Walk ends tomorrow at Kodava Samaja Mandh, General K.S. Thimayya Stadium
Madikeri:
The fifth day of the 82-km ‘Kodavaame Baalo Padayatra,’ a peace march from Kutta to Madikeri aimed at preserving the unique culture and traditions of the Kodava community and Kodava language-speaking groups, began this morning from Nellimani near Murnad.
Since its launch on Feb. 2, the march has gained momentum, with thousands of men, women, and children clad in traditional attire joining in. More participants continue to pour in from villages along the route, turning the event into a large-scale cultural movement.
The march began from Kutta on Feb. 2 and reached T. Shettigeri on the first day. On Feb. 3, it continued to Ponnampet, and on Feb. 4, the marchers walked from Ponnampet to Bittangala via Gonikoppa. Last evening, they reached Bethri village in Madikeri Taluk, covering 62.8 km and halting at Nellimani.
The fourth day’s march passed through Virajpet Taluk Centre, Kadanoor (Kakkabe road junction), Kakotuparambu, Bethri, and concluded at Nellimani. Kodava community members from Madikeri Taluk welcomed the marchers from South Kodagu at the bridge over the River Cauvery at Bethri.
On the fifth day today, the march started from Nellimani, passing through Murnad, Hakkattur, and Kaggodlu, and will reach Mekeri village. On the sixth and final day, Feb. 7 (tomorrow), the march will reach Madikeri from Mekeri in the morning.
Massive crowd expected tomorrow
The rally will conclude with the submission of a memorandum to the State Government through the Kodagu district administration at the Madikeri Kodava Samaja Mandh, located in General K.S. Thimayya Stadium and Grounds (Mann’s Compound).
With hundreds of vehicles expected to arrive in Madikeri tomorrow, organisers are coordinating with authorities to arrange parking facilities in various locations across Madikeri and have already drawn the district administration’s attention to the need for designated parking areas.
Kodavas and Kodava speakers from the remotest corners of Kodagu have decided to head to Madikeri, while those residing in Bengaluru, Mysuru and other cities for employment, education, and other reasons have also committed to participating in the final leg of the march.
Massive participation is expected from Bengaluru and Mysuru, with many already booking buses and taxis. Over 70 buses and 28 TT vehicles have been booked for those travelling from Bengaluru under the leadership of various Kodava organisations.
From Mysuru, over 25 buses and tempos have been booked for participants. Participants are being urged to opt for rented vehicles rather than private ones to avoid traffic congestion and to move as a unified group.
Almost all rental vehicles in Kodagu have been booked and due to high demand, additional vehicles have been arranged from Kerala, as well as from Hunsur and Periyapatna. In addition to private bus arrangements, 50 KSRTC buses have also been booked.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / February 06th, 2025
