A new war memorial will be unveiled soon in South Kodagu, in the memory of all the martyrs, and to offer a tribute to the soldiers.
Soldiers are responsible for the protection of the country. They work selflessly for the betterment of the country and ensure that peace and harmony is maintained. Hence, to remember the struggle of martyrs and their sacrifices, a new war memorial has been set up at the main junction of T Shettigeri village, in South Kodagu and will be unveiled on August 28.
he major highlight of this memorial is that it has been set up by the funds donated by the No 33 Ex-Servicemen Association of T Shettigeri. This association consists of 450 retired soldiers. Installing a new war memorial was a dream of the association. This association has also contributed a lot to the society including extension of financial assistance to the needy and also providing aid during the time of natural disasters.
This war memorial is made up of marbles that cost around Rs 5 lac and the cost of construction is largely donated by the wife of K Bopaiah, a former havaldar, said president of Association, K A Vishwanath.
source: http://www.daijiworld.com / Daijiworld.com / Home> Karnataka / by Daijiworld Media Network – Madikeri (SJM) / August 25th, 2023
The Rainforest Challenge India is among the top five toughest motor spots in the world and the rally was held from July 22 to July 29.
Chethan Chengappa teamed up as a co-driver with rallyist Anand V Manjooran and finished second overall. (Photo|Special arrangement)
Madikeri :
A spirited rallyist from Kodagu has finished second overall in the Rainforest Challenge (RFC) India rally held at South Goa recently. Chethan Chengappa, who joined in as a co-driver alongside a Kerala rallyist, came second overall despite complexities.
The Rainforest Challenge India is among the top five toughest motor spots in the world and the rally was held from July 22 to July 29. The RFC recorded 21 participants from across the country.
Chethan Chengappa teamed up as a co-driver with rallyist Anand V Manjooran and finished second overall and second in category, despite the various breakdowns of the vehicle they were driving. The duo were supported by JK Tyres Motor Sports and Vamcy Merla Sports Foundation (VMSF).
The highlight of their win was when Chetan took over the wheels and drove in reverse gear for nearly 3.5 km.
“The RFC has 26 stages and the terrain is really tough. In the twilight zone, the main gearbox of our jeep broke down. At this time, I took over the wheel and drove 3.5 km in reverse gear to finish the stage,” recalled Chethan.
He added that the rally was extremely tough due to incessant rainfall in Goa this year. “In one of the stages where we had to cross a river, our jeep got stuck. I took over the wheels and we finished second overall,” he explained. Chethan has been an active rallyist and he has participated in the RFC India six times. He has won five times in the rally – thrice as overall champion and finished second overall two times.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Karnataka / by Express News Service / July 31st, 2023
KC Ganapathy will pair up with Varun Thakkar to represent India in the men’s 49er event at Tokyo 2020.
Indian sailing star KC Ganapathy not only made his country proud but also put his community — Kodava — on the sailing map of the world by making a cut in the 49er event (with crew member Varun Thakkar) for Tokyo 2020 at the Mussanah Open Championship earlier this year.
For the uninitiated, the Kodavas are a tribe from the Kodagu region of Karnataka in India, who speak the Kodava language. And the 26-year-old will be the first from his community to represent India at the Olympics.
His journey to the pinnacle of the sporting event has been challenging as after losing his father, Deepak Chengappa, it was his mother Reshma Chengappa, who ran the furniture business for his family in Chennai.
However, his achievement is also fulfilling for his grandmother Padma Prathap, a resident of Kolthodu village near Hatur in South Kodagu, as she has seen Ganapathy overcome all the odds.
“He won the Under-12 National Championship and has come a long way. I pray for his success every moment,” she told the starofmysore.com.
Incidentally, his journey is also inspiring for his Indian sailing contingent teammates, who have seen his never-say-die spirit at close quarters.
It happened so in 2020, that after being reduced to visual training for a major part of 2020 in Chennai, Ganapathy and his crew member Thakkar decided to train in South India in Rameswaram. However, the plan turned out into a disaster, as a bike accident almost reduced his chances of competing any further.
Ganapathy suffered a hairline fracture on the foot along with a soft tissue damage. But he was able to pull off the recovery in no-time, thanks to the doctors and training process he was asked to follow. His teammate Vishnu Sarvanan, a laser radial class sailor, has had a lot of respect for him ever since.
“When I got into sailing for the first time, I kind of looked up to him,” Vishnu told the New Indian Express.
Moreover, Ganapathy also worked on putting up weight to balance his boat (along with his partner), which needs a minimum of 160 kilograms on board. And from quitting school to pursue sailing on a full-time basis, Ganapathy has come a long way in pursuit of making his dreams count
When will KC Ganapathy’s campaign at Tokyo 2020 begin?
Varun Thakkar and KC Ganapathy will begin their campaign at Tokyo 2020 on July 27, Tuesday, in the men’s 49er Race 1.
source: http://www.olympics.com / Olympics.com / by Samrat Chakraborty / July 26th, 2023
Fulfilling a long-pending demand of Kodavas, the Karnataka Cabinet, which met here on Thursday, agreed to mention as ‘Kodava/Kodavaru’ in the Caste Certificate, instead of ‘Kodagaru,’ who are currently listed in the 3a Category.
Announcing this after the Cabinet meeting here yesterday, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H.K. Patil said the State Government has accepted the recommendations made by the Karnataka Backward Classes Commission to use the words ‘Kodava’, ‘Kodavaru’, instead of ‘Kodagaru’ in the list of Backward Classes and issue a notification in this regard.
The Commission, after a thorough study, in 2005 and 2010, had recommended the Government to use ‘Kodava’ and ‘Kodavaru’ in Kannada and ‘Codava’, ‘Codavaru’ in English, instead of ‘Kodagaru’ in the 3a Category list.
The Karnataka High Court, on Dec.16, 2021, had directed the Government to use the name ‘Kodava’, Kodavaru’ as suggested by the Backward Classes Commission. Justice Krishna S. Dixit had passed the order while allowing a petition filed by Codava National Council (CNC).
The Court then had also cautioned the Government of imposing a heavy cost in the next level of legal battle if it does not comply with the order within an outer limit of three months.
CNC’s effort pays off
The Cabinet decision on Thursday is a victory of sorts for CNC and its President N.U. Nachappa, who had fought over the issue for over a decade.
With the change of Government in the State, Nachappa and other CNC members had met Chief Minister Siddharamaiah recently under the leadership of Virajpet MLA and Advocate A.S. Ponnanna and reiterated the demand for mentioning ‘Kodavaru’ in the Caste Certificate. Nachappa had argued that in the past, it was mentioned as ‘Kodagaru’ in the Caste Certificate, which had an impact on the cultural and social values of the Kodavas.
He further maintained that the CNC had appealed to the Karnataka Backward Classes Commission Secretary to bring in changes in the Caste Certificate issued under Category 3a.
Now, CM Siddharamaiah, responding to the plea, brought the issue before the Cabinet yesterday, which approved using the term ‘Kodava’, ‘Kodavaru’ in the Caste Certificate instead of ‘Kodagaru.’
The Cabinet decision has also called the bluff of former BJP MLAs of Kodagu, who had turned away from their responsibility regarding the issue for years. When confronted over the issue, the former MLAs in the past had constantly argued that the matter does not come under the purview of the State Government and it is the Centre which has to do it.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News> Top Stories / July 28th, 2023
Helps Forest Officers effectively plan operationsand drive pachyderms back into jungle.
Amid the rise in the human-elephant conflict in some forested pockets of Kodagu along the Nagarahole Tiger Reserve, the Forest Department has deployed a hi-tech thermal drone to keep track of daytime and nocturnal movements of wild elephants inside forest ranges and human habitats.
The drone technology was first used in Nagarahole to control forest fires and now, there are three such drones there. However, a need was felt to acquire a thermal drone due to the increasing human-elephant conflict.
Sources said while managing the human-elephant conflict, the safety of elephants and also humans has been a major concern for the Forest Department and the wildlife activists as deaths of animals are being frequently reported from various parts of the district as they come into contact with live electricity wires.
Due to the need, one thermal drone was brought to Nagarahole in January this year at a cost of Rs. 25 lakh. Monitoring the movement of the elephants has always been a challenge for the Department amid several limitations.
“Now we have been using a thermal drone and it detects live objects through their body temperature and those get flashed on the computer screen. It gives us a proper count of a herd and the number of calves,” Nagarahole Tiger Reserve Director Harshakumar Chikkanaragund told Star of Mysore.
The drone can also be used to drive the elephant herd away from a potential danger area as its location can be pinpointed. The drones are not only helping the staff determine the herd composition and drive them in a desirable direction but also prevent casualties.
Heat signatures of living species
Unlike drones with normal cameras that rely on light signals to capture images, thermal drone cameras pick up heat signatures of living species in motion. This makes thermal drones ideal for deployment after sunset, complementing the use of normal drones during daylight hours.
“By accurately detecting herd movements, determining their composition and tracking elephant directions, objective decisions can be made for deploying elephant squads. Thermal drone cameras have become an invaluable asset for night-time operations. They enhance situational awareness, ensuring efficient management of wild elephant movements and mitigating potential conflicts,” Harshakumar added.
According to Deputy Range Forest Officer (DRFO) Yogeshwari Desai, who has been trained to use the thermal drone, the machine has a 2-km range and can fly 400 metres above the surface. It has a powerful thermal sensor and night vision ‘positive image’ technology cameras. It is convenient to use and the exact location can be ascertained. If one has to do physical combing even for a 2-km range, a lot of manpower and equipment is needed,” she explained.
Easy navigation inside woods
The camera on the drone operates based on the location information obtained via GPS, enabling easy navigation of the elephants’ whereabouts. Additionally, the drones produce minimal noise, allowing the staff to monitor animals such as elephants, tigers and other wildlife without causing any disturbance
During the night, the thermal drones conduct operations using radar, ensuring that local residents are not inconvenienced. Once the specific location of the elephants is identified, the information is sent to the Task Force and the teams proceed to drive the elephants back into the forest.
It also becomes easy to spot the origin of forest fire and extinguishers can be rushed to the place, she said. The drone has a backup of 40 minutes and after that, the battery must be charged. The drone has three batteries.
The team that has been trained to operate thermal drone at Nagarahole.
Trained team
Before the drone was deployed, a New Delhi-based team trained eight operators at Nagarahole. They are DRFO Jyothi Kumar and Forest Guard Sunil Nellebidu (Antharasanthe), DRFO B.B. Mahesh Kumar (D.B. Kuppe), DRFO Chethan Kumar Kolur (Nagarahole), DRFO Yogeshwari Desai (Anechowkur), DRFOs K.K. Arpitha and H.N. Madhuprasad (Hunsur) and Forest Guard Basavaraju (Veeranahosahalli).
The operators were trained for six days at Dammanakatte, Veeranahosahalli and Moorkal ranges that abut human habitats. The Nagarahole Director further said that they will seek aid from wildlife-related organisations, NGOs and firms to sponsor more such thermal drones for effective management of conflict zones.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Feature Articles, Top Stories /July 18th, 2023
Among the multiple famed tourist attractions in the hill station of Kodagu — a captivating destination for travellers from far and wide throughout the year — is a new must-visit place, a brand-new glass skywalk bridge.
It is made of tempered glass panels or flooring that provide visitors with a thrilling experience of walking above ground level, often offering panoramic views of the surrounding landscape
The glass skywalk bridge in the district is the second such attraction in South India, the first one being at Wayanad in Kerala at 900 Kandi Eco Park. This remarkable Glass Skywalk Bridge of Kodagu is nestled amidst the forests and hills of the Western Ghats, attracting tourists like a magnet.
The bridge, standing approximately 78 feet tall, with a length of about 32 metres and a width of 2 metres, has been attracting tourists to the ‘Pappy’s Bridge of Coorg’ at Udoth Motte near Madikeri on the Madikeri-Bhagamandala Road. This bridge, with a capacity to support around 5 tonnes, can accommodate up to 40 to 50 individuals at once, providing them with an opportunity to immerse themselves in the beauty of nature.
Through its stunning natural beauty, the tourism sector in Kodagu has successfully garnered global attention and the newly added glass skywalk bridge further enhances this tourism initiative.
Situated amidst the lush green hills, the bridge offers a breathtaking view. Standing and gazing from the bridge not only evokes a sense of fear but also provides an exhilarating experience. The surrounding hills seem to reach out and beckon, their peaks adorned with greenery.
Looking down from the top feels as if the sky is within reach and stepping on the glass, while enjoying the beauty of nature, brings joy to the visitors. While the natural beauty of Kodagu with its umpteen viewpoints has enchanted the tourists, the bridge, amidst the greenery of the hills stands this remarkable creation, skilfully erected by engineers.
Walking on the transparent glass surface, amidst the verdant nature, offers a thrilling experience that takes it to the next level. The facility, allowing tourists to indulge in the beauty of nature, was recently inaugurated by Virajpet MLA A.S. Ponnanna who also walked along the bridge.
He appreciated the significant contribution of the local community to this tourism initiative and noted that the facility holds significance as a unique attraction in the region, surpassing even the famous glass bridge in Wayanad.
He said that the facility will contribute to the Kodagu district’s development as a nature-friendly tourist destination, without causing any harm to the environment. He also mentioned that the implementation of this unique project will lead to an increase in the number of tourists visiting the district.
Fake image
Yet again an image claiming that cracks had developed on the glass bridge went viral and the video generated panic among tourists. Later it was found to be stable and the photo was confirmed to be fake.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Feature Articles, Top Stories / July 17th, 2023
Vidwath Kaverappa entered the Karnataka pace bowling landscape in a rather tough period after the departure of stalwarts such as R Vinay Kumar, Abhimanyu Mithun and S Arvind.
It might have been tough for a 24-year-old to learn the tricks of the trade almost on his own.
But now, Vidwath has established himself as his the state team’s spearhead and a potential candidate to fill an India spot. In the previous Ranji Trophy season (2022-23) Vidwath bagged 30 wickets, and he has already picked up 14 wickets from three innings in the on-going Duleep Trophy.
The numbers give the picture of a young man who is a quick learner and a keen observer. Vidwath emphasised those aspects as his strong points.
The Karnataka right-arm pacer said he has been absorbing lessons from watching the footage of South African legend Dale Steyn and veteran India bowler Mohammed Shami.
“Since I don’t have the express pace, like Prasidh (Krishna) or Vysakh (Vijayakumar), I need to seek other ways to get purchase from the wicket. So, that’s something I’ve watched great bowlers like Dale Steyn or Mohammed Shami do,” he said.
Vidwath said he has been trying to copy the seam position of those two fine bowlers.
“I have seen a lot of moments of their bowling. So, I can see how good the seam presentation is and what the ball does, even in white ball. So, why not do it in the red ball with a prominent seam, and I know I’ll get a lot more help with it,” he said.
Vidwath has shown that trait all along, even from his junior days for Lions Institutions in Gonikoppal, Coorg, and Presidency College in Bengaluru.
Samuel Jayaraj, a KSCA coach who imparted him the first lessons, remembered watching him in Coorg eight years ago during a talent hunt drive by the state association.
Back then he was pleasantly surprised to see the spirited reaction from youngsters to the camp as Coorg is the stronghold of hockey.
“Vidwath had come as an attentive kid. He never gets tired of bowling at nets and wanted to learn as much as he could. He is a natural bowler and athlete.
“Coming from Coorg, he had that natural aptitude for sports. We just have to give him direction once I saw him during that trial. We were convinced that Vidwath would be an asset to the Karnataka team, and if everything goes well, then even at a higher level,” said Jayaraj.
It was not an empty praise as evidenced by future turn of events. In 2022, Vidwath finished as the second highest wicket-taker in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, taking 18 wickets from 8 matches at an impressive economy of 6.36.
The recognition of that effort came when Punjab Kings picked him up for the IPL 2023 from the mini-auction for his base price of Rs 20 lakh.
Though he did not play a game in this edition, Kings bowling coach Charl Langeveldt is convinced of his ward’s potential
“The team combination is such that it is tough for every player to get a chance to be in the 11. In a tournament like IPL, matches come very fast and you really don’t have time to tinker with 11.
“But this kid is talented and bowls at nets with a wonderful seam (position). He, I am sure, will feature in Punjab’s scheme prominently very soon,” Langeveldt told PTI.
Vidwath knew the importance of waiting for his turn patiently after taking those bold initial steps.
“I feel like I’m learning from every game and that is important at this age for me. I knew even if I didn’t get a chance into the big team this transitional period, my time will come.”
“I’ve watched football a lot, so I know how in a great team new players come when old players leave, you need to be patient with them. So, I had to take my time and perform to the best of my abilities,” said Vidwath.
Vidwath indeed did that. He wrecked a power-packed West Zone batting unit with a seven-wicket haul. His victim list included players like Cheteshwar Pujara, Suryakumar Yadav and Prithvi Shaw.
However, Vidwath, typical of him, did not try to wrap the performance in a magic cloak.
“I’ve always been the kind of guy who likes responsibilities, who likes to take up the heavy load and make the big moments for the team,” he said.
Perhaps, he knows bigger moments are on his way.
source: http://www.rediff.com / rediff.com / Home> Cricket / by PTI / July 14th, 2023
Indian Badminton Doubles Players, Ashwini Ponnappa and Tanisha Crasto have achieved their career-best rankings in BWF Rankings. In the recent update by the BWF, the duo successfully climbed up one place to reach 60th rank. This is the highest they have achieved in their entire career.
The pair recently won the Nantes International Challenge title by defeating the prolific duo of Hung En-Tzu and Lin Yu-Pei of Chinese Taipei. The event took place at the Salle Metropolitana de la Trocardaiare, Paris. Ashwini is a Commonwealth gold medallist and a world-class player with many titles under her belt.
Meanwhile, Tanisha has astoundingly proven herself. She paved her way through the domestic circuit and has shown his talent alongside experienced players. Both of them have performed exceptionally well in the recent past and are willing to stick with the winning ways.
Ashwini attained the highest-ever ranking of 10 in women’s double alongside Jwala Gutta in 2015. While Tanisha had the highest rank of 115 with Shruti Mishra. This duo has come a long way to achieve this feat in the BWF Rankings update. They display the depth in the Indian Badminton pool and the nurturing of this depth.
Other Indian Players to Gain in Recent BWF Rankings
Apart from these two, Simran Singhi and Ritika Thaker moved up to 64th rank. Swetaparna Panda and Rutaparna Panda advanced to 66, while the Palak-Unnati pair moved to the 90th position. All of these Ranks were achieved in the Women’s Doubles category.
In the Men’s Single category, Kiran George moved up three places to achieve the 53rd position. While in the Men’s Doubles category, P.S.Ravikrishna and S.Sankar climbed up four places to grab the 70th ranking. The pair of Achutaditya-Venkata Harsha also made meager progress by moving to 80th place in the rankings.
These are some major updates from the BWF Rankings update in July 2023 and the players would be motivated to further progress in the same manner.
source: http://www.sportskeeda.com / SportsKeeda / Home> Badminton / by SportzConnect / edited by Yash Singh / July 05th, 2023
The recent census of elephants in Kodagu forests has indicated that there are 1,103 jumbos in the jungles. The census was taken up for three days last month. The number of elephants has increased in Kodagu though the region is in the middle of human-wildlife conflict.
Conservator of forests (Kodagu circle) BNN Murthy and DCF (Madikeri division) AT Poovaiah said that the census was taken up after a gap of six years. The elephant census, which was conducted in Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu , was conducted in 23 ranges of four divisions in the district namely Madikeri, Virajpet, Madikeri wildlife division, and Nagarahole Tiger Reserve. About 800 personnel were involved in the census.
The elephant census was conducted in three phases. On the first day, the number of elephants was directly recorded through a block count. On the second day, indirect enumeration was done and on the third day, enumeration was done using the lake and dams by observing the number of elephants coming to drink water.
For enumeration operations, the enumerators roamed forest areas on foot and recorded the marks of elephants seen in the forest as per the prescribed document. The number of male, female and baby elephants in a herd of elephants was determined, officials noted.
There were 200 teams of three people each. Arms were provided to each team as a precautionary measure, the officials stated.
The forest officials said that there are a large number of elephants dwelling in the plantations also and if this number is detected, the number of elephants will increase substantially.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> News> City News> Mysuru News / by G. Rajendra / TNN / June 07th, 2023
The All India Tennis Association (AITA) on Tuesday unveiled a 12-member squad for the continental quadrennial games. Doubles specialist Rohan Bopanna will once again represent India in the tennis competition at the Asian Games. On September 23, the Asian Games will get underway in Hangzhou.
The potential singles players for the team are Sasikumar Mukund and Sumit Nagal, who both competed in doubles at the 2018 Asian Games alongside Ramkumar Ramanathan. Bopanna, 43, and Ramkumar are most likely to team up. The other two members of the group, Yuki Bhambri and Saketh Myneni , are already paired on the ATP Tour.
Ankita Raina, who won bronze in singles at the 2018 Asian Games, will serve as the team’s captain. Karman Kaur Thandi, Rututaj Bhosle, Sahaja Yamlapalli, Vaidehi Chaudhari, and Prarthane Thombare are the other active members.
The nucleus of the Indian delegation in both the men’s and women’s divisions is essentially unchanged, with Ramanathan, Nagal, and Bopanna also being part of the Jakarta Games team. Ankita, Karman, Ruturaj, and Prarthana are among the four female players that participated in the Jakarta tournament five years ago. Sahaja and Vaidehi are the two new players.
source: http://www.sportscafe.in / Sports Cafe / Home> Tennis> National> News / by Sports Cafe Desk / June 21st, 2023
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