Historic Kutta-Madikeri community walk to complete 62.8 kms today

Virajpet:

The fourth day of 82-km ‘Kodavaame Baalo Padayatra,’ a peace march from Kutta to Madikeri, began this morning from Bittangala.

The march, advocating for community’s constitutional rights and protection of its unique costumes, customs and traditions, aims to draw the Government’s attention to the challenges threatening their existence and security.

The march began on Feb. 2 from Kutta, reaching T. Shettigeri on first day. On Feb. 3, it continued to Ponnampet and on Feb. 4, thousands  of participants, dressed in traditional attire, walked from Ponnampet to Bittangala via Gonikoppa. By this evening, they are set to reach Bethri, covering 62.8 kms, before reaching Madikeri on Feb. 7.

Grand welcome, orderly traffic

From Bittangala, the marchers resumed their journey via Heggade Samaja, passed through Virajpet Clock Tower and Kakotuparambu, before concluding the day’s walk at Bethri. Thousands of Kodavas and Kodava-speaking communities, clad in traditional attire, are actively participating in the walk.

The march witnessed an exceptional reception along the way. In Gonikoppa, the entry of the 10,000-strong crowd was dramatic yet orderly, with no traffic disruptions. Locals showered flower petals, offered refreshments and distributed juices as a warm gesture.

Due to the overwhelming participation, for the first time, the Police used long nylon ropes to keep marchers to the left side of the road, ensuring smooth vehicular traffic flow.

Despite the massive turnout, not a single incident of misbehaviour or traffic congestion  was reported.

The Kembatti community, the original inhabitants of the region, welcomed the marchers with refreshments at Jodubeeti. Further along, near the Coffee Board, local Kodava families in Aruvathokkalu village extended their hospitality.pix03

Several community organisations, including Koyava Samaja, Iri Samaja, Kodava Madivaala, Boone Pattama and Savitha Samaja, also organised welcome ceremonies along the route.

Tributes to Army heroes

At Gonikoppa, marchers paid tributes to Field Marshal Kodandera M. Cariappa and General Kodandera S. Thimayya by garlanding their statues near Cauvery College. The villagers of Kaikeri hosted lunch, while at Hathur village, locals provided refreshments.

Prayers were offered at Vana Bhadrakali Temple, where devotees also arranged refreshments. The Kannangala Jamma Muslim community extended their support, with Mandamada Mohammed enthusiastically expressing solidarity with the marchers.

At Bittangala, the Heggade Samaja, led by Padanjaranda Aiyappa, welcomed participants with a traditional lamp-lighting ceremony and a high tea with snacks.

Today, the ‘Kodavaame Baalo Padayatra’ crossed Virajpet Clock Tower, Bus Stand and a lunch stop was arranged at Virajpet Kodava Samaja.

Later, the procession will pass through Chikpet Junction, Kadanur, Arameri and Kakotuparambu, before reaching Bethri near Murnad in the evening.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / February 05th, 2025

Ponnampet:

The second day of the ‘Kodavame Baalo Padayatra,’ a peace march advocating for the rights and identity of the Kodava community this morning, saw an overwhelming response as thousands of Kodavas and Kodava-speaking people marched from T. Shettigeri to Ponnampet to reach Madikeri on Feb. 7.

The march, which began in Kutta yesterday morning, halted at T. Shettigeri before resuming today towards Ponnampet. The event is jointly organised by Akhila Kodava Samaja, Federation of Kodava Samajas, Kodava Sahitya Academy, United Kodava Organisation, Codava National Council, Kodavamera Kondaata, Jabbhoomi Baalo, Kodava Speaking Native Communities Association, Akhila Kodava Samaja Youth Wing and Kodava Riders Club, along with various local community groups.

The 82-km march aims to draw the Government’s attention to the challenges faced by the minority Kodava community, particularly concerning identity, existence and security. Participants, including men, women and children dressed in traditional attire, carried banners and placards advocating for their rights and cultural preservation.

As the padayatra progressed, over 20,000 community members joined in along the route, demonstrating widespread support for the cause. Kodava families welcomed marchers with refreshments, reinforcing a sense of unity and shared purpose.

A particularly poignant moment was the participation of 86-year-old Bayavanda Saraswathi Poovaiah from Hysodlur village near Hudikeri, who arrived in a wheelchair to express her unwavering support.

Adding to the cultural vibrancy of the event, women from T. Shettigeri Kodava Samaja’s Pommakkada Koota and the Sambhrama Women’s Cultural Centre performed traditional folk dances, celebrating Kodava heritage.

Yesterday, the march covered a 16-km stretch, ending at T. Shettigeri and today, it is scheduled to reach Ponnampet in the evening. Notably, the march is a self-driven effort to unite Kodavas and Kodava speaking communities, setting aside past differences to secure a collective future.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News> Top Stories / February 03rd, 2025

Madikeri:

Kotera Yamini Muthanna, daughter of late Chendrimada Raja and Sundari, will be presenting ‘Devi Marga,’ a classical dance drama at the Madikeri Dasara cultural programme on Oct. 9 at 7 pm.

Guru Yamini Muthanna of Kalasinchanam Nrithyalaya will be performing with her senior students at the Gandhi Maidan here along with a host of other cultural groups.

An artiste par excellence in the field of Classical Dance and Ashtanga Yoga, she is a Top Grade artiste of Bharatanatyam and Yoga Acharya. She has presented dance performances in many prominent festivals and cultural events all over the world and has travelled as an Ambassador of Culture assigned by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (External Affairs Ministry).

She has scripted and directed 26 episodes of Therapeutic Yoga on Doordarshan in various Indian languages which is at present telecast on DD Bharathi.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home > News / October 06th, 2024

Following the Government’s order, Kodagu Sahakara Sangha, Jayalakshmipuram, Mysuru, has started renewal and registration for Yeshasvini Health Scheme.

Interested Sangha members may register before Jan. 31.

For details, contact the Sangha office.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> In Briefs / January 19th, 2025

Madikeri:

‘Sky Force,’ a Hindi historical war film highlighting the heroics of Squadron Leader Ajjamada B. Devayya, a Maha Vir Chakra (MVC) awardee from Kodagu, who heroically downed a Pakistani aircraft and made the ultimate sacrifice during 1965 Indo-Pak War, is set to release on Jan. 24, coinciding with Republic Day.

Directed by Abhishek Anil Kapur and Sandeep Kewlani, and produced by Dinesh Vijan and Amar Kaushik under Maddock Films alongside Jyoti Deshpande under Jio Studios, the film stars Akshay Kumar as Wing Commander O.P. Taneja (Veer Chakra).

Veer Pahariya debuts as Squadron Leader Devayya, while Sara Ali Khan portrays Devayya’s wife, Sundari Devayya. Nimrat Kaur also plays a significant role.

The film’s trailer has already stirred a wave of patriotism. It is based on the book ‘1965 War and Kodagu’s Maha Vir Chakra Awardee Squadron Leader Ajjamada B. Devayya’s Life Story,’ authored by journalist-writer Ithichanda Ramesh Uthappa and published by Kodava Makkada Koota under the guidance of Bollajira B. Ayyappa.

Before production, Devayya’s wife Sundari Devayya, their children, the Kodava Makkada Koota and author Ramesh Uthappa granted a no-objection certificate to the film-makers.

Squadron Leader A.B. Devayya and Sundari in an undated photo

The air battle of Sargodha

Squadron Leader Ajjamada Devayya was just 32 when he gave his life for the nation during an audacious airstrike over Sargodha, Pakistan’s most fortified airbase, on Sept. 7, 1965.

Despite piloting a French-made Dassault Mystere, vastly inferior to the US-made Pakistani F-104 Starfighter, Devayya displayed extraordinary courage, shooting down the enemy aircraft in a two-minute dogfight  before crashing.

Posthumously awarded the Maha Vir Chakra (MVC) in 1988 — 23 years after his sacrifice — Devayya’s valour came to light thanks to Pakistani Flight Lieutenant Amjad Hussain, whose aircraft he shot down, and British author John Fricker’s book ‘Battle for Pakistan: The Air War of 1965’.

Born on Dec. 24, 1932, in Manchalli village near Kutta, South Kodagu, to Ajjamada Bopayya and Neelamma, Devayya joined the Indian Air Force on Dec. 26, 1954. Devayya was married to Keethiyanda Sundari. During the 1965 war, he was an instructor at the Air Force Flying College and was posted to ‘No.1 Tigers Squadron’.

Actor Veer Pahariya, who debuts as Squadron Leader Devayya, seen with Sundari Devayya, the 90-year-old wife of the legendary Maha Vir Chakra recipient, Squadron Leader Ajjamada B. Devayya and their daughters, Smitha and Preetha, in Bengaluru.

Dogfight at 7,000 feet

Devayya’s final mission was part of an airstrike targeting Pakistan’s Sargodha airbase. In a legendary dogfight at 7,000 feet, he outmanoeuvred and damaged Hussain’s advanced Starfighter, forcing him to eject. Devayya, despite being hit, didn’t eject and decided to give a far superior plane, a fight for its life.

Though mortally wounded, Devayya chose to stay in the fight, firing point-blank and bringing down the enemy aircraft. Devayya opened his 30mm cannon and fired at point-blank range at F-104, damaging the aircraft. Amjad Hussain was forced to eject at a low level but Devayya was not able to eject due to its damaged Mystere and crashed on Pakistani soil.

The action was over in less than two minutes. What Devayya achieved in the pre-dawn Pakistani skies that morning is now considered one of the most remarkable events in the history of post-world war air combat.

Memorials

A 6-ft-9-inch bronze statue of Squadron Leader Ajjamada B. Devayya has been installed at the Old Private Bus Stand Circle in Madikeri, Kodagu district. The installation was led by members of the Ajjamada family, the Squadron Leader Ajjamada B. Devayya Memorial Trust, the Field Marshal K.M. Cariappa and General Thimayya Forum, and the Kodava Makkada Koota.

In Mysuru, the Squadron Leader A.B. Devayya Bhavan, situated near the old Deputy Commissioner’s Office, is managed by the Department of Sainik Welfare and Rehabilitation. The initiative to name the building after Devayya was championed by late Mandetira N. Subramani, President of VeKare Ex-Servicemen Trust,  Mysuru, who passed away on Sept. 21, 2023.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News> Top Stories / January 13th, 2025

Madikeri:

The Kodava Family Hockey Festival is celebrating its landmark 25th anniversary this year from March 28 to April 27. To mark the occasion, the official logo for the “Muddanda Cup Hockey Tournament 2025” was unveiled on Saturday last at the Kaveri Auditorium here. This year, the Muddanda family is hosting the tournament at the Madikeri Sports Ground.

The logo unveiling ceremony organised by Muddanda family witnessed the participation of several dignitaries, including Mysuru-Kodagu MP Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar.

Inaugurating the event by lighting the lamp, Yaduveer lauded Kodagu’s unique culture and traditions, particularly its deep-rooted passion for hockey. He emphasised the significance of preserving Kodava heritage through events like the hockey festival and expressed pride in representing the Mysuru region, which encompasses Kodagu.

Pledging his support for hockey, Yaduveer Wadiyar underscored the sport’s integral role in Kodagu’s identity.

Virajpet MLA  Ajjikuttira S. Ponnanna reminisced about the previous year’s Kundyolanda Cup Hockey Festival, which set a Guinness World Record for the largest family participation in a sporting event.

Despite being a small community, he highlighted the Kodava community’s remarkable ability to showcase its rich culture and sporting spirit. Additionally, Rajya Sabha MP Ajay Maken, who previously raised the festival’s prominence in Parliament, proposed establishing a hockey training centre in Kodagu, leveraging the region’s favourable elevation. Ponnanna said a survey is currently underway at Ammathi for this initiative. 

Madikeri MLA Dr. Mantar Gowda called for collective efforts to ensure the success of the silver jubilee edition and assured his support for the event.

Former MLA and Speaker K.G. Bopaiah fondly recalled the festival’s inception by Pandanda Kuttappa, popularly known as Kuttani, a retired State Bank of India official and a hockey enthusiast, in 1997.

He mentioned the Rs. 5 lakh grant provided in 2008 under the then Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa and the subsequent Rs. 1 crore grant given to the Appachettolanda family. Given the festival’s silver jubilee, he urged the government to allocate a Rs. 2 crore grant this year.

Former MLC Shantheyanda Veena Achaiah,  prominent figures from the Muddanda family, including family Pattedara (head) Dali Thimmaiah, Organising Committee Hon. President Muddanda B. Devaiah, Kodava Hockey Academy President Pandanda Bopanna, Muddanda Ponnappa and others were present.

Hockey Festival Secretary Muddanda Adya Thammaiah announced plans for a traditional fashion show showcasing India’s diverse culture during the semi-finals and finals. The event will also feature musical performances by renowned singers to captivate the spectators.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Sports> News / January 13th, 2025

Money paid from 2016-19, later two tried to alienate property gifted by petitioner to them

Karnataka High court. (File Photo)

Bengaluru :

The High Court of Karnataka has come to the rescue of an 85-year-old woman from Kodagu by ordering her son and granddaughter to pay her an annual maintenance of Rs 7 lakh each.

Justice M Nagaprasanna directed that the maintenance amount be paid to petitioner Apparanda Shanthi Bopanna by her third son AB Ganapathy and her late first son’s daughter Pooja, residents of Bengaluru.

Shanthi Bopanna had questioned the deputy commissioner’s order of March 22, 2022, under the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act.

“The order of the DC, which directs payment of maintenance to the petitioner, is sustained with a modification that the son and granddaughter would be entitled to enjoy the fruits of gift deeds executed by the petitioner, subject to the condition that they would pay her maintenance of Rs 7 lakh each every year till her lifetime,” the court said, while noting that the petitioner is not in a position to take care of her property after cancellation of the gift deeds.

Shanthi Bopanna, who is a resident of Heroor in Virajpet taluk of Kodagu district, owned 48 acres of coffee estate and was residing in the ancestral house of her husband. Of the 48 acres of estate, her eldest son AB Biddappa took possession of 24 acres.

In 2016, she executed gift deeds in respect of 24 acres in favour of Ganapathy and Pooja, 11 acres each, on the assurance that they would pay her Rs 7 lakh each every year as maintenance. Ganapathy and Pooja paid Rs 7 lakh each to Shanthi Bopanna only till 2019.

After learning that Ganapathy and Pooja were making attempts to alienate the property, Shanthi Bopanna initiated legal proceedings before the assistant commissioner, who cancelled the gift deeds in 2021.

Later, Ganapathy and Pooja approached the deputy commissioner, who set aside the assistant commissioner’s order, stating that nowhere in the gift deeds it is mentioned that the donees would take care of the donor. But the DC directed them to provide amenities and other help along with maintenance amount being paid annually to Shanthi Bopanna till her lifetime.

Ganapathy and Pooja contended before the high court that they will pay Shanthi Bopanna only Rs 10,000 as per Section 24 of the Act or even Rs 25,000 a month and not Rs 7 lakh each every year.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Karnataka / by Express News Service / January 28th, 2024

Popularly called the Scotland of India, Coorg is a quaint hill station in the Western Ghats known for its coffee. However, it is now witnessing an avocado revolution.

The journey from Bengaluru to Coorg is for photo albums. You are likely to spot elephants and other animals if you get lucky. The travel time of seven hours takes you through the Western Ghats, where you also cross Ramanagara, the location where Bollywood director Ramesh Sippy shot the famous Sholay. But, there’s more to it than ‘Kitne aadmi the?’

When you reach the Cottabetta Bungalow, one of the most googled vacation homes in Coorg, you can’t resist diving straight into the scrumptious Kodava cuisine. The chefs at this 140-year-old colonial bungalow will instruct you to not venture out without assistance once evening falls. You wouldn’t want to crash a leopard birthday party, right?

Popularly called the Scotland of India, Coorg is where some of the finest coffee ripens by the rays of the winter sun. But this hill station is now also home to one of the healthiest and most Insta-famous fruits—avocado. This lush-green hill station is now witnessing an avocado revolution.

India’s tropical climate and mid-to-higher elevation areas, such as tea and coffee-growing regions, offer immense potential for cultivating the fruit. Ajay TG, General Manager, Westfalia Fruit India, says, “India’s northern hemisphere seasonality complements African and South American avocado seasons.

This gives avocado cultivators lucrative opportunities for both domestic consumption and exports. We plan to see India as a self-sustained avocado-producing nation with year-round availability of local varieties.”

Apart from Coorg, some potential avocado-growing areas in India are Chilmangalur, Sakleshpur, Wayanad, Nilgiris, Valaparai, Kodaikanal, Munnar, Idukki and Araku. Fun fact: Avocado never ripens on the tree. It ripens only when you pluck it.

Education over, it’s time for an avocado milkshake. Popularly known as butter-fruit milkshake down South, the consistency of this shake is so thick that it had to be eaten using a spoon instead of straw!

Westfalia’s avocado nursery in Coorg focuses on cultivating selected rootstock, clonal, and commercial planting material to grow top-tier Hass and other commercial avocado varieties.

“Packed with vitamins, minerals and healthy fats, this superfruit offers a host of health benefits.” Professor CHENGAPPA, Director, Wesfalia

Their efforts have already borne fruit, pun intended; they have over 500 acres of avocado plantations across India with an ambitious goal to double it by 2026. “It takes nine to 12 months approximately for avocado to grow. The ideal temperature should be somewhere between 5-35 degrees,” says Ajay.

There are over 30 farmers at the Westfalia Fruit India in Coorg who are helping with the avocado produce. The technique of grafting and cloning for growing avocados must be done with a high degree of precision. “We are on a mission to make avocados a staple in Indian kitchens. With lifestyle diseases on the rise and nutritional deficiencies everywhere, avocado is an essential addition to daily diets.

Packed with vitamins, minerals, and healthy fats, this superfruit offers a host of health benefits,” says Westfalia Director, Professor Chengappa. The good professor had some interesting avocado anecdotes to share: “One European study says anyone who has a bad experience with buying avocado doesn’t buy it for another 13 weeks.”

“We plan to see India as a self-sustained avocado producing nation with year-round availability.” AJAY TG, General Manager, Westfalia

Following the farm visit, it’s time for feasting. At the Taneerhulla Bungalow, the highlight is avocado cupcake. It won’t give fitness faddists the guilt of having dessert because it isn’t dessert after all. A slice of cucumber topped with guacamole is the healthiest cupcake (not) ever. What’s not to like about it?

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Food / by Iram / December 15th, 2024

New Delhi:

The Supreme Court has recommended the Central Government to devise a comprehensive policy for the governance and management of sacred groves, community-protected forests with deep cultural and spiritual significance.

A Bench, comprising Justices B.R. Gavai, S.V.N. Bhatti and Sandeep Mehta, emphasised India’s rich heritage of sacred groves, which are clusters of trees or forest patches preserved by local communities.

“The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) is recommended to develop a nationwide policy for managing sacred groves,” the Bench stated.

The judgment also referenced a verse from the Bhagavad Gita, highlighting the interconnectedness of nature and consciousness: “Nature is the source of all material things: the maker, the means of making and the things made. Spirit is the source of all consciousness which feels pleasure and feels pain.”

Kodagu district is renowned for its Devara Kadu — sacred groves — and temples nestled within dense, untamed forests. These ecological havens, found in every village across the district, serve as a unifying force for families and diverse communities. Kodagu is home to nearly 1,214 Devara Kadus, spanning 4,614 hectares, where native communities worship folk deities. Activities such as tree felling, lopping, clearing fallen branches, plucking weeds, pruning or burning trees are strictly prohibited within Devara Kadus. It is widely believed that any violation of these sacred rules invites divine retribution, with offenders punished by death at the hands of the presiding folk deity.

Recognising the ecological and cultural importance of sacred groves, the Supreme Court  recommended their inclusion under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, particularly through  Section 36-C, which provides for the declaration of “community reserves.”

To ensure sustainable conservation, the Court proposed empowering local communities that have historically protected these groves.

“The Court deems it necessary to propose certain suggestions to promote the sustainable conservation of sacred groves and empower the communities associated with their protection,” the Bench said. The Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 recognises and respects the diverse legal and cultural practices of tribal communities across India.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / December 30th, 2024