While liquor shops across the country are having to relocate in wake of the implementation of the Supreme Court order banning sale of liquor within 500 metres of national and state highways, a village in Kodagu on the Bengaluru -Mangaluru highway has decided not to allow relocation or reopening of vends.
A decision against reopening and relocation of liquor vends was taken unanimously at a recent gram sabha meeting in Sampaje village bordering Kodagu and Dakshina Kannada districts.
The village panchayat president, Balachandra Kalagi, raised the issue during the gram panchayat meeting and presented a written plea by villagers requesting the panchayat not to give `no objection certificate’ for shifting and reopening of closed bars and vends in Sampaje.
More than 25 letters signed by various organizations in cluding Dharmasthala Gramabrivrdhi Sangha, Shradha centres and self-help groups have been submitted to the panchayat administration urging it to stop liquor sale in Sampaje, to which Kalagi and other office bearers -BR Sundara, Kumara Chidkaru, BA Ganapathi, Tirumala, SN Pushpavathi -have agreed to.
The villagers have warned of an agitation if liquor shops are reopened.
“The panchayat has decided to reject applications seeking NOC for relocation or reopening of liquor shops,” said Kalagi.
He told TOI that the Sam paje village panchayat was among the four panchayats from Karnataka and 30,000 panchayats across the country to have received an award for its developmental efforts. The panchayat taps water flowing downhill and supplies it through a pipeline to its villages namely Pambechal, Chittegana, Kuntikana, Manyadka, Guddegadde, Arekalla and Kalyala.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News> City News> Bangalore News> Civic Issues / TNN / July 06th, 2017
The wedding engagement of Rakshit Shetty and Rashmika Mandanna took place in Madikeri. The couple first on the sets of Kirik Party, which became a super hit at the box office last year. Rashmika is more than 10 years younger to Rakshit, who is in his 30s.
Rakshit Shetty and Rashmika Mandanna got engaged
Days after officially announcing their relationship, the new Sandalwood couple, Rakshit Shetty and Rashmika Mandanna got engaged in a grand ceremony on Monday at Virajpet in Madikeri, Karnataka. The couple took their relationship to next level by exchanging rings in front of more than 1,500 guests, including celebrities. The ceremony took place at Serenity Marriage Hall, which is owned by Rashmika’s father M Madan Mandanna.
The wedding engagement of Rakshit and Rashmika happened in both Coastal and Kodava traditions and the guests were treated to Kodava and North Indian delicacies at the function. Even North Indian and Chinese items were on the menu, said reports.
Rakshit and Rashmika met on the sets of Kirik Party, which became a super hit at the box office last year. While Rakshit had already made a mark in Kannada cinema at the time, the film marked Rashmika’s acting debut.
Well, Rashmika revealed that it was not loved at first sight for her. She fell for Rakshit after becoming friends with him first. Rashmika is more than 10 years younger to Rakshit, who last month celebrated his 34th birthday.
“Let’s do this. So blessed to have Rakshit Shetty in my life and thanks to Madhu,” Rashmika wrote on her Facebook page on her engagement day. “So sweet of you Rashmika Mandanna. In fact, I am the lucky one to have you in my life,” Rakshit tweeted.
Last month, the couple announced that they have been dating each other and will soon get married. “After my relationship with Rashmika started making headlines in the media, I decided to talk to her parents. So the media paved the way to take our relationship to the next level,” Rakshit told in a lighter vein while talking to a local news channel.
Days after officially announcing their relationship, the new Sandalwood couple, Rakshit Shetty and Rashmika Mandanna got engaged in a grand ceremony on Monday at Virajpet in Madikeri, Karnataka. The couple took their relationship to next level by exchanging rings in front of more than 1,500 guests, including celebrities. The ceremony took place at Serenity Marriage Hall, which is owned by Rashmika’s father M Madan Mandanna.
The wedding engagement of Rakshit and Rashmika happened in both Coastal and Kodava traditions and the guests were treated to Kodava and North Indian delicacies at the function. Even North Indian and Chinese items were on the menu, said reports.
Rakshit and Rashmika met on the sets of Kirik Party, which became a super hit at the box office last year. While Rakshit had already made a mark in Kannada cinema at the time, the film marked Rashmika’s acting debut.
Well, Rashmika revealed that it was not loved at first sight for her. She fell for Rakshit after becoming friends with him first. Rashmika is more than 10 years younger to Rakshit, who last month celebrated his 34th birthday.
“Let’s do this. So blessed to have Rakshit Shetty in my life and thanks to Madhu,” Rashmika wrote on her Facebook page on her engagement day. “So sweet of you Rashmika Mandanna. In fact, I am the lucky one to have you in my life,” Rakshit tweeted.
Last month, the couple announced that they have been dating each other and will soon get married. “After my relationship with Rashmika started making headlines in the media, I decided to talk to her parents. So the media paved the way to take our relationship to the next level,” Rakshit told in a lighter vein while talking to a local news channel.
source: http://www.indianexpress.com / The Indian Express / Home> Entertainment> Regional / by Express Web Desk/ Bengaluru / July 04th, 2017
Kodagu, the birthplace of River Cauvery, takes a new gushing life each monsoon. The district’s every corner comes alive with white streams that flow amidst the forest green. One such angel that falls from 100 feet above is Chelavara Falls in Virajpet taluk.
Located 15 km from Virajpet town, Chelavara Falls is at Chelavara village, which is 5 km from Cheyyandane Main Road. Travelling on this road, one’s ears are enthralled with the gushing uproar of the falls from 2 km away! Hidden, yet heard amidst the luscious green forest, one has to trek down for about 500 metres on a stony path to witness this seraphic monsoon beauty.
The first sight of the falls looks like a thick fog hitting the earth with thundering force. Flowing down atop a tortoise shaped rock, Chelavara Falls starts off its journey from Tadiandamol peak, takes its route as a small stream and reaches Chelavara as an angelic cascade. Coming face to face with the falls, the splashes and sprinkles from this gushing water can get one completely drenched in about a second.
While the monsoons double up the beauty, it also transforms it to a dangerous spot. This angelic falls can turn out to be a beast if the beholder does not heed to the caution boards placed all around, advising people not to enter into the waters. The currents are highduring the monsoons and the place has witnessed many fatal incidents.
Yet, monsoon is the best time to visit the falls that is to be enjoyed from a distance. Travellers can also hike around the area and savour the forest greenery.
source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> Supplements> Spectrum / by Prajna GR / July 04th, 2017
Rakshit Shetty and Rashmika Mandanna’s engagement will be an Indo-Western affair.Photobook: These photos of Rakshit Shetty and Rashmika Mandanna are highest degree of cuteness
Rashmika Mandanna and Rakshit Shetty, the resident It couple of Kannada cinema, will be getting engaged in a few days from now.
And, needless to say, this has created quite a buzz amongst their die-hard fans. During a recent interaction with a leading daily, the lovebirds opened up about their plans for the D-day.
Rakshit said that his entire family will be heading to Coorg a day before their engagement. In Coorg, they will relax and catch up with each other.
“We don’t get to go to Coorg often, so this will be the perfect time to relax and chill with the family. Resorts and hotels have already been booked for everyone, so the revelry will begin on July 2 itself,” he added.
Echoing similar sentiments, his mother added that the Shetty family plans to give Rashmika countless gifts on the day of the engagement.
Similarly, Rashmika’s family too is quite excited about the engagement. In fact, the actress’ parents have already asked a gourmet expert to ensure that the best Coorg and costal specialities are served at the engagement. Moreover, a designer cake has been ordered for the ceremony. Interestingly, a team of six photographers from Coorg will be attending this Indo-Western themed function and capturing the couple’s special moments.
“It is indeed a red letter day of our life and we are determined to leave no stone unturned to preserve those memories,” Rashmika added.
Well, it goes without saying that this a happy time for this couple. We wish them the best for the future.
source: http://www.regional.pinkvilla.com / Pinkvilla.com / Home> Kannada> News / by Roktim Rajpal / June 28th, 2017
“Solitude is imperative in today’s mad world,” notes Alexis Greenwood. That is this 35-year-old’s excuse for packing his fishing rods and running away from Bengaluru on weekends. “My favourite fishing spot is the Cauvery river stretch in Coorg. The quiet wilderness takes you away from the chaos,” he says. Greenwood, who is a learning and development manager at First Advantage, has even made a business of this childhood hobby . With three like-minded partnerfriends, he set up fishing-travel company Nature’s Beat four years ago.
Juggling careers is not new to him. Even as a business management student at the city’s Wigan & Leigh College, he would do a night shift at a mortgage bank.
Fishing is the instrument to unwind when he feels tired of imparting communication skills as a behavioural trainer during the course of the week.
Greenwood takes a mixed bag of three to four software professionals to licensed angling sites at Shivasamudram, Coorg. He even conducts groups for salt-water fishing on the coastline. He teaches them the basics and handling equipment with different types of baits at about Rs 5,000 per head. Most species of fish they catch are released back into the water. The invasive species, however, are given away to the locals.
Ask Greenwood who he learnt the art of angling from, and he gets nostalgic. “I must have been seven-years-old. My mother taught me to fish using a bamboo stick with a hook. We often went on camping trips to the Cauvery river stretch flowing through Galibore (near Mekedatu),” says Greenwood, a Mangaluru-born who was educated in Ooty.
Juggling careers is not new to him. Even as a business management student at the city’s Wigan & Leigh College, he would do a night shift at a mortgage bank. “I didn’t like asking for pocket money from my mother. I loved buying high-tech music gadgets and gear. I decided to fund it myself and took up the job for Rs 10,000 per month,” recalls Greenwood.
He believes that pursuing two careers is important, if only to break the monotony. “My job as a trainer is a means to my end.Fishing is the end to my means. In the age of instant results and click-and-buy online, fishing teaches one to sit and wait. More often, we don’t even get what we want. It teaches me patience,” says Greenwood. Evidently, there is no room for feeling a burnout here.
He has no plans of scaling up his business model, but his five-year-old daughter is apparently hooked to the sport.
source: http://www.economictimes.indiatimes.com / The Economic Times / ET Home> News> Politics and Nation / by Smita Balram, ET Bureau / May 17th, 2017
Though the actress was in talks to star opposite Tollywood’s big stars, things did not work in her favour.
Actress Rashmika Mandanna
Actress Rashmika Mandanna always wanted to be a part of showbiz, but the 21-year-old is surprised with how quickly things worked out for her. After winning a beauty pageant, and then starring in the acclaimed Kannada blockbuster Kirik Party, she is now a name to reckon with.
While she has two big Kannada films in her kitty, she is also working in Naga Shaurya’s next in Telugu. Though the actress was in talks to star opposite Tollywood’s big stars, things did not work in her favour. But the speculative reports have always kept her in the news.
“It’s overwhelming. The dream was always to be busy and now I shoot day and night,” she says adding, “Since I have never acted before, whatever character I take up is different and new for me. I am going with the flow. There’s no pressure. But I’m excited about watching myself on screen; it gives me a high. I entered the industry with apprehensions but things worked out fine.”
Rashmika shares that she’s very fortunate to be debuting with Naga Shaurya’s film. “The team went out of their way to make me feel comfortable. Now that I am not shooting for the film, I actually miss Hyderabad because of the love and affection they showed,” she says, adding that adapting to Telugu was a bit confusing initially due to the similarities with her mother tongue, Kodava takk. Happy times: Rashmika and Rakshit
Meanwhile
Her relationship with Kannada actor Rakshit Shetty has been the talk of the town for a while now. So much that the two decided to take things to the next level! “There wasn’t anything between us really. But there came a point when more than our work, people talked about us. In fact, it was our families who suggested that we take this forward because it was just becoming an unnecessary ordeal. Well, the families are happy and it’s great for us too because now we can go about our work without all the pressure,” she shares.
So, is an engagement on the cards? “Yes,” confirms Rashmika, as she adds, “I respect him immensely. In fact, I occasionally still call him sir and he feels embarrassed! But beyond that, I know I will be safest with him in my life.”
Marriage and relationships are career changers for many. “But not for me! This move was just to end the pressure that the world has put on us. Rakshit is very encouraging and respects my choices. He was even instrumental in my decision to debut in Telugu. He has taught me everything I know about the industry,” she shares.
We loved how our yesteryear heroines like Ambika, Suhasini Maniratnam and Khushbu Sundar still know how to make heads turn.
Wearing elegant saris, they looked a million bucks on the red carpet of the 64th Jio Filmfare Awards South 2017.
Keeping them company and making quite the style statement was the very young and talented Rashmika Mandanna.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News> Entertainment> Kannada> Movies> News / by Sunayna Suresh / TNN / June 19th, 2017
The actor will be seen playing the role of Kuldip’s lawyer Parduman Shahpuri in the film.Gulshan Devaiah in a still from the film.
Mumbai:
Known for his effective portrayal of unconventional roles in several films including ‘Hunterrr,’ ‘Hate Story,’ ‘Shaitaan’ and ‘Goliyon Ki Rasleela: Ram Leela,’ Gulshan Devaiah is set to spring a huge surprise on the audience and his fans with his forthcoming movie, ‘Kuldip Patwal: I Didn’t Do It!’ in which he plays a lawyer.
The actor known for taking the road less traveled will be seen playing the role of Kuldip’s lawyer Parduman Shahpuri in the interestingly titled film. He’s given the case of the alleged assassin – Kuldip Patwal – by the State Government to defend him in court. He goes all out to defend him but playing it fair along the way.
Gulshan’s character of a lawyer has a wealthy Punjabi background owing to inheritance. And because he’s privileged, he thinks he shouldn’t charge his mostly under-privileged clients. He’s self-assured to the point of being arrogant; direct and wears his heart on his sleeve.
He’s a peoples lawyer – he questions the service charge at restaurants; politicians’ motives for coming to power. His upturned moustache is his pride and utters lines like – ‘God couldn’t be everywhere, so He sends me there’ and ‘Mera naam Parduman Shahpuri avayein hi nahin hai’
Remy Kohli, says – ‘Mr Gulshan Devaiah worked quite a bit on the Punjabi character – Parduman Shahpuri – as he hails form Bangalore. His minimalist expressions go really well with the loud lines he has to speak. In fact none of the characters in the film are crude burlesque.’
source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> Entertainment> Bollywood / Deccan Chronicle / June 16th, 2017
The Travancore wolf snake sprawled near the bathroom mirror of the author’s room / Photo by Medha Saxena
Homestays in Coorg offer visitors a glimpse of a unique eco-system. Coorg or Kodagu is part of the Western Ghats that have been declared a world heritage site. It has many plantations that host hundreds of threatened species
It had beautiful dark coffee-brown scales with yellowish stripes and a sinuous slender body stretching no more than two feet.
The languid Tranvancore Wolf snake lay sprawled on the bathroom mirror. It had sneaked in to avoid the gentle night precipitation and was basking in the steam left behind by the hot water running earlier. It was hard to miss once the solar light was flicked on.
Gradually, it coiled back and slithered to a safer, darker corner behind the mirror. I was not sure at the time if it was venomous since it resembles the common Krait and is often targeted for the same reason. Suffice to say that I lay awake for most part of the night, wondering whether my nocturnal guest would like to take a peek at the room as well.
This was my penultimate night at the Rainforest Ecolodge on Mojo Plantation nestled at 1100-m altitude in Kodagu, Karnataka. The monsoon in a rainforest comes with its own delights and surprises. Leeches are a case in point. They crave to attach themselves to any warm body passing by to satisfy their desire for blood. But their presence also indicates a fertile soil and ecosystem. They are both the predator and the prey.
Beautiful butterflies found in plenty during monsoon in the rain forests of the Western Ghats / Photo by Medha Saxena
Then there are the frogs, toads, spiders, wasps, dragon flies, lizards, snakes and birds. Their tribe multiplies and diversifies with every shower of water it seems. And the heavens provide them plenty of those here. But they only proliferate in undisturbed habitats. Each one of the creatures that call the rainforest home have adapted themselves to it over the millennia.
Each adaptation and evolution is a fascinating revelation. Weaver ants are a marvellous example. Thousands of them coordinate with each other to stitch together nests out of leaves much bigger than themselves.
Trees themselves appear like curated art installations climbing vertically and horizontally. They are draped with vines, creepers, fungi, moss, lichen, orchids and a variety of other epiphytes that resemble emeralds and jewels on a bride. They glisten and shine best on bright wet mornings.
Twinkling fireflies circle the trunks during nightfall. The valley was covered with a million of these mating fireflies a month or so earlier in a perfect ‘symphony in light’ as the student-interns Meghna and Lily, working at the plantation recounted.
Being in a rainforest during monsoon is also a musical extravaganza. Its inhabitants are engaged in a synchronised performance at all hours of the day. Louder than revellers in a marriage procession the frogs and cicadas often accompany the sound of rain, streams and wind. The cacophony is coupled with serenity in equal measure. If you listen hard enough everything in the forest sings. But how many of us really listen?
Geography and Bio-Diversity
Kodagu is part of the wide-ranging Western Ghats, older than Himalayas, spanning from Gujarat to Kerala for 1600 kms. It directly intercepts the Indian monsoon winds. One of the eight ‘hottest hotspots’ of biodiversity, it has 325 globally threatened species (flora, fauna, bird, amphibian, reptile and fish) and many that are unique to this area.
The lush green forests also help with carbon sequestration and reduction of global warming / Photo by Medha Saxena
This mosaic of natural beauty was inscribed as a world heritage site in 2012 meant to be protected by the Western Ghats Natural Heritage Management Committee (WGNHMC) and receive international support.
The tag was achieved after much opposition by states that feared that development will be impeded. Critics said that an informed consent was not obtained from the gram sabhas and Forest Rights Act 2006 was not implemented properly during drafting of the proposal for grant of heritage status. It could also violate the historic customary rights of the adivasis.
The forests of Western Ghats, however, aid economy and transportation by keeping the ports and creeks along western coast silt-free. The forests and mangroves also help with carbon sequestration and reduction of global warming.
Other critics say that the declaration has no effect on damaging developmental activities. As recently as June 2, 2017, there were protests in Madikeri over destruction of wildlife habitat, Cauvery river catchment area and forest land for the construction of railways, highways and power lines. As more of the landscape is disturbed there is more human-elephant conflict. Illegal construction, mining and corruption have caused water scarcity during summer months in an area that is generally overfed by rains.
The ensuing struggles repeatedly point us back towards essential questions of what is development. Who is it meant for? Who do the forests belong to? And how are decisions to be taken in the interest of all parties concerned?
Organic Farming
In ancient times the exotic products of the Kodagu region were traded along the Silk Route and on oceanic routes via the Arabian Sea. Cardamom and black pepper were indigenous to this region. Rice was the main crop. Coffee was brought from Yemen to Chikmagalur in India by Baba Budanin in 1670.
Legend has it that the Coorg Rajas may have given land to Moplahs near Nalkanad who introduced coffee seeds to the area. In the mid-1850s many European coffee plantations sprung up followed by private Indian ones. When the British left, they sold their lands to the local population. There are strong remnants of British culture here, like the North Coorg Planters Club dating back to 1883.
A walk through the greens gives an idea of the rich biodiversity of the region / Photo by Medha Saxena
Now a good chunk of the land is covered in coffee, tea, rubber and palm oil plantations. Commercial chemical-based farming and unsustainable agriculture have eroded this landscape. Smaller landholders and farmers still find it difficult to turn a good crop and farmer suicides affect the Western Ghats as well. There has been an attempt to set up farmer-owned companies by Agriculture and Organic Farming Group India. Hundreds of homestays have also come up in Coorg in the past few years to complement agricultural income.
Sujata and Anurag Goel, owners of Mojo Plantation, have successfully experimented with organic farming doing multiple cropping with cardamom, black pepper, coffee and vanilla under the shade of the rainforest. Spice trees, fruits and vegetables are also grown in open areas.
A molecular biologist, Sujata Goel explained that fungi secrete enzymes to release nutrients from decaying wood and dead organisms. Shivani, the manager, described on a tour of the plantation that fungal mycelium act as telecommunication networks for the trees to convey threats. They are also used as biological pest control. Similarly, termites redistribute soil and recycle nitrogen. Even weeds have an important role to play as temporary hideouts for insects.
Plants themselves synthesise compounds (terpenes, tannins, phenolics) to repel insects and convey distress signals to other plants and predators. Chemical pesticides kill the natural defence mechanisms of plants..
The Wise, Old Relic
Meghna and Lily recount a magnolia tree that they variously describe as a ‘tree of life’, ‘tree mother’, ‘earth mother’, ‘magical beautiful wise old relic’ that has twists, turns and huge branches that one can climb and roots that open up into giant cave systems and tunnels underneath – in the middle of a coffee plantation.
It was ‘a metaphor for India’ for them, probably signifying layers of wisdom, age and continuity in a land of general mayhem. Neither trees nor our bodies survive in exclusion to their environment. The commune with nature is complete. If you listen carefully, everything in the forest sings.
The author teaches in Delhi University
source: http://www.nationalheraldindia.com / National Herald / Home / by Medha Saxena / June 10th, 2017
The JD(U) leaders offered baagina to river Cauvery at Triveni Sangama in Bhagamandala on Sunday.
JD(U) state president M P Nadagouda, women’s wing president Manjula Umesh, Kodagu district unit president Sunil Kumar, Mandya district unit president Basave Gowda also offered special prayers at Bhagandeshwara Temple.
Speaking to reporters, Nadagouda said the state government and opposition parties have failed to fulfill the demands of the people. There is a need for alternative forces in the state. In this background, efforts are being made to strengthen JD(U). With the both Centre and state governments mud-slinging against each other with regard to waiver of loans, the farmers are in distress.
Manjula Umesh said that farmers are backbone of the country. Having unable to repay the loans, the farmers are committing suicide.
source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> District / DHNS / Madikeri – June 12th, 2017
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