An expert committee has given the go-ahead for the proposed 400-kV Mysore-Kodagu-Kozhikode power line passing through eco-sensitive forest zones. It said the power line can follow the original alignment, despite serious apprehensions expressed by environmentalists in Kodagu district.
Speaking to reporters here on Wednesday, Power Minister D K Shivakumar said the state government had constituted a three-member expert committee headed by R S Shivakumara Aradhya to examine the issue. The committee has submitted its report and has recommended the construction of the line on the route originally proposed by the Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (PGCIL)
He said the work on the double-circuit transmission line, which had secured forest clearance, was halted following objections raised by environmentalists and a few elected representatives from the region.The committee, in its recommendations, also suggested certain remedial measures to deal with environmental issues. This included regeneration of vegetation along the 3.93-km stretch in Dubare and Devamachi reserve forests.
It recommended working out a plan to mitigate elephant-human conflicts in coffee plantations, paddy fields and settlements in Kodagu district during the cutting of trees and construction of tower lines.
The remedial plan should be prepared and implemented by the Forest Department in consultation with experts as well as local stakeholders, with funding from the PGCIL, it said and suggested better compensation to paddy growers than what was proposed by the PGCIL.
The committee felt that about 6,000 trees have to be cut in a 12-km stretch of coffee plantations in Kodagu and another 2,247 trees in the forest stretch to build the proposed line. It acknowledged that the line passes through 4.5 km of reserve forest in Virajpet, Madikeri and Hunsur forest divisions, which fall within the buffer zone of the tiger reserve.
Various environmentalist organisations, including Coorg Wildlife Society, had strongly protested against the project fearing large-scale damage to forests.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Karnataka / by Express News Service / August 28th, 2014
By Prof. A.V. Narasimha Murthy, former Head, Department of Ancient History & Archaeology, University of Mysore
Victoria Gowramma is an enchanting but a perplexing name as it is a curious combination of western culture represented by Victoria and Hindu culture symbolised in Gowramma. In fact, an old fashioned and devoted Hindu woman with traditional virtues is referred to as Gowramma. Actually Gowri is Parvathy, the consort of Shiva. Slowly the name Gowramma is vanishing from Hindu household in preference to more modern names. However, that name still persists among the Kodavas.
I was re-reading D.N. Krishnayya’s book Kodagina Itihasa (History of Kodagu) in Kannada. It is a good book and reads like a novel but gives authentic history of Coorg. He has devoted many pages for sketching the life of Gowramma. In fact, C.P. Belliappa has made a special research on the charming lady and has written a book titled Victoria Gowramma: The Lost Princess of Coorg, which I have not been able to read unfortunately. Further he has taken the trouble in exploring and locating her cemetery at Brompton in South-West London. Thus Belliappa has given a new lease of life in history to this extraordinary Princess of Coorg and has added a new chapter to the history of Coorg. K.B. Ganapathy has also written about her in his book ‘The Cross and the Coorgs’ and its Kannada version Kodagina Mele Shilubeya Neralu. All these books are useful in understanding the personality of this Princess who passed away when she was just 23 years (1841-63).
Victoria Gowramma was the daughter of Kodagu King Chikka Veerarajendra Odeya, son and successor of King Lingarajendra. He was just 17 years when he became the king and due to bad company he became a cruel and autocratic king and people of Coorg cursed him to the maximum but were scared of him to raise their voice. Killing people when he did not like them or those who did not toe his line had become a daily affair without any mercy. A low class person by name Kunta Basava, who was looking after the Palace dogs rose to the position of a Dewan of the State and encouraged the King in all his atrocious acts. Added to it, he had a strong weakness for women and as soon as he saw a charming woman, he would get her into his harem. The British warned him but he ignored their advice. Finally he submitted himself to the British and became a prisoner in his Palace. He was first taken to Vellore and finally to Kashi where he was kept as a State prisoner. He requested the British government to permit him to take his dear daughter Gowramma with him to England and the British permitted him.
Thus Princess Gowramma went with her father and reached England in March 1852. The deposed King and Gowramma were given a rousing reception at London and Veerarajendra was actively participating in social life of London along with his daughter Gowramma. Suddenly he thought of her future after his own death and wrote a letter to Queen Victoria, requesting her to take Gowramma under her protection and convert her to Christianity and give proper education to her. The queen was very happy and Gowramma was converted to Christianity in Windsor Castle church by Canterbury Archbishop.
Queen Victoria became her guardian and gave her the name Victoria Gowramma. Chikka Veerarajendra was also present on that occasion and he expressed his gratefulness to the queen. The responsibility of her protection and education was entrusted to Major Drummond and his wife. As they did not look after her properly, she was sent to Lady Login and Sir John Login who were proficient in Hindustani. She was not encouraged to meet her father frequently and was allowed to meet him on special occasions only. Gowramma had forgotten Hindustani and Veerarajendra did not know English and hence the father and daughter talked to each other through a bilingual interpreter. Most of the time Veerarajendra was weeping whenever he met his daughter and thought that he was responsible for her plight under the British but it was too late. He became sick and when she came to meet him, he handed over a bag to her which contained a large number of precious stones and rich ornaments and asked her to wear them. Both of them cried.
Veerarajendra died in 1859 in London but Gowramma could not go to the funeral as she was living in White Island, far away from London.
His body was kept in Kansal Green Cemetery and after two years the body was brought to Calcutta through a ship. From there it was taken by road to Kashi and was buried there as per the rituals of Veerashaiva community and a tomb was built over it. The expenditure for all this was Rs. 2500 and the British government sanctioned this amount. When he died he had cash and valuables worth around rupees four lakhs and it was distributed among his relatives. Nothing was claimed by Gowramma as she was under the protection of the queen herself.
Gowramma was under the protection of Mrs. Drummond. The latter had two daughters who were active and were going to school. But Gowramma was always inactive and had no interest in learning. Hence she was being treated badly by the family. She felt that under the influence of Gowramma, her two daughters also may get spoilt and requested the queen to relieve her family from the responsibility of Gowramma. Then Gowramma was entrusted to another European woman by name Lady Login. She had a good knowledge of India, and also had the responsibility of looking after Dilip Singh. He was the first King to be converted to Christianity whereas Gowramma was the first woman to get converted.
As part of the ritual, the queen wanted her to go to Italy. The queen had sent an expensive diamond ear-ring and necklace of pearls and asked her to lead a life acceptable to God. Veerarajendra who was present on the occasion was happy at this gesture. Then Gowramma was taken to Italy (Vatican) by Lady Login and the new climate made her healthy and enthusiastic, regarding the royal life. Though some people tried to get her married to Dilip Singh, the latter did not agree as Gowramma did not come up to his expectations.
Then Gowramma came to England along with Lady Login. The latter wanted to be relieved of the responsibility of Gowramma and she was put under the care of Lady Katharine Harcourt. But the latter put Gowramma under a Junior Governess and Gowramma did not like that. Then she was put under the care of Sir James Wirhog. At that time Colonel Campbell used to visit her house. He was a young widower and showed great interest in Gowramma. They were married and they had a female child who was given the name Edith Victoria Gowramma. Campbell and Gowramma enjoyed fairly good life, visited many places and took part in royal festivals and parties. The queen was very happy and ordered that there should be no deficiency in providing funds and amenities to Campbell and Gowramma. Thus everything looked wonderful to the couple.
Gradually her tuberculosis was becoming severe. Queen Victoria made all arrangements to get her the best medical help. But the medicines did not help and finally she died in 1864 (March 30) when she was just 23 years. As per the desire of the queen her body was buried in Brampton Cemetery in London and an epitaph was carved on the marble stone as follows:
“Sacred to the memory of Princess Victoria Gowramma, daughter of ex-Raja of Coorg, the beloved wife of Lt. Colonel Campbell. Born in India, July 4th 1841, she was brought early in life to England, baptised into the Christian faith under the immediate care and protection of queen Victoria who stood sponsor to her. She died on 30th March 1864.”
After her death, her daughter married Captain Yardley and had a son who died in a road accident. Thus ended the family of Victoria Gowramma. Now she has entered the pages of history, the ultimate of everyone including kings, queens and princesses. But there is something melancholic in her life which makes us to have a soft corner for her. That is the greatness of Victoria Gowramma.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Feature Articles / August 30th, 2014
Yasmin at Kalakshetra / by Special Arrangement / The Hindu
Yasmin Ponnappa of Aaranya Kaandam fame talks about her experiences while filming the latest song of the city that has gone viral
Her performance in the critically acclaimed Tamil film Aaranya Kaandam made people sit up and take notice. And now, model-actress Yasmin Ponnappa is back with The Madras Song, a four-and-a-half-minute video that chronicles the experiences of a young girl visiting Madras for the first time.
Yasmin / by Special Arrangement / The Hindu
The natural abandon with which she prances around the city’s streets have had youngsters gushing about her. Tell her that, and she says, “It was meant to be natural. When we started filming, we were particular that it should not be like an act, but capture spontaneity.”
She might be from Bangalore, but it is namma Madras that Yasmin loves. “I still can’t get myself to call it Chennai,” she smiles. “I prefer Madras. I have a lot of wonderful friends here, and the camaraderie among everyone in the city is just fantastic.”
That’s exactly what The Madras Song team wanted to portray in its latest video. “Whatever Vijay (director Vijay Prabhakaran) depicted in the storyboard was exactly expressed in the video. His brief to me before we started shoot was simple — enjoy Madras like you would. I did that. I guess it’s the natural celebration of the city that people like,” she says.
It’s not just the city’s sights and sounds that the song, sung by Nenjukule singer Shakthisree Gopalan, celebrates, but also some famous personalities. Celebrities such as Viswanathan Anand, Crazy Mohan and Sudha Ragunathan feature in the video. Ask Yasmin about it, and she says, “The selfie is a rage now and we wanted to capture that. Shooting selfies with Chennai’s celebrities was a fantastic experience. And, playing chess with Anand was something I’ll cherish for the rest of my life.”
Yasmin / by Special Arrangement / The Hindu
The actress loves the serenity and culturally charged atmosphere in Kalakshetra, one of her favourite places. “The place is so beautiful,” she says, “There are three kinds of prayers there, and just hearing them is so uplifting. Madras always celebrates its culture and Kalakshetra is proof of that.”
On the film front, she’s still waiting for an interesting project to come up. “There have been scripts, yes, but none as interesting as Aaranya Kaandam. I don’t believe in doing films just for the heck of it. I’m glad that after a powerful role in Aaranya Kaandam, The Madras Song has come up.”
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> MetroPlus / by Srinivasa Ramanujam / August 21st, 2014
A group photo of the winners and runners of Kodagu Golf Open Championship – 2014 held at JW Golf Course in city on Aug. 23 and 24. (Sitting from left) Dr. S.L. Narayana (Chairman, Tournament Sub-Committee, JWGC) B.M. Nagesh (Hon. Secretary, JWGC), P.M. Ganapathy (President, JWGC), Dr. N.M. Caveriappa (President, Association of Kodagu Golfers of JWGC), Dr. Puttabasappa (Captain, JWGC), P. K. Somaiah (Secretary – Association of Kodagu Golfers of JWGC), H.S. Arun Kumar (Hon. Treasurer, JWGC); (Standing from left) R.N. Sudharshan, Sonam Chugh, K.M. Achaiah, C.K. Subramani, T.H. Shivani, Brig. R.V. Seetharamaiah, M.S. Yashas Chandra, M.B. Nanaiah (Treasurer – Association of Kodagu Golfer of JWGC), B.O. Ganesh Babu, Col. B.N. Somanna, M.S. Shreyas Chandra, Deepak Kumar Jain, Lt. Col. K.P. Vijay Kumar, C.K. Sridhar, Lt. Col. M.K. Poovaiah and M.S. Dinesh Kumar. Mysore :
Kodagu Golf Open Championship-2014 sponsored by Association of Kodagu Golfers of J.W. Golf Club, Mysore in memory of Field Marshal K.M. Cariappa and Gen. K.S. Thimmaiah was held at Jayachamaraja Wadiyar Golf Club, in city on Aug. 23 and Aug. 24. The following are the winners:
Strokeplay Net (H/C 0=9) (Gen. K.S. Thimmaiah Memorial Trophy): Winner: Ganesh Babu (67-net), Runner: Sonam Chugh (69-net).
Strokeplay Net (H/C 10=18) (Sqd Ldr. M.B. Chittiappa Memorial Trophy): Winner: R.N. Sudarshan (67-Net), Runner: Deepak Kumar Jain 70-net).
Stableford Net (H/C0<=18) (Kodagu Challenge Trophy): Winner: C.K. Subramani (37-pts) (Better back 9 over Col. Somanna), Runner: Col. Sommana (37-pt) (Better Back 9 over M.S. Dinesh Kumar).
Stableford Net (H/C 0 to 24) for seniors (65 years and above): Winner: Col. Vijaykumar (37 pts), Runner: Brig. R.V. Seetharamaiah (36 pts).
Stableford Net (H/C 0 to 24) for super seniors (70 years and above): Winner: K.M. Achaiah (32-pts)
Best Kodagu Golfer: Lt. Col. M.K. Poovaiah
Best Lady Golfer: T.H. Shivani
Nearest to Pin: B.P. Mahesh.
Maximum Birdies: I.L. Aaplaap - 2 Birdies (won by lucky draw over Kulwanth Singh and Ashok Poovanna winner).
Longest Drive: Winner: M.S. Dinesh Kumar
Straighest Drive: Winner: C.K. Sridhar
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Sports News / August 26th, 2014
The much-awaited book on ‘Ainmanes of Kodagu’ (ancestral homes), authored by researcher-couple Boverianda Chinnappa and Nanjamma Chinnappa has hit the stands.
The book was written after extensive fieldwork in Kodagu district (Coorg) of Karnataka, to record for posterity the way of life that the culturally-rich ainmanes symbolise.
Speaking to The Hindu, P.T. Bopanna, journalist, who runs Kodagu’s first news portal www.coorgtourisminfo.com, said according to the researcher couple, the book is unique as it traces the origins and antiquity of the ancestral homes of all the native communities of Kodagu.
“It also describes the social and cultural significance of these ancestral homes, which are important elements of the rich heritage of the native communities of this area,” he said.
An ainmane has a verandah, with carved square wooden pillars tapering upwards and wooden seats between the pillars, ornately carved windows and door frames, and specific areas within the ainmane for the performance of rituals.
A ‘functional’ ainmane is where all the members of the okka (patrilineal clan) gather to celebrate important family rituals and ceremonies.
The book describes the ainmanes of the native communities in Kodagu (Coorg) and their socio-cultural significance.
Ainmanes are architectural symbols that bear testimony to the strength and vitality of the okkas of Kodagu.
According to the authors, the ainmanes that are still standing today account for only about 40 per cent of the original number that existed in Kodagu.
Many of them are dilapidated; others have been converted into simple homes. The Chinnappas expressed their apprehension that if this trend continues, these heritage buildings and the unique traditions, customs, festivals and rituals that are associated with them will probably vanish in the not too distant future. If they vanish, so will the heritage of the people, their way of life, they add.
The authors have said their aim is to raise awareness of the cultural significance of the ainmanes of Kodagu and encourage efforts to maintain and preserve these heritage buildings for generations to come.
The cover illustration for the book is by noted cartoonist, Nadikerianda Ponnappa.
The book has been published by Niyogi Books, Delhi. The work on the website www.ainmanes.com is in progress.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> National> Karnataka / K. Jeevan Chinnappa / Bangalore – August 23rd, 2014
Three thousand trees in parts of Kodagu are helping forest ecology studies by providing experimental evidence for various research projects.
The trees are being studied to understand how they adapt to changes in rainfall, temperature and duration of the rainy season.
This data is part of a bigger project in which tree responses to changing climates are being measured to gauge how trees react to changing weather parameters.
The trees are on two 30-hectare sample plots set up by the Forest Department in collaboration with the French Institute of Pondicherry (FIP), in low-lying wet evergreen forests in Kadamakkal reserve forest.
“My colleagues and I have found that the amount of rainfall has decreased in the last 100 years and that is why there has been less growth of tree species,” said Dr B R Ramesh, faculty at French Institute of Pondicherry.
The researchers are measuring the girth of the trees using a stainless steel tape and a Vernier scale to record their growth patterns in different climatic conditions.
Their work also focuses on long-term ecological monitoring of forests, the use of new remote-sensing data and techniques to predict biomass and structure, modelling distribution of species and biodiversity and making databases with the available information.
“New research lines are also being developed that explore the effects of landscape change on ecosystem services and potential climate change impacts on forest vegetation,” Dr Ramesh added.
These experts have also explored the environmental and social impact of restitution of tree rights to coffee planters, the Western Ghats acting as a water sink and the loss of forest cover and the extent of biodiversity in the Ghats.
Dr Ramesh and his colleagues, Dr S Prasad and Dr Anupama K, have also developed an app called Biotik which can be used to identify 600 tree species in the Western Ghats.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Karnataka / by Papiya Bhattacharya / August 19th, 2014
The Hindu Going a step further: Chandrodaya Narayan Singh of Uttar Pradesh won with his second throw of 67.84, to better his own mark of 67.78, beating national record holder Kamalpreet Singh. Photo: Akhilesh Kumar / The Hindu
Athletics: Tamil Nadu and Kerala win the overall men’s and women’s team championships
Siddhant Thingalaya equalled his National record of 13.65 as he won the men’s 110 metres hurdles in the 18th Federation Cup athletics championships at the NIS Complex here on Tuesday.
Siddhant Thingalaya and M.R. Poovamma were adjudged the ‘best athletes’ of the championships. Tamil Nadu won the overall team championships ahead of Kerala. The teams won the men’s and women’s titles respectively.
In men’s triple jump, national record holder and Commonwealth Games medallist Arpinder Singh had no difficulty winning with his third jump of 16.70 in the final. Renjith Maheshwary could not fight, as he had a best of 16.43 on the last attempt, after efforts of 16.40 and 16.41.
Krishna Poonia risked an injured left knee to clinch the women’s discus gold with her last throw of 56.84 metres, more than three and a half metres ahead of World junior bronze medallist Navjeet Kaur Dhillon. After throws of 54.83, 55.38 and 55.49, the Delhi Commonwealth Games gold medallist stepped it up in the last throw.
In women’s 400m, M.R. Poovamma clocked 52.42, beating Priyanka Panwar for the gold.
In men’s hammer throw, Chandrodaya Narayan Singh of Uttar Pradesh won with his second throw of 67.84, to better his own mark of 67.78. Kamalpreet Singh, who holds the national record of 70.37, settled for the silver with his third throw of 66.78.
Sushmita Singha Roy won the heptathlon two points ahead of Bengal teammate Swapna Barman, with a score of 5402 points.
In the morning, Rahul Kumar Pal of Maharashtra sprinted past Laxmanan of Tamil Nadu for the gold in the 10,000 metres. He had focused on the event and thus enjoyed an advantage over the exhausted 5000m runners, including gold medallist Kheta Ram, who grabbed the bronze after having led for the most part.
In the women’s 10,000 metres, Asian Games gold medallist Preeja Sreedharan was a class apart, finishing at 34:27.94 beating Swati Gadhave by more than two minutes. Meanwhile, the jury reinstated the original results in the men’s 3000m steeplechase, after having disqualified Naveen of Haryana and Ashish of Assam for “pacing”.
The IAAF rules clearly state that any athlete “giving or receiving assistance” from within the area during an event should be warned by the referee and advised that he would be disqualified from that event if it was repeated. It further clarifies about “assistance” being from a “lapped” or “about to be lapped” athlete.
Arguing that that they were from different States, and that one would not assist the other, Naveen was conveniently reinstated champion, and Ashish labelled “DNF” (did not finish), having finished a lap short.
The results: Men: 200m: 1. Manikanda Arumugam 21.21; 2. Velayutham 21.83; 3. M.G. Joseph 21.87. 400m: 1. Kunhu Muhammed 46.40; 2. Arokia Rajiv 46.41; 3. Jibin Sebastian 47.28. 1500m: 1. Jinson Johnson 3:52.60; 2. Ravindra Rautela 3:53.09; 3. Sajeesh Joseph 3:53.38. 10000m: 1. Rahul Kumar Pal 30:04.77; 2. Laxmanan 30:05.20; 3. Kheta Ram 30:08.98. 3000m steeplechase: 1. Naveen 8:46.18; 2. Jaiveer 8:53.36; 3. Manju 8:54.43. 110m hurdles: 1. Siddhant Thingalaya 13.65 (ENR); 2. K. Prem Kumar 13.96; 3. Surrender 14.24. Triple jump: 1. Arpinder Singh 16.70; 2. Renjith Maheshwary 16.43; 3. Rakesh Babu 16.15. Hammer: 1. Chandrodaya Narayan Singh 67.84 (NMR, old 67.78); 2. Kamalpreet Singh 66.78; 3. Neeraj Kumar 66.71. 4x100m relay: 1. Tamil Nadu 40.96; 2. Kerala 41.08; 3. Maharashtra 41.18. 4x400m relay: 1. Navy 3:11.44; 2. Kerala 3:11.62; 3. Punjab 3:13.07.
Khalid Al Mulla, the founder of the Coffee Museum. show two German-made coffee grinders from the Second World War to Arezou Schulz, a project manager at the museum. Ravindranath K / The National
During the Second World War, every German soldier carried an essential piece of equipment along with his weapon. Small, sturdy and built to survive almost anything, it was a coffee grinder.
The steel box had a handle on the top and a container at the bottom to catch the coffee grounds. It could be easily disassembled and packed away.
So strong indeed was the European love of coffee that even a scarcity of metal after the war ended did not stop the production of coffee grinders and roasters. Instead, munitions were melted down to manufacture them.
The importance of coffee to different cultures and countries through the centuries is the theme of Dubai’s new Coffee Museum, which will allow visitors to view the rituals of serving the popular beverage and to taste it.
Stepping into villa No 44, a traditional Emirati home in Bur Dubai’s Al Fahidi historical district, the visitor is immediately struck by the familiar aroma of freshly brewed coffee. Even though the museum’s signage has yet to be put up and its official opening is at the end of October, the museum is already swarming with coffee lovers.
“You will love coffee even more after visiting the museum and understanding its history and cultural relevance to us and the other cultures,” says Khalid Al Mulla, the museum’s 43-year-old founder and the director of Easternmen & Co, a coffee company.
His love of coffee begun in childhood, as it did for many Emiratis and Arabs who grew up watching their parents drink coffee and serve it to guests in a show of hospitality and friendship.
Mr Al Mulla later joined the coffee industry, importing to the UAE varieties from more than 16 countries including Indonesia, Brazil, Sri Lanka and Yemen.
He also became the local representative for several coffee brands and coffee-machine makers, including some from Japan.
But he still wanted to add another dimension to his enjoyment of coffee, so he decided to create a historical archive of his passion.
“Coffee drinking should be an entire experience, where all the senses are involved,” Mr Al Mulla says with pride as he takes The National on a tour of the museum, which comes alive with different aromas and sounds.
Seeing how coffee beans are roasted and brewed – from using traditional methods to the latest gadgets – and tasting the essence of different coffee beans are all part of the experience.
The interior of the museum at Bastakiya, Dubai / Ravindranath K / The National
In the two-storey museum, which has six rooms on each floor, each part of the exhibition tells a different story about coffee and how it relates to its fans. Three of the rooms display antiques from the Middle East and around the world.
From Britain, there is a man-sized coffee grinder with an actual carriage-like wheel for a handle that carries the 18th-century crest of a British monarch. From the Ottoman Empire, there are several grinders and hand-held portable roasters that are about 600 years old.
It is said that the first coffee house in Europe was opened in Vienna, using equipment taken from Ottoman troops defeated outside the city’s walls in the 17th century.
Other rooms in the museum display screens, filters, and grinders known as madaq, which are hundreds of years old.
The grinders, which are covered in Quranic verses and weigh more than 12 kilograms, are too heavy to carry. There are also grinders for women, with added support for the leg, allowing the grinder to lean in for support as the beans were being ground up.
In Ethiopia, the coffee pot is known as the jabena. It lacks the distinctive spout of the Emirati dallah. It was Yemenis who introduced the spout, calling the pot a jamena.
The dallah’s spout, which resembles a falcon’s beak, is sharper and narrower to allow the pouring of smaller amounts of coffee. Tradition stipulates the use of two dallahs, one for serving and the other to keep the coffee hot on the stove.
“As one digs, one discovers interesting history,” says Mr Al Mulla, citing as an example the reason for the popularity of Sri Lankan coffee beans in the UAE. “Because Sheikh Zayed used to drink it and liked it, we came to love it as well.”
All the objects on display at the museum – assembled over the years from around the globe – are from his personal collection.
“The museum connects the past of coffee to its present, and so I added live demonstrations of the coffee rituals in the Ethiopian culture, the Egyptian, the Arabic Bedouin, as well as the Levant and Turkish versions, so that every kind of coffee can and will be made here,” says Mr Al Mulla.
Coffee from the Levant is brewed over hot sand to better distribute the heat, he reveals. To be sure, Mr Al Mulla is a walking encyclopaedia on everything related to coffee.
Much of the museum’s top floor is dedicated to the research and study of coffee, with a library filled with rare books and a media room to screen coffee-related documentaries. “The history of coffee is still debated, with many versions,” says Mr Al Mulla. “But the version I like is the one about the man with the same name as me. They call him Kaldi, but his name was actually Khalid, just like mine.”
In the story of Kaldi, the drinking of coffee started in the Ethiopian Highlands hundreds of years ago. Then a goat herder, Kaldi noticed that his flock became hyperactive after eating some unknown berries from a tree. Curious, he tried them, and he remained alert and was unable to sleep afterwards.
There are different versions about how the actual drink was made.
According to some versions, Kaldi’s wife threw the beans on to a fire and roasted them. She then crushed the beans and made the grounds into a drink. In other versions, Kaldi took the coffee berries to a holy man. The latter disapproved of them, saying they were a drug and threw them into a fire. As the berries were roasting, they released the pleasant aroma with which we are all familiar. The roasted beans were then ground up and boiled in hot water, creating the world’s first cup of coffee and its second most traded commodity, after oil.
Coffee had also been drunk in monasteries, where monks were said to have consumed the beverage to keep awake for all-night prayers. From Ethiopia, the coffee trade crossed into Yemen, where Sufi Muslims used it as an aid for worship. It was in Yemen that the drink was first called qahwa.
“The legendary Mokha port in Yemen was once the main coffee exporting site for the region,” says Mr Al Mulla. “The Yemeni port’s name is synonymous with the mocha coffee that we drink today.
“Coffee spread across the world via the Arabs and Turks as the Islamic empire expanded into Europe and the rest of the world.”
Whether Asian or African, Central or South American, the islands of the Caribbean or the Pacific, all coffee varieties can trace their heritage to the trees in the ancient coffee forests of the Ethiopian plateau.
“The story of coffee started with an Ethiopian Khalid, and continues with an Emirati Khalid,” Mr Al Mulla says with a laugh. “I hope I tell it as well as he once did. The legend of coffee continues.”
His museum, unsurprisingly, has a coffee shop and a gift shop. The latter sells all kinds of coffee and coffee machines, as well as coffee-related jewellery, such as a dangling golden coffee bean on necklaces and bracelets.
The opening hours are from 10 am to 7pm, with tickets expected to be about Dh15 for adults and Dh5 for children.
Mr Al Mulla is still deciding whether to include the coffee served in the cost of the visit or to levy an extra charge.
To find out more about Coffee Museum, click here.
rghazal@thenational.ae
source: http://www.thenational.ae / The National / Home> UAE> Arts & Lifestyle / by Rym Ghazal / August 17th, 2014
What is the similarity between Bill Gates, Usain Bolt, Justin Timerblake and Ashwini Ponnappa?
They have all embraced the ALS Ice-Bucket Challenge willingly.
Ashwini completed the challenge on Tuesday afternoon. She in turn issued a challenge to her doubles partner Jwala Gutta and former swimmer Rehan Poncha.
After players and support staff of Bengaluru FC doused themselves in an icy-cold shower on Monday, they issued a 24-hour challenge to Sania Mirza, Ponnappa and Yuvraj Singh.
After Sania completed the challenge on Tuesday morning, Ponnappa followed suit pretty soon. Both of them have uploaded the video on YouTube.
Sania had already done the ice-bucket once before but since people complained that there was a lack of water, she did it again on Tuesday.
She, in turn, challenged Cara Black, Mahesh Bhupathi, Yuvraj and actor Ritesh Deshmukh.
What is the challenge exactly for? It raises money for charity — especially ALS — a neurodegenerative disorder.
After Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates, Cristiano Ronaldo and Oprah Winfrey, I-League champions Bengaluru FC and doubles ace Rohan Bopanna have taken up the Ice Bucket Challenge, which has gone viral on social media.
The challenge involves participants dumping a bucket of ice water over their heads to raise awareness about Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), commonly called Lou Gehrig’s disease.
Once completed, the individual posts the video on social networking sites and nominates three people to take up the challenge within 24 hours or donate $100 to any charity working to fight the neurodegenerative disorder.
Bopanna, who was nominated by Indian-American tennis player Amrit Narsimhan, took to Twitter on Sunday to post his icy video. A shivering Bopanna nominated Bengaluru FC and actor Rahul Bose for the challenge.
Bose chose to opt out, tweeting, “Been chosen by Rohan Bopanna for #IceBucketChallenge to raise money/awareness for ALS. Hv decided not to waste clean water, but will donate!” However, Bengaluru FC were happy to oblige.
“We accept Rohan’s challenge and nominate Ashwini Ponnappa, Sania Mirza and Yuvraj Singh. Good luck guys, let’s end ALS,” Club COO Mustafa Ghouse said.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> Sports / by Maxin Mathew, TNN / August 19th, 2014
WELCOME. If you like what you see "SUBSCRIBE via EMAIL" to receive FREE regular UPDATES.
Read More »
