An ancient Shiva Temple, said to be about 700 years old, has been discovered at Bollumadu village in Virajpet taluk. The temple, found at a spot behind the Post Office on Kadanga Paraane is in a highly dilapidated state and is on the verge of total collapse.
The temple, said to be built using red stones, first came to be known to the villagers through Tantris in 2008. Subsequently, the villagers had cleaned up the spot by cutting down the trees around the temple. But as the temple was not accessible by road, no renovation works could be taken up and the temple remained in its dilapidated state.
However, the temple exploration resumed two days ago with villagers again cleaning the vicinity by cutting down the bushes and other plants. During the exploration, a Shivalinga stone sculpture was found in the well of the temple premises. Also, the almighty’s Ayudha (weapon) ‘Kadtale’ and small Ganapathi idols have been discovered. This apart, the stone sculptured images of Tripata, Kumuda, Jagatti, Kanta, Pattika and Devakoshta Sopanas were found at the temple foundation. After the discovery of the ancient temple, Bollumada villagers contacted Nayakanda Prakash, who is staying at Mysuru, seeking his help for tracing the history of the ancient temple. Prakash is a former official of Archaeological Survey of India and had also served as a site supervisor at Ram Janmabhumi in Ayodhya, UP.
Prakash, who visited the spot, opined that the temple dedicated to Lord Shiva may be 600 to 700 years old and it may also be a contemporary of the times of the ancient Bhagamandala Temple.
Prakash, who collected some documents regarding the site, observed that an excavation was necessary to trace the complete history of the temple, according to Bollumadu Gram Panchayat President Matanda Arun.
Pointing out that the spot where the temple has been discovered is said to be a Pysari land, Matanda Arun said that a few families are residing in the vicinity of the newly discovered temple. Though the temple was discovered earlier, it could not be reached as there was no access and as such no one bothered to go there. Now a huge tree has fallen on the temple’s ‘Garbhagudi’ (Sanctum Sanctorum), destroying it.
Now, a villager has come forward to part with his land to make way for accessing the temple, Arun said adding that the Kodagu District Administration will be appealed to take up excavation of this centuries old temple.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / October 23rd, 2022
Satara, Jul 6 (PTI) Three nature conservationists from Satara in Maharashtra claimed to have “rediscovered” a “nearly extinct” damselfly species ‘Lestes patricia’ after almost 100 years.
A colony of this sub-species, christened ‘Lestes patricia taamrpatti’, was discovered by Dr Shriram Bhakare, Sunil Bhoite and Pratima Pawar-Bhoite from Umrodi Dam area, situated at the foothills of the northern Western Ghats in the district.
According to the researchers, a single male specimen of Lestes patricia, endemic to the Western Ghats, was first discovered in 1922 from Kodagu (Coorg) district in Karnataka and the only specimen currently available is at Natural History Museum, London.
“The discovered colony of new species closely match the specimen of the single known male of Lestes patricia fromthe London-based museum. However, there are stable differences between the newly found species and description of Lestes patricia,” said Bhoite.
“While comparing the body structure and features of the newly found species with an existing specimen of Lestes patricia from the London-based museum, stable differences were found. That is why the sub-species from the damselfly family has been named Lestes patricia taamrpatti,” he added.
Dr Bhakare, an ophthalmologist from Satara, said the reason behind adding the word ‘taamrpatti’ was because thepecies has a coppery red-brown uniform band bordered by black.
“The likelihood the newly discovered population is, in fact, a distinct species cannot be ruled out, but cannot be confirmed until further, fresh specimens of Lestes Patricia are made available from the locality in Kodagu.
“Since the stable features observed in the newly discovered population preclude it from being indisputably placed under Lestes patricia, yet given the lack of comparative material, it is not possible to place it as a new species with certainty,” he added.
So the newly discovered population from Maharashtra is tentatively placed as a subspecies of Lestes patricia, Bhakare informed.
He said a research paper on discovery of the nearly extinct species was published in Bionotes Journal recently.
The researchers said 10 specimens, comprising six males and four females, have been collected for examination. Of the 10, two male and two female specimens have been deposited with Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), while the rest will be kept at other depositories in the country for further research.
PTI COR SPKBNM BNM
source: http://www.theweek.in / The Week / Home> Wire Updates> National / by PTI / July 06th, 2020
KM Cariappa was the first Field Marshal of the Indian Army in independent India who was made the Chief of Army Staff on 15 January 1949. He started his job with the appointment of a Second Lieutenant in the Rajput Regiment of the Indian-British Army. Along with being the first army chief, Cariappa was the first five star rank officer of the Indian Army. KM Cariappa served the country by serving in the army for 30 years and retired in 1953. But it was not at all that after retirement he stopped his service. Even after retiring, he continued to contribute to the army in one form or the other. On 15 May 1993, KM Cariappa merged with the Panchatattvas.
There is a very popular story about KM Cariappa when he told Pakistan not to release his son and treat him like other prisoners of war. But why did he say this, let us know. The talk is about the 1965 war when it was the last day of the Indo-Pak war. On this day Squadron Leaders KC Cariappa, AS Sehgal and Kukke Suresh were given orders to bomb Pakistani positions. But in the first round of bombing, Pakistani soldiers attacked the aircraft of AS Sehdal with anti-aircraft guns. Although AS Sehgal survived the attack, he had to go back to the base camp.
After his departure, KC Cariappa and Kukke remained in the field and were busy destroying the positions of their enemies. But in the meantime Cariappa’s plane became a victim of continuous Pakistani bullets. Cariappa’s plane got damaged and landed like a ball of fire in Indian territory but Cariappa’s body fell on Pakistan side. After falling, Pakistani soldiers surrounded him and took him into custody. When KC Cariappa was caught, he was asked if he was a relative of KM Cariappa, he told the Pakistanis only his name and rank.
As soon as the President of Pakistan Ayub Khan came to know that KM Cariappa’s son had been taken into custody by Pakistan, he immediately made an announcement over the radio that KM Cariappa’s son had been taken into custody. He conveyed information to KM Cariappa through the Pakistani High Commissioner in India that his son could be released if he wanted, but KM Cariappa, a firm believer in his principles, refused. He said that KC Cariappa is not only his son but the whole country, so he should also be treated like other prisoners of war, but if he wants to leave then other prisoners of war will also have to be released. Other prisoners of war are also like my sons. KC Cariappa remained in the custody of Pakistan for several days and was later released along with other prisoners.
source: http://www.newsdayexpress.com / Newsday Express / Home> Career / by Bhagyashree / August 17th, 2022
A new bilingual title of 21 poems deep-dives into the culture and literature of Coorg, hoping to become a tool to revive their language after UNESCO listed it as a Definitely Endangered Language.
Duditaptkaras, bards of Kodagu, singing traditional songs of the land
“Come and see the ainmanes of old where our ancestors lived as one.”
This line is extracted from Ainmane, a poem in A Place Apart: Poems from Kodagu, by Bacharanianda P Appanna, is dedicated to one’s ancestral home and sums up the core of this seminal literary project. For the first time, poetry by this authority on Kodava takkë (language of the Kodavas) has been translated and transliterated into English by cultural researcher Kaveri Ponnnapa. Apart from home, family, culture and tradition, forest and prayer are the other subjects from everyday life that find their way here.
The language spoken by an estimated 1.25 lakh Kodavas, it was listed by UNESCO as a Definitely Endangered Language. With her studied knowledge, Ponnapa swung into action to resurrect the language of her community. She collaborated with Appanna and his wife Ranu, an educator and poet, and together they released this ode. In the transliterations that appear in the third section of the book, Ponnapa uses the Roman script to relay Appanna’s poetry and creates an exhaustive glossary, thereby paving the way to familiarise it to the larger audience. This was after she realised that it was easy to read for Kodava speakers like her and those with limited or no knowledge of the Kannada script. The accompanying illustrations by Rupesh Nanaiah act as cultural markers of identity and though they are not directly illustrative, the essence of what it means to be Kodava reflects through this seamless symphony of poetry and art, making each poem read like a love letter about the land and its people.
Edited excerpts from an interview with Ponnapa.
What led to Kodava takkë being identified as one of UNESCO’s listed Definitely Endangered Languages of the world? There are multiple, complex reasons why our language finds itself in this position today, including the lack of good educational facilities and economic opportunities for Kodagu [Coorg], its people. The young continue to migrate out of the district. When this happens, there are far greater pressures for them to learn and use a dominant language such as English to secure their place in a new environment. Historically, the Kodava population has been extremely small. This kind of migration for an already small population implies that ultimately, we have an even smaller number of speakers.
The second contributing factor is that ours was an oral tradition. The historical method of oral transmission broke down to be replaced with formal education using the Kannada script, which was then also used to write Kodava takkë. It has limited the expansion of the language to those with access to a Kannada education. The diaspora in particular, who do not have the opportunity to learn Kannada, have no access to written works in their language which would enrich and expand their knowledge of Kodava takkë and encourage them to keep up with their mother tongue.
A woman carrying poliya, a basket of assorted food items which seals a new relationship between two clans at a marriage ceremony; (right) Stag horn dance of Kodagu. Hunting, a sacred activity, was once an integral part of life. These dances exist to this day. Pics courtesy/Kaveri Ponnapa
What did you discover while working on the project? I was deeply struck by how the language ideally expressed our specific experiences as a people, and like so many aspects of our culture, was embedded in the landscape, which we hold sacred. Appanna was born and lived in Kodagu when it was still an independent state, when our cultural identity was more strongly defined. His understanding and knowledge of the Kodava language, culture and landscape makes him an invaluable repository of our heritage, a great deal of which has passed into history, but needs to be documented for our future.
Since we were dealing with poetry and song—the traditional ways in which all our cultural knowledge was transmitted across generations—it was fascinating to explore the rhythms of unfamiliar poetic expressions spun out of familiar words, which, in the simplest of ways, became capable of expressing a great deal of meaning and emotion.
Ross Perlin of the Endangered Languages Alliance, had observed: “It’s hard to maintain the full richness, depth and complexity of a culture without its languages.” This depth and richness was revealed while writing the book.
All of Bacharanianda P Appanna’s writing projects are collaborative efforts with his wife Ranu Appanna
How did you overcome challenges of translations and transliterations? The use of the Kannada script for Kodava takkë comes with a series of compromises and challenges, reflected in a loss of linguistic nuance, loss of vocabulary as well as distinct changes in pronunciation and speech for the Kodava language.
While transcribing the words of the poems, many of them sounded different from the original. People habituated to viewing Kodava takkë through the lens of Kannada find it difficult to make a shift, and are content to stay with inaccurate renderings, until the nature of the language itself changes. It took repeated readings, clarifications, and consultations with the Appannas, as well as other native speakers and elders before setting anything down on paper.
Creating audio recordings—which will soon be accessible on my website—was another important way to access the linguistic sounds and rhythms that are lost when written in a script that cannot encompass many of its sounds.
Kaveri Ponnapa
How can Kodava takkë stay alive? One of the ways is to provide a more universally accessible script that is available to the greatest number of speakers. This is where Romanisation comes in. The idea of the transliteration came from my personal experience of being part of the diaspora, and despite being a fluent speaker, having no means to enter into the written works in my language to be able to expand my cultural and linguistic knowledge.
To order a copy : www.coorg.com
source: http://www.mid-day.com / mid-day / Home> Sunday Mid-Day News / by Fiona Fernandez, Mumbai / May 22nd, 2022
The day India attained freedom is etched in my memory. I was a young boy then. My friends and I were playing on the ground behind the revenue office in Ponnampet, a small town in South Kodagu. Even in the 1940s, the town was important as it had primary and secondary schools, a revenue office, a treasury, a police station, a veterinary hospital, an inspection bungalow, a club and rice mills.
It was around noon when we heard patriotic slogans drifting from the road across the police station — ‘Bharat Mata ki -Jai, Mahatma Gandhi ki – Jai, Jawaharlal Nehru ki – Jai, Vallabhbhai Patel ki – Jai; Vande Mataram’. My friend Ponnappa, about four years older than me, and I rushed towards the road, leaving others in the field.
What a sight! About 8-10 open trucks and a few cars, all held up on the road. Trucks were decorated with flags and buntings and filled with people waving flags and shouting slogans, which raised to a crescendo! An unusual scene in the otherwise sleepy Ponnampet. We joined the onlookers lining up on either sides of the narrow road.
To our surprise, two elderly boys in the truck in front of us, called us to come nearer to the vehicle. As Ponnappa approached the vehicle, the boys signalled to raise his hands. They then bent over and gently pulled him up into the truck. When my turn came, I was reluctant but Ponnappa egged me on to join. We were nervous until the others assured us that we would be dropped off at the same spot on the return journey. We too joined others in shouting ‘Jai’.
The procession moved slowly towards the town centre, greeted and cheered by the crowds on the way. It then reached Ramakrishna Ashram, on the outskirts of the town. Many went inside the Ashram, probably to seek blessings from the gurus. Our guardians helped us to get off the truck, but instructed to stay nearer to the vehicle. We were glued to our vehicle lest we miss our return journey. An hour later, our guardians returned with two donnes filled with delicious payasam. Soon the procession was on its way back. It crossed the town centre and was moving towards the club. Then, on instructions from our friends, the vehicle stopped, and we were dropped off where we started. We heaved a big sigh of relief. We waved our friends good bye.
Now, a greater fear gripped us — how to face our parents since we disappeared without their permission. Wishing each other good luck, we parted ways. To my great surprise, at my house, instead of an angry face, a happy smile of my parents welcomed me. Perhaps, they thought their young son could participate in the very first Independence day celebration.
Every August 15, my memory goes back to Ponnampet and revisits the first Independence Day celebration. ’Bharat Mata ki – Jai, Mahatma Gandhi ki – Jai, Vande Mataram’ resonates in my ears. I pay my grateful thanks without fail to the two unknown friends who made that unique day possible.
Long live India!
source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> Opinion> Right in the Middle / by Odiyanda K Muthappa / August 15th, 2022
The troops and peasants controlled the Amara Sullia region, Puttur, Bantwal and Mangaluru for nearly 13 days. (Photo credit: Twitter/ @girishalva)
Historians say the foundation for the Amara Sullia Uprising was laid in the early 1830s.
Highlights
In 1834, Chikka Veera Rajendra of the Haleri dynasty, the king of Kodagu, was deposed by the British
After capturing the entire Mangalore city, the British Union Jack was lowered and the rebel flag was hoisted
Many are unaware of Coastal Karnataka’s role in the fight against the British: Dayananda Kathalsar
Bengaluru:
In 1837, 20 years before the 1857 Sepoy Mutiny – the First War of Indian Independence – and nearly a hundred years prior to the Civil Disobedience Movement, the people of coastal Karnataka and Kodagu led an armed rebellion against the British and were successful in holding the port city of Mangalore (now Mangaluru) and other regions for nearly 13 days before the rebellion was crushed.
Dr Peter Wilson Prabhakar, a renowned historian from Dakshina Kannada, who narrated the timeline of events of the Amara Sullia Uprising to News9 opines that the foundation for the uprising against the British was built in the early 1830s.
In 1834, Kodagu king Chikka Veera Rajendra of the Haleri dynasty was deposed by the British leading to an immediate revolt in the region. (The British controlled Dakshina Kannada – South Canara – after Tipu Sultan’s death in 1799, while Kodagu was an independent state until 1834).
Swamy Aparampara started the revolt in Kodagu along with Hulikaadida (the one who killed a tiger) Nanjayya. But within two weeks, Aparampara was arrested in Manjarabad and hanged.
Another revolt led by Kalyanaswamy in 1835, who claimed to be a descendant of the former king of Kodagu, was crushed by the British. He was imprisoned and hanged to death in 1836.
This is when soldiers, who belonged to the army of Chikka Veera Rajendra, chose one among them named Putta Basappa and presented him as Kalyanaswamy to the people. They needed a figurehead as the real Kalyanaswamy was dead.
The soldiers trained Putta Basappa at a hill in Kodagu and presented him to the public as Kalyanaswamy.
Varying reasons for rebellion in South Canara-Kodagu
While the invasion of Kodagu resulted in a rebellion in the region, for the people of Sullia and Puttur in Dakshina Kannada the administration and revenue changes made by the British lit the fire.
“Earlier the Amara Sullia and Puttur Magane (revenue divisions) were under the control of the king of Kodagu. In 1834, it was separated from Kodagu and added into the Canara district,” Prabhakar told News9.
Earlier, in 1830-31, the British had made a major change to tax collection.
“Up to the 1830s, the revenue tax was in kind (payment in the form of goods like pepper etc). But in 1830-31, the people were asked to pay tax in cash and not in kind,” the historian said.
The high tax was a burden on the people, which sparked agitation.
“Separation of Sullia and Puttur from Kodagu, high taxes and payment in cash instead of kind, were the main reasons,” he added.
Before the rebellion in Kodagu in 1834, due to the imposition of these high taxes and change in the revenue system, there was a rebellion in South Canara.
It was popularly called “Koots” – meaning a group – rebellion. Almost the present Kasaragod, Dakshina Kannada and Udupi revolted against the British in 1830-31.
“While the Civil Disobedience Movement by Mahatma Gandhiji began in 1930, a hundred years before in South Canara, the no tax movement was started,” Prabhakar said.
1837 – The Amara Sullia Dange (Uprising)
In 1837, when the soldiers of Chikka Veera Rajendra, led by Kalyanaswamy (Putta Basappa) along with the people of Kodagu started moving towards Sullia. They travelled through the Bisle Ghat and not through the present route of Sampaje.
Through the ghats, the troops first entered Bellare and destroyed the British Treasury in Bangle Gudde.
The British Treasury in Bellare. (Photo credit: Anindith Gowda Kochi Baarike through a special arrangement)
After that, the troops were divided into three divisions. One was sent to Dharmasthala and Uppinangady. Another was sent to Kasaragod and Kumble.
The third division was sent to Puttur, through Bellare and Kumbra.
The first battle between the troops of Kalyanaswamy and the British took place on March 30, 1837, on the outskirts of Puttur.
The British were defeated. Those who survived retreated to Mangalore (presently known as Mangaluru) – it was where the British Collector was seated.
On March 31, the British Treasury in Puttur and the entire city were under the control of the peasants and soldiers led by Kalyanaswamy.
On April 5, the troops, who had gained military aid from the kings of Vittla and Belthangady, entered the port city of Mangalore and started capturing the city.
At the time the district headquarters of the British was located at the present-day Balmatta. After destroying the British buildings and plundering the district treasury, the entire Mangalore city area was captured.
The troops controlled the Amara Sullia region, Puttur, Bantwal and Mangalore for nearly 13 days. The British Union Jack was lowered and the rebel flag was hoisted in Bavuta Gudde – the hill with the flag – in Mangaluru.
This is also noted in the Dakshina Kannada District Gazetteer. Many believe the flag to be of the Haleri dynasty since the troops belonged to the Kodagu king Chikka Veera Rajendra.
Rebellion crushed by the British
The rebellion angered the British, who brought in reinforcements from Bombay and Madras Presidency.
The British then crushed the rebellion led by Kalyanaswamy and the peasants of the Amara Sullia and the surrounding regions. The movement was labelled by the British as the loot of Kalyanappa – Kalyanappana Katakayi – to lower its significance in the region.
“Kalyanaswamy, Beeranna Banta, Guddemane Appayya and Laxmappa Banga Arasa – the king of Nadavara – were hanged to death in present-day Bikarnakatte in Mangaluru,” historian Prabhakar said.
The others, who were captured, were deported to Singapore and other islands.
Anindith Gowda Kochi Baarike, who has authored the book on the uprising titled Recalling Amara Sulya that will be published soon, told News9 that not many know that in May-July 1837, a court marshall took place and the people who led the uprising were charged with treason.
“It was not a mutiny. It was a mass movement led by the people of the region,” he added.
Rich history forgotten
Many are unaware of the rich history of coastal Karnataka and its role in the fight against the British, says Dayananda Kathalsar, the president of the Karnataka Tulu Sahitya Academy.
“All the youth should love their mother tongue. Tulu, the ancient Dravidian language spoken by people in coastal Karnataka, should be included in the 8th schedule of the Constitution of India,” Kathalsar told News9.
Now, a ‘youth revolution’ for the Tulu language, Kathalsar added, is underway in Mangaluru.
“Nearly 25,000 people in Mangaluru have learned Tulu and its script after a ‘revolutionary’ effort by youth of the region,” he added.
“This shows that when the youth are led in the right directions, the impossible can be achieved.”
Kochi Baarike, the author of Recalling Amara Sulya, said that several areas in present coastal Karnataka could be called the “cradle of the Indian freedom movement”.
“Despite a mass movement, they were charged with treason. And till we got independence in 1947 – 110 years after the uprising – there was no avenue to discuss this,” Kochi Baarike said.
“The least we could do now is document what happened,” he added.
(Note: The timeline of the events of the Amara Sullia Uprising has been reported in this feature as narrated by historian Peter Wilson Prabhakar)
source: http://www.news9live.com / News Nine / Home> State> Karnataka / by Prajwal D’Souza / August 14th, 2022
Mysore Narasimachar Srinivas was born in 1916 in Mysore. He belonged to a Brahmin Family and studied various areas like caste, society, religion and so on. He brought up various ideas related to sociology.
He published a book called ‘Religion and Society among the Coorgs of South India’. It put forward a new approach to study Hinduism. Srinivas took two aspects to distinct various sociological aspects. These distinctions are – field view and book view. He advocated field view which helps in observing and examining things more clearly.
According to him, we cannot isolate religious beliefs completely from our life. Religious factors always correlate with social norms and values. No religion is autonomous or eternal. He provides an approach for those who do not regard religion as pure and society as corrupt. They have blind faith in intangible things which are not practically accepted. For him, Hinduism is not solitary and inseparable. According to regional transformation, it goes on changing. This field view of his ideology gives a perfect picture of how religious practices and norms are making everybody more engaged with societal norms especially in the case of Coorgs.
His second distinction, i.e., the book view of Hinduism has many impediments. This view was accepted by almost every believer. This was based on our historical texts. But those texts are away from the real picture of religion and give false understanding. Those texts were based on idealism but in reality away from realism. Whereas the field view takes us closer to the actual practices prevalent in reality, like caste and joint family.
Study of local Coorgs
The book concentrates on the rituals and cultural structures among Coorgs. Kodagu also is known as Coorgs is a rural district situated in Karnataka. They are known as descendents of Arabs or Greeks and famous for coffee production. They worship nature and do not have any deity like Brahmins. They live in mountainous regions with specific language and customs. M.N. Srinivas focused on festivals and customs that are performed by coorgs. He personally spent a lot of time among a Coorg joint family and provides an empirical view of coorgs and Indian society He argues that puranas are responsible for complete Sanskritization of culture and he gives the example of Coorgs. In this, he illustrates that educated Coorgs want to identify the village gods with Shiva and they also explain why gods start liking liquor and meat due to losing their caste when they were crossing Malabar. He states that how they want to preserve social structure using local customs.
His sociological perspective of religion is based on religion skepticism rather than faith. Even after the efforts of Srinivas more than 50 years ago, the religious sociology as a discipline has not been established in India as it has been in the West. His sociology of religion is based on examining the norms, practices and faith structure according to societal needs. The critical analysis of religion through his lens is based on kinship, economics and politics factors. After independence when he established his theories on Coorgs, it hardly received any opposition. But there is also one more reality that his empirical study about Hinduism is not used further by many sociologists in India. It is very irrational for many philosophers to judge the values of any religion objectively. But for the betterment of society, implementation of every reform based on meaningful assessment is necessary.
Undoubtedly, Hinduism is an ancient philosophy prevailing for thousands of years. Thinkers like Srinivas do not condemn its theological aspects. His appraisal was totally based on practical and logical standards. He wants it to be a religion of tolerance but not a religion of hierarchy. Certain practices like untouchability, caste system, women oppressions, etc. must be denounced for the growth and advancement of society. Using religion as an excuse to continue such practices deserve criticism.
Call to help preserve memories of a vanishing people
While modernisation has opened many opportunities for the well-qualified, it has also distanced the young from their heritage and culture. This is even more accentuated amongst Kodavas living outside Kodagu. There is a need to establish a platform where young Kodavas could learn and keep in touch with the community’s heritage, cultural practices, folklore, music, dance, festivals and history, says Mrs. Codanda Rathi Vinay Jha, IAS (Retd.) and Chair, India Foundation for the Arts (IFA), who has initiated establishing a Virtual Museum of Kodava Heritage & Culture named ‘Sandooka,’ a treasure trove of information. —Ed
Kodavas are a micro-minority community in India, who live in Kodagu (Coorg) in Karnataka State. It is estimated that there are about 1,50,000 ethnic Kodavas within and outside Kodagu.
Kodavas, by virtue of living quite isolated in a densely wooded hilly terrain on the Western Ghats of India since time immemorial, have developed their own unique culture, physical attributes, cuisine, language, attire, religious rituals and practices.
Over the centuries, Kodavas adapted themselves to the harsh weather conditions, dangers from wild animals and the inhospitable terrain of Kodagu and transformed the land to an idyllic haven it is today. With the passage of time, they toiled literally with bare hands to cultivate paddy in the valleys.
With the forests providing bountiful supply of wild game, they became expert hunters initially with bows and arrows, and later with firearms which enabled them to emerge as a warrior race. They transformed the fertile land and were able to grow enough paddy that they could export to neighbouring areas.
The interactions with immediate neighbours in present day Kerala, Mysuru and Mangaluru, influenced the Kodava language, places of worship, construction of their dwellings and some of the religious practices as well. However, Kodavas still retain their fundamental philosophy of ancestor and nature worship. They come under the broad umbrella of Hinduism.
Kodagu was ruled by Kodava Nayakas or Palegars who were basically warlords. The Haleri dynasty established their rule in Kodagu after cleverly replacing the hopelessly divided Nayakas during the early part of the 17th century. The Haleri Rajas ruled for over two centuries until the British takeover of the administration in 1834 after deposing the last Raja. During the rule of the Haleri Rajas and later the British, Kodavas remained the prominent community very much involved in the administration.
During the British rule, education was introduced and this brought about quantum changes in the lifestyle of the Kodavas. Kodavas found several employment opportunities. Introduction and scientific cultivation of coffee and spices vastly improved the economy of the region. Kodava culture and ethos found expression in the writings by the British, European and Kodava authors.
By the time India got her independence, many Kodavas held important and high-level offices in sectors such as the Defence Forces, Administration, Revenue Department, Forest Department, Police, in the field of Education, Engineering and Medicine.
Kodavas have several distinctive elements in their social, cultural and religious practices. One of them is the deferential status given to women. There is no dowry system in the community. Centuries ago, widow remarriage was permitted. This enlightened attitude is now reflected in well-educated Kodava women shining in a variety of fields.
After India’s independence many Kodavas ventured out of Kodagu seeking better opportunities in education, employment, business and sports. Kodavas are now spread all over the globe. The last three decades has seen a large number of Kodavas migrating outside the country. There is now a sizable number of Kodava diaspora in the US, Canada, UK and Australia. In many cases, there are a couple of generation of Kodavas born and brought up outside Kodagu and outside India as well.
While modernisation has opened many opportunities for the well-qualified, it has also distanced the young from their heritage and culture. This is even more accentuated amongst Kodavas living outside Kodagu. There is a need to establish a platform where young Kodavas could learn and keep in touch with the community’s heritage, cultural practices, folklore, music, dance, festivals and history.
It is with this aim in mind that Mrs. Codanda Rathi Vinay Jha, IAS (Retd.), as Chair, India Foundation for the Arts (IFA), initiated establishing a Virtual Museum of Kodava Heritage & Culture (VMKHC). This project is evocatively named — Sandooka — a treasure trove of information. IFA has successfully supported several path-breaking projects in the field of art and culture.
Sandooka will be a living museum that will be interactive and open to receiving relevant new materials from the public. People, especially the future generations of Kodavas, will have an easily accessible platform to gather details of their heritage. Weblinks will also be given to some of the websites dealing with Kodava culture. It is hoped that this treasure trove of information will be of immense help to those who wish to carry out further research on Kodavas. VMKHC will cover the following aspects of Kodagu and Kodavas:
1. Customs and Rituals
2. Cuisine
3. Architecture
4. Clothes and Jewellery
5. Art & Craft
6. Landscape
7. Literature and Folklore
8. Community Histories
9. Festivals
The project is generously funded with a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) grant from Recaero India Pvt. Ltd., which is a pioneer in the field of aerospace engineering and is headed by Vinay Jha, IAS (Retd). A highly professional team has been forged to deal with every aspect of the project. The team comprises:
Lina Vincent – Project Head; Upasana Nattoji Roy – Designer (Switch Studio); Saurav Roy – Designer (Switch Studio) and Mookanda Nitin Kushalappa – Researcher.
IFA office-bearers are: Arundhati Ghosh (Executive Director) and Darshana Davé (Project Co-ordinator); Advisory Group: Rathi Vinay Jha, C.P. Belliappa and Hemanth Sathyanarayana.
Sandooka invites submission of Kodava artefacts, rare photographs, antiques including jewellery (photos) and anecdotes of yore. All accepted materials will be given due recognition and credits. Sharing your valuable knowledge and collections will enrich the contents of Sandooka.
For details of submission of materials, please visit: www.sandookamuseum.org
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Feature Articles / by C.P. Belliappa / August 01st, 2022
Yesterday morning as I sat at my working desk, there sat a brown cover addressed to me on the table.
It came from Palanganda T. Bopanna, a journalist author from Bengaluru. Inside was a thin book with a thick hard cover embellished with the photograph of the author in his ethnic Kodava headgear of a peta adorned with a pattern of golden strap crossing each other as if hugging the peta.
The title of the book is quite revealing and says what it contains:
Round And About With P.T. Bopanna’ with a bottom line: Bopanna looks at the lighter side of Coorg. Himself being a Kodava (Coorg), his writings here are of Kodagu related subjects or about himself with VIPs. I finished reading it in one hour and here I am writing about it. This was possible because each of the 25 pieces inside, including the Foreword by the Kodava iconic Fashion Guru of India Prasad Bidapa and the Epilogue, are no longer than two or three pages in fairly larger font and pictures. Good reading for those familiar with Kodagu (Coorg) and the people written about in the book.
There is a Preface also by the author and I was delighted to find the names of Mr. Boverianda Chinnappa and Mrs. Nanjamma Chinnappa, now residents of Mysuru, being mentioned for their “valuable suggestions” in bringing out this thin book of 68 pages. “The couple has been a source of strength to me in my book and web ventures,” he writes in gratitude.
As a Kodava myself, I know there are any number of Kodavas all over the world engaged in different activities and pursing professions who have become great achievers. Kodava people belong to a microscopic minority as a population who lived in a land of their own known as Kodagu ruled by Nayaks and then Kings and then the British, now a district in Karnataka.
The land area cannot increase but population increases. As a result when the family grew, its land-holding was not sufficient for running the family. Perforce they got themselves educated and some members had to leave Kodagu and then Kodava (Coorg) diaspora became a reality. Fortunately those who went out of Kodagu, a great majority of them, are doing well and very well. Some of them became celebrities and some are recognised by the governments. But there are other achievers who remain without public recognition but doing very well in their given profession, business or industry.
One example for anonymous achievers and distinguished persons among Kodavas is given in the book itself in the person for whom the book is dedicated (page 3). He is Pemanda Monappa Belliappa, a retired IAS Officer of Tamil Nadu.
Acknowledged as an outstanding administrator, Belliappa was decorated with MBE (Member of the British Empire) by the Queen of England. More than this, he established ‘Pemanda Monappa Scholarship’ in Cambridge University in perpetuity, in the name of his father, Pemanda Monappa, former Karnataka Inspector General of Police. Nearer home, he has also made handsome donation to the Coorg Education Fund, Madikeri. People like Belliappa are indeed the pride of Kodagu. There are many such Stars of Kodagu!
Bopanna, who claims to be a chronicler of Kodagu or Kodavas, may also venture to trace all those achievers among them, after independence of our country (1947) and publish a book with their biodata. This would be a great contribution from him to the Kodava people.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Columns > Abracadabra / by K.B. Ganapathy / July 20th, 2022
Urging the Government to facilitate the Kodava Land Geo-Political Autonomy under Articles 244, 371 (read with 6th & 8th Schedule of the Constitution) and also Scheduled Tribe (ST) tag to Kodava tribe among various other demands, Codava National Council (CNC) President N.U. Nachappa and the other Council members staged a stir in front of the Deputy Commissioner’s Office in the town yesterday.
The Government must consider Kodavas as a Scheduled Tribe community and must officially provide the ST tag at the earliest. Under the Constitution Act 25 and 26 the Kodava Gun Rights should be continued without any time restriction and also Kodava language should be incorporated in the 8th Schedule of the Constitution.
The Kodava cultural heritage should be included in the Intangible Cultural Heritage list of UNESCO, the members demanded.
“The Kodava community has its origin only in Kodagu and the people are being neglected. If this continues, all the history and culture of the community will disappear without any trace. The CNC from the past few years are fighting for the rights of the whole community,” they said and submitted a memorandum seeking to fulfillment of their demands.
Council members B. Savitha Girish, P. Swathi Kalappa, C. Jyothi Nanaiah, Ltn. Col. B.M. Parvathi, K. Prakash, B. Chippanna, P. Kalappa, A. Lokesh, A. Girish, M. Manoj and others were present.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / July 03rd, 2022
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