet earned entry to. He told us how Talakaveri came to be and why nature is the most celebrated god in Kodava belief and walked us through their food and their history of hunting. He described their attire in loving detail. And then he told us something that quietened the whole room: a Kodava wedding has no priest presiding over it at all. No outsider is called in to make the moment official. It’s the community itself, the family itself, that carries the ceremony from start to end—and it’s the mother who ties the mangalasutra on her daughter, no one else, no exception. I’ve sat through weddings my whole life where the most sacred moment is handed to someone outside the family to perform. Here, it never leaves the people it belongs to. I didn’t expect that detail to move me the way it did, but it did.

One of the things Mr. Poonacha spent the most time on, almost like he wanted to make sure we got it exactly right, was the story behind the Kodava logo. It comes from the region’s martial heritage, he explained, and brings together three objects that have carried Kodava identity for generations: the Peeche Kathi, a traditional dagger; the Odi Kathi, a broad-bladed war sword; and a thok, a gun. Listening to him lay out each piece—what it was used for, what it meant to carry one, and why all three together and not just one—I realized the logo wasn’t a design choice at all. It was a whole history of a warrior community, folded down into a symbol small enough to wear.

By the time we were ready to leave, the family sent us off with homemade wine—brewed from betel leaves, from grapes, or whatever the season had given them that year. It felt less like hospitality and more like being fed by people who had quietly decided, somewhere in those few hours, that we were worth feeding properly.

Why This Stayed With Me

I’ve documented culture before, but this trip sat differently in my chest. Maybe because Kodava is endangered enough that almost none of what we recorded — the lamp, the wedding customs, the mangalasutra tradition, Mr. Poonacha’s own story—existed anywhere online before us. Maybe because somewhere between the doorway and the temple lamp, I stopped thinking of this as fieldwork and started feeling like a guest who’d been let in on purpose.

Kannada Wikipedia Team (DDIOC 2026) along with Mr. Bopanada Poonacha and his daughter

Two years into this project, I’ve learned that the folk songs and oral histories we record are never really the whole story. The whole story is also in the fan that isn’t there yet, the lamp instead of the idol, and a man who decided in his late fifties that a language still deserved his full attention. I came back from Madikeri a little quieter than I left, in the good way—the way you get when something has genuinely rearranged a small part of how you see the world. If our footage means even one more person online meets Kodava culture the way we got to meet it—with warmth and without a screen standing between them and it—then this trip did exactly what it set out to do.

source: http://www.diff.wikimedia.com / Diff / Home / by Reema Jalihal / August 26th, 2026