A project that is bringing Kodava culture back into focus

In recent months, a new initiative has come up, which shines the spotlight on the fast-vanishing heritage of the brave Kodavas of Coorg

Kodava men singing the ‘balo paat’. Photo: Wikimedia Commons

One of the most significant projects in this context is by researcher-writer Kaveri Ponnapa. She has relentlessly been documenting the culture of the Kodavas through her books such as The Vanishing Kodavas. Her latest work is A Place Apart, translations and transliteration of 21 poems by eminent writer Bacharanianda P. Appanna. This is her bid to save the Kodava takke, classified as a definitely endangered language by Unesco and spoken by just 166,187 people according to the 2001 census. Having spent decades in the field, researching Kodava culture and history, she felt the urgent need for a selection of his poems to reach a wider audience, both from Kodagu and anyone else interested in small cultures.

Appanna was one of the elders that Ponnapa worked very closely with while researching her first book. His knowledge of the culture and very importantly, the Kodava language, is extraordinary; he continues to extend invaluable help in expanding her understanding of their shared heritage.

Edited excerpts from an interview, in which Ponnapa talks about the various facets of her project:

Could you talk about the factors that prompted the project, A Place Apart: Poems from Kodagu?

Bacharanianda P Appanna is one of Kodagu’s best known writers and an acknowledged authority on the Kodava language. He is also a poet, and whenever I visited, he would sing some of his poems out loud, and I would make recordings of them. I was struck by the beauty, depth and rich cultural content of the poems, and equally, how many unfamiliar words they held.

There was a very real sense of loss, a realisation of how much the language had diminished, in a sense, with words disappearing from everyday usage. Appanna contributed about four hundred old Kodava takke words to a dictionary published a few years ago, and his experience as a Kodava takke teacher in collaboration with the Kodava scholar, the late IM Muthanna, brought important perspectives to our conversations on the language.

So much of our heritage and identity are held within these poems—for instance, Forest Trees of My Village and Wild Creatures of Kodagu hold details of the natural world and landscape that are now lost, and The Kodava speaks of our ethos and worldview. As Ross Perlin of the Endangered Language Alliance has observed: “It’s hard to maintain the full richness, depth and complexity of a culture without its languages”. This project was an attempt to expand the reach of the Kodava language so that more people might have an understanding of our culture.

You have written in the book about the need for transliteration, especially for people who can’t follow the Kannada script. If you could talk about that?

Ours was an oral tradition, wherein all cultural and linguistic knowledge was passed down through the generations in song. Kodava takke does not have a script. From about the 17th century onwards, a set of historic and political circumstances led to the Kannada script being introduced as a language of Court. Kodava takke took a further back seat from the mid-19th century onwards, when Kannada was introduced as the medium of instruction by the British colonial administration.

The oral tradition led to a continuous transmission of language, and cultural knowledge, which is now permanently changed. In addition, the use of the Kannada script presents definite challenges—there is a loss of linguistic nuance, changes in vocabulary and distinct shifts in pronunciation and speech, as Kannada does not, for instance, contain the additional vowel sounds of Kodava takke. Since Appanna and I worked through long conversations, these compromises between the spoken and the written became very apparent.

What led you to the Romanisation of the Kodava takke?

About three decades ago, as a postgraduate student at the SOAS University of London, I read a paper by the eminent linguist, MB Emeneau. I cannot describe the excitement I felt when I realised that what I was reading effortlessly was the Kodava marriage contract in Romanised Kodava takke. I held onto the idea of Romanisation, and was finally able to use it in this book. The transliteration in my book uses a Kodava-Kodava and a Kodava-English key to reading the poems, and has been kept very simple, the idea being to offer people an opportunity to approach the language through an already familiar medium and script. Recordings of Appanna singing his poems support the book and the transliteration.

What has the response been like?

The response has been overwhelming, particularly from the younger generation and those living overseas, as they have a window to their heritage through this work. Romanisation makes it widely accessible to many. If you look at social media posts, you will see that young Kodavas are sharing cultural knowledge, including old songs using an informal, Romanised script. Young people are eager to learn all that they can about their heritage, using non-traditional means.

What are the factors that have led to the Kodava takke becoming an endangered language?

It is not easy to address this question. There are multiple factors, some which I have already mentioned—historical and political situations, migrations in search of better educational and economic opportunities and so on. We have always been very small in number. With such a small population, it’s more likely that we choose dominant languages as we migrate, even though there is a deep emotional attachment to the mother tongue, and all that it signifies. We are further limited by the use of the Kannada script, which excludes a section of the people, particularly the diaspora, and generations brought up outside Kodagu, from expanding their knowledge of Kodava takke. If we are looking for a way of taking an endangered language into the future, we need many more speakers, and a widely accessible script. Without speakers, efforts to save a language, as the linguist Salikoko Mufwene has said, is like preserving languages as museum artefacts.

source:http://www.lifestyle.livemint.com / LiveMint.com / Home> Mint Lounge> How To Lounge / by Avantika Bhuyan / May 17th, 2022

CFTRI serves a ‘healthy’ drink from coffee leaf

A file photo of workers in a coffee estate near Rayarakoppalu in Hassan district, Karnataka.

CSIR-CFTRI, Mysuru has developed the drink from coffee leaf and claims the brew can be an alternative to green tea or herbal tea

How about a coffee leaf brew? Sounds interesting. Coffee leaves can be used to prepare a health drink which can be an alternative to green tea.

CSIR-CFTRI, Mysuru has developed the drink from coffee leaf which it claims can be used as an alternative to green tea or herbal tea. “It is an ideal health drink to consume at any time of the day. The brew can be prepared with water which can be filtered and consumed,” the institute said.

Phytochemicals like phenolics, alkaloids, flavonoids, and anthocyanins in coffee leaves contribute to its health benefits. The coffee leaf brew mix that the institute has developed can be produced from the leaves that are pruned at the time of maintenance of the plants. They can be a good source of raw material for the drink, the scientists at the CFTRI said here on Wednesday.

Selection of coffee leaf is key as the quality of the brew mix depends on the raw material, according to the Technology Transfer Department.

CFTRI said the plant for producing coffee leaf brew mix can be set up at a cost of ₹70 lakh and the total project cost would be around ₹1.40 crore. A Kushalnagar-based coffee powder manufacturing unit has taken the licence of the product for mass production.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> National> Karnataka / by Special Correspondent / Mysuru – May 11th, 2022

In Bed With Gulshan Devaiah: “I feed the cats first thing in the morning”

The actor talks about having his grocery store on speed dial, going to bed with his iPad and being biased towards movies.

Gulshan Devaiah poses exclusively for this HT Brunch column (Shreya Dev Dubey)
Gulshan Devaiah poses exclusively for this HT Brunch column (Shreya Dev Dubey)

The handsome lawyer of the recent film Badhaai Do was once addicted to sugar and would eat eight to nine tablespoons of refined sugar and half a kilo of jalebis in one go, until he practised control and became aware of its ill-effects. Today, ‘Eat less, live longer, look younger’ is Gulshan Devaiah’s mantra. As a kid, Gulshan was shy and inhibited. But when he was seven years old, he played a part in a sketch he’d created, discovered that he enjoyed it and was less inhibited. He also fell in love with cinema, so much so that his performance in Shaitan earned him a Filmfare nomination for Best Male Debut. Gulshan is also quite the fashionista, being a NIFT graduate and designer.

ell us one dream that you constantly saw as a child or while growing up.

That I’m a Hindi movie star.

What is the best thing about acting?

That you can pretend to be someone else for some time.

What would you have been if not an actor?

What I was before, a designer.

Tell us something no one knows about you. 

There’s a reason why nobody knows it…

One relationship rule you always follow?

Be the best version of your true self.

A self-discovery during lockdown?

That I actually like Twitter.

Who is on your speed dial?

Roman Stores, for my groceries.

What is the first thing you do in the morning?

Feed the cats.

What’s your dream debut?

I have no idea who’s dream I’ve debuted in.

So, who’s your dream girl?

Ayushmaan Khurrana.

A podcast you like listening to?

Joe Rogan.

And one health shot for our readers?

Eat less, live longer.

Describe yourself in a hashtag.

#TheBossOfTheCosmos.

Bedside stories

Are you an alarm person?

Totally. 

A book you usually take while curling up in your bed?

My iPad. 

What do you wear to bed?

A pair of old shorts and a T-shirt. 

What’s always on your bedside table?

Handcuffs. 

Your preferred side of the bed?

I’m a centrist, but left if I’m sharing. 

This or that

Movies or web series? 

I’m a bit biased towards movies.

Big party or small gathering? 

Very small gathering. 

Money or fame?

If you are famous, you can figure out how to make money. 

Instagram or Twitter? 

These days neither, but if I must then, Twitter.

source: http//www.hindustantimes.com / Hindustan Times / Home> Lifestyle> Brunch / by Rupali Dean / April 15th, 2022

Here’s why Shruti Shibulal’s Tamara Leisure is looking at the expansion route

Owner Shruti Shibulal sees a big opportunity in religious tourism and is very upbeat about the hospitality segment as cases drop and travel picks up.

The daughter of S D Shibulal, co-founder, Infosys, Shruti acquired an MBA from Columbia Business School.

For Shruti Shibulal, the last fiscal (FY22) was a good one. “With international travel dropping, many people spent a lot of money on high-quality domestic travel,” she says. As CEO & Director of Tamara Leisure Experiences, the pandemic was a challenging period but the growths story is not just back but she is going aggressive on expansion as well.

The daughter of S D Shibulal, co-founder, Infosys, Shruti acquired an MBA from Columbia Business School.

An internship at the Shangri-La in Hong Kong had her “falling in love with hospitality” and the career path was sealed from that point. Tamara (meaning lotus in Malayalam) launched its first resort in 2012 and today, it operates three brands in India – The Tamara Resorts, (that offers luxury stays in Coorg, Kodaikanal and Allepey), O by Tamara (does upscale business hotels in Trivandrum and Coimbatore) and finally Lilac Hotels (a mid-segment chain with two properties in Bangalore). There is also an overseas presence with four properties in Germany.

The first fiscal after the pandemic hit the world (FY21) saw Tamara adding three new properties. It includes a 19-key ayurvedic resort in Allepey called Amal Tamara, a 147-room hotel in Coimbatore (this was courtesy and acquisition and will be re-opened as O by Tamara) and a 128- room hotel in Germany’s Moxy Bremen. As a result, it brings in an additional 315 keys or a 36 per cent growth over the previous year.

Determining a location for a property is a big decision in this industry. Shruti throws up a few insights here.

“Around 80 per cent of tourism in India is religious tourism and there is a clear need for an overnight stay,” she explains. That thought process now has Tamara expanding into Kannur, Guruvayoor (both in Kerala) and Kumbakonam (in Tamil Nadu), all of which are at various stages of development. “These are pilgrimage destinations and also transit destinations. Obviously, we are looking at more locations but will go about it strategically,” she said.

The logic of pricing power is smaller destinations makes for a compelling argument. Shruti points out that one can price a four-star property in Bengaluru at Rs 9,000. “In Tier 2 and 3 locations, it will not be more than Rs 5,000. Our model is one of diversification and not being restricted to just one geography,” she says. Coimbatore is the first instance of acquiring a building as opposed to the normal approach of going ground-up.

“That helps us in saving time and the pandemic has thrown up some very attractive opportunities since valuations are dropping,” she said.

source: http://www.businesstoday.in / Business Today / Home> Latest> Corporate / by Krishna Gopalan / May 10th, 2022

Sunny Side Museum In Madikeri: State Govt. Urged To Give Entry Fee Exemption For Armed Forces Personnel

Mysore/Mysuru:

The city-based VeKare Ex-Servicemen Trust has urged the State Government to give exemption from entry fee to the armed and paramilitary forces personnel visiting ‘Sunny Side’ that houses General K.S. Thimayya Museum in Madikeri, Kodagu district.

Trust President Mandetira N. Subramani has written a letter to Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai urging to fulfill this demand by exempting entry fee to those in service and retired Armed Forces personnel.

Urging the Kodagu District Administration and the Government to consider the request, he said the exemption in paying an entry fee of Rs. 20 has been sought as a respect towards the Armed Forces fraternity.

Subramani has also urged the Director, Department of Sainik Welfare and Resettlement, to impress upon the Chief Minister to pass orders in this regard.

He has suggested the exemption should be granted upon production of identity cards issued by the competent authority.

The suggestion came from an 85-year-old ex-serviceman Manira T. Nachappa, who had fought three major wars when he served the 37 Coorg Medium Regiment from November 1957 to December 1977.

“Nachappa met me at the recent annual general body meeting of T. Shettigeri Ex-Ser-vicemen Welfare Association in Kodagu and urged me to take up the issue with the authorities concerned,” Subramani said. The museum was inaugurated in February 2021 by President of India Ram Nath Kovind. “Sunny Side”, the ancestral house of General K.S. Thimayya, who served as the Chief of Army Staff from 1957 to 1961, has been converted into a museum.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / May 10th, 2022

‘Rampant Land Conversion In Kodagu Will Kill River Cauvery’

Government must study uniqueness of each district and frame laws: Kodagu Samrakshana Vedike

Mysore/Mysuru:

Concerned over the recent announcement by Revenue Minister R. Ashoka stating that agricultural land conversions across Karnataka would be approved within three days and the required amendments would be brought to the Karnataka Land Revenue Act, the Kodagu Samrakshana Vedike has said that this would be a disaster for Kodagu, the principal catchment area of River Cauvery.

Addressing a press conference at Pathrakarthara Bhavan in city this morning, President of Kodagu Samrakshana Vedike Chottekmada Rajeev Bopaiah said that the Government move will destroy hilly terrains and ecologically-sensitive regions such as Kodagu.

“Large scale land conversion in Kodagu for sites and layouts will invite large numbers of people from outside the State into Kodagu and exert extreme pressure on potable drinking water and water for agriculture and industry. It will kill the River Cauvery that is a lifeline of Karnataka,” he said.

Accompanied by Vedike members Col. (Retd.) Cheppudira P. Muthanna, Jammada Ganesh Ayanna and Annira Harish Madappa, Rajeev Bopaiah said that the High Court had stayed the process of land conversions in Kodagu stating that the No Objection Certificate (NOC) for land conversions issued by the committee headed by the Deputy Commissioner is not valid to approve blanket land conversions.

    Burning problems ignored; focus on new roads:Requesting support from Kodagu MLAs Appachu Ranjan, K.G. Bopaiah, MP Pratap Simha and MLCs Veena Achaiah and Suja Kushalappa, the Vedike appealed to them to save the birthplace of Cauvery from destruction due to rampant land conversions. “Unfortunately, the burning problems of Kodagu like human-animal conflict, land conversion, Pouthi Khata and electricity are ignored by the elected representatives and they are interested in only developing new highways, further destroying the landscape,” they said.    

    The Vedike demanded that the Government must act immediately to avoid destruction of Kodagu. “Unfortunately, many politicians and political leaders are involved in land conversion in Kodagu and those DCs who resist attempts to convert land are being transferred within three months and DCs who act favourably to the politicians are brought in,” Rajeev Bopaiah alleged.                    

“We have seen how Kodagu was ravaged by floods in 2018 and 2019 abetted by unbridled urbanisation and infrastructure development to promote tourism. Sale of agricultural land for non-agricultural purposes will have devastating consequences as reckless urbanisation has already caused a negative impact on the environment as evident in the floods and landslides,” he said.

 Bearing on water: “The government move makes it easy for any individual, industrialist or real estate stakeholders to directly approach farmers and purchase land. It’s not just about land in Kodagu but this will also have a bearing on water and its implications will be felt in the downstream region of the State like Mysuru and Mandya, impacting food security and agriculture,” Rajeev Bopaiah added.

The Vedike has demanded that instead of passing land laws that are applicable across the State, the Government should study the uniqueness of each district and frame laws according to the local environment and ecology. “We will take our movement to the next level that will include a boycott of elections,” the Vedike has warned.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / May 11th, 2022

                    

Committed For The Welfare Of Ex-Servicemen: MLC

Get-together of Kodagu Ex-servicemen Welfare Association held in city.

Mysore/Mysuru:

Asserting that ex-servicemen must get all facilities extended by the Government, JD(S) MLC C.N. Manjegowda, who himself is an ex-serviceman, said that he was committed to get all due Government benefits to ex-servicemen.

He was speaking at the 4th anniversary and get-together of Kodagu Ex-servicemen Welfare Association organised at Sri Chamundeshwari Convention Hall on Bannur Road here yesterday.

Maintaining that he is fighting for the cause of ex-servicemen, Manjegowda said he had questioned the Government on the facilities extended to the family members of martyred Pulwama attack soldiers. Manjegowda said he likes to be remembered as an ex-serviceman and a  honest politician who always worked for the cause of the general public.

Asking ex-servicemen to contact him any time for getting work done by any department, the MLC contended that the JD(S) was the only party that gave a party ticket to an ex-serviceman to contest the Legislative Council polls.

‘I have apprised the Chief Minister and the Home Minister on the services rendered by ex-servicemen. I will always be in touch with the Government to discuss issues concerning ex-servicemen”, he said.

Pointing out that Kodagu district has given many soldiers and warriors to the country, Manjegowda said that the nation should be indebted to Kodagu for this and also the sacrifices made by brave and                                  valiant soldiers.

Noting that the Army and the Police are two pillars of the society, he urged the Government to distribute P-caps to the Police personnel just as is done in other South Indian States. Observing that most of the people who join the Armed Forces do not have a sound financial background, he said that after retiring from the Army, he joined the Police force and served in other departments later before quitting Government service.

Pointing out that those who had served in the Army want to be in a place where there is discipline and dedication, Manjegowda explained his political journey. Referring to allotment of Government land for ex-servicemen, the MLC bemoaned that ex-servicemen are being made to wait for years while private organisations are getting land much easier and quickly.

 He announced that he would exert pressure on the Government to clear pending land allotment applications of ex-servicemen. Manjegowda presented Rs. 50,000 cheque to the Welfare Association, during which he  announced that he would give Rs. 10 lakh out of his Legislator’s fund for the construction of the Association building.

The MLC also promised that he would make all efforts to get a CA site for the Association if the audit report and all records are straight.

Senior ex-serviceman K.G. Kuttappa and Association members K.B. Aiyappa and A.C.                                                             Subbaiah, who excelled in sports, were felicitated.

Association President K.K. Aiyappa, Vice-President K.U. Bheemaiah, office-bearers A.P. Motaiah, C.K. Basappa, K.S. Achaiah, N.K. Ganapathi, A.P. Appaji, K.S. Prabhakar, P.K. Bopaiah, Jaishankar, A.S. Lokanath, Chitra Subbaiah, K.A. Geetha and others were present.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / May 08th, 2022

Need more doctors in rural areas, says surgeon Kavery Nambisan

Renowned surgeon and author Kavery Nambisan has reiterated that doctors are needed in areas away from cities, as well as those who are willing to cater to the needs of slum-dwellers.

Renowned surgeon and author Kavery Nambisan
Renowned surgeon and author Kavery Nambisan

Bengaluru : 

Renowned surgeon and author Kavery Nambisan has reiterated that doctors are needed in areas away from cities, as well as those who are willing to cater to the needs of slum-dwellers.

Speaking at the 53rd convocation of St John’s Medical College on Monday, she said, “Personal success is not the end-all of a medical career. Always check where the need lies, as we need research-oriented doctors, super-specialists, those who will take up community medicine. We need doctors willing to work on the periphery, away from cities, and those who will address the needs of the millions who live in slums.”

Nambisan has been a vocal advocate against healthcare centred in urban areas, highlighting the importance of bringing healthcare to rural areas. She spoke alongside Mandya Bishop Sebastian Adayantharath.


In all, 229 students were awarded their degrees on Monday.

This includes the first batch of 150 MBBS students, who had been admitted in 2016. Before 2016, the college had allowed only 60 students into its MBBS course. Besides, 63 postgraduate students, 16 superspeciality students and 6 PhD scholars also graduated.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Lifestyle> Helth / Express News Service / May 10th, 2022

Basking in the success of Badhaai Do, Gulshan Devaiah talks of ‘chemistry’, upcoming films

Gulshan Devaiah, who recently played the love interest of Rajkummar Rao in the movie Badhaai Do, tells us why he picked a role with a short screen time.

Gulshan Devaiah

Gulshan Devaiah’s part in the movie Badhaai Do was not just a pleasant surprise for his fans, but also brought in more substance to the movie. Devaiah, who romances Rajkummar Rao, the male lead in the movie, says Rao is a wonderful actor and romancing him was easy. “His wife had visited the set in Dehradun and she said, ‘You guys share such wonderful chemistry’,” says Devaiah, who plays a character by the name Guru Narayan.

His association with Harshavardhan Kulkarni, director of the movie, goes back to Hunterr, which was Kulkarni’s first movie as director. When Badhaai Do came about, they thought Devaiah was a great choice to play a part.

“I think they waited for the right time to call me. He said there is a small part and asked me if I would be interested to come for a shoot for 2-3 days. It comes towards the end of the movie but it is a very crucial part,” says Devaiah.

Though he is very clear about not doing cameos, he made an exception for this particular movie. “Sometimes, some things really seem like a good idea. I am not really a cameo sort of guy, I like full-fledged parts. I trust Harsh as he’s my friend and I want to support him as well,” says Devaiah, adding that the team wanted his part to be a surprise. He had even requested an uncredited part but “the team was too embarrassed about it”.

Most of Devaiah’s scenes are with Rao, who he “likes and respects” as an actor. “It was a wonderful opportunity to reunite with all of them. I had last worked with him in Shaitan, where he had a small part,” says Devaiah. The actor is also seen sharing screen space with Sheeba Chaddha, who plays Rao’s mother in the film.

Guru Narayan is basking in the glory of the success of the film, which has appealed to the LGBTQ community who find him relatable.  “I didnt think of the fact that he was gay, I just knew that he was in love. Guru Narayan is a person who is comfortable with who he is. All the LGBTQ community wants is equal treatment,” says Devaiah, who is yet to watch the movie.

While the actor is keener on playing full-length roles, he says it depends on numerous factors. “You have to have some sense and curate your career after a certain point. In the beginning, you just hope you work on good projects, but after a point, you need to have some sort of idea about what you want to do or what you don’t want to do. In my case I have figured the latter,” says Devaiah, whose next film is a project with Zoya Akhtar, the story of which is written by Reema Kagti, and stars Sonakshi Sinha.

source: http://www.indulgexpress.com / Indulge Express, The New Indian Express / Home> Entertainment / by Monika Monalisa / February 21st, 2022