A.G. Aishwarya is a student of St. Joseph’s PU College in Madikeri.
It was a moment to savour for senior under officer A.G. Aishwarya of Kodagu as she led the all-girls National Cadet Corps (NCC) contingent at the Republic Day parade held at Rajpath, New Delhi, on Thursday.
For the student of St. Joseph’s PU College in Madikeri, participating in the parade was a childhood dream inspired by her elder sister Ambika, who was decorated as the ‘Best Cadet’ and honoured at her institution a few years ago.
Her father Ajjinanda Ganesh, mother Monthi Ganesh and sister were in New Delhi on Thursday to witness the parade and cheer her on. Aishwarya belongs to the 19KAR Battalion and was also part of the Republic Day camp in 2015 as a junior wing cadet. She hopes this is just the beginning of an incredible journey as she is determined to join the Indian Air Force and become a fighter pilot.
Ms. Ganesh spoke to The Hindu from New Delhi soon after witnessing the parade and said the entire family was proud of Aishwarya. “There are no words to explain how proud we felt at that moment,” she said.
She recalled that Aishwarya was in class 2 when she witnessed seniors, including her sister, participate in NCC activities. She was also inspired by her uncle Major Nanjappa and other relatives in the armed forces. “She joined Bulbul while in primary school and later joined the Guides and finally the NCC when she was in class 8 and 9,” she said.
Aishwarya, who is a science student with good academic track record, has a little more than a month to prepare for her II PUC examinations, which commence in March, but she is not at all tense. “She has consistently secured distinction in all subjects despite her extracurricular activities and [she] is not tense at all,” her mother said.
Aishwarya is an accomplished skater and hockey player apart from also playing the guitar.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Karnataka / by Special Correspondent / Mysuru – January 26th, 2017
Struggling to improve yield levels with traditional methods at his coffee plantation, Hoysala found great success with technological innovations.
Hoysala at his plantation. Credit: M.J. Prabu
Farming, especially in India, is generally considered to be a traditional field that’s averse to innovation, however M.G. Hoysala’s successful decision to quit banking for farming with the help of technological innovations, shows that keeping an open mind towards new, nontraditional cultivation techniques and interacting with experts in the field is essential for achieving farming success.
While many come into the profession unwillingly, Hoysala represents a section of people that actually wants to take on the family vocation. After spending five years working at a private bank, Hoysala came to realise the importance that the agriculture and plantation sector held for him. So he left his job and took over his father’s coffee plantation.
Since he took over, the Hoysala’s 40 acre farm in Karnataka’s Kodagu district has become a role-model of sorts for the other farms in the area.
As is common in the region, Hoysala grows Arabica coffee on his farm, but what differentiates his farming practices from the rest is the presence of tall indigenous trees that grow alongside the rows of coffee bushes, their height providing shade for the lower shrubs. Another distinguishing factor is the presence of black pepper vines that cover the trees’ trunks.
Starting off as an amateur, Hoysala initially followed the locally practiced traditional forms of cultivation. However, his lack of experience and the absence of proper guidance worsened his predicament. Disease-damaged crops, low productivity and a lack of knowledge about advanced production technologies were just some of the problems Hoysala faced when he took over the coffee plantation.
Collaborating with experts
Hoysala recalls contacting the Indian Institute of Spices Research around the same time as he started to realise that he would need technology if he wanted to stabilise his plantation’s yield level in a sustainable manner. His association with the institute started when he attended an eye-opening seminar organised by the organisation’s regional station at Madikeri, Kodagu.
That first seminar taught him about the varietal wealth of black pepper along with information on various crop production, protection and processing technologies that were being developed at the institute.
Drawing on his experiences from the banking sector, Hoysala was certain that the timely and meticulous adoption of technologies designed to aid crop production were essential to maintaining a profitable plantation.
“The productivity of vines was below the level of expectation and we could hardly harvest six tonnes from an area of 40 acres. We understood that not adopting recommended measures in time, especially to control diseases, could lead to heavy crop loss,” says Hoysala.
“Moreover, we were unaware that instituting shade regulation before the monsoon and irrigation during the summer months would improve the setting of berries and ultimately increase the yield.”
After Hoysala had established a close relationship with the regional station’s scientists, he set about addressing his plantation’s problems one by one.
Shade regulation was the first priority, followed closely by the scheduling of fertiliser, increasing organic inputs fortified with growth-promoting organisms, regularly monitoring the crops for diseases and irrigation during the summer months.
“By adopting these [new and] improved technologies, we have increased the production from six to 12 tonnes. [Which is] on average a two-fold jump within a time span of five years,” said Hoysala.
The plantation’s irrigation system was further strengthened by the construction of water harvesting structures like farm ponds and bore wells. Besides these measures, Hoysala also had pits dug between the rows of coffee plants to harvest run-off water as it also helps with enriching the soil.
The changes extend to pepper cultivation as well. Two years ago, Hoysala took ten acres of land which was used to grow ginger and transformed it into a well-designed pepper plot with silver oaks to serve as standards for the vines and robusta coffee bushes interplanted with the pepper vines.
It currently costs Hoysala a total of Rs 85,000 per acre to implement these measures along with paying the regular operational costs of running the plantation. In return, he earns Rs 1 lakh per acre per annum from the coffee and black pepper grown on the farm, allowing Hoysala to maintain the sustainable, profitable plantation he aspired to.
For further information, contact: M. G. Hoysala, Sri Siddalingeshwara Estate, Hardur P.O., Suntikoppa, Kodagu, Karnataka–571 237, mobile: 09449682430.
Email: hoysala.mg@gmailn and his guiden Dr. S. J. Ankegowda, Principal Scientist and Head, ICAR-Indian Institute of Spices Research Regional Station, Hervanadu Post, Appangala, Madikeri, Karnataka – 571 201, Phone 08272 – 245451; 245514; 298574. Mobile: 09663069241, email: crc@spices.res.in;gowda@spices.res.in
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source: http://www.thewire.in / The Wire / Home> Agriculture / by M J Prabu / December 29th, 2016
All SOS organics products are made from crops that are completely rain fed, chemical free and using natural farming and sustainable agricultural techniques.
A quick look at SOS Organics website and you will realize that there is something more than natural and organic in their varied products. Gur Shakkar, Khandsari sugar as alternatives to white sugar and sweeteners, soapnuts as natural cleansers, environmentally sound beeswax candles devoid of soot/smoke, home care products made of native plant oils, herbs and natural essential oils – these catch your immediate attention. All these products are made from crops that are completely rain fed, chemical free and using natural farming and sustainable agricultural techniques.
The Alternative spoke to its founder, Amrita Chengappa about her venture in Uttarakhand.
A little bit of everything to nourish and heal
Pulses, flour, millet, spices, herbs, pickles, jams, marmalades and honey, tea, as well as beeswax candles – there is a little bit of everything needed to lead a healthy life. Amrita says, “Our line of natural cosmetics is based on apricot kernel oil, and includes soaps, hand creams, face creams, body and foot scrubs, lip balms, and body oil. All items are made with beeswax and precious essential oils and are free of chemicals and hormones.”
Himalayan terrace farms are the source of SOS organic products Courtesy: SOS organics Facebook page
In Uttarakhand, farmers have very small land holdings that are completely dependent on rain. So instead of asking the farmers to grow one particular type of crops, say only rice or millet, Amrita has encouraged mixed farming. “We are targeting indigenous low input crops that they have been growing over the last hundred years. We encourage them to grow a little bit of everything so that it all adds up to become a basket full of goodness to nourish and heal the body,” says Amrita.
Their latest products are based on the humble nettle which has an abundance of health benefits. “One day we became aware of just how much nettle was growing all around us in the wild and nobody was using it. After some in-depth research that took us all the way back to Milarepa, who lived on nettle soup for years while meditating in a Himalayan cave, we began experimenting and created nettle tea and nettle flakes,” says Amrita.
The Inspiration
Amrita and her husband who have set up a village unit in Uttarakhand have been closely working with locals there.
“We had the inspiration to move to the Himalayan foothills in 2002, with only an idea to work in a village and bring meaningful employment in the area,” says Amrita. She adds, “We have found that the specific environmental conditions of the Himalaya produces incredible crops. The mineral content in the soil adds to the quality of the crop and it has many medicinal properties as well.”
One of the main issues in the state has been a lack of employment opportunities. So they decided to set up a self-sufficient unit at Kumaon. “My main concern was employment of the local ladies as I believe that all over India it has always been women who run the show and they deserve to be empowered,” adds Amrita.
Happiness that comes with healthy living is the only true happiness! Courtesy: SOS Organics Facebook page ita at this point also mentions,“We did not want to take something or destroy anything from the environment, rather our emphasis has always been on the preservation of biodiversity and environment, and the providing of holistic technologies to ensure highest quality.”
Every village needs to be self-sufficient
The company strongly believes in Mahatma Gandhi’s saying that every village needs to be self-sufficient. Their entire unit runs on rain water harvesting. And they work with local small scale farmers from over 70 villages in the Himalayan region.
Amrita further adds, “SOS Organics is an ongoing experiment dedicated as a model for holistic sustainable living in the villages of the Himalaya.”
In addition to the farming techniques, natural processing and product development have also been undertaken. The Foundation is presently deeply involved in special holistic milling techniques, sun drying and sun-UV-radiation, ventilation drying, dehydrator development for low temperature drying, vacuum packing and systematic moisture proof storing of raw material. An extensive initial product line of natural farming produce has been developed and tested in the market and is now available online and in select holistic outlets.
Engaging community and being in tune with rural life
“The problem in the hills is that you cannot do anything that has a lot of volume because the lifestyle is different. We have six hour working days for the ladies as on most days they have to go home, collect water, cut wood etc. Plus in the winter it gets darker soon and the area where we live there are leopards and other wild animals,” she says.
So they had to modify their business model, making it in tune with the local life and with less stringent deadlines. They also make sure to celebrate local holidays and to stay connected with the community in all possible ways. “Our aim has always been to make the business model sustainable for everyone from the consumer to the person actually engaged in making these products. We make the people working here comfortable and the orders are worked around this,” says Amrita.
Challenges
Amrita says, “So much of the incredible knowledge of the Himalayan people is in danger of getting lost. The older living generations have often not been able to pass on their wisdom to the younger people as they have set out to live everywhere else than in their own village, embracing modern life and technology.”
She adds,“The scary thing is that we do not have a proper understanding of traditional knowledge system and what we are replacing it with does not seem to make the grade. People here feed millet to animals as they have been told the white rice is aspirational. We are striving to work against this kind of a mindset.”
Future Plans
“We very much live in the here and now, which is full of experiencing, learning, and understanding. New insights and inspirations happen on their own and we are always ready to say yes! – and embrace yet another venture,” concludes Amrita.
source: http://www.thealternative.in / The Alternative.in / Home> Magazine> Lifestyle / by Usha Hariprasad / Juine 18th, 2015
by Mandetira N. Subramani, President, VeKare Ex-Servicemen Trust, MysoreM N Subramani
Most of the Ex-Servicemen of yore, who joined the British Indian Armed Forces during early 1940s, and participated in World War-II, are no more. However, there are still numerous widows of World War-II veterans, around 70 odd years of age, living in Mysore and Kodagu region, who narrate their helplessness and pathetic stories.
It was customary for men of yesteryears to marry a life partner who is younger to them by 10 to 15 years. It is quite but natural that most of such wives become widows and may live for 10 to 15 years, or even longer, after the demise of their husbands. Trends have changed. The present day men don’t mind marrying a life partner elder to him by 3-5 years and the educated ladies consider it as out of fashion and a mismatch to marry men who are 3 or 4 years elder to them.
Reverting to the subject of helplessness of widows of World War-II veterans, a gentleman barged into my office a few days ago with a complaint that his 76-year-old mother, living in a remote village called Kiggal, near Murnad, Kodagu (erstwhile Coorg), is not being granted defence family pension even after a lapse of 12 years after the demise of his father, due to some vague reasons projected by the Army’s EME Record Office, Secunderabad. The hapless widow happened to be one Mrs. Kaveriamma, widow of a World War-II veteran, Naib Subedar Ballachanda Nanjappa Ayyappa.
Mrs. Kaveriamma & late Nb Sub B.N. Ayyappa.
I being not only an Ex-Serviceman myself but also a son of a World War-II veteran who served in the Corps of EME and died unsung and unheard 22 years ago, decided to help the Late Nb Sub Ballachanda N.Ayyappa’s widow Kaveriamma with whatever little bit of knowledge and expertise I had gained during the course of taking up the cause of Ex-Servicemen and widows of Ex-Servicemen since the past 22 years after I quit the Armed Forces.
I believe in “seeing is believing.” Hence, I told late Naib Sub B.N. Ayyappa’s son, Ganapathy, that I wished to see his mother Kaveriamma personally, without doubting his (Ganapathy’s) version of the pathetic story of his mother. Without a second thought, Ganapathy informed me that his 76-year-old mother has been suffering from all sorts of old age ailments and that if I wished to see her, I would have to visit his ancestral Ballachanda House in Kiggal village in Coorg, which is well over 150 kms from Mysore. He also suggested that I could accompany him the following day itself to his village to see his mother. Though there was a clash of opinions between my mind and heart regarding his suggestion, I decided to listen to my heart, which is always weaker than the mind. The widow’s old age and ill health became a priority over my next day’s assignments and engagements all of which I had to abort.
It was indeed a huge expedition on the next day. It took almost nearly three-and-a-half- hours to reach the 100-year-old ancestral house of late Nb Sub Ayyappa in his village, which resembled a bit of British architecture. However, it took me waiting for nearly two hours to get the audience of the grand-old-lady, as she took time to wake up from her sleep, get ready and come out of her bedroom with the support of her son. B.A. Kaveriamma, widow of late Nb Sub B.N. Ayyappa.
During the waiting period, in Kaveriamma’s house, I had to perforce spend my time speaking to an 87-year-grand-old gentleman, who was resting in his easy chair. I was amused when he kept showing extra attention and courtesies to me than what I really deserved. This grand-old-gentleman, however, kept firing some uncomfortable questions to me such as, when did I join the Armed Force? When did I quit? Why did I quit? What was the last rank held by me? What I have been doing after quitting the forces etc… etc… as if I were put in a witness box for some crime committed by joining the Armed Forces! If someone around my age had asked me those questions, I would have blown my trumpet about my life in the Armed Forces, my last rank held as equivalent to one of those one star or two stars rank etc. But, I held back, because, in my subconscious mind I saw something very special in him that made me to tell him only the truth, including the last rank held by me, that is, Sergeant in the Indian Air Force.
While answering all the questions fired at me by this grand-old-gentleman, I was also looking at the walls of the huge verandah to deter him from firing anymore questions. However, I found some old photographs of late Naib Sub Ayyappa’s father, who was a Sub-Inspector of Police during the British regime, hung on the wall. Among the numerable old photographs on the walls, I also noticed a certificate framed and hung in a remote corner, which I could not read because of the size of the certificate, and my failing eye sight. I was compelled to remove the framed certificate and read it just out of curiosity. To my surprise, it was a citation of a gallantry award, that is, “Mention in Dispatches” awarded to Flight Gunner Sgt. Ballachanda N. Medappa.
Ex-Warrant Officer B.N. Medappa, M-In-D
I became very curious and asked Ganapathy as to who this Flight Gunner was ? Ganapathy pointed out at the grand-old- gentleman who was sitting on the same easy chair busy reading a Kannada daily Mysooru Mitra and said, “he is my father Nb Sub Ayyappa’s younger brother Ex-Warrant Officer of the Indian Air Force.” I realised that he is really an ‘Ex-Air Warrior,’ a term commonly referred to all Ex-Air Force personnel of late. I too sometimes proudly call myself as an Ex-Air Warrior to my advantage but it proved to be otherwise all the time with my retired rank ‘Ex-Sergeant.’
In the meantime, the widow of Nb Sub Ayyappa managed to come up to the verandah with the support of her son. As per the customs of the Coorgs’, I touched her feet to seek her blessings, and took a few photographs of her from my worn camera. After speaking to her for a few minutes I casually told her that I would try to resolve her defence family pension issue, at which she nodded her head casually, without any anxiety or hope of receiving it in the near future. I understood that she was fed up of trying for her defence family pension for the past 12 years.
On our way back to Mysore from Coorg after having met the widow, my thoughts were more on the unassuming Ex-Air Warrior I met that day than the problem of the widow of World War- II veteran Ayyappa. I tried to make a guess as to how many such great war heroes were still living or dead, unheard and unsung, among the tiny Kodava Community besides the number of General Officers this tiny Coorg District has produced till date. I even started calling up all my fauji friends, as if there was an impending war.
All armed forces veterans who served three decades ago know that there was a separate Coorg regiment, which largely included people from non-Kodava backgrounds while the Kodavas themselves served in different other regiments; this is in keeping with the Army’s non-bias policy. Field Marshal Kodandera Cariappa of the Rajput regiment and General Kodandera Thimayya of the Kumaon regiment are the most distinguished Army men among the Kodavas. Other illustrious Kodavas from all ranks lead from the front in their own way, not only during wars but also in war-like situations and counter insurgencies.
Lt. Gen. Apparanda Aiyappa is best remembered for his contributions towards the Corps of Signals and towards Bharat Electronics Limited. There were several war heroes as well such as Nadikerianda Bheemaiah, a JCO who was the first among Coorgs to be awarded the Vir Chakra for conspicuous bravery in J&K Operations during 1947, and Air Marshal Cheppudira D. Subia, a daring fighter pilot, was awarded the Vir Chakra during 1950 for his courageous and relentless attacks on the enemy targets which has largely contributed to the successful capture of Garais in Jammu & Kashmir.
Squadron Leader Ajjamada B. Devayya (known as the ‘wings of fire’), a fighter pilot of rare acumen, was awarded the Maha Vir Chakra after the 1965 Indo-Pak War, posthumously. Lt. Col. Ganapathi Puttichanda Somaiah (then known as the ‘Major who kept his cool’) was awarded the Maha Vir Chakra for his conspicuous bravery of fighting against the militants under odd condition while deployed in Sri Lanka as part of Indian Peace Keeping Force.
Lt. Col. Anjaparavanda Ganapathy was decorated with Vir Chakra for his valour during the 1965 war. Maj. Gen. Kuppanda Nanjappa and Colonel Mandettira Ravi were decorated with Vir Chakra for their valiant display of courage and gallantry in the face of the enemy on land during the 1971 Indo-Pak war. Sqn. Ldr. Mandepanda Ganapathy was awarded Vir Chakra for shooting down one of the first Pakistani Sabre Jets, which intruded into Indian air space during the 1971 war.
Wg. Cdr. Ballachanda Karumbaya is another war hero to be decorated with the Vir Chakra for displaying his gallantry in the air during the 1971 war. The youngest among the above said war heroes is the then Capt. Baleyanda M. Cariappa to be decorated with Vir Chakra on 21st June 1999 for displaying repeated acts of valour, bold leadership, unparalleled courage, leading from the front and devotion beyond the call of duty in the face of the enemy.
Kodagu being one of the smallest districts across India, today boasts of the highest density of devoted, daring, dedicated, disciplined and duty-bound gentlemen soldier officers, with many adorning the highest echelons of the defence services in India.
At any given point of time, till 1980, the number of persons serving the forces far exceeded the proportion of any other set of people from any other region in India. The contribution of Coorg to the cause of the nation has been phenomenal and Armed Forces Martyrs from Kodagu District are innumerable.
The appended list of Army General Officers the tiny District of Kodagu [population 5 lakh and population of Kodavas is about 1.3 lakh] has produced over the last 65 years is testimony to the fact that the District is a cradle of mighty Generals:
1. Field Marshal Kodandera M. Cariappa, OBE; 2. General Kodandera S. Thimayya, DSO; 3. Lt. Gen. (Retd.) Apparanda C. Aiyappa PVSM, MBE; 4. Lt. Gen. (Retd.) Biddanda C. Nanda PVSM, AVSM, ADG; 5. Lt. Gen. (Retd.) Codanda N. Somanna PVSM; 6. Lt. Gen. (Retd.) Bittianda K. Bopanna PVSM, AVSM, VSM; 7. Lt. Gen. (Retd.) Ballachanda K. Chengappa; 8. Maj. Gen. (Retd.) Guddanda C. Somanna; 9. Maj. Gen. (Retd.) Kongetira M. Chengappa; 10. Maj. Gen. (Retd) Kotera C. Bheemaiah; 11. Maj. Gen. (Retd.) Codanda K. Karumbaya SM; 12. Maj. Gen. (Retd.) Cheppudira I. Jay Appachu AVSM; 13. Maj. Gen. (Retd.) Somaiyanda K. Kariappa AVSM, YSM; 14. Maj. Gen. (Retd.) Madaiyanda M. Belliappa AVSM, VSM; 15. Maj. Gen. (Retd.) Bovverianda M. Aiyanna; 16. Maj. Gen. (Retd.) Bachamanda A. Cariappa; 17. Maj. Gen. (Retd.) Moovera C. Nanjappa AVSM, VSM; 18. Maj. Gen. (Retd.) Kuppanda P. Nanjappa AVSM, VrC; 19. Maj. Gen. (Retd.) Kelapanda B. Swaraj; 20. Maj. Gen. Kodandera Arjun Muthanna; 21. Maj. Gen. Paruvangada M. Cariappa VSM.
Courtesy: Star of Mysore
source: http://www.exservicemen.in / Ex-servicemen India / Home> India> News> Views, Articles / by M N Subramani / October 19th, 2012
Gen Dalbir Singh, Chief of the Army Staff, dedicated a statue of Field Marshal K M Cariappa at the Army Parade Ground, Delhi Cantonment and rechristened the parade ground as “Cariappa Parade Ground” .
It is customary in the Indian Army that parade grounds are named after eminent military personalities and war heroes.
Army Parade Ground at Delhi Cantonment has been rechristened as Cariappa Parade Ground in the memory of Field Marshal KM Cariappa, the first Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army.
The Parade Ground in Delhi Cantonment is one of the largest and most prominent parade grounds of the country.
source: http://www.defenceaviationpost.com / Defence Aviation Post / Home> News Updates / December 31st, 2016
Tennis doubles player Rohan Bopanna today said that wheelchair tennis was already a big sport in the world, which is reflected in top players like Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic sharing the same locker-rooms with top wheelchair players.
“Roger Federer, Djokovic and top wheelchair players – all of them share the same locker-rooms. There is no difference between wheelchair tennis players and the straight players,” he said.
“That’s where it shows, how big the sport already is, and million and millions of people are already watching it and supporting it,” he added.
Bopanna said holding the All India Tennis Association ranking wheelchair tennis tournament shows interest in this sport.
“Holding the wheelchair tennis tournament is a fantastic initiative and big step, which shows the interest people have in it,” he said.
Asked what sort of support he would give to promote wheelchair tennis, Bopanna said he would share details of wheelchair tournaments held in different parts of the world.
“I am always with them, no matter what support they need. As I am travelling a lot, it will be easier for me to share the details which will be of great help for improving the sport in India,” he said.
Earlier, Bopanna announced India’s first AITA ranking Wheelchair Tennis Tournament – tabebuia – which will be played from December 2 to 4 at Karnataka State Lawn Tennis Association.
The cash prize is Rs 2.5 lakh and the organisers have raised Rs 14 lakh from various sources including the corporate and individual donors, Sunil Jain, Founder Trustee of Astha, a part of Wheelchair Tennis, said.
As many as 40 wheelchair tennis players will participate in the tournament, he said.
Jain said the organisers would love to hold an International Tennis Federation tournament with the cooperation of AITA and KSLTA.
BDN PDS PDS
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News> Sports> Tennis> Top Stories / PTI / November 29th, 2016
Fourteen-year-old Nithin H A from Arameri village in Kodagu who received the Hoysala Bravery award for rescuing his friend, Sufiyan, from drowning has only one regret. “I could not save Salahuddin who had also fallen in.”
The two boys had accidentally fallen into the pond when Nithin acted swiftly, extending his umbrella and pulling Sufiyan in. Unfortunately, his umbrella broke and he could not rescue Salahuddin.
Nithin was presented the award at a ceremony organised by the Department of Women and Child Development in Jawahar Bal Bhavan, where children from across the state were felicitated for their achievements.
Four other children- Sukanya K S from Bagepalli, Chiranth D R from Shikaripur, Shreyas N Rao and Shashikumar G M from Mysuru- were conferred with the Hoysala and Keladi Chennamma awards for their presence of mind to save the lives of others. They each received a cash prize of Rs 10,000, a memento, citation and a medal.
Exceptional talent in the fields of art, sports, music, culture, innovation and scholastics was recognised through the Exceptional Achievement Award presented to 17 children, who had been recommended by the state government for the National Award.
Seema Ningappa Shettar from Indiranagar, Bengaluru, realised that rural schools lacked funds for lab equipment like microscopes. “In the regular microscope, only one person can view the specimen at a time. So I made a digital microscope which uses a mobile camera and a convex lens. It is much cheaper than other microscopes.” she explained. The Class 9 student’s innovation won her the fifth-place at ‘Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research (INSPIRE)’, organised by Ministry of Science and Technology.
The Department also conferred ‘Child Welfare Awards’ on four individuals and four institutions for their commendable service in the field of child welfare.
Akshara Foundation, Bengaluru; Anthyodaya Social Service Society, Bagalkot; Margadarshi Society, Kalaburagi and Parents Association of Deaf Children received the award which carried a cash prize of Rs 1 lakh, a memento and a citation. Srirama Reddy from Byrapalli, Kolar, Sridhara Hande from Udupi, Nagarathna Sunila from Belagavi and Santhosh Bapu from Bidar received the award for their work in education, arts and healthcare for children. They received cash prize of Rs 25,000 each.
source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> City / DHNS – Bengaluru – November 15th, 2016
In the northern part of the Mahadevpet quarter of Madikeri town lies a royal graveyard, unbeknownst to many. Gaddige is a set of three regal mausoleums built in the Indo-Saracenic style and enclosed within a compound. Upon each of these rectangular structures is a large dome and four turrets. Two kings of Kodagu (Dodda Vira Rajendra and Linga Rajendra) and their queens lay buried in the two larger identical structures and a third smaller one has the remains of the chief preceptor (Rudrappa) of the kings.
Beside these three tombs, at a little distance away but within the same enclosure, are the tombs of a father-son duo Biddanda Bopanna (Bopu) (1769-1807) and Biddanda Somayya (1800-1879). They had served Kodagu and its kings as sarva-karyakaras, or army generals. While Bopu was the general under Dodda Vira Rajendra (1789-1809), Somayya was the general under Chikka Vira Rajendra (1820-1834). Both tombs have the statue of a Nandi upon it.
Under the Kodagu kings, jamma ryots (farmers by inheritance) held their farmlands by military tenure. The word jamma came from the Sanskrit word for birth, janma. Every able-bodied male jamma ryot had to compulsorily serve in the king’s army. Known as chaudigaras, they worked for 15 days at a time. Around 10 to 100 soldiers served under an army chieftain called the jamedar and a number of jamedars served under an army officer called karyakara. The karyakaras worked under a sarva-karyakaras, or the general. The karyakaras and the sarva-karyakara wore a kombu toppi, a gold zari-bordered red turban with a kombu (horned emblem) in front.
A Kannada inscription states that Biddanda Bopu of Bavali village entered the Raja’s service through palace duties on the fifth day of the new moon of Magha month in the Keelaka year (1788). He worked for 19 years until the year Prabhava, bravely risking his life while fighting wars against Tipu Sultan of Mysore and hunting elephants, tigers and other wild animals, to ultimately become a sarva-karyakara. The Biddanda family originated in Kokeri village in Kodagu nearly three centuries ago. In this Kokeri house lived brothers Medappa and Poonacha. Medappa was a member of the local village panchayat and he married Chaniyapanda Subbavva in 1768. They had a son Bopu, who was born in 1769 on what was deemed to be an inauspicious day by the panchayat members. It was decreed that the son’s face was not to be seen by the father and that the mother was not to be allowed into the house. Hence, the mother and the son lived with the maternal family in Podavada village.
Chronicles of the pastUnfortunately, after some time, both Medappa and Subbavva passed away. The orphaned boy was then brought to the Kokeri Biddanda house by his uncle Poonacha. In 1788, at the age of 19, Bopu joined the king’s army. He worked hard and rose through the ranks to become a karyakara. Poonacha and his wife passed away and their two daughters were married into other families. In 1795, the king transferred Poonacha’s property, which was called ‘Mookanda Bane’ (pasture), to Bopu and his paternal relatives for the military services they had rendered.
Bopu moved from Kokeri to Bavali where he built a ‘Nalkett Mundmane’ — a traditional country house (mane) with four blocks (nalkett) built around an open central courtyard (mund). This became the ‘Biddanda Ainmane’, or ancestral home, in Bavali. One can find description of many events pertaining to Karyakara Biddanda Bopu in Reverend Hermann Moegling’s Coorg Memoirs.
In 1799, the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War broke out between Tipu Sultan and the British. When the British laid siege upon Srirangapatna, the erstwhile capital of Mysore kingdom, Dodda Vira Rajendra sent his treasurer Karnika Subbayya and his officer Karyakara Bopu to invade the Tulu region, which was then a part of the Mysore State. Bopu led the Kodagu army and defeated Sadri Behari and Mir Mohammed who held the Kodial (Mangalore) district. Soon, Kodagu occupied Mangalore, Barkur, Bantwal, Bellare, Viragamba, Udiavara and other regions. Karnika Subbayya came to hold and govern Kodial at that time.
Eventually, news came from Srirangapatna that Tipu Sultan was killed and that Mysore was taken over by the British. Later, Kodagu was made to evacuate the Tulu region and return it to Mysore. Karyakara Bopu was later made the sarva-karyakara of Kodagu. Biddanda Somayya was born in the year Roudri (1800) to Bopu and his wife Mayavva. Bopu died in 1807 at the young age of 38 years. In commemoration of his remarkable army tenure, the king of Kodagu ordered that Bopu be entombed near the royal tombs of Gaddige.
Somayya joined the Raja’s army in 1821. Like his father, he rose through the ranks to become a sarva-karyakara. In 1834, Kodagu got into a conflict with the British. Under him, the Kodagu army was able to inflict damage upon the British army initially. But Chikka Vira Rajendra, the last king of Kodagu, chose to surrender to the British. He was then exiled and the British took over Kodagu.
In those days, the British decreed that all the native officers would be retained in service. But Sarva-karyakara Somayya refused to be in the service of the new government and thus, retired early instead. After his retirement, Somayya lived in the Bavali Biddanda Ainmane and got involved in farming. But he did have one last wish. After his death, he wanted to be buried beside his father and before the rajas of Kodagu. The British allowed this and refused to have anybody else, including any surviving relatives of the rajas, to be buried in the Gaddige area. Somayya died on August 16, 1879. His tomb was erected in Gaddige with the permission of the Chief Commissioner of Coorg. There is a separate graveyard for other members of the Biddanda family in Bavali as well. While the tombs lie neglected today, their history and significance continue to throw light on the history of our people.
source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> Supplements> Spectrum / By Mookanda Kushalappa / November 08th, 2016
“An amount of Rs 125 crores is set aside for the development of Catholic communities, and they must make the best use of it, ” said Vidhana Mandala Backward Class and Minorities’ Committee president, MLA J R Lobo.
He was speaking during a discussion held with the Catholic community leaders, at St Michael School in the city, on Thursday, October 27.
“The government has announced several programmes for the development of society and a special grant in the budget. The amount of Rs 125 crores can be used for several pro community programmes,” he said.
“The government has created Catholic Development Committee for community development. It has appointed Bengaluru urban development minister K J George as the president and me as the vice president of the committee. It has also formed a subcommittee and appointed me as its president. Petitions for renovation or repairs of churches, cemetery, boundary wall, skills training and other development work in the community can be submitted,” he said.
“Christians comprise 3.6% of the population in the state. The government has given special importance to their development, but the community lags behind in making use of government released funds,” MLA Lobo said.
“Special camps should be held in various districts to make information on government programmes reach the people. Fund up to Rs one crore in the city and Rs 50 lac in towns is being provided for community halls. An amount is also paid for maintenance of old age homes,” he said.
Community representative, K T Baby Mathew, requested for additional funds for repairs of churches, and donations to poor people and for the district level committee, like in the state. Requests for reservation for Catholics could also be heard in the meeting.
K E Mathew said, extensive details of the government facilities such as scholarships, caste certificates, etc are required.
Committee assistant secretary Amba, additional deputy commissioner M Sathish Kumar, zilla panchayat assistant secretary Vishwanatha Poojary, assistant director of the department of public instruction G R Basavaraju, backward class and minority welfare department district officer K V Suresh, minority development corporation manager Nagendra Prasad, district employment exchange officer C Jagannath Virajpete, St Anns school’s Fr Muthuswamy, and others were present.
source: http://www.daijiworld.com / DaijiWorld.com / Home> Karnataka / by DaijiWorld Media Network – Madikeri (EP) / Madikeri – October 28th, 2016
V R Raghunath, hockey player from Kodagu district who has represented Karnataka at national and international tournaments, was conferred Karnataka Kanmani State Award by Centre for Rural, Education Development and Innovative Technologies of India (Credit-I) recently.
Credit-I, the NGO, honoured the national player as part of its 10th anniversary celebrations at Jaganmohan Palace here. Raghunath has played in over 200 tournaments.
The organization also conducted various programmes to mark its anniversary over two days. On October 22, it conducted an inter-collegiate folk song singing contest, wherein students from 54 colleges in Mysuru, Mandya, Hassan and Chamarajanagar vied for honours.
On the occasion, environmentalist Vasanth Kumar Mysoremath launched the four programmes — ‘Spandana’ for the welfare of senior citizens, ‘Nele’ and ‘Paraspara’ to impart skills among youths so they can become entrepreneurships. The NGO has also adopted Malara, a drought-hit village in HD Kote taluk, to develop it into a model village in the 10 years.
Trinetra Mahantha Shivayogi, seer of Chandravana Ashram, industrialist Umesh K Shenoy and retired professor H M Vasanthamma attended the programme.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City News> Mysore / TNN / October 26th, 2016
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