Unable to bear the grief caused by the untimely demise of her sister, city resident Ansuya Ganapathy (Ansoo) passed away in Dubai airport last night while she was transiting on her way back from the US to Mysore.
This is a case of triple-tragedy as Ansoo’s elder sister Prema Karumbaiah died on Sunday in Kistur village near Balele in South Kodagu. Prema also is said to have died of severe grief caused by the demise of her close relative Alamengada Parvathi Aiyappa in Kanoor village in South Kodagu on Friday.
Ansoo Ganapathy (62) and her husband Theethira K. Ganapathy (Ganesh), a retired professor residing in Jayalakshmipuram, had visited Cleveland, USA, where their sons Dr. Keerthi and Dr. Kiran are settled. Upon hearing the demise of her sister Paruvangada Prema Karumbaiah on Sunday, Ansoo was severely upset and wanted to visit Kodagu immediately to be with the family.
Ansoo and Ganapathy on their way back to Mysore were walking through the transit terminal in Dubai airport at around 9 pm (local Dubai time) when she collapsed and breathed her last. An aghast Ganapathy immediately called his son Dr. Keerthi and told him about the tragic incident.
Dr. Keerthi, a neurosurgeon, called up a few of his Kodava friends in Dubai who with the help of the members of Dubai Kodava Samaja, got the body shifted. Post-mortem was conducted the following day and the body is expected to reach Mysore either tomorrow or the day-after.
Ansoo was an active member of Sree Kaveri Kodagu Mahila Sangha, Jayalakshmi Kodava Association and Mysore Kodava Samaja.
Convenors of Jayalakshmi Kodava Association met at the residence of their President Alamengada P. Vittal this morning and condoled her death.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> General News / August 20th, 2013
Sandalwood movie Auto Raja, which has Ganesh, Bhamaa and Deepika Kamaiah in the lead roles, has completed 50 days at the box office. The film team will celebrate the success of the movie on August 11, at Gnana Jyothi Auditorium of Central College in Bangalore.
Actor Ganesh, who has played the role of an auto rickshaw driver in the movie, stars along with actors Mamath Rawat, Dileep Raj, Dharma, Arun Sagar and Yathiraj in the film. While San Visions has produced the movie, V Harikrishna has composed the film’s music. Director Uday Mehta, who has maintained that the movie is dedicated to late Kannada actor Shankar Nag, has organized for the actors of the film to perform during their celebrations.
Meanwhile, Ganesh will be seen in the upcoming movie Sakkare, which has Deepa Sannidhi in the lead role. The audio of the movie was recently released. The film also has Ananth Nag, Anu Prabhakar and Vinaya Prasad in the lead roles.
source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> Entertainment> Regional> Kannada / by Vinay Lokesh, TNN / August 08th, 2013
Former sprint champion Ashwini Nachappa did the honours in releasing the autobiography of ex-India tennis player Nirupama Sanjeev (nee Vaidyanathan), titled “Moonballer” at a function here Tuesday.
Nirupama said: “In the book launch elsewhere, I had distinguished sportspersons releasing my book, but all were men and I am glad that in Bangalore, it is Ashwini.”
Nirupama, who became National champion at 14 and was the first Indian woman to win a first round tie in a Grand Slam event (Australian Open in 1998), said the book chronicled her struggles, hardships and her quest for excellence in the game.
“I wrote it as a motivational book for all those who face similar situations, though things have changed a lot in Indian tennis,” said the US-based Nirupama.
Turning nostalgic, she said: “It was not an easy journey for me and I took up the game because I wanted to prove my family that I too can be a player, than being a mere ball girl for my brother.
“My coach was my father who was a self-taught player and coach. I made my decision to turn professional and to stay and play in Europe when I was 17. It was not an easy choice either, with no sponsor, and I had to do everything on my own.
“I remember the time when I had to opt out of doubles tie of an ITF tournament in Barcelona because I could not afford to say in a Hotel. Nevertheless, it was a satisfying career and I chose to write after I came out of retirement after a10-year break,” said Nirupama.
Married to Sanjeev, a software pro in the US where she has her ‘Niru Tennis Academy’, Nirupama urged the youngsters not give up on their dreams.
Ashwini, who is also writing her book, echoed Nirupama’s sentiments and said: “Both of us achieved what we could due to parental support.
“Sport is a great leveller in life. It teaches one to handle emotions, success and defeats and many a life lessons could be learnt in a sports arena.”
source: http://www.business-standard.com / Business Standard / Home> News-IANS / Sports / by IANS / Bangalore – August 13th, 2013
Actress Prajwal Poovaiah hailing from the hilly region of Coorg has cut short her name to ‘Prajju Poovaiah’ and that is mainly because of the existence of young actor Prajwal Devaraj.
First seen in ‘Cotton Pete’ Kannada cinema muhurth of director N Omprakash Rao, Prajju was later picked for ‘Bheema Theeradalli’. With an average film for her debut she went to Tamil cinema and come back to Kannada via ‘Kittodh Love Story’. She is now main lead in ‘Patharagitthi’.
Prajwal Poovaiah is ‘dilkush’ for the new offer. The second film centers on the heroine. It is a love story too says Prajwal Poovaiah.
In her comeback to Kannada cinema Prajju wants to get good name first here and then accept other language films.
In ‘Kittod Love Story’ I have good dialogues while in ‘Patharagitthi’ it is romantic and naughty. I have to perform well in both the film to get a strong stay in audience mind says Prajwal Poovaiah. Even before the release of her debut Kannada film she was consulted for a Tamil film. Prajwal made debut in ‘Anagarikalu’ and glamorous looking heroine Prajwal Poovaiah got offer ‘Veteyadu’ Tamil film.
source: http://www.indiaglitz.com / India Glitz / Home> Watch Movies / Monday – July 15th, 2013
Abbi Falls, near Madikeri town is attracting a large number of tourists. / Photo: K. Murali Kumar / The Hindu Monsoon tourism destinations in State in high demand
Copious rain across the State has brought cheer to the tourism industry. The travel and hospitality sector is expecting big business during the two consecutive long weekends this month.
With popular destinations in Kerala such as Munnar and Thekkady taking a beating following the recent heavy rain, monsoon tourism destinations in Karnataka such as Kodagu, Chikmagalur and Shimoga are among those that are in high demand.
The first long weekend begins on Friday with holiday declared for Id-ul-Fitr while the next one coincides with the Independence Day holiday.
“It is now nearly impossible to get a good accommodation in Kodagu or Chikmagalur. They were booked even before the recent heavy rainfall in Kerala,” an official in a leading travel agency said.
As a number of people were travelling in taxis, getting a car had also become difficult, he added.
However, an hotelier in Madikeri said the season would have been better if the condition of roads was good. “Roads connecting Madikeri to Mangalore and Mysore have been damaged following the recent downpour,” he said.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> National> Karnataka / by Staff Reporter / Bangalore – August 09th, 2013
Actress Harshika Poonacha
Actress Harshika Poonacha seems to have her hands full with nine films in her kitty this year. She had two releases in a row, Cycle and Ale and her third film, Managana Kaili Maanikya (MKM) opposite Ramesh Aravind is releasing this week.
“People always want to see more and more of Harshika. She is addictive, you see,” Harshika chuckles.
Having bagged so many films in a year, this young actress, who had maintained a clean image for quite some time, has now become controversy’s favourite child.
She has been in the news for not attending press meets or promoting her films. The actress says, “I am a professional when it comes to work, else I wouldn’t have survived in the industry. People unnecessarily use my fame for their promotions and later come back and apologise. That is the reason I have been silent all this while. I am doing good films and the audience as well as my directors and producers are happy with me. That’s all that matters.”
Though this young actress has been an easy target for a few directors and producers, it has also been observed that her to the point attitude is only damaging her image in the industry. “I have always been very straight forward when it comes to my profession. People who have worked with me know how I am. It’s very important to be true to yourself. The rest will follow,” she says.
In MKM, Harshika has been paired opposite a senior actor, Ramesh Aravind and according to her, she was floored by the actor’s abilities. “It was a great experience working with Ramesh. His style of acting, dialogue delivery, comic timing and on the spot dialogues and expressions blew me away. I have started cracking a few PJs after completing the film. I hadn’t attempted the comedy genre until now. So when this offer came by, I was more than excited as the director had made the script keeping me in mind. It is always special to work with a producer like Sandesh Nagraj Sir. He treats me like his own daughter,” she says.
Up next is B3…I Love You, in which she has taken a bold move and will be seen in a love making scene for the first time. “B3 will elevate me as a mature actress. Lot of interesting things are happening in my life presently. I just thank god and would want to go with the flow,” she says.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Entertainment> Kannada / by A Sharadhaa – ENS / July 23rd, 2013
CEAT has tied up with music and youth entertainment channel MTV to launch ‘CEAT MTV Chase The Monsoon’ – a social reality show featuring a 21 day biking roadtrip where 8 riders, in teams of 2, set out with a limited budget to explore the sights, scenes & life during Indian monsoons.
The show will premier on the web on 24 July and will show the participants sharing their experiences live online through updates, pictures and videos on the website chase.mtvindia.com and on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. The teleivision premier is slated for the last week of August and will be hosted by MTV VJ, Nikhil Chinapa & VJ Bani.
Participants for biking road trip can register as a couple or team of two and submit a video, photographs or blog entry about their adventurous biking experiences. CEAT and MTV will shortlist a total of 12 entries for the final event. Once shortlisted, the teams need to gather votes from friends and families till the 15 of July to get selected for the road trip. The teams finally selected will embark on a journey from Pondicherry to Mumbai over 21 days performing tasks and earning credits/money on the way in the stipulated task checkpoints. The journey will cover cities of Madhurai, Kanyakumari, Kochi, Munnar, Ooty, Mangalore, Hampi, Hubli, Goa and Pune.
Arnab Banerjee, Executive Director, CEAT said, “We at CEAT are constantly seeking to engage with the youth. The show perfectly represents the passions and adventures of riding in the monsoon in India, but also keeping it safe all the while. We hope that the show will capture the attention and imagination of audiences across the country.”
Aditya Swamy, EVP and Business Head, MTV India said, “At MTV we are constantly creating content and engagement around the smaller screens. We have a large digital footprint which reaches over 20 MM people. Its this reach combined with our understanding of young people that gives us the advantage in creating successful web content. In CEAT we have a partner who values the power of content in engaging with consumers, and we hope that this is the beginning of a long partnership.”
source: http://www.business-standard.com / Business Standard / Home> Companies> News / by BS Reporter / Mumbai – July 19th, 2013
It is unconventional and a shift from the regular dosas and idli. South Indian food is much meatier than we ever think. Dakshin at Sheraton Hotel brings a quirky menu from the southern belt at its ‘Taste of Coorg Festival’. IKNOOR KAUR checks it out
When you first think of Coorg food, images of pork curry, fishchutney, tamarind rice and bamboo shoot curry pop up. But visiting Dakshin at Sheraton for the ‘Taste of Coorg Festival’ was a different experience. Contrary to the conventional Coorg preparations, they have twisted the menu into an interesting blend.
For coconut admirers, Dakshin seems to be a paradise. And for someone like me, who abhors it, the restaurant has the surprising ability to revise the taste-buds. Served to you as a welcoming drink is a mix of ginger — ale and mint in shot glasses. This is followed by a menu that opens a door to the vast variety of dishes including the ones from the sub–regions of South. So, the place brings here South Indian flavour with its authenticity.
Served on traditional banana leaves, the food majored itself around pork and mutton. Kodava food has pork as an important component and their pork dishes owe their magic to the masalas used in their making.
Plated as starters, traditionally called Prarambham, was one of their unique preparations of pork called Chilkana Pandi where the pork was marinated in local spices, Coorg vinegar and was browned in onion and green chillies. Along with it was the Prawns Rave Fry with sermolina coated prawns which were lightly batter fried. The distinct flavour of pepper highlighted the pork while the tangy taste of the prawns made for a good appetizer. Both of these were served with four kinds of chutneys, coconut, tamarind, tomato and coriander.
Digging into sub–regions of Coorg, known for its exceptional flavours of the Western Ghats, the fine–dining experience brought out a rustic feel. The main course, known as the Saivam called for a nice variety of dishes including pork, mutton and chicken. Their main dish started with Koli Mangyepajji which was boneless chicken cooked in green chilli, raw mango paste and drum stick.
Pandi Curry was festival’s trademark dish with Coorgi boneless pork preparation, enhanced with Coorg vinegar and pepper, eye chilli and Coorg spices. This was accompanied with kadumbuttu (rice dumpling). The subtle flavour of coconut with enhanced tanginess made this chew an exceptional experience. Another dish part of the same course was the Dry Pepper Yerechye which was tender mutton marinated with spices and fried with onions, tomatoes and chillies.
Though Coorg is primarily famous for red preparations, a bit of green was experimented too. Part of their vegetarian menu was Kuroo Curry which was an amalgamation of red beans and vegetables simmered in local masala gravy, flavoured with ginger and green chillies.
As it is said, ‘either you have it with rice or a rice based roti’, Dakshin provided a range of items to choose from as acoompaniments. Some of them were akki ooti, kadumbuttu and paaputtu. They had a non-vegetarian version of this too called yerchi koolu which was mutton cooked with rice and served with mango paji and raita. Even though the menu consisted of limited dishes, it managed to whet the appetite for Coorg food. Dessert Mangai Rasayana was a nice blend of ripe mango puree in sweetened milk with shopped mango. The texture of the pudding reminded us of kheer.
Fondly referred to as the ‘Coffee Cup of India’, this is one epithet that Coorg proudly carries with itself. Living up to that, the meter coffee of the region has a taste in the blend that comes only with precision while mixing the coffee. The chefs at Dakshin boast of this ability and offered some to us as a post meal beverage. With keeping a definite distance during the mixing process, the chef managed to bring out a blend that one would only find in Coorg.
The chefs in the Dakshin kitchen have personally spent months in Coorg, understanding and learning the authentic preparation of the food. That is one of the main factors that provide the authenticity in the food.
source: http://www.dailypioneer.com / The Pioneer / Home> Vivacity / Friday – June 28th, 2013
The Tamara resort in Coorg recently won the award for most romantic resort at a travel awards show hosted by a Hindi business channel. It is listed in the top 20 honeymoon destinations by Conde Nast Traveller India.
This is a luxury 56-key resort located in the hills of Coorg near Madikeri. It has been set up within an estate of 170 acres that produces coffee, cardamom, pepper and honey, and claims to be one of the few places in the world that is built inside a functional coffee plantation.
Its promoters say that it is set on a slight slope, and offers a breathtaking view of the Western Ghats and lush green forests along with two waterfalls flowing within the premises. Tourists either head out on guided treks and nature trails, or opt for a plantation tour with the coffee experience.
A bridge overlooking one of the waterfalls serves as a multi-cuisine restaurant. The resort is in the second phase of development that will have new luxury cottages and premium suites apart from sit-out decks at a height of 3,600 sq ft overlooking the hillside. An indoor private jacuzzi and spa is also on the anvil.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> Business> India Business / by Bella Jaisinghani, TNN / July 06th, 2013
Gustasp & Jeroo Irani encounter the Cauvery in the forests of Karnataka.
A deep trench, meant to keep elephants away from the lush coffee plantation, had the imprint of a large footprint. An elephant had just lumbered past. “He is in the vicinity,” whispered Ganesh, our naturalist-guide.
As we soldiered on through the Dubare Forest in Kodagu or Coorg, Karnataka, past stands of dead bamboo and soaring rosewood and sandalwood trees, the jungle resonated with an air of menace. “Shhh! He’s there, not too far away!” Ganesh said, as our hearts beat a harsh tattoo against our chests. We were in search of the legendary river Cauvery and it seemed like in the process we would be trampled by an elephant. We stood as still as the tall matti trees from whose sturdy trunks tribals draw water to drink. And then, to the huge relief of our group of four, we heard the lone tusker tramp away in the opposite direction.
Parting thickets of leaves and dry twigs that clawed at us, we trod up and down red paths to suddenly arrive at a clearing. An expanse of emerald-green waters, rippled below, tripping over smooth boulders… the Cauvery at last! The mythical maiden river had played truant even with Sage Agastya who fell in love with her. Legend says the sage asked a disciple to keep an eye on his beautiful wife Cauvery and put her in a vessel. The mischievous and self-willed lady was upset and started to flow away. When the young lad protested, she went underground. That is why, it is said, the river disappears from her source at TalaCauvery, high in the Western Ghats in Coorg, to re-emerge at Bhagamandala, a few kilometres away where a charming temple is dedicated to her.
In the land of her birth, the river is worshipped as a living goddess. Every Coorg or Kodava home is adorned with a photograph or oleograph of the Cauvery and a heavy brass lamp is lit every morning and evening to honour the ancestors. We, however, washed our faces in her life-giving waters and splashed it on one another, while Ganesh sang a song to Ma Cauvery, his voice riding over the sound of the rushing river.
When we were there recently, the river was fairly shallow but coracles bearing locals drifted along its length to the various villages. We too twirled down the river in a coracle to the riverside village of Karadigodu, with trusty Ganesh, when the fragrance of freshly-baked local bread wafted over the slowly-awakening hamlet. Children were getting ready for school, cramming into an auto rickshaw that doubled as a school bus, while grandmothers packed tiffin boxes with lunch for their men-folk on their way to work in the coffee plantations. Mothers swung infants on ample hips and waved to older children heading for the nearest college, heaving backpacks on frail backs. The village has an aura of sleepy prosperity. / Photo: Gustasp and Jeroo Irani / The Hindu
The village had an aura of sleepy prosperity. Neat little cottages were strung in rows, painted in vivid shades of pink, purple, mauve and green and, in some, TV sets played out the latest South India soaps. We stopped at a local stall (grandly called The Riverside Hotel) for some South Indian filter coffee, fresh sweet bread and smoke-flavoured onion bhajias that had just been whipped off a wood fire. And in front of the village flowed the mercurial Cauvery which, when it is in spate, can break its banks and flood the hamlet and the first row of houses! Yet when we took part in harvesting coffee berries in a plantation, we began to understand how the locals feel an almost mystical attachment to the river.
“Without the river and the land that it waters, we are nothing,” said one of the women coffee pluckers whose nimble technique of prying coffee berries off the bush, we tried hard to imitate. “Ma Cauvery is our goddess!” she exclaimed.
After coffee harvesting ends in February, pepper is culled and so it goes on till June when, with the rains, the Cauvery brims with revitalising waters again, the soil sprouts anew and the cycle of life is renewed.
We met the river goddess again in Kabini, a three-hour drive away, past fields of ripening corn, sugar cane and paddy. The forests of Nagarahole were a dark-green tangled smudge beyond the coiling river Kabini which, incidentally, is a tributary of the Cauvery!
As our boat put-putted down the Kabini that circles the south-eastern edge of the Nagarahole National Park, we saw a couple of wild elephants, long tusks grazing the ground, a marsh crocodile sunning itself on a bank, as still as a log of wood, an iridescent kingfisher that dived for his meal and emerged triumphant. All around us was a world as fresh as at the dawn of time and we thanked Ma Cauvery for her life-nurturing presence which even embraces the wilderness.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> Sunday Magazine / by Gustaspjeroo Irani / July 13th, 2013
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