Category Archives: Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg

Kodava Family Cup Hockey Festival-2023: Kuppanda Team Trounces 3-Time Champion Kulletira

Kundyolanda family to host 24th edition hockey tournament next year

Madikeri:

The grand 23rd edition of Appachettolanda Kodava Hockey Festival came to a close last evening with the Kuppanda team emerging victorious. Earlier champions Kulletira team had to be satisfied with the runner’s up place. The Nellamakkada team stood third and the Palanganda team came fourth.

The Kuppanda family team beat three-time champion Kulletira team by a margin of 4-2 goals in the penalty shoot-out and the Kuppanda family became the champion for the first time. The Kulletira family had won the tournaments in 1998, 1999 and 2002.  The penalty shoot-out was necessitated as both Kuppanda and Kulletira teams scored one goal each during the stipulated match timings. While Kuppanda Somaiah scored the first goal for his team in the 16th minute of the game, the crowd erupted in joy. But the Kuppanda team’s jubilation was short-lived as Kulletira Avinash equalised the score for his team in the 22nd minute.

The Kuppanda team scored four goals in the penalty shoot-out while the Kulletira team could score only two goals. The winning team received Rs. 3 lakh cash purse and a trophy while the runner’s up team got Rs. 2 lakh cash purse and a trophy. The winners also got a rolling trophy given by the Kodava Hockey Academy.

The 24th edition of the family hockey tournament is planned in 2024 and the Kundyolanda family will play host.

More than 3,000 hockey talents from the Kodava community participated in the Appachettolanda Kodava Hockey Festival that was held at General Thimayya Stadium at Napoklu from Mar. 18 to Apr. 9 and in all, 336 families took part, a record of sorts.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News> Sports / April 10th, 2023

At 79, Padma Shri Ummathat Ki Rani is busy pushing for a Kodava ‘lipi’

Rani’s entire career has been dedicated to preserving and promoting the folk dance form, Ummathat, of the Kodava tradition.

Rani Machaiah (seated) was felicitated at a function in Madikeri on Thursday, 26 January. (Supplied)
Rani Machaiah (seated) was felicitated at a function in Madikeri on Thursday 26 Jan (supplied)

The news came as mellifluous as the song that accompanies Ummathat, the traditional dance form of Kodagu.

Rani Machaiah — better known as Ummathat Ki Rani  — was at her home in Madikeri when she received the news of the nation honouring her with Padma Shri.

Congratulatory calls have been flooding her from relatives, friends, well-wishers, and most importantly, from her large number of students since Wednesday, 25 January.

“A train of thoughts crossed my mind,” the 79-year-old shared her experience with South First. “I have worked for around 50 years, promoting this traditional dance form.”

She has been leading Ummathat since 1984 and she had trained over 10,000 students.

Rani recalled taking her students to different states to showcase the dance form. “Ummathat is performed by a troupe of 20 — two will be singing and the other eighteen will dance to narrate a story,” she explained.

“This dance form is similar to the traditional ones of every other state,” she added.

Creating masters

Rani doesn’t dance anymore. But she still teaches students to master the art form. She had trained several batches of students.

Padma Shri Rani Machaiah. (Supplied)
Padma Shri Rani Machaiah. (Supplied)

“Once they get married, they leave and a new batch joins. Girls of any age can join the troupe,” Rani said.

Her students had performed in Lakshadweep, Goa, Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Haryana, Mizoram, Odisha, Punjab, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and several places across Karnataka.

“We get invitations from various places and institutions from all over the country and we perform our traditional Ummathat there,” Rani, who has dedicated herself to preserving and promoting the traditional dance form, said.

Rani was born in 1943 in Siddapura in the Kodagu district. Her husband, the late Machaiah, was an advocate, who passed away when she was 65.

Her son, Sathish Machaiah, 55, is a software engineer in Bengaluru. Rani’s daughter, Saritha Devaiah, is a homemaker in Kodagu. Her husband Devaiah owns a plantation.

When asked about her inspiration to take up Ummathat, Rani said it was personal interest.

Now, a lipi

Rani is the chairperson of Kaveri Kalavrunda Sangha, an organisation she founded. She is the recipient of the Rajyotsava Award and many other honours.

She was a former president of Karnataka Kodava Sahitya Academy and at present, she is encouraging groups of Kodavas working on designing a lipi — alphabet or script — for the Kodava language to preserve its literature since the language doesn’t have a lipi now (traditionally, Kodavas use the Thirke script, which is an abugida).

“It will look somewhat similar to Kannada and it will have phonetics and extra words that are used in the Kodava language in Kannada lipi,” Rani said.

source: http://www.thesouthfirst.com / South First / Home> Karnataka / by Bellie Thomas / January 27th, 2023

Kodava’s passion . Hockey fest: Karnataka’s Napoklu village hosts 3,000+ members from 336 teams for an epic family sport

In 1997, Pandanda M Kuttappa, a retired bank employee, wanted to channelise this hockey craze to unite Kodavas and explore the potential of the talent in the region.

Hockey fest: Karnataka's Napoklu village hosts 3,000+ members from 336 teams  for an epic family sport - The Hindu BusinessLine
Members of different families get ready for Kodava Family Hockey Festival at Napoklu in Kodagu district of Karnataka. | Photo Credit: H S Manjunath
Members of different families get ready for Kodava Family Hockey Festival at Napoklu in Kodagu district of Karnataka.

It was a sunny Saturday morning when this reporter reached the General Thimmayya stadium at Napoklu village in Kodagu district. The men, women and children gathered at the stadium were eager to showcase their hockey playing talent.

More than 3,000 hockey talents from Kodava community (with a population of around 1.5 lakh) converge in a Kodagu village during the summer months to vie for the coveted family hockey title. This time it was the turn of the Appachettolanda family to host the hockey festival at Napoklu from March 18 to April 9.

Ask a Kodava, he/she proudly says that it is a festival, and does not call it as a tournament. So the organisers have aptly named it as hockey ‘namme’ (festival in Kodava language).

It is better to know a bit about Kodavas. A majority of people from Kodava community live in Kodagu district of Karnataka.

When you interact with Kodavas, they take pride in their representation in the armed forces — which include the personalities such as Field Marshall KM Cariappa and General KS Thimmayya — and in sports, especially in hockey.

There are more than 800 families of Kodavas with each having a unique name. Of them, 336 families are participating in this year’s hockey festival. The size of the families ranges from 100 to 400 people.

Interacting with businessline on the sidelines of the event, Pandanda Bopanna, President of the Kodava Hockey Academy, says “Hockey is in the blood of a Kodava.”

History of Kodava family hockey so far

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Festival objectives

In 1997, Pandanda M Kuttappa, a retired bank employee, wanted to channelise this hockey craze to unite Kodavas and explore the potential of the talent in the region. Kuttappa and his brother Pandanda Kashi Ponnappa started a family-led hockey festival in Kodagu keeping four objectives in mind.

According to Pandanda Bopanna (Kuttappa’s son), the first objective was to bring harmony within the Kodava community and families. Though many Kodavas were participating in national and internation hockey matches, they were not seen playing in their homeland.

The second objective of Kuttappa was to give an opportunity for local Kodavas to witness in real-time the game of their national and international players.

Pandanda Bopanna, President of the Kodava Hockey Academy
Pandanda Bopanna, President of the Kodava Hockey Academy | Photo Credit: H S Manjunath

Thirdly, Kuttappa wanted to provide a platform for youngsters in the community to showcase their talent, and take a step forward in their sporting career. Fourthly, the event also acted as a matrimonial platform and ended up in marriages in many cases.

Invests retirement benefit

Bopanna says that his father had invested his retirement benefits for hosting the first edition of the family hockey festival.

The first edition of the event, hosted by the Pandanda family, was named as Pandanda cup, and it saw the participation of 60 family teams. (The event was not organised in 2019 due to the 2018 Kodagu floods and landslides. Covid forced the organisers to refrain from hosting the event in 2020, 2021 and 2022.)

On the record participation of 336 teams this year, Bopanna says nowhere in the world would any hockey festival or tournament be played with such a large number of teams and players in one location.

Gender, age no bar

Gender and age are not a bar in this event. Men, women, and children can be the members of a team.

The only condition is that they should be from the same family. Women have the option to represent the family they are married to, or their paternal family. This year’s participation includes people in the age group of 6 to 84 years.

Highlighting her experience, Shivachaliyanda Dechakka, a 10th standard student from a sports hostel, says her family team won the first match, and lost the second one. She says it was a good experience for her to play with seniors.

While many teams have at least one woman representation, there are a few without them. In fact, the Kethira family had representation of five women, including the goalkeeper, in their team of 11.

Aman Poonacha from Palanganda family, an 8th standard student from Bengaluru, says he made his first entry as a player in his family team in a match on Saturday. However, he was not happy with his performance.

Confluence of youth and experience
Several stars from Indian hockey make it a point to be the representative of their families in the family cup.

KK Poonacha of Koothanda family, a former international player and former coach of Indian women’s team, who had just finished a match earlier on Saturday, says that he has been attending the family hockey cup matches since 1998, and his family team has won the cup in four editions.

KK Poonacha of Koothanda family, a former international player and former coach of Indian women’s team
KK Poonacha of Koothanda family, a former international player and former coach of Indian women’s team | Photo Credit: H S Manjunath

Showing the five stars on his family hockey jersey, Ajay Ayyappa of Palanganda family, who works in the Department of Central Excise and GST in Bengaluru, says that he makes it a point to attend the hockey festival every year, and adds that his brother Amar Aiyamma, a former Indian player, will be playing in the next matches.

According to Pandanda Bopanna, former Indian team players such as Nithin Thimmaiah of Mekerira family, Pradhan Somaiah of Pudiyokkada family, PL Thimmanna of Puliyanda family, PU Bopanna of Pullangada family, and the former India Junior player KP Somaiah of Kuppand family are participating in the matches this year.

A boy is seen practising hockey at Napoklu.
A boy is seen practising hockey at Napoklu. | Photo Credit: H S Manjunath

Terming this hockey festival as a good platform for beginners, KK Poonacha says they will get to play with the experienced players of national and international repute. This will be a good scouting ground for hockey talent also.

Stating that youngsters are motivated to play when they witness players of national and international repute, Ajay Ayyappa says it is like giving life to hockey again through this hockey festival, as people at the grassroots level are playing less these days.

Behind the scene

Appachettolanda Manu Muthappa, coordinator of the Appachettolanda Hockey Festival, says that his family has around 180 members, and they are actively participating in the smooth conduct of this event.

On resource mobilisation for organising the event, he says contribution of the amount from the family members and support from the public and corporates help them generate resources for the event. The State government has also been helping with funds for the event for some years.

A special gallery has been set up at the venue at a cost of around ₹35-40 lakh, and it can accommodate up to 25,000 people.

Appachettolanda Manu Muthappa, coordinator of the Appachettolanda Hockey Festival
Appachettolanda Manu Muthappa, coordinator of the Appachettolanda Hockey Festival | Photo Credit: H S Manjunath

Deepak Chengappa of Nayakanda family, who is the Tournament Director, says that 21 matches are being conducted every day. The event has five jury members. Around 200 members, including the technical teams of Hockey Coorg and the whole Appachettolanda family, are helping him in the smooth operation of the event.

The event has four national referees, and 15 state referees. With an intention to encourage youngsters to take up refereeing as a profession, nine degree students are undergoing training here, he adds.

‘Encourage talent’

Kishor Cariappa from the Ammatanda family says that even though a lot of promising players take part in the Kodava Hockey Festival, their talent goes unnoticed once the tournament is over.

“Steps should be taken by Hockey Karnataka and Hockey India to hand-pick potential talent and start grooming them. Even though 336 teams took part this year, Hockey India officials were conspicuous by their absence. Organisers should make efforts to invite hockey think tanks in India to the event,” he adds.

Kishor Cariappa feels that the Karnataka government can help build two hockey venues with stands for Kodagu Hockey Festival in south and north Kodagu so that organising committees don’t have to spend lakhs of rupees on curating pitches every year.

Do you know who hosted the event?

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Future plans

Pandanda Bopanna says that three families have been finalised to host the next three editions of the hockey festival.

“We are encouraging other families who have not hosted so far to come forward and host. It is an opportunity to gain experience. It is not easy to host such a big event. It gives the family time to bond and also gives their youngsters a chance of hosting an event,” he adds.

source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com / Business Line / Home> News> Sports / by A J Vinayak / April 04th, 2023

In the age of nuclear families, Kodava Keris aim to preserve, pass on culture

With urbanisation and changing social structures, nuclear families, which were intrinsic in preserving tradition and rituals, have replaced joint families.

Women and a child don traditional attire at a Keri function

Madikeri:

With urbanisation and changing social structures, nuclear families, which were intrinsic in preserving tradition and rituals, have replaced joint families. To ensure their culture is not lost, various Kodava families in Kodagu district have joined together under one ‘keri’ (colony).

“The concept of ‘keri’ – synonymous with area or colony – started in Bengaluru among the Kodava community. The concept was adopted in the district too, with the first keri being formed 27 years ago,” says Kayapanda Shashi Somaiah, a resident of Madikeri.

As Kodava families started to move to cities from their native villages, the culture of the community was at stake. To prevent this, the keri concept was introduced in towns of Kodagu, including Madikeri, Virajpet and Ponnampet. “There are a total of 12 keris in Madikeri town. Cauvery Keri was among the first to be established in Madikeri. ‘Dechur Keri’ was established in 1998 and is one of the largest compared to other keris,” explains Madeyanda Ravi Kunjiappa, president of Dechur Keri.

He adds that this keri has over 300 members and an annual meeting is held after Puthari festival, which sees the coming together of all members.

Talking about the purpose of a keri, Shashi Somaiah explains, “For instance, if a death takes place in a Kodava family, members may not be acquainted with the rituals that need to be followed. That is when the keri becomes a second family of sorts.

Before relatives arrive from far off places, keri members who stay in the same area come together to help with the rituals.” Keris have a president and directors who are elected by the members once in three years. Emergency funds too are collected. Shashi says, “Death funds are handed over by the keri trust to family members.” The community also bonds over other matters during keri meetings.

“When people from the same community gather under one roof, talks pertaining to marriage also take place. There are instances where two people have been matched during keri functions,” says Ravi Kunjiappa.

Ravi adds, “During annual meetings, children who have achieved in academics or sports are recognised and felicitated. Similarly, elders who have achieved in government services or youngsters who have excelled in various fields will be felicitated and encouraged. Communities get to share their triumphs and trials.” Apart from being a support system, these keris also help in preserving Kodava culture. “The annual meeting becomes a platform for various cultural activities. Youngsters and children are required to take part in this cultural extravaganza. Children get trained by elders in ‘kolata’, ‘umathat’ and various other cultural activities,” says Ravi.

These skills are then put to test in the form of inter-keri competitions organised in each township once in three years. While inter-keri events have been organised in Madikeri six times, Virajpet town saw its first event this year. “Each keri takes turns to organise this function, which aims to unite Kodava families from different keris. The aim is to promote Kodava culture among the younger generation. This is the best way to teach our children about our traditions,” says Madanda Latha Somaiah, a member of  Dechur keri. 

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Karnataka / by Prajna GR, Express News Service / March 15th, 2020

Kodava Students Association Gets New Office-Bearers

Mysore/Mysuru:

The following are the new office-bearers of Kodava Students Association (KSA), Mysuru:  Iychettira Bheemaiah – President; Maletira Laksh Dechamma – Vice-President; Ponnappa Bepadiyanda – Secretary; Iychettira Bhumika  –  Joint Secretary; Karun Karera – Treasurer; Viharika Appaneravanda – Joint Treasurer and Gowthami Kokkalemada – Cultural Leader.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / March 31st, 2023

Jason Saldanha, Thimmu Bopanna excel in Thailand Rally Championships

Indian rally pair of Mangaluru’s Jason Deepak Saldanha and co-driver Thimmu Uddapanda Bopanna from Kodagu made a stunning international debut by winning the national RAAT Thailand Rally Championship in their class at the Kanchanaburi stages here on Sunday.

Driving a Suzuki Swift 1.6L six-speed stock car in the RC2.1 class for Team Rally Insight, the top Indian rallyists made their way to the top of the class while achieving a creditable overall fourth among a strong field of 56 entries in different classes, including the top Rally 1 Super 4w drive class.

Beating rivals with superior and powerful cars, the Bengaluru pair, who recently took part in the South India Rally, performed beyond expectations.

With limited options, and only a few minutes of testing the new car and the new terrain, they excelled with a display of controlled speed and fine rally skills in the final six special stages ton Sunday and improved to fourth overall and first in their class, apart from the second place in the 2WD Cup that are held concurrently.

They clocked 1hr and 17 minutes.

The two Indian coffee planters will return to take part in the six remaining rounds of the Blueband Sports FMSCI Indian National Rally Championship (INRC) under Dark Don team but will also explore opportunities to extend their international experience.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

source: http://www.devidiscourse.com / Devidiscourse / Home> News> Sports> Article / by PTI , Kanchanapuri / March 26th, 2023

Thimayya & Thimayya will remind people that Shubra Aiyappa exists: Shubra Aiyappa

Directed by Sanjay Sharma, Thimayya & Thimayya produced by Rajesh Sharma also features Anant Nag, Diganth, and Aindrita Ray.

A still from Thimayya & Thimayya

Shivarajkumar-starrer Vajrakaya (2015) marked model-turned-actor Shubra Aiyappa’s first step in the movies. After a long gap of seven years, she is back in Kannada cinema with Thimayya & Thimayya, which is set to release this week. “I had a film, titled John Seena, directed by Suni, which had me playing a unique role. Unfortunately, it did not take off,” says Shubra. 

Directed by Sanjay Sharma, Thimayya & Thimayya produced by Rajesh Sharma also features Anant Nag, Diganth, and Aindrita Ray.  When asked about the delay between her acting assignments, Shubra says, “When I entered the cinema, I didn’t have any formal training in acting. So I went to the New York Film Academy to do an acting course. Then, there was the pandemic, which gave people the feeling that I took a really long break. In fact, I did have some roles come my way, but I couldn’t really take them up. It was only Thimayya & Thimayya that excited me enough to get back to the cinema.” 

Owing to the sabbatical, many might not know of Shubra’s passion for acting. “In my head, I’m an actor. But the sabbatical did not prove my acting capabilities. In fact, at NYFA, I topped the class. But practically, things didn’t work out the way I wanted them to. So when I got a call from makers of Thimayya & Thimayya, I was happy and excited,” says Shubra, who adds that she is optimistic and feels that everything happens for a reason.”This is my time. Hope people notice my performance in Thimayya & Thimayya, and it will be a good restart to my career.” 

Talking about her role in Thimayya & Thimayya, the actor says that her character ‘Sowmya’ is similar to who she is. “When I got the narration from Sanjay Sharma, I felt the character was some. I am a very ambitious person. I am very organised. In the film, I play the hero’s backbone, mainly because he doesn’t have these attributes. It is my character that stabilises him and puts the character back on track. I play an important role in his journey.”

Talking about ad filmmaker-turned-director Sanjay Sharma, Shubra, who understands the world of modelling and advertising, says, “Sanjay understands the importance of the right work ethic, and the value of time. I felt he was a perfectionist, who never tolerated mediocrity. He ensured all the actors gave their best. It was nice to work with somebody like him. It was like going back to film school. 

With Thimayya & Thimayya, Shubra also fulfilled one other dream and was dubbed for herself in the film. “I’m happy to have dubbed for Sowmya,” says Shubra, listing out the roles coming her way post her sabbatical. 

Apart from the Rishi-starred Ramana Avatara, Shubra will also be seen in the Tamil film, Aganya. “The film is about a father-daughter relationship, and I am working with Aadukalam Naren on the project. I have 10 days of portions to shoot. Meanwhile, I hope Thimayya & Thimayya reminds people that Shubra exists, and more opportunities come my way,” she signs off.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Entertainment> Kannada / by Express News Service / November 22nd, 2022

117th Birth Anniversary Of Gen. K.S. Thimayya

The 117th Birth Anniversary of General K.S. Thimayya will be jointly celebrated by Kodava Samaja, Mysuru, Kodava Samaja Cultural and Sports Club, Mysuru and Shri Kaveri Kodagu Mahila Sangha, Mysuru, at Kodava Samaja premises in Vijayanagar I Stage here on March 31 at 10.30 am.  

Samaja President Mechanda M. Shashi Ponnappa, Club President Kuttimada D. Muthappa, Sangha President Ponjanda Lovely Appaiah, office-bearers and members will be present on the occasion.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> In Briefs / March 29th, 2023

Tales of the Coast in the Capital

Chef Naren Thimmaiah brings the flavours of Karavalli to Varq, a pioneer of award-winning modern Indian fine-dining

The timeless Taj Mahal, New Delhi and its award winning restaurant Varq proudly welcomed the culinary legend of the south – Karavalli from Vivanta Bengaluru, Residency Road. This year, as Varq embarks on its 15th year anniversary voyage, it will feature unique gastronomic pop-ups, new innovations and reinvented concepts in the year ahead.

Varq, symbolic of preciousness, luxury and elegance, is the birth place of modern Indian cuisine in the Capital. Karavalli’s voyage to Varq, was the perfect marriage of authentic Indian south-west coastal cuisine with contemporary flair and artistic presentation. The unique pop-up presented an exquisite experience wherein culinary legend Chef Naren Thimmaiah, from Karavalli, showcased a special coastal menu celebrating authentic flavours and treasured recipes.

The uniquely curated presentation included dishes like Malabar Prawn Roast, Meen Porichathu (Shallow Fried Black Pomfret), Calamari Fry, Attirachy Ularthu (Lamb Roast) Chattambade (Fried Lentil Patties), Patrade (Colocasia Leaf Roll), Chevod Balchao (Lobster in Pickled Spice), Alappuzha Meen Curry (Alleppy Fish Curry), Pachakkari Stew (Vegetable Stew), Kashi Halwa (Ah Gourd Pudding) and Ragi Manni (Finger Millet Pudding).

Celebrated Chef Naren Thimmaiah, Executive Chef, Vivanta Bengaluru, Residency Road said, “I am delighted to return to the iconic Taj Mahal, New Delhi and its renowned restaurant Varq. Karavalli’s coastal delicacies have made their way into the heart of the South and we can’t wait to share our passion with patrons of Delhi-NCR. We take pride in our authenticity, the promise of quality and the connection with our roots. With the capital’s bustling culture of food, there couldn’t have been a better place than Varq, the birth place of modern Indian cuisine in New Delhi, to showcase our special Karavalli culinary art.”

Speaking on the occasion, Chef Arun Sundararaj, Director of Culinary Operations at Taj Mahal, New Delhi said, “We have been committed to offering immersive dining experiences to our patrons. Varq has been the one stop dining destination for celebrating the unique flavours of India, pop-ups by Michelin Starred Chefs from around the globe and for curating culinary art and innovation. Chef Naren Thimmaiah is a legend in the epicurean world and we are humbled to welcome him once again at Varq.  The confluence of Karavalli and Varq will present a tantalizing experience of exotic coastal recipes combined with fine dining with art.”

 Chef Naren Thimmaiah has been the face of the iconic Karavalli for over two decades. He holds the distinction of participating in the World Gourmet Summit held at Singapore in the year 2005. In February 2009, at the Government of India, National Tourism awards held at New Delhi, Naren Thimmaiah was adjudged as the Best Chef of India. Economic Times rated Chef Naren Thimmaiah among Top 10 Chefs of India – 5th place. December 2018, Times Food & Nightlife Awards – Chef Naren Thimmaiah was awarded Chef of the Year.  In August 2019, at the Eazydiner Awards, Naren Thimmaiah was awarded The Lifetime Achievement Award. In March 2022, he was recognized among the Top 10 Chefs in India by Culinary Culture.

source: http://www.bwhotelier.businessworld.in / BWHotelier.com / Home / by BW Online Bureau / March 27th, 2023

State Constitutes Kodava Development Corporation

Community welcomes Government’s long-pending decision

Madikeri:

The State Government yesterday notified the constitution of the Karnataka State Kodava Development Corporation. This comes just days after Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai made an announcement in Kodagu during the inauguration of the Appachattolanda Hockey Festival that the Corporation will soon be constituted. 

The notification stated that the newly constituted Corporation will strive for the comprehensive development of the Kodava community.

Virajpet MLA K.G. Bopaiah has thanked the Chief Minister for constituting the Corporation. “I had personally led a large delegation and met the Chief Minister underlining the importance of constituting a Board or a Corporation for the development of the community. Though this was a long-pending demand, the Chief Minister has notified it now,” he said.

People of Kodagu are thankful to the Government as the Corporation will exclusively strive for the development of the unique culture and distinct customs of Kodavas, he added.

The Kodava Development Corporation was one of the main and long-pending demands of the Kodava community. Expressing his happiness over the constitution of the Corporation, Kokkalemada Manju Chinnappa of the United Kodava Organisation, who was the force behind the demand, told Star of Mysore this morning that it is a huge victory for the community.

“Kodavas have played a crucial role in taking the State forward and reaching newer heights. We have unique tradition, customs, heritage and culture that needs to be protected and the Corporation is a huge step in this regard. The community has played a vital role in the country’s defence sector and sports field, earning national and international accolades, he added.

Though there are notable achievements from the community, Kodavas have remained politically weak when compared to many other communities in Karnataka.

“The State Government has finally honoured the genuine demand of a political and cultural minority. It is a well-deserved gift for the distinct community and the complete credit goes to CM Basavaraj Bommai, former CM B.S. Yediyurappa, MLA K.G. Bopaiah, former MLC Veena Achaiah, Congress leader and former Advocate General A.S. Ponnanna, other MLAs, MLCs and largely the community,” Manju Chinnappa added.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / March 21st, 2023