Maleyanda Arun Poovaiah, former international badminton player, has been selected to represent the Karnataka State Masters Badminton team at the Yonex- Sunrise 48th Indian Masters Badminton Championships to be held at Goa from Mar. 18 to 25.
Arun recently emerged victorious in the men’s singles and mixed doubles during the selection tournament.
Arun Poovaiah will also participate in the doubles category directly on the basis of national ranking.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Sports / February 19th, 2026
Nestled amid the quiet greenery of Suntikoppa in Somwarpet taluk of Kodagu district, a Jain Shwetambar temple is steadily taking shape at Hardoor village in Gundugutti Nakur — a location believed to be closely linked to ancient Jain settlements in the region.
The temple, named Sri Jirawala Tirth Dham Coorg, is ambitious both in scale and design. About 80 per cent of the construction has been completed and work is now underway to install the elaborately carved gopura.
Architecturally, the temple draws inspiration from the revered Sri Jirawala Parshwanath Jain Tirth in Rajasthan, one of Jainism’s most important pilgrimage centres.
The temple project is being executed by Sri Om Shanti Charitable Trust, under the guidance of Jain Gurus Acharya Nayachandra Sagar and Dr. Ajit Chandra Sagar. Beyond being a place of worship, the Trust envisions the complex as a centre for meditation, learning and spiritual tourism.
Spread across 6.15 acres, the temple premises include an ornate entrance, a reception area and around 14 cottages for pilgrims. A prayer hall and a Bhojanalaya form part of the complex.
The main temple structure occupies about half an acre, with the sanctum sanctorum measuring 80 x 60 feet. The gopura of the main shrine will rise to a height of 70 feet. The sanctum sanctorum will house five idols, while two smaller temples forming the outer structure will have two more idols. The idol of Sri Saraswathi Matha has already been installed in one of the outer temples.
Exquisite idols, intricate carvings
A highlight of the complex is the 84-inch Saraswathi Matha idol, carved out of black basalt stone using four distinct styles — Pallu, Pala, Hoysala and Chanda. The idol features miniature carvings of Goddess Ganika, Gautama Buddha and protective soldiers, all executed with remarkable detail.
Another outer temple houses the equally striking 84-inch Sri Padmavathi Matha idol, carved in Pallu, Pala and Hoysala styles. This idol is unique to Jain temples, as the Devi’s head is formed by 108 Nagas, each intricately sculpted, including the head of the snake god itself. The Devi is also depicted with 108 hands, each holding a weapon, all carved with precision.
The Saraswathi Matha idol will be placed on the right side of the main temple, while the Padmavathi Matha idol will occupy the left.
White Jirawala Parshwanath idol
At the heart of the sanctum sanctorum, a five-foot white idol of Sri Jirawala Parshwanath, the 23rd Tirthankara, seated in padmasana posture, will be installed.
Currently, a miniature idol has been placed for prayer purposes. Apart from this, the idols of Neminatha, the 22nd Tirthankara, Adinatha, the first Tirthankara, Shanthinatha, the 16th Tirthankara and Bhagwan Mahaveer, the 24th Tirthankara, will be installed.
The construction of Rs. 50 crore temple began in March 2020 and has progressed steadily over past five years.
Though this temple follows the structural layout of Rajasthan shrine, the Kodagu Jain temple project is distinctive in its blend of South and North Indian architectural traditions. It combines the art forms of Pallu, Pala, Chanda and Hoysala, with the Hoysala style, which is native to Karnataka, forming the core design.
The deep-rooted Jain history
Those associated with the project point out that Anjanageri Bettageri, part of an ancient mountain range extending up to Kushalnagar, has yielded Jain scriptures, basadis and settlement traces dating back over 1,000 years. The Trust maintains that the area once hosted thriving Jain communities, making it a natural site for reviving Jain religious presence.
Jainism has deep roots in Kodagu, particularly between the 10th and 12th centuries under the Kongalvas. Mulluru near Shanivarasanthe remains a prominent Jain centre, with three 11th-century basadis — dedicated to Parshwanatha, Shanthinatha and Chandranatha — built in the Ganga-Chola style. Kodagu’s location also holds strategic importance. According to Tourism Department estimates, nearly five lakh Jain tourists visit Mysuru and Kodagu every year.
Craftsmanship and community
More than 40 professional sculptors from Odisha are involved in carving the temple, using marble stone sourced from Odisha. The work combines traditional hand carving with modern machinery.
Intricate motifs of elephants, horses, lions, peacocks and other figures adorn the structure. Beyond religious worship, the complex is being developed as a meditation and study centre, reflecting Jain values of learning, discipline and non-violence. A meditation hall is already functional, with devotees gathering regularly for prayers and reflection. The structure has now reached the gopura level, with frames ready and installation expected to begin in the coming weeks.
The on-site cottages allow pilgrims from Bengaluru, Mysuru and other regions to stay comfortably, with food and basic amenities provided. Despite ongoing construction, an estimated one lakh devotees have visited the site over the past five years. The Trust also has plans for further expansion, including a Goshala. The project is being overseen by Sevak Bhavesh Parekh, along with Trustees Praveen Jain of Mysuru and Vimal Jain of Kushalnagar.
[As Told to B.C. Thimmaiah]
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Feature Articles / by P.V Akshay – as told to B. C. Thimmaiah / February 16th, 2026
Home Minister G. Parameshwara inaugurated the newly constructed police residential quarters at Suntikoppa in Kodagu district on Sunday.
The 12 residential quarters for police constables have been built at a cost of ₹ 3.64 crore by the Karnataka State Police Housing and Infrastructure Development Corporation (KSPH&IDC).
Speaking after inaugurating the housing facility, the Minister said that around 40,000 residential quarters have already been constructed for police personnel across the state, while another 60,000 houses are still required.
Pointing out that the salaries of constables, who serve at the lowest ranks in the police department, had been increased, Mr. Parameshwara said the Government is providing improved housing facilities after taking note of the fact that many police personnel live in cramped houses.
Accordingly, the KSPH & IDC will provide housing in a phased manner up to the year 2030, he said.
Earlier, buildings were constructed at a cost of about ₹ 18 lakh per unit, but now the cost has increased to around ₹ 33 lakh. The government’s aim is to ensure that police personnel lead a comfortable and dignified life, he added.
The Minister assured to look into the list of demands made by MLA Mantar Gowda and priority given to construction of housing facilities for police personnel, while necessary steps will also be taken to establish police stations as per the Government’s parameters.
He said various measures have been introduced to make the police department more people-friendly, urging police personnel to maintain friendly relations with the public while ensuring strict punishment for offenders.
He further noted that Karnataka Police ranks first in the country in terms of safety and security, and police personnel perform their duties day and night, in rain and heat, often without rest. Therefore, they should be respected, and no one should attempt to demoralise them.
The Home Minister said that out of the 593 assurances given by the Siddaramaiah-led government in 2023, more than half have already been fulfilled, and all promises would be implemented within the next two years.
He added that the government has spent ₹1.36 lakh crore on the five guarantee schemes, aiming to bring poorer sections into the mainstream through various welfare programmes.
He stated that the government is people-oriented and functioning as promised, and added that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah would present a strong budget on March 6.
MLA Dr. Mantar Gowda, speaking on the occasion, requested the Minister to fill vacant police posts, construct additional police quarters, and provide for the establishment of two more police stations in Kodagu district in the upcoming budget.
He also suggested utilising available land in the district for setting up a police training center.
Among those present were Southern Range Inspector General of Police Boralinagaiah, Deputy Commissioner S. J. Somashekar, Zilla Panchayat CEO Anand Prakash Meena, and Superintendent of Police R. N. Bindumani.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> India> Karnataka / by The Hindu Bureau / February 15th, 2026
A Coffee planter said the budget is silent on crucial subsidies on fertilisers, essential plantation equipment and fundamental necessities, as well as on the facilitation of loans.
Image used for representational purposes only.(File Photo | Express)
Chikkamagaluru :
Coffee planter and social activist Holadagadde Girish said it was condemnable that the Union Budget ignored the coffee industry as it lacked any proposal to rescue growers from problems they face.
In a statement on Monday, he said the industry has been fetching considerable foreign exchange to the nation’s coffers, besides playing a key role in environment conservation and providing jobs. “It is alarming to observe that the budget lacks any revival programmes for the beleaguered industry, which is held back by erratic weather patterns, infestations, labour shortages, fluctuating market conditions and threats from wildlife,” Girish said.
The planter pointed out that the budget is silent on crucial subsidies on fertilisers, essential plantation equipment and fundamental necessities, as well as on the facilitation of loans. This neglect has further exacerbated the industry’s plight, pushing it to the brink of despair, he said.
Promises made by Central ministers including HD Kumaraswamy, the chairman of the Coffee Board and other officials during the Central Coffee Research Institute (CCRI) centenary celebration at Balehonnur have proved to be mere rhetoric, Girish said.
The demands for the establishment of an ESI hospital, branding of coffee, promotion of the domestic coffee market and the creation of a Coffee Tech Park have been relegated to obscurity, Girish said.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Karnataka / by Express News Service / February 10th, 2026
Kodagu, the cradle of hockey in Karnataka, is preparing to host the Chenanda Kodava Family Hockey Festival from Apr. 5 to May 2 at Gen. K.S. Thimayya Stadium in Napokulu, with plans to make this year’s edition especially grand.
The organisers met Union Sports Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, along with Mysuru-Kodagu MP Yaduveer Wadiyar, on Feb. 9 in New Delhi and cordially invited him to attend the finals on May 2.
Notably, the Chenanda Kodava Family Hockey Festival organising committee members were dressed in traditional Kodava attire, adding a cultural touch to the occasion. The Minister, after accepting the invitation, also learnt about Kodagu’s rich hockey heritage and the historical significance of the festival.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Sports News / February 12th, 2026
The tariff reduction from 25% to zero would boost India’s coffee exports in general and shipments of speciality coffees in particular, said the coffee community, in response to a media query on the impact of recent U.S. tariff reduction on India’s coffee exports.
Image for representational purposes. | Photo Credit: File photo
India’s coffee sector is steadily moving from a commodity-led approach to a quality and experience-driven market, said the coffee community here on Monday.
Addressing a media conference, Kurma Rao M., CEO and Secretary of the Coffee Board of India, said, “Indian coffee is gaining recognition for its quality and diversity.’’
Platforms such as the India International Coffee Festival (IICF) play an important role in connecting producers with markets, encouraging best practices, and supporting the long-term growth of both domestic consumption and exports, Mr. Rao observed.
He said the Speciality Coffee Association of India (SCAI) would host the IICF between February 12 and 14 in Bengaluru. It would be held in collaboration with the Coffee Board and Nescafé. This coffee exposition would gather the entire spectrum of India’s coffee ecosystems on a single platform, he added.
The 2026 edition of IICF would reflect the shift to a quality and experience-driven market with greater scale, deeper business engagement, and a stronger focus on showcasing the diversity and potential of Indian coffee across domestic and global markets, Hamsini Appadurai, president of SCAI, said.
According to industry captains, the festival, structured around a farm-to-cup framework, is expected to offer insights into the production, processing, roasting, and brewing of coffee through curated tastings, workshops, and cupping sessions.
These would also cover regional coffee profiles, processing techniques, and flavour management, encouraging informed consumption and a deeper appreciation of quality and traceability amongst domestic and global buyers and consumers.
Over 20,000 visitors and delegates, comprising coffee growers, processors, roasters, exporters, equipment manufacturers, cafe brands, baristas, and consumers from India, Germany, Japan, Italy and many coffee-producing and coffee-consuming countries are expected to attend the fest.
India-U.S. trade deal
The tariff reduction from 25% to zero (0%) would boost India’s coffee exports in general and shipments of speciality coffees in particular, said the coffee community, in response to a media query on the recent tariff impact on coffee.
It may be noted that the U.S. has granted duty-free access to Indian coffee as part of the recent trade deal.
India currently exports only a negligible amount of (over 10,000 tonnes of coffee to the United States) while the country’s exports volumes, including of instant coffees, to the US is expected to rise under the zero tariff regime, said an industry observer cum planter from Chikmagaluru.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> India> Karnataka / by The Hindu Bureau / February 10th, 2026
A total of 104 mobile phones stolen from Kodagu district since 2022 were recovered during the last one month and handed over to the owners at a function in Madikeri on Tuesday.
Superintendent of Kodagu district police Bindu Mani R. N. said the recovered mobile phones of various brands were valued around ₹ 11 lakh.
The stolen mobile phones were recovered by the Cyber Crime police station of Kodagu district in co-ordination with the officials of different police stations during January 2026. The stolen mobile phones were recovered from different parts of Kodagu as well as Kerala and Tamil Nadu through the Central Equipment Identity Register (CEIR), she said.
She called upon the owners of mobile phones, who had lost their devices, to contact the nearest police station and report their loss on the CEIR portal.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> India> Karnataka /by The HIndu Bureau / February 10th, 2026
Under the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) – “More Crop per Drop”, assistance is being provided for installing drip/micro irrigation systems for horticultural crops, said Yogesh, Deputy Director of the Horticulture Department.
He stated that crops such as arecanut, coconut, ginger, banana, palm, black pepper, avocado, sapota, and various vegetables are eligible under the scheme. Farmers belonging to Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes and other categories can receive up to 90% subsidy.
Under the National Horticulture Mission, farmers are given 40% assistance to expand new areas for banana, vegetables, and avocado cultivation. In the rejuvenation program, farmers are provided with free saplings of oranges and pepper, along with organic manure.
Under the Protected Cultivation Program, 50% subsidy is provided for the construction of greenhouses/polyhouses/shade net houses and for plastic mulching. Similarly, 50% subsidy is offered for water storage structures.
For post-harvest management, 50% subsidy is given for the construction of processing units/pack houses/cold storages. Additionally, a 40% subsidy is available for setting up mushroom units.
source: http://www.clnews.in / Coffeeland News / Home> Agriculture> General / by CLN Newsdesk / July 11th, 2025
The Union government should make regulatory changes and include coffee, tea, and rubber under PMFBY, wherein 80% to 90% of premiums are paid by governments, say planters.
A file photo of the ripened coffee berries at a plantation in Kodagu used for representational purpose only. | Photo Credit: The Hindu
The Karnataka Planters’ Association (KPA), an apex body representing growers in the coffee heartlands of Chikmagaluru, Hassan, and Kodagu, which account for more than 70% of India’s entire coffee production, has strongly demanded the inclusion of coffee farms under a weather-linked crop insurance plan.
M. Salman Baseer, chairman of KPA, told The Hindu that the apex body has been requesting the government to include coffee under a climate-linked insurance plan, considering the crop are being badly hit by droughts or floods year after year.
Excessive rain
“We hope the upcoming Budget will hold some good news for coffee farmers in Karnataka in this regard,” anticipated Mr. Baseer, adding that incessant and excessive rains over the last several years have caused havoc on coffee plantations, resulting in significant crop- and plant losses in Karnataka.
Pradeep Poovayya, a coffee farmer from Kodagu and an executive committee member of the Coorg Planters’ Association, said currently, coffee, rubber, and tea are not covered under Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), which provisions 80% to 90% of premium payments by the governments. “These crops come under the Ministry of Commerce and not the Ministry of Agriculture. This is an unfair classification. While black pepper, coconut, arecanut, and paddy are covered under PMFBY, coffee is not,” Mr. Poovayya highlighted.
Arvind Rao, former chairman of KPA, also noted, “Coffee farming in India is completely dependent on rain and shine. However, unpredictable and extreme weather adversely impacts production, and that has been happening every year for the last many years.”
Input and labour costs
According to Rana George, Managing Director of Kelachandra Coffee, which grows Robusta and Arabica across 7,000 acres of land, climate volatility, rising input and labour costs, and new export compliance requirements are increasing pressure across the value chain.
“The Indian coffee sector needs support that strengthens growers while elevating India as a premium global origin. The Budget can make a meaningful difference through focussed investments in climate resilience, crop advisory and irrigation support, research on high-yield and climate-tolerant varieties, and easier access to long-tenure credit for replantation and farm modernisation,” Mr. George added.
Policy-based approach
Mr. Poovayya said farmers’ lands were often subject to the vagaries of nature, such as fire, floods, landslips, and earthquakes. However, the government only offered short-term relief instead of having a policy-based approach.
“We want regulatory changes to ensure coffee is included under PMFBY, and climate-related crop and land losses should be covered under the National Disaster Relief Fund,” he said, adding that farmers currently receive a meagre ₹35,000 (a sum fixed several decades ago) per hectare of farmland lost and ₹7,000 per acre for crop loss. “These are fixed based on archaic calculations,” Mr. Poovayya said.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> India> Karnataka / by MIni Tejaswi / January 31st, 2026
Birth anniversary of General KS Thimayya aka Timmy Sahib, a military legend in his own right.
1. He was the first Indian to ever command an Infantry Brigade during the WWII.
2. His elder brother Ponnappa served in the INA, while his younger brother Somaiah was killed in action in Kashmir.
3. In the Army he had a running feud with his British officers over their snobbery and racism.
4. He wanted to quit the Army and join the freedom movement but was however and fortunately dissuaded by PM Motilal Nehru.
5. During Quit India movement he gave orders to the troops not to fire on the protesters.
6. He oversaw the surrender of INA at Rangoon, his brother, Ponnappa was one of the POW(Prisoner of War).
7. After the Korean War, he played a major role in repatriation of POWs, winning plaudits from General Douglas MacArthur.
8. During the first Kashmir War in 1947, personally led from the front, in a tank to capture the Zozi La Pass.
9. He asked Nehru for just three months to beat back the raiders in Kashmir, however the latter (controversial) referred it to the UN.
10. Had a running feud with the Defence Minister VK Menon (Another LUTYENS Roadblock) over undue interference with Army.
11. Had the foresight to recognize the dangers from China, much before any one.
12. His proposal to appoint Lt Gen Thorat as Army Chief was shot down by Nehru, who instead appointed the mediocre Pran Nath Thapar (Also COR of the RAJPUTANA RIFLES).
He spent his last days in Cyprus , as part of UN Peacekeeping Force during the Civil War there.
He passed away in Cyprus in 1965, due to heart attack.
No important person attended his funeral (like Sam’s), he was buried in a nondescript site at Wilson Garden Cemetery.
When the President of Cyprus, came to India, specifically to honour him, our government (then the LUTYENS), woke up and hastily erected a memorial, at ASC center, Bangalore.
When General Thimayya died in Cyprus, the Cyprus Govt declared a 10 day mourning , and their Flag was at Half Mast !
On his birth anniversary please do forward this to as many as you can.
Posted by a proud RIMCOLLIAN, alumnus of RIMC. VIVA RIMC – JAI HIND!.
source: http://www.clnews.in / Coffeland News / Home> Articles / by CLN Newsdesk / March 31st, 2025
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