The Annual General Body Meeting (AGM) of Kodagu Sahakara Sangha for the year 2021-22 will be held at the Sangha premises in Jayalakshmipuram on Sept.25 at 10.30 am.
Sangha President A.C. Nanjamma will preside.
On the occasion, the children of Sangha members who have excelled in the 2021-22 examinations by scoring high marks will be felicitated.
Mysuru Chamarajanagar mattu Kodagu JPJ/PPKS/SS mattu
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> In Briefs / September 24th, 2022
Imagine staying in a beautiful property near the tributary of a river in a picturesque location of a village. The thought itself is so tranquil, imagine the level of tranquility the stay would offer. Well, this imagination can turn into reality.
All you have to do is pack your bags and travel to Coorg. Yes, Firefly by the river is a lovely Coorg Homestay which lies right beside Harangi river and in the middle of a bamboo forest. Keep reading to know more.
Firefly By The River, A Coorg Homestay
Nina and Captain Prio Chaubey are a Bengaluru based couple who built this Coorg Homestay in the most scenic location.
Firefly by the river offers an experience of waking up in a room which is surrounded by coconut, cinnamon, and betel palm trees, paddy fields, orchards, and coffee and pepper farms. It has 5 double rooms which are rustically designed with earthy colours to keep the soothing vibe intact. The lovely garden room has its own private entrance. The two superior and two deluxe rooms are designed as two separate cottages. The rooms have wooden closets, luxury mattresses and are super spacious. There is a hammock placed just beside the river for you to relax.
Near the well is an elegantly designed common area right in the centre of this Coorg homestay where you can relish meals. You can sit back near the river listening to the sound of water as you enjoy delicious food.
The food is customised as per the taste palate of the guest keeping their preferences in mind. All the meals are prepared using local and fresh ingredients.
The property manager, Rithvik is a local from Coorg and serves meals which are experimented out of his Grandma’s recipes. The food is cooked by the locals using local spice mixes, who are hired for the same. Delicacies like Pandi Curry , Akki Roti, Coorg-style River Pomfret, Nool Puttu, Coorgi mutton pulao and their special south indian breakfast.
So make sure to consider this place in Coorg for you next close to nature stay !
Instagram: fireflyhomestays / www.fireflyhomestays.com
source: http://www.curlytales.com / Curly Tales / Home> Hotels & Resorts> Travel / by Vaishalee Kalvankar / blog of Kamiya Jani / September 23rd, 2022
Mysore/Mysuru:
A wildlife Biologist and Ecologist from Kodagu is in the team that brought eight Cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) from Namibia to Madhya Pradesh’s Kuno National Park which were released by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sept. 17.
C.M. Bipin of Kodagu is in the core management team of Dr. Yadvendradev Vikramsinh Jhala, Lead Scientist for Project Cheetah and Dean of Wildlife Institute of India.
Bipin conducted extensive fieldwork and ground study before the extinct felines were reintroduced in India. Project Cheetah is the world’s first inter-continental large wild carnivore translocation project.
C.M. Bipin has been working on Project Cheetah since 2011 as a Project Associate at the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, autonomous wildlife research and natural resource service institution under the Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), Government of India. Bipin’s name figures prominently among the survey team for the project.
Hailing from Kanoor village near Ponnampet in South Kodagu, Chottekmada Bipin is an Industrial Engineering Management graduate who pursued his passion for wildlife and nature. He finished his schooling at St. Anne’s School, Virajpet and college at Sathya Sai Loka Seva Trust, Alike. His parents Monnappa and Tara Monnappa, retired teachers, are settled in Kanoor.
Engineer to Ecologist
Speaking to Star of Mysore from the Kuno National Park where he is monitoring the Cheetahs, Bipin said that though he worked for an electronics company in Bengaluru soon after his engineering at the RV College, nature and wildlife was his passion.
“I was feeling suffocated, so I left and joined a conservation and ecology team at the Centre for Wildlife Studies, Bangalore, in 2004 working on monitoring tigers and prey populations in Karnataka. During this period, I felt the need of educating, better-equipping and training myself in wildlife science and nature conservation and I completed my M.Sc. in Wildlife Biology,” he said.
Bipin later joined National Centre for Biological Sciences in Bengaluru in 2008 for his Master’s and subsequently joined the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun in 2011 and has been involved in Project Cheetah.
“As part of the project, the landscape of five States — Rajasthan, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh — were studied. 10 places were identified as suitable for Cheetah reintroduction and among them, five were shortlisted with the Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh, Shahgarh landscape and Mukundara Hills Tiger Reserve in Rajasthan and Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh being identified as priority ones,” Bipin revealed.
Court case
When the project work was on, in May 2012, the Supreme Court stalled the plan to reintroduce Cheetahs into Kuno sanctuary fearing they may come into conflict with a project to reintroduce lions into the same sanctuary.
But in 2020, the SC lifted its stay, clearing the project after an affidavit filed by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) to take the plunge — under the guidance from an expert committee headed by Dr. M.K. Ranjitsinh, the architect of Wildlife Protection Act — and go ahead with plans to bring the African cat to India.
“During the period of stay, I started work on the population recovery and habitat improvement of the critically endangered Great Indian Bustard, the grassland and open forests habitat of which the Cheetahs roamed in our country once and I re-joined the Cheetah Project after the Court clearance,” he said.
Training in Namibia
Bipin was sent to Namibia and South Africa with the team during June 2022 for a training in handling the Cheetah, habitat management, research, methods of conservation at different levels and how to avoid conflict with villagers living on the forest fringes.
“I gave technical inputs after ground studies along with my team and additionally wore many hats as and when needed including providing assistance required in administrative, financial, legal and policy matters. As the days for the release drew close, though rainy season in India is a difficult period to release Cheetahs in India due to inaccessibility to many forest areas and logistical constraints, it would have been wise to wait for the monsoon to end,” he explained.
September was the ideal month and the occasion was PM Modi’s birthday. The officers of Madhya Pradesh Forest Department, NTCA and MoEF&CC at various levels very efficiently coordinated and performed their roles meticulously in making the project a reality, Bipin added.
Adequate prey base
“The Kuno National Park, situated on the northern side of Vindhyachal mountains, can handle 35 Cheetahs and has an inviolate area of 748 sq.km. where the Cheetahs have a suitable area of up to 6,800 sq.km surrounding them. We had identified four more areas apart from Kuno National Park and the project Cheetah entails bringing 50 big cats from Africa in the next five years and in the long run establishing a viable cheetah metapopulation in the country,” he said.
The Kuno National Park has a good prey base for Cheetahs, comprising the four-horned antelope, chinkara, nilgai, wild pig, spotted deer and sambhar.
Cheetahs will help restore open forest and grassland ecosystems in India and its dwindling wildlife. This will help conserve biodiversity, consolidate and enhance the ecosystem, mitigate climate change and boost the local economy with various livelihood opportunities.
“Extensive hunting of Cheetahs and habitat loss led to their extinction. The ‘African Cheetah Introduction Project in India’ was first mooted in 2009 by Wildlife Trust of India and we have come a long way in finally bringing the fastest animal on earth to India,” Bipin added.
Mother happy
Elated over her son being in the core Project Cheetah team, Bipin’s mother Tara Monnappa told Star of Mysore that the family is proud of Bipin’s achievements. “I don’t have any words to express and he has been passionate about nature since childhood. I am glad he could pursue his passion with full vigour,” she said.
In fact, Bipin’s wife Amritha too is a sociologist and conservationist and works for The Nature Conservancy, a global environmental organisation, working in areas in Assam. Her specialisation is communities living in villages on the fringes of forests and their interactions with wildlife and nature.
Bipin’s elder brother C.M. Bishan is an Orthopaedician in Gonikoppa, Kodagu and an avid wildlife photographer.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News> Top Stories / September 22nd, 2022
‘Kannada not just a language but a feeling and a way of life’
Mysore/Mysuru:
The usually busy Manasagangothri Road in the University of Mysore campus gets busier after 4 pm these days as hundreds of youths pour into the Open Air Theatre where Yuva Sambhrama is being held as a prelude for Yuva Dasara.
While youths on stage forget themselves while performing foot-tapping music, the crowd in front of the stage too are mesmerised by the performances. Over the last couple of days, the place is becoming a popular joint for youngsters to hang around after a gap of two years and they are leaving no opportunity in making its maximum use.
Last evening, there were many stellar performances from various educational institutions where the message of Kannada being a feeling or a way of life and not just a language was spread by the performers, holding the Kannada flag. The performance by the students of DPBS Government PU College, Periyapatna, extolling the Kannada language, attracted many and even the audience sang and danced.
Likewise, students of the JSS Academy of Higher Education and Research, dressed as peacocks, performed to Kannada tunes while the students of Maharaja’s PU College highlighted the contribution of Vijayanagar rulers, Madakari Nayaka and Onake Obavva who sacrificed so that the Kannada language and culture can thrive.
Students of Bettadapura Government Junior College, Maddur Government Women’s College also performed on Kannada themes and also highlighted how the farmers of Karnataka form a backbone of the State and country. Through their impressive performances, they conveyed the message of urgently saving the lives of farmers who are being driven to commit suicide by banks and money lenders.
Performers from JSS College Ooty Road and Hardwicke Independent PU College commemorated the sacrifices made by the country’s soldiers. While students of CFTRI School performed an adventurous song, students of Mathrumandali College and Cauvery Institute of Health Sciences brought the memories of Kittur Rani Chennamma, Dr. Vishnuvardhan and Dr. Puneeth Rajkumar.
Students from Badariprasadji PU College, Siddarthanagar, performed clips from Ramayana while students of Gundlupet Government First Grade College threw light on the practices followed in border areas. Performers from Holenarasipur Paduvalahippe Sri H.D. Deve Gowda First Grade College enacted Krishna Leela on stage.
The main attraction of the evening was actress Harshika Poonacha who danced to Kodava Vaalaga. Actor-Director Nagendra Prasad accompanied her on stage(first picture on top). Another dancer was Dance Director Kulbhushan who performed for a Puneeth Rajkumar movie song.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / September 21st, 2022
Kumaar has the ability to laugh at his fails. His debut film as a director, Flop, lived up to its name. “The film flopped at the box office too,” the director says with a laugh. He bounced back with Chemistry of Kariyappa, which found favour with the masses and the classes. His next release, Critical Keertanegalu, got a positive response. “The film did not do as well as expected. It was released in May 2022, at a time when K.G.F: Chapter 2 was still going strong. We withdrew the film. Every fall and rise becomes a life lesson”.
Kumaar now has two films — Mansion House Muthu and Nano Narayanappa ready for release . “We are waiting for the right time to announce a date.” Mansion House Muthu is based in Madikeri and is inspired by real life stories, according to the director. “I once met a man in a homestay in Madikeri, and he was a very interesting character. This film is inspired by him and also talks about the mud slide, the importance of nature and asks if we are responsible for the chaos in nature.”
All elements of commercial cinema have been used to get the message across, says Kumaar. Playback singer and composer Naveen Sajju makes his debut with this film, which Kumaar describes as a comic thriller.
Nano Narayanappa, the director says, is an emotionally charged film. “There is no romance or young lead actors. This film has Krishnoji Rao (he played the blind old man in K.G.F: Chapter 1) in the lead. We are now planning to make it a bilingual.“
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Entertainment> Movies / by Shilpa Anandraj / September 21st, 2022
Diya Bheemaiah, 9th std. student of Pragathi Elite Public School, Bogadi, won 3rd place in Doubles in All India Ranking Badminton Tournament held at Goa.
She is Karnataka No. 1 in Singles, Doubles and Mixed Doubles U-15 category. ICSE School Games State-level U-17 winner, she is selected for ICSE Nationals.
Coached by B.P. Bheemaiah and Aroon Pemmaiah, she was feted by Sports Park Management and 93.5 Red FM team recently.
She is seen with (from left) RJ Deepak, RJ Punith, RJ Sunil, RJ Rashmi, RJ Sahana, B.V. Raghav, S. Srikanth and M.R. Sudheendra.
Diya Bheemaiah, 9th std. student of Pragathi Elite Public School, Bogadi, won 3rd place in Doubles in All India Ranking Badminton Tournament held at Goa.
She is Karnataka No. 1 in Singles, Doubles and Mixed Doubles U-15 category. ICSE School Games State-level U-17 winner, she is selected for ICSE Nationals.
Coached by B.P. Bheemaiah and Aroon Pemmaiah, she was feted by Sports Park Management and 93.5 Red FM team recently.
She is seen with (from left) RJ Deepak, RJ Punith, RJ Sunil, RJ Rashmi, RJ Sahana, B.V. Raghav, S. Srikanth and M.R. Sudheendra.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Sports / August 25th, 2022
The Kodavas are a small ethnic group mostly found in the coffee growing region of Kodagu and are known for their contributions to the Indian armed forces, sports and various other fields.
The Kodava Samaj in Kodagu district on Sunday banned the serving of liquor during the afternoon hours of any weddings as it goes against the ethnic group’s culture.
“The resolution was taken today (Sunday) by the management body of the samaj and there will be restrictions for consuming liquor during Ganga puja of a marriage. After the puja, if they found consuming liquor the samaj would impose a fine of ₹25,000,” Kalimada Motaiah, the president of the Kodava Samaj, told HT on Sunday.
The statements come almost a year after it made headlines nationally after imposing restrictions on cutting of cake, opening of champagne, not allowing bridegrooms to sport beards and brides not to let their hair loose during the ceremony.
The statement adds to the increasing trend of restricting activities by so-called custodians of culture across several regions in the country in the name of “preserving and protecting” traditions.
The Kodavas are a small ethnic group mostly found in the coffee growing region of Kodagu and are known for their contributions to the Indian armed forces, sports and various other fields.
The community has a distinct culture from other parts of Karnataka or southern India.
Ponnampet is a small town in Kodagu district. Kodagu has several such Kodava samajas which often represent the people living in the specific region and is restricted to members of the community even though some of these venues are let out for weddings and events of other communities as well.
Though considered a progressive community, there have been increasing restrictions on various issues as many elders believe that their distinct identity is being compromised by the actions of youngsters and those who live outside which is not in tune with their heritage.
In 2020, the Balele Kodava samaja has decided not to allow inter caste marriages.
The Kodavas fear that marrying outside the community is leading to a rapid decline in their population, which is among the smallest ethnic groups in the country. There have been instances where Kodavas have objected to the wearing of traditional Kodava attire by those marrying outside the community.
In 2019, the Ammathi Kodava Samaja in the district has taken a decision to ban serving liquor during Ganga puja ceremony, held as part of Kodava weddings. And those breaking this rule will have to pay a fine of ₹25,000 to the Samaja.
“The decisions are being taken to preserve the original culture as youngsters in the community are attracted to western lifestyles. Young Kodava women, particularly girls, migrate to cities for education and employment and end up marrying a person from another caste. This attitude reduces the number of Kodavas who are struggling for survival,” Chaaammatiraaa Praveen Uthappa, president of the Akhila Kodava Samaja’s youth wing.
source: http://www.hindustantimes.com / Hindustan Times / Home> Cities> Bengaluru News / by Coovercolly Indresh, Kodagu / September 18th, 2022
New Delhi:
Today is the birthday of two-time Olympian and Commonwealth Games gold medallist Ashwini Ponnappa. She was born on this day in 1989. Ashwini is the first Indian woman badminton player to win a medal in the doubles category of the World Badminton Championships with her doubles partner. Since childhood, she started taking interest in badminton.
Ashwini’s mother inspired her to play badminton at the age of two and a half and got admission in the academy. It is difficult for her to say when the passion for the game was born in Ashwini Ponnappa as she joined it at a very young age. The Indian badminton player has won many medals in the doubles category in her career. This includes two gold, two silver and one bronze medals in the Commonwealth Games. Apart from this, she has won four gold medals in the South Asian Games.
Ashwini Ponnappa and Jwala Gutta won the gold medal at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi. Born on September 18, 1989, in Bangalore, Ashwini Ponnappa recognized her talent and started making a career in badminton from an early age. Ashwini Ponnappa, a specialist in doubles badminton, had her first win at the national level in 2004 at the national championships in the sub-junior girls’ doubles category.
source: http://www.english.newstracklive.com / News Track / Home> Trending / by Laxman Chaurasiya / September 18th, 2022
A few months back I went to my ancestral house in Kodagu and also availed the opportunity to go to the nearby Igguthappa Temple — dedicated to Lord Shiva. It is the most famous temple in Kodagu located at the foothills of Thadiyandamol near Kakkabe. This deity is considered the God of rain and grain (ಮಳೆ-ಬೆಳೆ). Understandable, Kodagu being an agricultural land of hills and valleys. A land of heavy rains and rich forests.
There in the temple was a senior priest, talkative and gently assertive, overseeing the puja proceedings and general conduct of the devotees. Being in a secluded place surrounded by greenery of paddy fields, coffee estates and forests, the rush of visitors is only during festival days.
As usual, I engaged the priest in a brief conversation standing at the front outer door, as only those who follow the specified ritual practice (vrata) are allowed inside for maintaining madi (sanctity).
Listening to his chatter was both an education about the temple and the local people, a majority of whom are Kodavas. I would like to share one episode he narrated from his experience at the temple.
It happened that once a person went to the temple at a time its doors were being closed. When the person asked this priest to oblige him saying he had come from outside the district, the response was negative with a reprimand. Recognising him as a Kodava, the natives of Kodagu, the priest told him that the temple was of Kodavas, for Kodavas and run by the Kodavas. And for centuries, it was managed and patronised by that native community. Yet they, like this person, do not observe the temple tradition and work to develop it.
I am inclined to agree. Though at present the temple is open to all, it has a Kodava family by name Paradanda as Devathakka (care-takers of the deity) to manage its religious functions.
Since the dim past, the Pattedara (Head) and the Thakka (the spokesperson) of that family (Paradanda) has been responsible for temple pujas, rituals, festivals including Kailpoldh and Puthari, fairs, astrological predictions etc. Of course, times have changed, it is now alleged that a group of Bhaktas is trying to sideline the Paradanda family from this position which is hereditary.
The person said, ‘Of course, I would help’ and suggested that sculptured stone reliefs with images representing Kodava customs, festivals, etc., could adorn the outer walls of the temple.
‘Who would spend money for it?,’ wondered the priest, still adamant refusing to open the door just for the darshan of the deity.
“What’s your name?” asked the priest.
The person, already at the tether end of his patience, simply said, “My name is Bhakta !”
“Bhakta? Not a Kodava name,” the priest said with a derisive smile and added, “anyway, you may come tomorrow.”
The next day, to the person’s surprise, the priest had already spoken to the President of the Temple Management Committee and the President was waiting.
Anticipating a bonanza of a donation, the priest, as was his wont, paid special attention to him in performing puja, offering aarathi and theertha.
As the person was about to leave, the priest beckoned him to meet the President to talk about the wall plaques he had talked about the previous evening. The person began explaining his idea in english, a language he was proficient with, but the President suddenly objected and said, “Being a Kodava, you must speak in Kodava language.
The person, taken aback, shot back: “If that is so, why should you have an english name Charlie?” That one bullet-like shot made President Charlie shut his mouth.
That ended their conversation and also the hope of the priest deeply dedicated to the temple. Whatever it was, I saw beautifully carved stone plaques, embedded on the outer walls, as if to assert the fact that primarily it is a Hindu-Kodava temple.
Recently, there was a news report about non-conventional practices at this temple being objected by the Devathakka. Modern constructions too have come up all around the temple. The stone pavings around the temple premises looks good and enables easy maintenance. But, during summer, these stone slabs get very hot for the comfort of the devotees who traverse that area barefoot, specially those who circumambulate the temple after worship. They must be allowed to wear socks or provide walk-way carpets around the temple.
Be that as it may, to this day, nobody knows who is that generous donor of those beautiful, sculptured stone plaques. The identity seems well wrapped in mystery inside an enigma. However, the donor must be a Bhakta, devotee, of Lord Igguthappa. I believe that those who donate anonymously are like divinity — invisible.
e-mail: voice@starofmysore.com
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> abracadabra> Columns / by K.B. Ganapathy / September 11th, 2022
Ganesh, the son of producer Bellamkonda Suresh, who makes his debut with the family entertainer, celebrates his birthday today .
Swathimuthyam, the family entertainer starring Ganesh and Varsha Bollamma in lead roles is the underdog among all the Dasara releases on October 5. Directed by debutant Lakshman K Krishna, the film is bankrolled by Suryadevara Naga Vamsi under the leading banner Sithara Entertainments. Mahathi Swara Sagar scores the music for the film, whose teaser trailer was launched today, commemorating the birthday of the lead actor Ganesh.
In the special birthday glimpse, the soon-to-be married couple, played by Ganesh and Varsha Bollamma, is in the middle of an interesting conversation. While an innocent Ganesh attempts to say something to his fiancé, she questions him in return, if he has any problem. He brushes aside any such problems. After a series of incidents, the girl even tells him ‘I think I know why you have been single all your life.’ The chemistry between the lead pair warrants your attention.
The family entertainer has all the ingredients to make for an ideal festive release – romance, family drama and memorable music. This is the debut project for Ganesh, son of producer Bellamkonda Suresh and brother to Bellamkonda Sai Sreenivas. Naresh, Rao Ramesh, Subbaraju, Vennela Kishore, Harshavardhan, Pammi Sai, Sapthagiri, Goparaju Ramana, Siva Narayana, Pragathi, Surekha Vani, Sunaina, Divya Sripada are also part of the cast.
Nee Chaaredu Kalle and Dum Dum Dum are the two songs from the film that have already been launched. Suryaa cranks the camera for the film which is edited by Navin Nooli and has art direction by Avinash Kolla. PDV Prasad is the presenter. The banner’s other major release this year is Sir/Vaathi, actor Dhanush’s first straight Telugu film helmed by Venky Atluri. Samyuktha Menon is cast as the female lead in the same.
source: http://ottplay.com / OTTplay / Home> News / by Srivasthan Nadadhur / September 14th, 2022
