A total of 24 poets including four Horanadu Kannadigas and a specially abled have been selected for State-level Dasara and Rajyotsava Kavya Puraskar in the State-level Poetry Contest organised by Akhila Bharatiya Kannada Sahitya haagu Samskrutika Parishat and Gramantara Buddhijeevigala Balaga.
They are as follows:
Horanadu Kannadigas Category:
Seema Kulkarni (Malaysia), S. Nalina Prasad (Mumbai), Ramana Shetty Renjal (Maharashtra) and Divakar Ballal (Kasargod).
Poetess Category:
Renuka Kodaganji (Bengaluru), Leela-kumari Todikyana (Kodagu), Vasanta Surendranath (Magadi), Divyaja (Bengaluru), Asif Begaum (Kolar), P. Veena (Harihar), Dr. Gurudevi Hulleppanavar Mutt (Belagavi), Indira Shetty (Mysuru) and Nandana P. Shetty (Dakshina Kannada).
Poets Category:
K. Raveesh M.C. Halli (Chikkamagalur), Pradeep Soranagadde (Shivamogga), Raghuveer Mahalingapura (Bagalkot), D.M. Bhatta Kulave (Uttara Kannada), Dr. K.C. Chandrapakash (Tumakuru), K.T. Adarsh Kappadur (Shivamogga), D.P. Chikkanna (Mandya), M. Shivanna (Hassan) and B. Vijaykumar (Udupi).
Specially Abled Poets:
Poornima Hanumantappa Badigeri (Hassan).
Senior writer and columnist from Belagavi Y.M. Menasinakai and senior writer and social worker from Hassan Jayashri D. Krishna were the jury.
P.A. Meghashree from Kasargod has been selected for the State-level Kavya Puraskar given by Balaga President and journalist Dr. Berya Ramakumar and H.N. Savita couple in the name of their son late B.R. Ullas.
Katha Puraskar
A total of 13 members including two Horanadu Kannadigas and a specially abled have been selected for Dr. K. Shivaram Karanth Katha Puraskar in the State-level Story Contest organised as part of the 120th birth anniversary of Jnanapith Awardee Dr. K. Shivaram Karanth.
Horanadu Kannadigas:
Karunakara S. Shetty (Maharashtra) and Sharada A. Anchan (Navi Mumbai).
K.G. Bhadrannanavar (Tumakuru), Y.M. Raghunandan (Mysuru), B. Kantappa (Bhadravati) and S.G. Shivashankar (Mysuru).
Specially Abled Writers:
Bandihole Manjunath (Mandya).
Senior writer couple from Mysuru – K. Ramesh and Dr. S. Sudha and senior writer and columnist from Mumbai Dr. G.D. Joshi were the jury.
Both Kavya Puraskar and Katha Puraskar will be presented to the winners during the Sahityotsava to be held in the month of November, according to a press release.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / October 25th, 2021
El Rang’, a collection of stories by Uluvangada Kaveri Udaya, was released during a programme at Patrika Bhavana in Madikeri on Tuesday.
‘El Rang’, a collection of stories authored by Uluvangada Kaveri Udaya was released by social worker Pemmadiyanda Venu Appanna and Kannada, Kodava film producer Kottukattira Yashoda Cariappa, during a programme organised by Kodava Makkada Koota, on Tuesday.
Speaking on the occasion, Yashoda Cariappa said that children should be encouraged to read books. This will give a boost to literature.
As people are spending time on social media most of the time, the habit of reading is decreasing. Parents should inculcate the habit of reading among their children, she said.
She also lauded the efforts of Kodava Makkada Koota which has published 51 books.
Venu Appanna said that literature needs to thrive in Kodagu. Writers in the district need encouragement.
Kodava Makkada Koota secretary Puttarira Karun Kalaiah said that the Kodava Makkada Koota has been organising various programmes since 2013 and has played a major role in installing the statue of Squadron Leader Ajjamada Devaiah.
Literary works in different languages are being brought out by the Koota, he said.
Presiding over the programme, Kodava Makkada Koota president Bollajira B Ayyappa said that the Koota has published literary works in Kodava, Kannada, English and Hindi languages.
“El Rang’ is the 51st work. Out of the 50 books, five books have been awarded by Karnataka Kodava Sahitya Academy and movies have been made based on two published works, he added.
Kodava Makkada Koota advisor Kulletira Ajith Nanaiah and writer Uluvangada Kaveri Udaya also spoke on the occasion.
source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> State> Mangaluru / by DHNS, Madikeri / October 26th, 2021
Idols of Lord Vishnu dating back to the 12th and 13th centuries are among the latest additions to the Kodagu District Museum on the premises of Madikeri Fort.
Museum curator Rekha said there are more than a thousand rare antiques at the museum.
Appealing to residents of Kodagu to hand over any rare historic idols they may stumble upon in their villages,, she said, “Many villagers have discarded many such ancient idols and artistic figures in rivers. When they find broken idols, they believe it brings bad luck and throw it away. Such monuments are valuable even if they are broken.
If they are confused, they can contact me for any guidance.”
The museum also houses the Kodava Odikathi, shaped in the form of the letter ‘V’, and the sickle, which is shown to the visitors.
“In 1975, Field Marshal Cariappa donated many valuable artefacts. We have kept them in a gallery. Many of these artefacts were made from plaster in Morocco. The museum also has many attractive items that date back to the days when Kodagu was ruled by various kings,” Rekha added.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City News> Mysuru News / TNN / October 24th, 2021
Kodava Samaja, Mysuru, has invited entries for scholarship-2021.
In all, 42 scholarships will be awarded to meritorious children of Samaja members and Kodava students who have studied in Mysuru.
Details of Scholarship:
Highest scorers in final exam of 7th Std., SSLC (English), SSLC (CBSE), SSLC (Economically Weaker Section), PUC, BA, B.Com., B.Sc. (Computer Science/Maths), BBM, MBA, Law, MA, M.Com., M.Sc., (PCM/CBZ); BE, BE(Mech), BE (Arch), BE (Computer Science), BDS, MBBS, B.Sc./M.Sc. (Ag.), Diploma in Commercial (Secretarial) Practice, Best sports students in PUC; CBSE XI & XII and ICSE I & II; SSLC (CBSE) Highest marks in Science; PG in Medicine MD or MS,.
Achievers in Sports at State-level, Graduation in Home Science or Hotel Management; Highest marks in SSLC for Kodava Police Family, Mysuru, Sportsperson in Kodava Police Family representing University of Mysore, Kodava Samaja members.
Applications for scholarship and honouring of eminent members of Samaja for their achievements in various fields should be sent to Hon. Secretary, Kodava Samaja, Mysuru, to reach before Nov. 10 by 5 pm along with Xerox copies of relevant Marks Card, Certificates, family name and Phone number.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> In Briefs / October 23rd, 2021
KG Jagadeesh, CEO and Secretary of the Coffee Board, told The New Indian Express, “This new variety of cuppa yields more, and has a good cupping quality.
For representational purposes
Bengaluru :
To boost coffee economy, help farmers and consumers, the Board has decided to promote a new variety of brew. To ease farmers into adopting the new variety of Chandragiri coffee, the board has asked the state and central government to provide planters a soft loan with lower interest rates and moratoriums.
KG Jagadeesh, CEO and Secretary of the Coffee Board, told The New Indian Express, “This new variety of cuppa yields more, and has a good cupping quality. The beans are bold and has a lot of resistance to leaf pests. The taste and quality of this variety is also good, but its acceptability among farmers is only 10 per cent. Since getting a subsidy is difficult, the board has asked the government to offer them soft loan schemes. Farmer will not clear their standing crop and sow fresh saplings and wait for five years, without any returns. This issue needs to be addressed to have a better market.”
The Board is not just working on promoting Chandragiri in Karnataka and southern states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala, but to other Indian states like Odisha.
Jagadeesh said that the aim is to increase productivity, so that the exports and domestic sales also increase.
The Board officials pointed out that in Karnataka and southern regions, the most grown variety is Cauvery and Arabica, but assessment of samples have shown that Chandragiri is better. According to the Board’s statistics, the yield has been good at 1,037 kg per hectare of Arabica and Robusta in Karnataka in the year 2020-21.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Karnataka / by Bosky Khanna, Express News Sevices / October 21st, 2021
Kodava film ‘Nadapeda Asha’ was screened at Kodava Samaja in Cherambane.
The film is directed by Kottukathira Prakash Cariappa.
Kodava Samaja Cherambane president Bacharaniyanda Dinesh Ganapathi stressed that there is a need to support the growth of the Kodava language and its culture.
The movie ‘Nadapeda Asha’ has come out well, he said.
Kodava Samaja former president Kuttetira Mani Kunhappa, Kottukathira Sabu Thimmayya and others also spoke about the movie.
source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> State> Mangaluru / by DHNS, Madikeri / October 20th, 2021
The next time you sip on a piping hot filter coffee that touches your soul, make sure you thank the Kodavas from Kodagu for producing one of the finest blends of Arabica and Robusta beans in the country.
Such is the craze and demand for this particular product from Kodagu that the small region close to Bengaluru produces 130,000 MTs of coffee per year, which is 40% of India’s entire production. To say that coffee runs in their veins won’t be a wrong statement to make, but maybe an incomplete one. The only missing link here would be hockey, which just like the coffee, is something that Kodavas immensely pride themselves on.
So with that coffee mug in hand, scroll through the pages of Indian hockey’s history, and you’ll find that Kodavas, for generations, have been the pillars of the supply chain to the national team, producing over 50 players for the country. That is huge for a clan with a population touch over 3.5 lakh. Right from the ’70s, it wasn’t a rare sight to see two-three Kodavas make a distinct place for themselves in the team. The magic that Olympians MP Ganesh and BP Govinda weaved on the field for the country is something that the grandfathers would tell the kids back home, which would inspire the gen-next, MM Somaya and AB Subaiah, to pick up the hockey stick. The baton would then pass on to Arjun Halappa, who would later groom players of the caliber of VR Raghunath and SV Sunil. In short, an Indian team was incomplete without the expertise, skill, aggression, artistry, and dominating presence of a Kodagu player.
Coorg, an anglicized version of Kodagu, is also home to the world’s grandest hockey tournament, the Kodava Hockey Festival, which sees participation from over 200 teams across age groups. The tournament, a brainchild of former banker late PM Kutappa, was kick-started in 1997 with the dual purpose of paying rich tribute to the sport in the region, and bringing together players in thousands, only to identify the best talents for the country. Close to two decades later, the deep-rooted hold of Kodagu players had only become stronger in the national team. There was a period from the start of Asia Cup 2013 to the Rio Olympics 2016, where five Kodava players — Raghunath, Sunil, SK Uthappa, Nikin, and Nithin Thimmaiah were regulars on the Indian side.
Unfortunately, the times have changed drastically now. While there is enough stimulus for the coffee production in the region to grow, not much progress has been made on the hockey front. No new players have emerged from the region, good enough to be a part of the national setup; the others have now retired or are just past their prime. The team that won the Junior World Cup in 2016, in Lucknow, had no Kodava player. Even as the senior team was able to shed the tag of not being able to win an Olympics medal since Moscow 1980 — by clinching a bronze in Tokyo 2020 — no Kodava was part of history being made. Forward Sunil, who had been a prolific scorer for India, missed the flight for Tokyo as an untimely injury made him unfit for selection.
Hockey India recently announced a 30-member core group for the national camp in Bengaluru, which did not feature any Kodagu player either. With Sunil announcing his retirement last week, there isn’t a player from the region — it looks like — who would get a chance to represent India anytime soon. Now call it unfortunate, unexpected, or unprecedented, that is the harsh reality, and will take some time to get used to. With the Indian team on a high after the Tokyo victory, all is certainly well for Indian hockey, but it is the long Kodagu legacy that has taken a hit; a legacy, where it was said: Throw a stone, and it will either hit a soldier or a hockey player.
Look at Punjab. Since time immemorial, the state has been producing players of high repute in bulk, way above what the other states have done, put together. But there was always a need for a specialized center, where all the budding champions from Punjab could be groomed under one roof. Responding to the need of the hour, the state helped establish the Surjit Singh Academy, Jalandhar, in 2005; the academy where eight players from the victorious Tokyo 2020 team learned the tricks of the trade. It is only beyond one’s imagination, how much it would have added to the team’s advantage, to have such a large chunk of players from one academy.
In the East, we have Odisha, which has a rich tradition of producing solid defenders for the country. Sundergarh, a small town in the state with a population of over 45,000 only, has a hockey tradition second to none. This Olympics too, Birendra Lakra and Amit Rohidas, were in the Indian team and kept up the tradition of the land that has produced athletes of the class of Dilip Tirkey, Ignace Tirkey, Lazarus Barla, Jyoti Sunita Kullu, and Sunita Lakra. Deep Grace Ekka, the senior-most defender in the women’s team, showed in the quarterfinal against Australia, why is it practically impossible to get past her. All this is a result of systematic planning by the concerned authorities in the state, who are now looking at expanding infrastructure to produce more hockey players. Sundergarh alone has three academies, and as per a report, all the 17 blocks in the district will get a synthetic turf soon. Plus, the Odisha government has been investing heavily in the Indian hockey teams — both men and women — and has been maintaining the best hockey ground — Kalinga Stadium.
Even though there is no dearth of raw talent in Coorg, it is the outlook towards hockey, sports in general, that is hampering the returns, believes BJ Kariappa, the coach of the national junior team. Back in the ’80s and the ’90s, while hockey was a compulsory sport in schools, it is not the case now. “Back in the day, all the schools had hockey teams. But the immense academic pressure had reduced the focus on hockey considerably,” Kariappa tells SportsCafe in an exclusive interaction.
Explaining the issue, Kariappa added, “these days even the parents don’t want their wards in hockey, and the emphasis is only on getting good grades, which in turn would help them get good jobs. That was not the trend during our times. If at all any sport is considered, is cricket. The financial aspect makes it worth pursuing. Also, the lack of state-level or district-level tournaments has done the damage.”
Visibly so, a host of factors have brought Kodagu hockey, to where it is today, but the Tokyo bronze medal could just be the change the sport in the region demands or so hopes Kariappa. “I think one way to look at the medal is that the interest in hockey will come back. The coaches here too will put in additional efforts, and there will be a few more tournaments happening hopefully. Even the state and the Centre are putting in efforts to revive hockey in Coorg. So let’s hope the results will come in the future.”
Without an iota of doubt, 2008 has to be the darkest phase for our hockey when the national team had failed to qualify for the Olympics for the first time in 80 years. But to pick up bits from there, and get a medal in 12 years’ time was truly special. Even though the severity of this, and the hockey crisis in Kodagu could be at different levels altogether, but there certainly is learning, which could help put Coorg on the hockey map of India once again.
A couple of days back I received the Annual Report of the Coorg Education Fund, Madikeri, Kodagu, like in the past few years. Though I hardly go through it, it is a reminder that I am a Life Member of this Fund. I don’t even remember when and how I became a Life Member. Let it be.
However, my first connect with this Fund was probably in 1957-58 when I was a student in Madikeri First Grade College, as it was known then. For some reason, may be connected with sports, I was to have a blue-blazer but I did not have the courage to ask my father. A classmate told me that I could approach, with an application, the Coorg Education Fund, the Office of which was in Madikeri itself. Looking back, I guess the procedure to get the money, a sort of loan, was rather simple. And I got the required Rs. 150 and the blazer which I wore with a sense of pride — walking around like a cockerel! Of course, I forgot about the loan and in time the blazer too.
Many years passed. I was in Mumbai as a journalist and I received a letter from my father saying the Coorg Education Fund had sent me (or him) a notice claiming refund of the amount. Mercifully, he also mentioned that he had settled that account in full. After all, it was a question of his prestige in the society. He did not, however, forget to write that I had taken that money without his knowledge.
Time passed, nearly 20 years. I returned to Mysuru, the border district of Coorg, as the Publisher and Editor of this newspaper and the sister publication Mysuru Mithra. Simultaneously, I was also writing books in English and Kannada as a pastime. One book was about Coorg and the efforts of Protestant Christians to convert the local Kodavas — a historical fiction titled ‘The Cross and the Coorgs.’
Surprisingly, the Fund decided to honour me for my effort at its Annual Meeting. Aware that I owe no money to the Fund borrowed while a student, I agreed to attend. I don’t know if I donated any a money but surely I must have become a Life Member. Otherwise how would I get the invite for the Annual Meeting.
This year the meeting is on 30.10.2021 and with its President Koothanda P. Uthappa, at the helm, it is going to be a great year of noble service as in the past. By the way Koothanda P. Uthappa has been steering this ship of Fund for the past 21 years with great elan. No wonder the corpus fund for the year 2020 was Rs. 9,05,68,877 as against Rs. 61,13,935 in 2000-2001. A quantum leap indeed and multiple three-cheers to K.P. Uthappa and his team. And the greater glory is that as on 11.9.2021 the corpus is Rs. 11,82,14,382. Should one say more? Funds are in safe hands and as per Report, appropriated properly for the noble service of supporting the cause of education among the community.
Another person who was the President of the Fund for the longest period so far was Chendanda P. Appanna (Appi), a big planter whom I had seen and spoken to. He was the President from 1974 to 1997, 23 years. May be, K.P. Uthappa will in the next three years beat the record of Appanna. And we can look forward for a treasury flush with a few more crores.
As I remember, some members of the community had made a request to the Coorg Education Fund to establish a Medical College in Kodagu with its corpus fund of a few crores as the initial capital etc. But the idea was not accepted by the then President. I guess, in retrospect, it was a good decision by the President and the Fund is pursuing the objective of its Founders most honestly with passion even after 158 years.
The genesis of this Fund was in the Mercara School Endowment Education Fund started in the year 1863. The British were ruling Kodagu at the time after dislodging the King Chikkaveera Rajendra in 1834.
This Fund was created by 11 noblemen of Kodagu, all Kodavas, at a time when concern for Education was not a priority in the country generally. That Fund was rechristened, I imagine, in the year 1916 as Coorg Education Fund and has been rendering its service to the community since then.
I know K.P. Uthappa since over a decade because of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan (BVB) which he was heading in Kodagu and I was the Vice-Chairman of BVB Mysuru. I found him to be a good speaker, always touching upon matters spiritual, metaphysical and holy scriptures. No wonder of all the Annual General Body Report I receive, of the few Associations and Organisations I am a member, ONLY the Report of this Fund is different from others. Apart from matters pertaining to the Agenda of the meeting as per the law, the Report has writings relating to ethics, morals and noble acts of service to mankind. Well, if the President is a person of K.P. Uthappa’s thinking about life and service, apparently steeped in spiritual consciousness, I figure, that it is inevitable such writings too must form part of such Annual Reports. And so it is here.
He has given the vision of Coorg Education Fund in the following words:
“The progress of any community in society depends on the education of their children. It is, therefore, our endeavour that all boys and girls should become graduates, doctors, engineers, CAs and excel in other professions.”
“It is such a vision that can serve the society, the community and the country at large.”
It is obvious there is a patriotic, nationalistic fervour in this precept prescribed by the President of the Fund. I think this dose of discourse is needed so that we may not despair despite challenges. Of the moral lessons and some quotable quotes, let me reproduce here one interesting episode connected to Winston Churchill:
Masonic contribution
The poor Scottish farmer’s name was Fleming. One day, while working in the field, he heard a cry for help coming from a nearby marshy land (bog). He dropped his tools and ran to the marshy land.
There, mired to his waist in black muck, was a terrified boy, screaming and struggling to free himself. Farmer Fleming saved the lad from what could have been slow and terrifying death. The next day, a fancy carriage pulled up to the Scotsman’s sparse surroundings. An elegantly dressed nobleman stepped out and introduced himself as father of the boy farmer Fleming had saved. “I want to repay you,” said the nobleman. “You saved my son’s life.”
“No, I can’t accept payment for what I did,” the Scottish farmer replied waving off the offer. At that moment, the farmer’s own son came to the door of the family hovel. “Is that your son?” the nobleman asked.
“Yes,” the farmer replied proudly.
“I’ll make you a deal. Let me provide him with the level of education my own son will enjoy. If the lad is anything like his father, he’ll no doubt grow to be a man we both will be proud of.” And that he did.
Farmer Fleming’s son attended the very best schools and in time, graduated from St. Mary’s Hospital Medical School in London, and went on to become known throughout the world as the noted Sir Alexander Fleming, the discoverer of Penicillin.
Years afterward, the same nobleman’s son, who was saved from the marshy land, was stricken with pneumonia.
What saved his life this time?
Penicillin.
Who was the nobleman?
Lord Randolp Churchill.
Who was his son?
Sir Winston Churchill.
[Both Winston and Alexander were Freemasons]
‘Let noble thoughts come to us from every side,’ a verse from Rigveda, is the motto of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan (BVB). Indeed, K.P. Uthappa is much influenced by the ideals of BVB.
[voice@starofmysore.com]
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Columns> Abracadabra / by K.B.Ganapathy / October 18th, 2021
The Officers and ladies of 37 Coorg Medium Regiment (situated in forward army base in Western Sector) celebrate all Kodava festivals by following the customs and traditions of Kodavas.
Incidentally, there is no Kodava Officer in the Regiment at present.
Picture source: Veteran Sergeant of IAF Mandetira N. Subramani, Hon. Advisor, Kodagu Ex-servicemen Welfare Association, Mysore East
The above group photo of the 37 Coorg Medium Regiment Officers and ladies, all attired in traditional Kodava dress (men in kupya, chele, peeche kathi and women in Kodava podiya or Coorgi style saree), was taken on Oct.17 on the occasion of Cauvery Sankramana.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Photo News / October 19th, 2021
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