Squadron Leader Ajjamada B. Devayya, the only Indian Air Force (IAF) Officer to be posthumously awarded the Maha Vir Chakra (MVC), was remembered on Sept. 7 in Madikeri and his valiant actions were recalled by war veterans, defence personnel and political leaders. It has been 57 years since his supreme sacrifice.
They had gathered at the 6-feet-9-inch bronze statue of the Squadron Leader installed at the Old Private Bus Stand Circle and paid their respects. The statue has been mounted on a pedestal.
The event in Madikeri was organised by Kodava Makkada Koota and the members of Ajjamada family. Speaking at the ceremony, Air Marshal (Retd.) Kodandera Nanda Cariappa recalled the bravery displayed by Devayya who came from the tiny district of Kodagu.
“Let us not restrict the Squadron Leader to the Kodava community. He is India’s valiant son and deserves that recognition. He is a role model even now, more than 50 years after his death,” he said.
Katti Mandaiah, President of Ajjamada B. Devayya Memorial Trust, said that it was a proud moment to pay homage to a leader under his huge bronze statue.
Devayya showed dare-devilry at the young age of 32.
The bronze statue weighs 600 kg and Rs. 20 lakh was spent on getting it carved at Kengeri near Bengaluru. The statue installation work was supported by Field Marshal K.M. Cariappa and General Thimayya Forum, Kodava Makkada Koota. Thanks to the efforts of all, the Old Private Bus Stand Circle is officially called Squadron Leader Ajjamada B. Devayya Circle, he recalled.
Former MLC Shantheyanda Veena Achaiah, Kodagu Deputy Commissioner Dr. B.C. Sathish Field Marshal K.M. Cariappa and General Thimayya Forum President Col. (Retd.) Kandrathanda Subbaiah, Kodava Makkada Koota President Bollajira B. Aiyappa, Kodagu Superintendent of Police Malachira A. Aiyappa, President of Akhila Karnataka Retired Soldiers Association (Kodagu) Kottukathira B. Somanna and other dignitaries also spoke.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / September 10th, 2022
The verification process is still ongoing to confirm if the event has broken the previous world record.
Over 6000 people gathered to break the world record for the largest family gathering in Bittangala. (Photo | Special Arrangement)
Madikeri:
With an aim to create the Guinness World Record, over 6000 people from the Kodava community got together at Bittangala in Virajpet on Saturday.
They gathered to break the world record for the largest family gathering under a single roof and the initiative was organized by the Kodava Clan Portal. The initiative was called ‘Okoota’.
“Nearly 6500 people gathered under the same roof to prove that we all belonged to the same family,” shared G Kishoo Uthappa, the founder of the Kodava Clan portal. He explained that people from three generations gathered for the event and the same was monitored by the representatives of the World Record Association.
The verification process is still ongoing to confirm if the event has broken the previous world record.
The Kodava Clan portal was started to help the Kodava community connect with the ancestral lineage and the portal has succeeded in creating the largest family tree of over 21,000 Kodava individuals.
Through the portal, one can even find out how they are related to FMKM Cariappa or anyone else from the community. The portal had won the India Book of Records for the largest family tree and it has now attempted to break the Guinness World Record.
“We are now linking everyone who was part of the event to the family tree in the portal to find out if we all belong to the same family,” explained Kishoo. A total of 4514 people from the same family gathered in France earlier to create the world record for the largest family gathering and the Kodava clan aims to break this record.
Meanwhile, the event provided a platform to the Kodava litterateurs to exhibit their works and enabled sales of the same. Over 30 outlets in the vicinity promoted the Kodava culture even as various entertaining events including the ‘valagathat’, singing and other programmes were organized.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Good News / by Express News Service / December 25th, 2022
Mahouts, Kavadis unhappy as they are emotionally attached to pachyderms
Siddapur (Kodagu):
The Karnataka Forest Department has begun the transfer of 13 elephants in batches from various elephant camps in the State to Madhya Pradesh. The purpose is to assist the Forest Department of that State in reducing the human-animal conflict and also ease the pressure on the identified elephant camps of Karnataka.
The camps that are giving the elephants are in Mysuru, Kodagu and Shivamogga. Following a letter from the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) and Chief Wildlife Warden, Madhya Pradesh, seeking transfer of camp elephants from Karnataka to Madhya Pradesh, the Karnataka Forest Department initiated the process to shift the identified elephants.
A team of Forest Department from Madhya Pradesh visited the elephant camps at Ramapura in Bandipur Tiger Reserve in Gundlupet taluk, Dubare Elephant Camp at Siddapura in Kodagu and Sakrebyle Elephant Camp in Shivamogga where they identified the 14 elephants (12 male and 2 female). Though 14 elephants were identified for transfer, one male elephant died, reducing the number to 13 — 11 male and two female.
Subsequently, they submitted a detailed report to the Madhya Pradesh Government for consideration of their transfer from Karnataka. Following up on the matter, the Karnataka Government sought the opinion of field officers who approved the transfer and later, the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change permitted the shifting.
The name of the selected elephants are: Krishna (21 yrs), Gaja (7 yrs), both male elephants, Marsiha (7 yrs) and Pooja (9 yrs), both female elephants — all four lodged in Ramapura camp of Bandipur Tiger Reserve; General Thimayya (8 yrs), Field Marshal (General) Cariappa (8 yrs), Valli (40 yrs), Lava (21 yrs) and Maruthi (20 yrs), all five male elephants from Dubare camp; Ravi (25 yrs), Shiva (6 yrs), Manikanta (35 yrs) and Bengaluru Ganesha (36 yrs), all four male elephants of Sakrebyle camp.
As per the agreement and the orders, yesterday, the five elephants were shifted from the Dubare Elephant Camp in trucks and the Madhya Pradesh Forest Department took possession of the elephants. They will subsequently reach Bhopal. The shipment includes Mahouts and Kavadis who will stay in Madhya Pradesh for some time till the elephants are acclimatised with new surroundings and new handlers.
The Ramapura camp gave four elephants instead of five as the male pachyderm Ganesha (17 yrs) that was identified to be shifted died due to illness. The remaining four elephants have already been sent to Madhya Pradesh.
Now with the shifting, the Ramapura Elephant Camp has been left with 14 elephants, Dubare Camp with 27 and Sakrebyle Camp has 15 elephants.
Kodagu Chief Conservator of Forests B. Niranjan Murthy said that there are elephant camps at Dubare, Harangi, Mathigodu, Bheemanakatte and Balle in Kodagu with a total of 70 tamed elephants and two of them from Mathigodu camp have been sent for capture and taming of wild elephants and other departmental purposes.
Mahouts, Kavadis unhappy
Even as the process of shifting began, the Mahouts and Kavadis have opposed it as they are emotionally attached to the elephants. This apart, they are scared of losing their livelihood as they will be left with no job after the elephants are shifted.
Pointing out that they are not permanent staff, Dobi, State Vice-President of Mahouts and Kavadis Association, said that it is the Mahouts who have captured and tamed these elephants in deep forests and their livelihood is now under threat.
Urging the Government to regularise their service and also to hike their wages, he wanted the Government to address the issues concerning daily wage Mahouts and Kavadis, who are serving the Forest Department for years without any job security.
source: http://www.staromysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / December 23rd, 2022
The annual get-together of Sri Kaveri Kodava Association, Mysuru-East, was held at its premises in Vidyashankar Layout in city on Nov. 27. Rangayana Mysuru Director Addanda C. Cariappa was the chief guest. Kodava Samaja Mysuru President Mechanda M. Shashi Ponnappa was the special invitee. Association President Puliyanda S. Devaiah presided over the function.
Three senior members — Kalappanda B. Vishwanath, Kanjithanda K. Aiyappa (ex-President) and Chowrira K. Seethamma (Chairperson – Academic Council) — were honoured by the Association for their selfless contribution.
Also, three members from the Association — Ittira Dr. Priya Uthaiah, Pattamada Dr. Lavya Muthamma and Manduvanda Kumari Ektha Ganapathy — were felicitated for their outstanding achievement in the field of education.
Students who achieved academic excellence were also honoured by the Association. Members gathered in large numbers and made the event a grand success.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / December 14th, 2022
Hosts Appachettolanda family expecting participation of more than 350 teams
Madikeri:
The Kodava Family Hockey or ‘Hockey Namme’ is back with a bang after a gap of four years. This time, the tournament will be hosted by the Appachettolanda family from March 20 to April 10, 2023 at Napoklu village in Kodagu.
“After 2018, the hockey festival did not see the light of the day due to natural disasters and the COVID-19 pandemic. We will be organising the 23rd annual ‘Hockey Namme’ in 2023 in a grand manner. The fest will be held at Napoklu General Thimayya Ground and more than 350 Kodava families are likely to take part in the tournament,” said Appachettolanda Manu Muthappa, the President of the Hockey Festival Committee.
Addressing a press conference in Madikeri recently, he said that in the last hockey tournament held in 2018, a total of 333 Kodava families participated in the Kulletria Cup Hockey and this time, they were expecting the participation of more than 350 families.
The festival is being conducted under the aegis of Kodava Hockey Academy.
It may be mentioned here that to prepare the family teams for the upcoming hockey festival, the Kodava Hockey Academy had organised the first Pandanda M. Kuttappa Memorial Cup rink hockey festival, in memory of the founder of the Academy and the hockey festival. It was organised from Oct. 27 to Nov. 6 at Ponnampet Turf Ground and a total of 114 teams had participated.
The logo of the Appachettolanda Cup family tournament was unveiled in Bengaluru recently by Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai where a delegation of the family had called on the CM. Virajpet MLA K.G. Bopaiah, MLC Suja Kushalappa and the tournament-organising family members were present.
“The CM has assured us that a Rs. 1 crore grant will be released for the hockey festival for the first time and the CM has consented to inaugurate the tournament on March 20. In all, Rs. 1.50 crore will be spent for the festival and the remaining Rs. 50 lakh will be pooled-in by the family members and collected from donors. We are planning to invite and felicitate a host of national and international hockey players who have made the Kodagu district proud and hockey champions from all communities will be honoured,” Manu Muthappa said.
In all, three grounds will be utilised for the hockey festival and they will be also used as a back-up in case it rains. Kodava Hockey Academy President Pandanda Bopanna, who is the son of late Pandanda Kuttappa, will be one of the guests in the inaugural event. “It was his father who launched the first Kodava Family Hockey Tournament in 1997 and was organised by the Pandanda family, Manu Muthappa noted.
Secretary of the Hockey Festival Committee Appachettolanda Vasanth Muthappa, members Appachettolanda Harish Somaiah, Appachettolanda Ravi Monnappa, Appachettolanda Janath Kumar and others were present.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / December 13th, 2022
Mysuru Kodava Samaja celebrated Puthari-2022, the harvest festival of Kodagu, in traditional fervour and gaiety at the Samaja premises in Vijayanagar here last evening.
Hundreds of members of the Samaja, wearing Kodava attire, attended the celebrations. Kodava men and women presented traditional dances on the occasion which won the applause of all those present.
In the previous years, the festival used to be celebrated at Sree Cauvery School premises in Kuvempunagar. But this year the celebrations were held in the Samaja premises itself and arrangements were made to distribute kadh (new paddy crop) to all the members by the Samaja volunteers.
Picture shows Kodava men performing a traditional dance.
The festival marks bringing home the new paddy crop from the fields, a symbolic welcome to Goddess Lakshmi. Before harvesting, the members chanted slogans ‘Poli Poli Deva’.
As part of the tradition, after the paddy sheaves are brought home, a unique pudding thambittu is prepared out of ripe banana, coconut, jaggery, sesame, cardamom, ghee and roasted boiled rice flour. Some grains of newly harvested paddy are used to prepare the dishes at home.
Office-bearers and Management Committee Members of Kodava Samaja, Mysuru;
President Mechanda M. Shashi Ponnappa; Vice-President Malachira M. Ponnappa; Hon. Secretary Mukkatira B. Jeevan; Joint Secretary Appanderanda Tara Somaiah; Hon. Treasurer Machimada P. Nanaiah; former Presidents and a large number of community people, young and old, were present.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / December 08th, 2022
The Armed Forces Flag Day was observed in Madikeri in Kodagu on Wednesday. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
The Kodagu district administration and Department of Sainik Welfare and Resettlement observed the Armed Forces Flag Day at General Thimmaiah Memorial Bhavan in Madikeri on Wednesday.
Lieutenant Colonel (Retd) Mahaveer Chakra P.S. Ganapathy, Deputy Commissioner B.C. Satish, Superintendent of Police Capt M.A. Aiyappa, Air Marshal (Retd) Cariappa, Lieutenant Colonel Chacko, Kodagu Zilla Panchayat CEO S. Akash and other dignitaries were present on the occasion.
Every year, December 7 is observed as Armed Forces Flag Day throughout the country to honour martyrs and men in uniform, who valiantly fought and continue to fight on the country’s borders.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> India> Karnataka / by The Hindu Bureau / December 07th, 2022
From 2000, Cheshire Homes India Coorg has been helping children & adults with intellectual disabilities.
Chairperson Gita Chengappa
Madikeri :
‘Save Soil’, ‘Swachh Bharat’, ‘Atmanirbhar…’ are not just grand slogans here. They are constants that motivate the functioning of Cheshire Homes India Coorg (CHIC), in Pollibetta of Kodagu district. An institution for the specially-abled, it caters to the needs of children and adults with intellectual disabilities – a majority of whom are from economically weak backgrounds.
Started in the year 2000, the centre has helped shape the lives of people with special abilities by providing special education and vocational training for free. Students are provided sustainable education and are involved not just in readying themselves to face a not-so-inclusive society but are also taught to lead a sustainable, eco-friendly life. Apart from special education, vocational training involves recycling plastic, clothes, paper and manufacturing eco-friendly value-added products.
“The institution is run under the umbrella of Cheshire National Council, but we are an autonomous body. The institution supports the strengthening of the National Council so that we have a stronger body for disability in India,” explained Gita Chengappa, chairperson of the institution.
The centre receives support from the state government. “The state releases Rs 19 lakh annually and supports us. However, on an average, the institution requires Rs 40 lakh to Rs 50 lakh, which is raised through various donors. The institution caters mostly to people from very poor economic backgrounds,” added Gita.
Community acceptance While most special schools are residential, CHIC is a day care centre. Each day, five school vans (hired on rent) leave the institution in five different directions. Designated pick-up spots have been drawn up and students are brought to these spots by their parents, where they are picked up and dropped back after school. “We spend over Rs 13 lakh for the van facility annually. Yet, we don’t want to make this a residential institution. We want the community, parents and society to be responsible for children with special abilities,” she opined.
The institution started off with just six students with special abilities. During the initial period, the institution involved itself in Community Based Rehabilitation (CBR) and travelled the length and breadth of Virajpet taluk. “We went door to door, looking for children with special abilities and convinced parents not to keep these children hidden but to admit them to the institution. It was then run in a small building in Pollibetta,” she recalled.
vice-chairperson Punita amaswamy and honorary secretrary Asha Subbaiah
The CBR programme was continued for eight years, and the institution currently operates in a spacious location with improved facilities, with 68 specially-abled students who are diagnosed with intellectual disabilities.
“After Covid-19, the number of students dwindled as many fell sick. But we continued to cater to their needs and are still providing them the required medication,” she said. The institution helps them avail of government schemes for the specially-abled. During the pandemic, the institution supported their families with provisions and monetary help.
Driving force The centre has six special educators. Shivraj, a specialist in visual impairment and mental retardation, heads the team as headmaster. Apart from the special educators, the centre has appointed vocational trainers. “The students are being skilled under different campaigns. While an inclusive society is still a distant dream, we are helping to skill them to earn a living within the boundaries of our institution,” she explained.
Single-use plastics, used papers and newspapers, used clothes and other recyclable plastic waste are turned into value-added products. Children with even severe impairment are involved in vocational activity which can help shape a sustainable, eco-friendly society. Used plastics are cut into pieces and woven (with help from a few women) into aesthetic mats. Used papers are cut into small pieces and processed into eco-friendly reusable paper, which is turned into paper bags and other items, and decorated with indigenous paintings.
From coasters to pillow covers, the talents of the specially-abled not just earn them a good living but help raise funds for the institution. The centre also has a ‘Jumble Sale Room’ where used clothes and other used items are stored and later sold. “We try unique methods to raise funds and build the institution,” explained Gita. The centre has a handloom unit operated by women from economically weak backgrounds, who are paid for their work. They also raise funds through handloom sales.Having addressed the needs of specially-abled people across Virajpet taluk, the institution is slowly expanding to the borders of Somwarpet taluk.
SPECIAL TOUCH
Institution equipped to support needs of specially-abled, has ‘tactile paving’ that helps guide the visually impaired
Toilets fabricated to meet the needs of specially-abled
Institution has full-time physiotherapist and psychiatrist
Helps recycle and upcycle plastic and paper waste, provides means of sustainable earnings to
the specially-abled
Centre has a ‘care unit’ where people with severe intellectual disabilities are cared for and nurtured
Projects of Central government are implemented to empower the specially-abled
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Good News / by Prajna GR, Express News Service / December 04th, 2022
These microbial mats in a Lake Huron sinkhole have finger-like protrusions caused by a buildup of methane gas in small pockets beneath them. Image: Thunder Bay Marine Sanctuary
By Daniel Schoenherr
Special microbial mat systems in Alpena, Michigan, are helping scientists search for extraterrestrial life.
“It’s so different, and feels otherworldly,” said Stephanie Gandulla, a diver with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Thunder Bay Marine Sanctuary. She has sampled the mats near the sinkholes on the lake’s bottom.
You may have seen a microbial mat before — the green algae on wet rocks at the beach is an example.
Algae’s green color comes from chlorophyll — a substance that uses sunlight to turn carbon dioxide into energy. Carbon dioxide and oxygen support most of life on Earth.
But under special conditions, like those at three sinkholes just 2½ miles east of Alpena, primitive forms of microbes called cyanobacteria can survive without either of them.
These are white, not green, and they get energy from chemicals in the water.
“They are everywhere, but they are incredibly hard to find,” said Bopaiah Biddanda, a biologist with Grand Valley State University’s Annis Water Research Institute, who has been studying them for 20 years.
Such mats are normally found in ocean waters over 32,000 feet deep, but they can be found only 80 feet below the surface of what is known as Lake Huron’s Middle Island Sinkhole.
The sinkhole’s biologically extreme environment can help simulate sample collection in extraterrestrial worlds where life is based on similar chemicals. A new study by Biddanda models scenarios where robots could analyze material beneath the water of other planets. It’s based on the work in Lake Huron.
The study focuses on two methods: suction devices for soft mats and coring devices for hard mats.
Click on the photo below to watch a video about these mats:
The sinkholes near Alpena provide sulfuric, oxygenless groundwater that creates the conditions needed for the mats to grow. Filaments of cyanobacteria drift together, creating a wispy white-purple flow.
“It almost looks like a mirage,” Gandulla said.
It could be a long time before the experience from sinkholes in Lake Huron will be used to explore the potential of life on planets elsewhere, but Biddanda’s exploration is yielding other finds now.
Recently, for example, his team found an explanation for the mats’ mysterious ability to change colors overnight.
The purple and white cyanobacteria travel upwards to capture energy from the top of the mat, according to the study. During the day, microbes with color capture the small amount of sunlight reaching the seafloor with chlorophyll.
As the sun sets, the white microbes move to the surface of the mat to absorb chemicals in the sulfuric water for their energy. This continuous, vertical shift in microbes causes patches of the mat to change between purple and white in a daily cycle.
The microbial mats thrive off a special soup of chemicals in the groundwater, but changes in land use could disrupt it in the future.
The Thunder Bay sanctuary is constantly combating such threats to coastal ecosystems such as the one near Alpena.
“Development might choke off the water supply,” Biddanda said.
The marine sanctuary offers educational programs and tours to K-12 students and operates a welcome center year-round.
“We work together to protect it as a community,” Gandulla said.
Scientists hope to sample the oceans of Europa, a moon of Jupiter, for microbes with robots pioneered in Lake Huron. Image: NASA
The characteristics of Middle Island Sinkhole’s cyanobacteria could hold the key to much more than planetary exploration. They could lead to advances in other scientific fields, such as evolutionary biology and medicine.
“We have a library of pharmaceutical value here,” Biddanda said “This could help us down the road.”
And, he noted that they look cool: “There is something fascinating and mesmerizing about these colorful mats.”
Codava National Council (CNC), which is aspiring for Codavaland Geo-Political Autonomy and ST tag for Kodava tribalism, celebrated its 26th AnnualCodava (Kodava) New Year Day Edmyar-1 as per Kodava tribal almanac by ritualistic ploughing of paddy fields.
CNC President N. U. Nachappa offered prayers to Guru-Karonas at Koopadira clan and reverential prayers to Mother Earth, Sun, Moon before two bullocks named Karianna – Kulla, ploughed a few rounds in the wetlands of Koopadira clan.
To herald the unbreakable bondage of Kodava tribal world with mother soil to entire universe, CNC is determined to showcase and display the age-old folkloric cultural traits and genus of Kodava tribal ancestry. In other words, all these ancient festivities enriched the civilisation of Kodava martial tribe.
CNC also prayed for the well-being of all the people of this world that is reeling under the pandemic COVID-19. Koopadira Sabu, Koopadira Mohan Muthanna, Lt. Col. Parvathi, Kompulira Myna Purandara and Koopadira Pranam participated in the celebrations.
Due to Corona pandemic, CNC’s Annual Edmyar-1 evening’s torchlight (pombolak) procession at Gonikoppal, is not being celebrated today. Speaking on the occasion, Nachappa said, “All Codava folkloric festivities and rituals mirror the agro-pastoral commitment, hunting skills and warrior hood of Codava tribal folk from time immemorial which depicts that we are above the tenets of caste and religion who are living in the rustic hills, mountainous terrain in the midst of rivers and rivulets.”
“We are happy that the Founding Father of the Constitution of India, Dr. B. R. Ambedkar’s birthday coincides with Codava New Year. We are ever grateful to Dr. Ambedkar for his yeomen contribution of accommodating space for expressing grievances of micro-minority tribes like Codava tribe,” he observed.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Covid-19> News / April 14th, 2020
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