Category Archives: Arts, Culture & Entertainment

Dubare ‘AANE UTSAVA’ celebrating Elephants

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Nature

Kushalnagar :

The majestic march of the elephants, spraying of water on anxious tourists, movements in tandem, trumpeting to the command of mahouts to the delight of spectators, playing football, etc. were the major attractions at ‘Aane Utsava’ (Elephant Festival) at the Dubare Elephant Camp on the banks of the River Cauvery near Kushalnagar in Kodagu yesterday.

The festival was organised by Madikeri Wildlife Division in association with Dubare Ammale Grama Aranya Samithi.

A total of 25 elephants participated in various games such as running race, football, basketball, sugarcane eating competition, obeying the commands of mahouts, spraying water on tourists, etc.

Elephants Vikram, Gopi, Cauvery, Harsha and Prashanth, which had participated in Dasara festivities at Mysuru, were decorated with ornaments. Gopi held the Kannada flag high to greet everyone and led the elephants in a march past, which received huge applause from the cheering crowd.

Older elephants were joined by calves in the performance. Elephant calves namely Agasthya, Mythili and Pruthvi also enthralled the crowd with their mischievous performance.

Elephants Gopi, Ranjan, Kapila, Gange and Aiyappa sprayed water to the delight of kids while Aiyappa, Karthik, Parashuram and other elephants walked like newly-weds by holding each other’s trunks.

Tourists and visitors, who had thronged the venue to witness the festival, were seen standing next to the elephants and getting themselves photographed besides taking selfies with them.

Former Minister M.C. Nanaiah, Karnataka State Forest Industries Corporation Chairman T. Eshwar, Madikeri Division DFO Yedukondalu, ACF Poornima, Kushalnagar Zone Forest Officer M.S. Chinnappa and Dubare Elephant Camp Asst. Forest Officer Ranjan were present.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> General News / Monday – November 16th, 2015

Experience bliss, serenity

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Nature

HonnamannaLakeKF11nov2015

Pure divine bliss is what you feel when you sit on the banks of Honnammana Kere, a holy lake, located in Doddamalthe, six km away from Somwarpet town in Kodagu district. The 16-acre lake, surrounded by beautiful mountains, cliffs and coffee plantations, is perhaps the largest lake in Kodagu district. Two hills, Gavi Betta and Mori Betta, lie near the lake.

There is a temple — dedicated to Goddess Honnamma — adjacent to the lake. The Honnamma Devi Temple has a multicoloured shikhara-style gopura with a flag fluttering high on it. The idol in the sanctum is made of black stone and is well adorned with ornaments. The shilashilpa (temple history) stone is set on the ground in front of Honnamma Devi sanctum. The ancient Temple was renovated some years ago, with the financial help of villagers.

On the occasion of Gowri festival, every year, thousands of devotees, especially newly-weds, visit the Temple and offer prayers to Goddess Honnamma. They also offer bagina (puja items along with flowers and bangles placed in a bamboo sieve) to the lake and pray for good rains. There is another temple on the banks of this lake, dedicated to Lord Shiva as Amrutheshwara. There are two more shrines, dedicated to Basaveshwara and Ganapathi, in this complex.

Adjoining the lake is the 300-feet-high Gavi Betta. A short walk and a climb of about 260 cemented steps brings one to this cave. From the top of the hill, one can enjoy the panoramic view of the lake and its scenic surroundings. Some devotees also undertake a short trek up the close by rocky hill, visit another cave and offer prayers to the holy spring that trickles inside the cave.

Another hill, Mori Betta, is a stiff rocky facade on the other side of the lake. It is said that the Pandavas lived in a cave here during their vanavasa (exile). Cool breeze, fresh air, emerald-coloured lake, green canopy and the rocky edifices attract tourists to Honnammana Kere. The local Gram Panchayat has installed benches along the lakeside.

Picnic by the lake
A trip to the lake can be a fun and enjoyable activity for the entire family, but safety comes first. Locals say that the water level in the lake is very deep and one should be very careful. Tourists are advised to stay within the safety limits around the bathing ghat steps. Though there is good road connectivity as the lake is located close to the Somwarpet-Shanivarsanthe Road, there are no food stalls around the lake. One can carry a picnic basket, spread a sheet on the lakeside and enjoy a good sumptuous picnic lunch here. Ensure that you carry back the litter and drop it in the waste-bin placed at a corner.

Ceremonies like wedding, christening, annadana and pujas are regularly held in the Temple premises. Sitting beside the lake, one can enjoy the sight of water being rippled by the light breeze, and listen to nature’s melody and the occasional reverberation of temple bells. Nothing but pure divine bliss.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> Supplements / by Viswas Menon / DHNS – November 10th, 2015

Srimangala Bhagavathi Temple to be renovated

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links / Pre-Independence, Records, All

SrimangalaTempleKF10nov2015

The Srimangala Bhagavathi Temple committee president Mullanda Thimmaiah said that the temple would be renovated.

“The Temple has a history of 300 years. As per the directions of the temple chief priest, the old sanctum sanctorum is being renovated and the idol of the presiding deity Sri Bhagavathi as well as those of Lord Ganapathi and Kethurappa are being worshipped in a small enclosure in front of the temple,” said Thimmaiah.

Explaining further, the president said that a blueprint of the Theertha Mantapa had also been prepared and the ground-breaking ceremony had been conducted for the work.

“Stone foundations have been laid for the new sanctum sanctorum and also the theertha mantapa. Stone pillars have been chiselled for the temple,” he added.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> District / DHNS, Madikeri – November 07th, 2015

I will do south films only if I need a change: Gulshan Devaiah

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg

New Delhi:

Actor Gulshan Devaiah is content with the way his career has shaped up in Bollywood and wants to focus on working in the Hindi film world despite being offered several projects across southern languages.

“Although I watch films in Tamil, Kannada and Telugu and even understand few of these languages, I never had the inclination to become an actor in the south,” Gulshan told IANS at the ongoing 17th Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival.

In Bollywood, he currently has two projects - 'Cabaret' and 'Love Affair'.
In Bollywood, he currently has two projects – ‘Cabaret’ and ‘Love Affair’.

“I’ve been getting offers in the south, especially from Telugu industry. Since 2011, I’ve been getting about four southern projects each year, but it has always been my dream to work in Hindi films,” said the ‘Shaitan’ star, who hails from Bengaluru.

Asked if he’d ever work in the south, he said: “If I ever really look for a change, then I’d probably think of doing some interesting projects.”

At the fest, Gulshan’s 2012 critically acclaimed film ‘Peddlers’ will have its India premiere. It also featured in the Film Market, an initiative to facilitate a much-needed opportunity for filmmakers in India to get their movie made or distributed.

In Bollywood, he currently has two projects – ‘Cabaret’ and ‘Love Affair’.

source: http://www.ibnlive.com / IBNLive – CNN IBN / Home> IBNLive> India / IANS / October 31st, 2015

Worked in ‘Peddlers’ purely out of love: Gulshan Devaiah

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg

Gulshan Devaiah, who worked in Vasan Bala’s critically acclaimed film “Peddlers”, still considers it a labour of love.

“This project is very close to my heart. I don’t think I’ve worked on a film so far in my career purely out of love. If I ask me to choose my best performance from my films so far, I’d pick ‘Peddlers’ without a doubt,” Gulshan Devaiah said.
“This project is very close to my heart. I don’t think I’ve worked on a film so far in my career purely out of love. If I ask me to choose my best performance from my films so far, I’d pick ‘Peddlers’ without a doubt,” Gulshan Devaiah said.

It’s been three years since actor Gulshan Devaiah worked in Vasan Bala’s critically acclaimed film “Peddlers” and he still considers it a labour of love.

“This project is very close to my heart. I don’t think I’ve worked on a film so far in my career purely out of love. If I ask me to choose my best performance from my films so far, I’d pick ‘Peddlers’ without a doubt,” Gulshan told IANS.

Also starring Nimrat Kaur, Nishikant Kamat, Kriti Malhotra and Siddharth Menon, the film is jointly produced by Guneet Monga and Anurag Kashyap.

Despite receiving critical response when it was screened at International Critics’ Week, an independent film event which runs parallel to the Cannes International Film Festival, the movie still awaits theatrical release.

“Guneet has been working on strategy to release the film and it wasn’t possible then. She’s someone who doesn’t release her film just for the heck of it,” said Gulshan, and added the film hasn’t aged.
“This is not one of those glossy commercial films that have to be released within a time period. It’s very realistic and it’s not set in a particular time zone, so audiences will relate to it even if it’s released five years from now,” he said.

It’s a “very special” film for the “Shaitan” star because it gave him an opportunity to be a part of the prestigious Cannes International Film Festival.

“I remember the festival director telling us that they’ve been waiting for such an Indian film for a very long time. It felt so nice and encouraging,” he added.

On working in the film, Gulshan said the experience was “enjoyable”.

“Vasan is a very organic director and having worked with Anurag Kashyap; he knows his craft well and he’s also sort of has taken it to another level with this film,” he said.

“He knows how to pick his actors and extract the best out of them. He didn’t have a screenplay and therefore, handpicked actors who’d help him in creating scenes without writing them. It was a very creative process for all of us,” he revealed.

At the ongoing 17th Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival, “Peddlers” had its India premiere and had won everybody over.

source: http://www.indianexpress.com / The Indian Express / Home> Entertainment> Bollywood / November 03rd, 2015

Free eye testing camp from today

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Science & Technology

Ashwini Hospital will conduct a free eye testing camp till November 10, according to a press release. The camp will be held in various parts of the district on November 4 and 5.

An interaction with the participants will be held on November 6 at 1.30 pm and the inaugurating of the eye testing camp will be done on the occasion.

Schedule

On November 4, the testing will be done at Ponnappasante Primary School, Balele, Kanooru, Kutta, Srimangala, Hudikeri hospital, Ponnampet Sri Ramakrishna Sevashrama Hospital, Chettalli, Siddapur, Ammatti, Palibetta, Gonikoppa, Virajpet hospital, Titimati Primary school, Virajpet R I, H P Hospital, Bailukoppa Primary school, Bettadapura hospital, Chikkanerale, Halahanahalli, Kanagal, Attigoodu, Ravandoor, Sangara Chettalli, Hadya, Kittoor, Kellur hospitals, Chapparahalli Primary School, Kelaganahalli, N Shettalli anganwadi centres, Makodu Ayurveda hospitals, Koppa PHC, Maradooru gate, Tammadahalli and Avarti Primary School.

On November 5, the camps will be held at Madapur, Somvarpet, Shantalli, Alooru Siddapura, Shanivarasanthe, Kodlipet hospital, Bettageri Primary School, Napoklu, Bhagamandala, Cherambane Sampaje hospital, Made Co-op society, Koinadu Sri Ganapathy Kalamandira, Shirangala, Hebbale, Koodige, Suntikoppa, Moornadu hospital, Kushalnagar hospital and Rotary Hall, Basavanahalli Lamp Society and Haakattoor Charaka Chikitsalaya.

On November 6, the eye testing and surgery will be done between 9 am and 2 pm.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> District / Madikeri – DHNS, November 04th, 2015

A Platter Full of Coorg

Arts, Culture & Entertainment

Coorg or Kodagu, which is tucked up high in the Western Ghats, has been a tourist attraction for long. Perhaps a lesser-known facet of this land of pungent greenery and winding roads is its exquisite cuisine, which, despite its patronage among the connoisseurs of food, have largely flown under the popular radar.

What stands out when it comes to Coorgi cuisine is their unabashed embrace of non-vegetarian food, which they serve for their weddings and other festivities. The cooking ingredients are all home-grown and limited by provincial availability. Maybe this explains why the cuisine does not enjoy a widespread popularity.

Kochiites can get a taste of the delectable cuisine this coming week at the Coorgi food festival hosted by Casino Hotel’s Tharavadu Restaurant.

The hotel staff say the festival was long overdue as the customers have long been demanding Coorgi varieties on the restaurant’s menu. “All the dishes are made with authentic Coorgi ingredients, which are sourced from Thankamma Monappa of Berries and Leaves in Coorg. They send us the ingredients as dried powder so that it does not get spoiled,” says Dinuj Viswanathan, the restaurant manager. “The Coorgi cuisine shares a lot with the Kerala style, especially in their generous use of coconut in many of their dishes. But they do not use coconut oil to cook, which is a major departure. We have made changes to the way the dishes are prepared to cater to local taste buds,” say executive chef Asif Ali.

ChefAsifAliKF25oct2015

A major highlight is the Pandi Curry (pork curry), which is made by using sliced pork pieces and is cooked in its fat. “The preparation uses kachampuli (a dark vinegar and a mainstay of many Coorgi dishes) and pepper paste,” says assistant chef Mehboob. Another major attraction is Kaime Unde Barthada, which is poached and fried meatballs (mutton).

CoorgiCrabKF25oct2015

The other dishes include the Coorgi Spicy Fried Pork (Pandi Barthad), Puthari Curry (Stewed Kidney Beans with bitter gourd and salted fish), Spicy Coorg Crab Curry, Coorg Chicken Fry, Kaad Mange Curry (made using ‘kartha masala’, the typical dark, dry roasted spice mix of Coorg cuisine) and desserts like Karjikais (puffs with a vanilla flavoured coconut filling). Also featured are some favorites like Kadamputtu (round, steamed rice puttus, faintly glossy on the outside, firm and moist in texture), Paputtu (creamy cardamom-scented rice cakes) and the ever-so-famous Bella Kappi (traditional Coorg coffee sweetened with jaggery).

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Thiruvananthapuram / by Saumesh Thimbath / October 24th, 2015

The Tamara Carnival – music, dance and culture this Christmas

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy

The Tamara Hotel in Coorg, has launched a new product for this festive season, The Tamara Carnival, a fusion of food, music, dance and drama events taking place from 21st December 2015 through to 4th January 2016.

This event promises to be a one-of-a-kind global festival to showcase India’s great social and cultural heritage through music and dance. Not only will Indian culture be showcased, Western music and entertainment will also be catered for through a Blues Band and even a stand up comedian.

This is intended to be the first Tamara Carnival and a signature event of The Tamara prior to taking the carnival forward as a brand to be held accross its other properties in the future.

Speaking on The Tamara Carnival, Mr. Senthil Kumar N, Director and CEO of The Tamara said “The Tamara Carnival is a signature offering of The Tamara and is aimed at elevating and enriching guest experience. The festival has a signature activity daily so that not one day during the festival is the same. Whilst staying at The Tamara Coorg, every guest can enjoy live performances from artists across the country in addition to the treks, coffee plantation visits yoga sessions, and spa treatments already avilable at The Tamara Hotel.” Mr.Kumar added, “The idea is to create this festival franchise, grow it organically and collaborate with the best international and domestic partners to create a niche in enriching guest experience.”

www.thetamaracarnival.com

source: http://www.sourcewire.com / SourceWire, News Distritbution / Wednesday – October 21st, 2015

The Timeless Allure of Kodagu

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Business & Economy, Nature
Dubare Reserve Forest is a great place to ride on elephants | Manjusha Naik
Dubare Reserve Forest is a great place to ride on elephants | Manjusha Naik

Kodagu, also known as Coorg or Kodava Nadu, is undoubtedly one of the best places I’ve visited. It is Karnataka’s well-known tourist attraction and known for it’s coffee plantations, oranges and various spices. Kodavas are the most dominant community at Kodagu.

Kodava cuisine is famous for its bamboo shoot curry, rice rotti and Kadumbuttu-rice dumplings, usually consumed with Pandi (pork) curry. It is also known for its homemade wines made of grapes, sugarcane, beetel nuts, orange, chikoo and gooseberry. These wines are made out of carefully handpicked fruits and are available at the local stores. Homemade chocolates are quite famous too. Honey and Kachampuli (vinegar) are the favourites of the locals.

Buddhist shrine at Bylakuppe
Buddhist shrine at Bylakuppe

I loved visiting the Dubare Reserve Forest and Elephant Camp and running into over 150 elephants. The Buddhist temple and monasteries at Bylakuppe was another delight. I loved photographing the cheerful monks, the multi-coloured Tibetan flags strung across the sky and the detailed murals.

The serenity here evokes within a sense of stirring spirituality and the feeling of being above it all continues when you visit Abbi or Abbey falls, located amid the lush coffee plantations. This place is best visited during monsoon. As I walked across the bridge near the falls for a better view of the scenic beauty, I was mesmerised.

Raja’s seat, located in Madikeri, is known for it’s beautiful view of the valleys that are covered by mists early in the morning. Sunsets here are worth watching too.

I clicked a lot of pictures too at the Nagarhole National Park with the beautiful Kabini lake. There was much to photograph here, including tigers, leopards, wild boar and deer. For a better visual access to the national park, visit it in the summer as during monsoon this place is overgrown by lush forests.

Talacauvery, located in the Brahmagiri hills, is a sacred place where River Kaveri originates. It attracts tourists from all over the world. During the Kaveri Sankramana festival, there are hundreds of people here, trying to collect holy water.

I also visited the Kandi Makki Devastana at the Arji village, Virajpet, in the month of March. A special pooja was held here for about three-and-a-half days for the deities Murthillu, Muthappan, Puakka, Korathi, Potathere and so on. It has been about eight months now since my visit and I am still overwhelmed by the way I felt when I stepped into this sacred place.

Kodagu has a pleasant weather throughout the year. Between June and August, there is heavy rainfall. There are plenty of homestays and resorts. The most recommended ones are The Orange County in Virajpet, Tamara in Yavakapdi village and Amanvana and Honey Pot in Madikeri.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Bengaluru / by Manjusha Naik / October 22nd, 2015