LAST PAGE – Coorg Diary

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Nature

Here’s hope that Coorg will never become the tourist haven many feel it should aspire to.

CoorgKF04jul2015

Raining old women with clubs
This ancient Namibian proverb only partially describes our wet week-long sojourn in this utterly beautiful part of Karnataka. We’re 10 minutes up a steep hill (which till recently used to house a coffee plantation) in Bittangala, a short distance from the only golf course in south Coorg, or Kodagu. But no one can play golf. For four straight days and nights, it doesn’t stop raining. The wind howls for hours on end, abating for barely 10 minutes, before picking up again with renewed ferocity. Trees are uprooted, roads are blocked (and miraculously unblocked) and we survive thanks to a generator for the entire period. This continuous sound-and-water show plays tricks on the mind—and I’m not talking about board games Boggle et al. After a while, my sons Kabir and Krishna refused to go up to the bedroom alone to fetch a book—or even a gadget!

The affable Kodendera ‘Nanda’ Cariappa—the retired Air Marshal with an enviable lineage who got famously shot down and taken prisoner in the 1965 war with Pakistan—informs me that it has never rained so heavily in this part of Coorg since he’s been back 19 years ago. Located right in the middle of a forest, we soak in the green (and many more shades of green than you can imagine). Thankfully, no snakes and leeches show up.

Green politics

This onslaught of nature—mind you, the monsoons have barely begun—has given me some hope that Coorg will never become the tourist haven many feel it should aspire to. Des­pite thousands of plantations and homestays knitted together by excellent roads, connectivity to the rest of the country is poor. But given that the builder lobby is busy carving up “layouts” all over the district, there are fears that residential complexes and hotels will destroy the unique eco­system of this Western Ghats hotspot. Thanks to growth and poor sanitation, the capital Madikeri is fast becoming another Mussoorie. As writer Roopa Pai put it in a piece for the Outlook website: “Coorg is a small coffee-growing, pork-eating, hard-drinking, gun-toting district of Karnataka with a terrible superiority complex.” If you ask me, it’s in the national interest that it continues to remain so.

Right-wing rumblings

We’re in Coorg to celebrate the 75th birthday of my wife Rat­hi’s uncle G. Parthasarathy, the diplomat-turned-news-TV-hawk. There’s much family bonding—anecdotes are swapped, tall stories told, and I’m happy to report no one is provoked enough to spill a glass of wine. As word gets around, the invitations start flying in—everyone wants to meet the man on national TV! During one such interaction at a 100-plus-year-old house in Siddapur, it emerges that a key concern is “population control”—there has been a steady influx of Muslims from Kerala into the district. Despite assuring many of these guests that it is statistically impossible to overrun the Hindus, the older generation is clearly worried. The silver lining—one gets a calmer, more accepting view on migration when one speaks to some members of the younger lot.

Bittersweet partying

This is a first for me: I have never partied for an entire week with a group whose average age is 85, with the eldest being a sprightly 92-year-old Lt General Somanna, the former deputy chief of the army. His wife Renu, an irreverent and charming motormouth, was the star of one afternoon. You have to admire the zest for life here—they show up on time, eat and drink well, leave late, and drive their Dusters back to their estates themselves. Despite everyone knowing each other, I’m sure there’s loneliness and boredom too in these massive estates. And of course, there are limits to age. I get into a discussion on the joys of the drink Campari with a gentleman, telling him that some of the best things in life are bitter. A bit tipsy, he turned to me with a twinkle in his eye: “Well, I wouldn’t know if my wife’s bitter…it’s been a while since I’ve tasted her.”

National food integration

High up above the beautifully sleepy Mysore rests the famous Chamundeshwari temple. The tourist-clutter-complex also hosts Durga restaurant which has the best menu-teaser I’ve seen in a while: “South Indian meals, Kerala meals, Rajasthani thali, Gujarati thali, Punjabi thali, Bengali thali, Bombay thali, UP and MP, idly, dosa, alu parota, parota, puri, chapathi & side dishes Punjabi.” According to my vagabond friend Siddheshwar Wahi’s ast­ute analysis on Facebook, “Punjabi rulz! It appears twice.” A family elder asks an important question: “Surely, parotta tastes better than parantha?”

Last week…

While visiting Mysore, I text a colleague in Delhi whose hometown it is. I get the following response: “Good. Make sure you leave it the way I left it.”

Sunit Arora is the associate managing editor of Outlook; E-mail your diarist: sunit [AT] outlookindia [DOT] com

source: http://www.outlookindia.com / Outlook / Outlook> Magazine> Last Page> Diary / by Sunit Arora / Magazine – July 13th, 2015

Land price skyrockets in Kodagu as outsiders rush in droves

Business & Economy

Madikeri :

In the midst of protesting voices against large scale purchase of lands in Kodagu district, a mountainous district with rain forests and known for the cultivation of paddy, coffee, pepper, cardamom etc., there seems to be a ray of hope in addressing this problem.

It is learnt that about 10 young and enterprising planters came together to form a company called ‘Consolidated Coffee Plantation Pvt. Ltd.,’ about two years back and have been purchasing properties from intending sellers instead of allowing outsiders to purchase these properties. And they seem to have succeeded to some extent looking at the properties they have already purchased in places like Birunani, Badaga and Ponnampet in Kodagu, totalling an area of over 100 acres.

However, according to real estate agents, this effort may not succeed in preventing rich money bags, specially from Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, from purchasing lands in Kodagu where they are offering over Rs. 25 lakh per acre.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> General News / Saturday – June 27th, 2015

GCC re-entering coffee mart after two decades

Coffee News

Visakhapatnam :

After nearly two decades, the Girijan Cooperative Corporation (GCC) is re-entering the coffee sector in the Visakha Agency again and is targeting marketing around 2,000 metric tonnes of coffee procured from small tribal farmers in the Visakha Agency this year.

According to records, there are around one lakh tribals cultivating on nearly 96,337 acres and producing around 6,500 metric tonnes of coffee every year, which fetches around Rs 65 crore. With GCC’s support, the farmers are expected to earn around Rs 91 crore.

GCC has already identified 14 godowns to store the coffee stocks in the Agency and collection of material will start from December this year. It plans to set up one procurement centre each at the village level and two big centres each at the mandal level. GCC has already initiated awareness campaigns in each hamlet in June, inviting coffee growing farmers to enroll their names.

The corporation plans to register the data such as names of farmers, bank account numbers and Aadhaar number in July and August. It is likely to recruit separate manpower for coffee-related activities in September.

“The output and price realization in the Agency areas is very low due to improper harvesting techniques and marketing. If we provide guidance to coffee growing farmers in harvesting and marketing the produce, they will surely benefit. Currently, farmers get a very low price for their produce. If we market the same stocks, their earnings will increase by nearly 40% as we will ensure that each farmer gets the maximum price for his produce. GCC will be taking care of marketing the coffee from this financial year,” GCC managing director A Ravi Prakash said.

“GCC will take care of the pruning, curing, transport and auction of coffee. GCC will bear the entire cost of this and will be reimbursed by the government later. The state government will give Rs 25 crore initially and the Coffee Board will give a subsidy too. GCC will an organized marketing platform for small farmers,” he said.

This is not the first time that GCC is involved in the coffee sector. It had floated the Girijan Plantation Cooperative Development Corporation (GPCDC) in 1986 and developed 40,000 acres of plantation. However, GPCDC wound up its activities in 1997 and the plantation area was distributed among farmers and ITDA staff, sources said.

Meanwhile, the state government has also announced that GCC will provide marketing support for the Paderu Coffee Project, under which the government will invest Rs 526.16 crore in adding another one lakh acres under coffee plantations in the next 10 years. The project was announced by chief minister Chandrababu Naidu on October 17 last year after Cyclone Hudhud and a GO was released by the tribal welfare department last month.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> City> Visakhapatnam / TNN / July 03rd, 2015

Spices Park proposed in Kodagu district

Business & Economy

A Spices Park has been proposed in Kodagu, which is also known for spices besides coffee.

Mysuru MP Pratap Simha, who is A member of Spices Board, suggested to the Board for establishing the park in Kodagu at its 50th meeting at Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir.

Responding to the MP’s request, board chairman A. Jayatilak asked officials to look into the matter and take appropriate steps, a release from the MP’s office said here.

“Kodagu is not just known for coffee but also for black pepper. Sakleshpur, which neighbors the district, is well-known for cardamom. Mysuru is emerging as one of the major producers of turmeric and ginger. Taking these facts into consideration, it is ideal to establish the Spices Park in Kodagu,” the MP argued.

There is a possibility to develop the park if the State government allots a 50-acre plot for the facility, he pointed out.

A Spices Park is coming up in Haveri district after 50 acres was handed over for establishing the facility. Byadagi is known for chilli, one of the major spice products.

A Spices Park is coming up in Haveri district after 50 acres was handed over for establishing the facility

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Karnataka / by Shankar Bennur / Mysuru – July 02nd, 2015

PM congratulates Indian badminton players Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa, on winning women’s doubles title in Canada Open

Sports

Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has congratulated Indian badminton players Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa, on winning women’s doubles title in Canada Open.

“Very proud of Ashwini P. and Jwala Gutta for the wonderful victory at the Canada Open. Congratulations to the brilliant sportspersons”, the Prime Minister said.

source: http://www.pmindia.gov.in /PMIndia / Home> News Updates> June 29th, 2015

Canada Open title a big boost ahead of World Championship: Ashwini Ponnappa

Records, All, Sports, World Opinion

New Delhi:

Ecstatic after winning the Canada Open women’s doubles title with Jwala Gutta, Indian shuttler Ashwini Ponnappa said that consistency has been the key to their success and this victory is a big boost ahead of the prestigious World Championship in August.

File photo of Ashwinin Ponnappa and Jwala Gutta. AFP Photos.
File photo of Ashwinin Ponnappa and Jwala Gutta. AFP Photos.

The 2010 Commonwealth Games gold-medallist pair of Ashwini and Jwala defeated the top-seeded Dutch pair of Eefje Muskens and Selena Piek 21-19 21-16 to clinch the USD 50,000 Canada Open Grand Prix tournament on June 28.

“It is a fantastic win. We have been playing well and have been consistent. Winning the tournament just before the world championship is a great boost. Naturally, the World Championship in August is the next target for us,” Ashwini told PTI from Calgary.

India’s best doubles pair, Ashwini and Jwala, won as many as four bronze medals last year but a title win has eluded them and Ashwini said it was nice to win a trophy after a long time.

“Jwala and I have done well last year too. We won bronze medals at the ABC, Uber Cup, Asian Games in Incheon and silver at the Commonwealth Games at Glasgow. We also reached the semifinals at the Syed Modi Grand Prix Gold and then last week at the US Open. So we have been consistent but we have won a title after a long time. It is great to break the draught,” Ashwini said.

Ashwini and Jwala had taken a break post the London Olympics and this is their first title since their reunion after the 2012 Games.

The duo trained separately for some time but now with the World Championship round the corner, they will once again start training together.

“We have been training separately. I train at the national camp in Bangalore under Yusuf sir or Tom John, while Jwala is with Mohd Arif Sir, but since we have played together so much, we know each other’s game and we gel well at the tournaments. But for the World Championship, Jwala will come to Bangalore and we will be training together,” said Ashwini, who alongwith Jwala won the 2011 World Championship bronze medal.

source:http://www.firstpost.com / FirstPost.com / F.Sports> Home> Front Page> Latest News> Sports News / pTI / June 29th, 2015

Mysuru – Madikeri Rail line survey to be completed this fiscal year

Business & Economy

Mysuru :

The Preliminary Engineering-cum-Traffic (PET) survey of the much-awaited Mysuru-Kushalnagar-Madekeri Railway line will be completed during the current fiscal year, following which a revised PET Survey report will be submitted to the Railway Board for clearance, said Divisional Railway Manager and Chairman DRUCC, Rajkumar Lal.

He was replying to a question put forth by one of the committee members regarding the status of the Railway line during the 24th DRUCC meeting held yesterday.

“At present, the authorities are engaged in updating the PET Survey report of the Mysuru-Kushalnagar section, while the physical survey between Kushalnagar and Madikeri is in progress,” said Rajkumar Lal and added that, “The PET for the new 84.5 km broad gauge line between Mysuru and Kushalnagar via Hunsur and Periyapatna projected to cost Rs. 666 crore was submitted to the Railway Board in 2012. As the rate of return was 8 per cent, the project was not pursued.”

He further added that in view of the support extended to the project by the State Government, the PET survey was being updated and the entire report will be submitted to the Railway Board in the current financial year.

The cost estimate for the stretch between Kushalnagar and Madikeri was yet to be prepared as the survey is in progress, he added.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore /Home> General News / Wednesday – June 24th, 2015

Writer calls for documenting Kodagu’s tribal culture

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links / Pre-Independence, Records, All

Writer J Somanna on Sunday said writers should come forward to document the complete history of Kodagu where people from various communities speaking various languages reside.

The documentation of the district’s history has not been not carried out properly till date, he observed while presiding over the sixth Virajpet taluk Kannada literary conference here on Sunday.

“A lot of work has to be created in the literary world of Kodagu. Apart from the history documented by Christian Missionaries writers, folklorist Nadikeriyanda Chinnappa and D N Krishnaiah, we don’t have any other documentation on the history of the region. Now, Hampi Kannada University lecturer Tambanda Vijay Poonacha is trying to document the history. Young writers should also initiate a move in this regard.”

Somanna said that there was a need to document the culture, attire, tradition of tribals, including that of Kodagu Kembatti, freedom movement, life of soliders and so on. Only a handful of writers like G T Narayana Rao, Kodagina Gowramma, B D Ganapathy, Kakemani I M, Muthanna, Thambanda and Vijay Poonacha have made their names in the literary world, he added. Somanna said Kannada teachers should be trained properly to teach the language in an appealing manner.

The teachers should have an in-depth knowledge on the subject, he observed. He urged the Union government to nationalise educational institutions and frame a uniform education policy for the country.

Tribal academy sought

“The tribals in Virajpet taluk are living in a pathetic condition. The government’s facilities have not reached them yet. There is a need to rehabilitate them on the periphery of the forest. A separate Budakattu (Tribal) Academy should be established to protect the literature and culture of the tribals,” he said. The literary meet passed a resolution urging the government to check elephant menace.

At an open session presided over by taluk Kannada Sahitya Parishat president M P Keshava Kamath, honorary secretary D P Rajesh Padmanabha read out the resolution. It read: “Chennayyanakote is located on the periphery of the forest. The residents are scared following the elephant menace. The forest department should chalk out a plan to check elephant-human conflict.”

The resolution would be submitted to chief minister and forest minister through the deputy commissioner.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> District> Madikeri, DHNS – June 28th, 2015

Mumbai to host the 3rd Edition of “World Tea & Coffee Expo” ™ 2015

Business & Economy, Coffee News, World Opinion

· International destination Mumbai ensures substantial participation of Indian & International companies
· Global Market for RTD Tea & Coffee growing at a healthy rate annually
· Buying delegations from Iran, Dubai, Nepal, Russia & UK planned

Mumbai, the commercial capital of India, shall host the 3rd World Tea & Coffee Expo 2015, India’s only International trade show dedicated to the Tea & Coffee Sectors. With over 100 exhibitors from 10 countries and dedicated country pavilions, this International Tea Coffee show in India promises an even bigger presence to provide the perfect environment for the hot beverage industry to meet face-to-face and develop real business opportunities. The 2015 edition is to be held at Bombay Exhibition Centre, Mumbai INDIA from 1st Oct to 3rd Oct 2015 and shall cater to a prospective visitor base of over 6000 buyers from across India and abroad – up from the visitor count of 4100 witnessed during the second edition held in Sept 2014.

In addition to a display of innovative and exotic products, machineries, accessories, technologies, vending machines and certifications from the entire gamut of the Hot beverage sector, additional activities planned at the Expo include: B2B match-making, Workshops & Championships, a High Level 2-day Conference by Industry leaders, academicians and policy makers, export/import guidance kiosks, Knowledge zone etc.

Says Priti M Kapadia, Director, Sentinel Exhibitions Asia P Ltd, the organizer of the show, “Mumbai is a city where the best and the most serious converge for doing business. Mumbai attracts the serious players from the length & breadth of India and also from aboard which results in high value deals and alliances. The 2015 edition of this unique trade fair will also see buying delegations from Iran, Nepal, Dubai, and Russia.

The stupendous success of the 2nd World Tea & Coffee Expo 2014 @ Mumbai, INDIA in September 2014, has established this Expo as the official Industry show with just two editions under its belt. This is India’s only International Trade Show dedicated to Tea & Coffee and is supported by Ministry of Commerce through Tea Board of India and leading associations and chambers from across the world have pledged their support to this important industry initiative.

The Expo offers huge potential for appointing Distributors, Bulk orders, joint ventures, franchising, networking, knowledge-sharing, meeting government officials, marketing alliances, and overall branding. WTCE has become the platform for the launch of new and exotic tea & coffee products. For a visitor, Workshops and seminars are the other important part of the event, which will help them to understand the depth of this industry, gain knowledge, understand benefits and also to taste the products on the spot. Skill development shall be the main theme of the workshops which will be conducted by experts in the field. Adds Kapadia, “For the International Tea & Coffee conference, we are in touch with a number of international speakers and some of them have already confirmed.”

The global market for RTD (Ready-to-Drink) Tea and Coffee is expected to reach $125 billion by 2017 with an annual growth rate of 11%. The Asia-Pacific region is the largest market and also showing maximum growth. To capitalize on the growth trend in the RTD Tea & Coffee, companies are investing heavily on modernization of machineries, Quality Up-gradation & Product Diversification as also branding, innovations and market expansion. The Upscale café culture has contributed significantly to the growth of both Coffee & Tea in India with exotic branding and packaging coupled with a dynamic product mix are driving the demand. Drinking habits and lifestyles have changed in the last 8 – 10 years and people are now willing to pay more for quality. India is the 2nd largest producer, 2nd largest consumer and 4th largest exporter of tea with a 23% share in global production, a 12% share in world tea exports and a per capita consumption of about 725 grams (2013-14 figures). The 6th largest producer of the coffee in the world, India exports more than 80% of its coffee presently but a rising domestic demand at 7% annually may change this scenario completely over the next decade or so. The trend towards health consciousness, coupled with increased competitive pressure, will further push new product development in the next five years, which will in turn boost industry demand. Most International companies which have entered India are doing brisk business and expanding their operations. The World Tea & Coffee Expo is the catalyst for International companies to target this huge market.

WTCE will determine trends, create awareness on optimization of product lines, enable networking with peers, industry stalwarts, academia and government officials. The vision of the World Tea & Coffee Expo is to facilitate and expand the Indian Beverage business by providing all sourcing requirements under one roof. Organized by Sentinel Exhibitions Asia P Ltd [SEA], a part of the Mumbai-headquartered Sentinel media group, WTCE is established as the VOICE OF THE INDUSTRY and as the Gateway to Indian markets.

For further information please log onto www.worldteacoffeeexpo.com or call on +91 22 28625133 or email to info@worldteacoffeeexpo.com

Three tourist circuits identified to increase footfall in Cauvery basin

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy

Interesting places in Mysuru, Kodagu, Chamarajanagar and Mandya districts, and parts of Ramanagaram district to be covered

TouristCircuitKF28jun2015

In a major boost to tourism promotion in the Cauvery basin — comprising Mysuru, Kodagu, Chamarajanagar and Mandya districts, and parts of Ramanagaram district — the newly constituted Cauvery Tourism Development Authority (CTDA) has identified tourist circuits for drawing higher footfalls.

The authority, which recently met, announced the circuits — Malai Mahadeshwara Tourist Circuit, Kodagu Tourist Circuit and Chamarajanagar Tourist Circuit.

The authority was constituted to develop a combined ‘Mysuru Tourist Circuit’ consisting of Kodagu, Mandya, Chamarajanagar and Kanakapura taluk in Ramanagaram districts. Incidentally, this was one of the recommendations of the Karnataka Tourism Vision Group.

Accordingly, the circuits — Kodagu, Chamarajanagar and M.M. Hills Tourist Circuits comprising prominent and lesser-known tourist destinations in all the five districts — Mysuru, Kodagu, Mandya, Chamarajanagar and parts of Ramanagaram district – were identified. The lesser-known spots were included to attract tourists and improve economy in the areas.

Kodagu Circuit
There are several alternatives to explore the destinations in the circuit. They include: Madikeri-Abbi Falls-Bhagamandala and Talacauvery; Madikeri-Dubare-Cauvery Nisarghadhama-Harangi dams; Madikeri-Iruppu Falls-St.Ann’s Church-Clock Tower-Nagarahole; Madikeri-Honnammana Kere-Mallahalli falls; Abbi falls-Chelavara Reservoir-Mallahalli falls and Iruppu falls; Mysuru-Golden Temple (Bylakuppe)-Cauvery Nisarghadhama-Abbi falls-Mandalpatti-Madikeri and Bhagamandala.

Chamarajanagar Circuit
There is a mix of pilgrimage, wildlife tourism, eco-tourism and waterfall tourism in this circuit. It includes Chamarajanagar-K.Gudi-Biligiri Ranganathaswamy Hills-Yelandur; Kollegal-Bharachukki-Chikkallur-Gundal; Kollegal-Malai Mahadeshwara Hills-Gopinatham-Hogenakal; Chamarajanagar-Terakanambi-Parvathi Hills-Gundlupet-Himavad Gopalaswamy Hills-Bandipur; Mysuru-Somanathapura-Talakad-Gaganachukki-Bharachukki-Chikkallur.

Malai Mahadeshwara Circuit
In this too, there is a mix of wildlife and eco-tourism. The spots covered are: Ambigarahalli-Yadatore-Kappadi-Chunchankatte-Periyapatna-Kendagannaswamy Gaddige-Bheemakolli-Antharasanthe-Haradanahalli-Terakanambi-Huluganamaradi-Kanakagiri-Parvathi Hills-Biliri Ranganathaswamy Hills-Bandipur-Himavad Gopalaswamy Hills-Nanjangud-Suttur-T. Narsipur-Mudukutore-Talakad-Chikkallur and Mahadeshwara Hills.

In addition, a decision has been taken to develop Mysuru-Gommatagiri-Yadatore-Kappadi-Chunchankatte-Bettadapura Circuit and Mysuru-Gaddige-Kabini-Bheemakolli-Chikkadevammanabetta-Nanjangud-T.Narsipur-Talakad-Mudukutore-Somanathapura circuit.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Bengaluru / by Shankar Bennur / Mysuru – June 27th, 2015