Karnataka Kodava Sahitya Academy president Rani Machaiah on Monday called upon the Kodava-speaking groups to foster the unique Kodava culture to perpetuate it for posterity.

She was addressing a gathering at the Madikeri taluk Kodava Samskritika Mela (Kodava cultural convention) held at the Napoklu Kodava Samaja premises in Madikeri taluk, an official release said here.

The academy had been doing its best to preserve the unique Kodava culture by organising various cultural programmes across the district, she said. The Virajpet taluk convention would be held in Birunani on February 7 and in Somwarpet taluk in March, Ms. Machaiah said.

The traditional Bolakkat dance was inaugurated by Neriyandammanda Prabhu, Ummathat by Ikolanda Dotty Aiyappa, Kolatt by Mechira Ravishankar Nanaiah and Kodava song competitions by Boppanda Bollamma Nanaiah.

The former president of the Academy Bacharaniyanda P. Appanna presented a paper on the history of Nalnad area, comprising Napoklu and surrounding areas, at a seminar later.

There were five taluks in Kodagu in 1834 and several ‘nads’ (nad is a group of villages), he said. However, they had undergone geographic changes, Mr. Appanna said.

There were 26 villages in the Napoklu nad. The credit of preserving the Kodava culture should go to Napoklu nad, he added.

Mr. Appanna remembered the contributions of Kodavas of the past to nurture Kodava culture such as Appachira Mandanna, Kaliyatanda Ponnappa, writers such as Appaneravanda Appacha and Nadikeriyanda Chinnappa, all of whom hailed from the Nalnad area (Napoklu and surrounding areas).

Biddatanda Ramesh Chengappa, vice-president of the Napoklu Kodava Samaja, presided over the function.

Writer Moovera Rekha Prakash spoke on the history of Cauvery on the occasion.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Karnataka / by Staff Correspondent / Madikeri – February 01st, 2011