Monthly Archives: November 2012

Great Ford Endeavour Drive Coorg Edition to help understand SUV capabilities better

Sports


FORD has been synonymous with adventure and excitement. Through its Great Ford Endeavour Drive: Coorg Edition, the company will allow adrenaline fueled enthusiasts to experience ultimate off- roading scenarios when driving a Ford Endeavour. This drive will be coomenced on the 8th of November to 9th, where drivers will embark on a journey from Bangalore to Coorg which is India’s coffee capital.

Throughout the journey participants will be given opportunity to familiarize themselves with capabilities of the SUV. Excitement and exploration are two main features of the Great Ford Endeavour Drive. Earlier editions of the Great Ford Endeavour Drive have been held in Mumbai, Delhi and Ahmedabad.

During the Coorg edition, enthusiasts will be taken on a journey through lush and scenic, Sandalkad Estate which house the Honey Pot Homestays. These surroundings are a perfect place for enthusiasts to experience passion of driving the Endeavour. Sahil Jatana a coffee expert will be travelling with the group and will share insights about roasting and brewing of coffee during this adventure.

source: http://www.RushLane.com / Home> Ford> General> SUV / November 09th, 2012

A green route off the grid

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Nature


NO TELLY, NO NETWORK Just peace and quiet! Photo: K.C. Vijayakumar / The Hindu
The road from Mysore twists up the hills that define Coorg. A palette of colours flit across, be it the red robes of Tibetan monks at Bylakuppe, the rusty brown Mangalore tiles that lend a roof to homes or the greenery split by streams that gurgle down the mountains.

And then there is this extreme shade of green that greets you once you drive past Madikeri town and Club Mahindra. Take a right turn, climb higher into the Western Ghats and after trundling into the Rainforest Retreat, all you can do is marvel at nature’s bounty and listen to the symphony of a million cicadas. Rainforest Retreat is part of the Mojo Plantation that was launched in 1994 thanks to the efforts of the scientist couple, the Goels – Anurag and Sujata. Their objectives were twin-fold – escape the rat-race and practice what they preach: be it organic farming or supervising a tourism initiative that remains friendly to the environment.

The eco-lodge spread over undulating terrain, has two deluxe guesthouses, a plantation cottage with independent rooms and tents. Solar power runs the basic appliances here and gobar gas is the preferred ally for cooking. For those who sigh on seeing clips of the Amazon on National Geographic, this place can be a soothing balm provided you can accept that living inside a plantation that has an overwhelming air of being a forest would mean that there is no television and nor will mobile signals work.

Windows that open to damp air and dense foliage might goad the city-stressed tourist to curl up with a book but for those with the itch to explore, there are varied treks. Be it the plantation trail with Archana Shetty, who manages the resort with a smile and a kind word, or the walks through the adjoining jungle, there is enough to see and savour.

The place teems with various species of birds, animals and insects, including the world’s largest moth – the Atlas moth. Also be prepared for the occasional leech that draws blood. There is nothing to panic though and with helper Ravi’s family staying inside the leafy zone, assurance comes in a variety of languages – Kannada, Tulu, Kodava, Tamil, Hindi and English. Ravi, with ancestral roots leading all the way to Tirunelveli in Tamil Nadu, along with Jeff, who is doing an internship as part of his eco-tourism management studies in the United States, and Antonin, a French farmer, do yeomen service at the resort.

Meanwhile the affable Goels voice their concerns about a globe that is increasingly losing its green cover and their efforts to conserve nature, is truly inspiring. The Indian food can be bland at times, tailored as it is for the largely foreign clientele but the hospitality and the lessons of nature that you get to imbibe, is something that will stay with you forever.

source: http://www.TheHindu.com / Home> Life & Style> Metro Plus / by K C Viyaya Kumar / November 09th, 2012

Retd DGP donates ` 1 lakh for cops’ kin

Uncategorized

“It was the police official from Kodagu who gave me a rebirth during operation against Veerappan,” said DGP (Retd) Shankar Bidari.

Speaking at the annual meeting of Kodagu district retired police officers welfare association, in Madikeri on Tuesday, he said “during operation against Veerappan, when the opponents opened fired at me, it was my guard Manavatteera Ponnappa who came in front of me and saved my life and lost his life.”

“In the name of Ponnappa, I will give Rs one lakh to the Association. The money should be used for providing scholarships for the children of police who have scored highest marks in SSLC/PUC.”

“I have appealed to the State government to rename the Police Training Academy in Dharwad after police officer N A Muthanna. The government has responded positively,” he said.

Association President M A Appayya, SP Manjunath Annigeri and others were present.

source: http://www.DeccanHerald.com / Home> District / Madikeri, DH News Service / November 07th, 2012

The chemistry is perfect

Sports

Former India batsman Pravin Amre is here in a specialist capacity. No, he is not the coach of the Karnataka team. That job is being looked after by J. Arun Kumar.

On a unique assignment, Amre has travelled to the city as the ‘personal batting coach’ of Robin Uthappa. Amre was seen exchanging ideas with the dashing batsman during practice ahead of the Ranji Trophy match against Tamil Nadu here on Thursday. The chemistry between the two was just right.

“Yes, he (Amre) is here to help me out. But I do not want to talk much about it at this stage,” said Uthappa to The Hindu. Amre flashed a charming smile but said little.

His six-month contract with Uthappa as professional batting coach which began in July this year would continue well into the current Ranji season. Amre is the assistant coach of IPL franchise Pune Warriors and it is here that he came into close contact with Uthappa.

Yet, a situation where a cricketer’s personal coach is seen giving inputs to a cricketer when the official team coach appointed by the association is in charge, can cause friction within the team. There can be a conflict of interest.

However, Arun was gracious. “He (Amre) is here as Robin’s personal coach. The two have been together for some time. I have been working with Robin too. It has not been interfering with my coaching.”

PERSONAL THING

Former India batsman and coach Aunshuman Gaekwad said, “This is a personal thing between the personal coach and the team coach. The team coach should ensure that the line is not crossed. Any player is free to have his own coach. But, I think the personal coach should not come to the ground during practice. It would then give the impression that the team coach is being undermined.”

The 26-year-old Uthappa has 786 runs from 38 ODIs at 27.10, but his last game for India was in 2008. He has 5384 runs from 82 first class matches at 40.17, but these numbers can be far better. Uthappa’s attacking methods have seen him become a valuable player in the IPL and he did make a comeback into the Indian Twenty20 team. The Karnataka cricketer, though, is keen to excel in the game’s longer format.

source: http://www.TheHindu.com / Home> Sport> Cricket / by S. Dinakar / Chennai, November 09th, 2012

Tribals empowered to collect minor forest produces: Rameshwar Oraon

About Kodagu / Coorg, Agriculture, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Green Initiatives / Environment, Nature


Rameshwar Oraon, Chairperson, National Commission for Scheduled Tribes, addressing tribals at Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Bhavan in Hunsur yesterday, accompanied by other members of the Commission. Pictures centre and right show the tribal dances performed to welcome the Central team.

Mysore, Nov. 9 (RK&RNN)
Tribal people have every right to collect and sell Minor Forest Produces (MFP) and no one could interfere with this, observed Rameshwar Oraon, Chairperson, National Commission for Scheduled Tribes.

Addressing members of the tribal community at Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Bhavan in Hunsur after visiting several Haadis in H.D. Kote taluk of Mysore district yesterday, he said the Union Government was taking steps to fix a minimum price for the MFP to avoid exploitation from middle men.

He also added that The Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 made all tribal people living in the forest eligible for title deeds of their lands and urged Adivasis to take benefits due to them.

He also elicited the opinion of tribal people and others who participated in the meeting on whether they were getting the benefits given by the Centre.

Stating that the tribals would be given compensation four times higher than the existing value of the land if the same was acquired for any government purpose, Oraon added that the Centre was planning to bring legislation in this regard.

Many of those present complained that they were denied benefits like schools, angan-wadi centres, drinking water and ration under the Public Distribution System (PDS) to which Oraon replied that he would take up the issue with the State Chief Secretary at a meeting scheduled to be held today and added that he would also discuss it with Deputy Commissioner and CEO of Mysore Zilla Panchayat.

Food security to tribals

It is reported that Rameshwar Oraon has directed the District Administration to provide food security to tribals and adivasis living in the periphery of forests through Fair Price shops and also urged the District Administration to provide them alternative land for agriculture.

Stressing for education to tri-bal children at Ashraya Schools from first to seventh standards, Oraon instructed ADGP Chikkanur to withdraw false cases filed against tribals and also called for making arrangements for selling of products manufactured by tribals through Lamp Societies at good prices.

He directed early completion of probe into the missing cases of Jiyamballi Raju and Hunsekoppa Bheemasena besides ensuring avoidance of harassment of tribals by forest officials.

A traditional welcome was accorded to the visiting team by tribals who performed folk dan-ces following which Prasanna, Convenor of South India Cell for Human Rights Education and Monitoring (SICHREM) and Vaddaragudi Chikkanna gave a presentation of problems being faced by tribals.

The team consisting of Rameshwar Oraon, Commission members Kamala Kumari, B.L. Meena, Jt. Secretary Aditya Mishra, Dy. Director K.D.Bansar, SC/ST Regional Office (Bhopal) Asst. Director R.K.Dubey and others who arrived from Bangalore in the morning drove straight to Morarji Desai School Hostel in Hunsur for an inspection.

Dy. Commissioner P.S. Vastrad, ZP CEO Dr. Ajai Nagabhushan, SP R.Dileep, MLAs Chikkanna and Manjunath, Asst. Commissioners, Tahasil dars and other officials provided necessary information to the team.

source: http://www.StarofMysore.com / Home> General News / November 09th, 2012

Teppadakandi gets hanging bridge connecting Mysore, Kodagu

Business & Economy, Nature

Teppadakandi, a small village in Guddehosur connecting Mysore and Kodagu districts, has witnessed several causalities of those trying to cross the river Cauvery. Residents, including students, cross the river to reach Rani Gate, Maroor, Doddaharave and Tomabathu Acre villages as it is the shortest route.

Now, with the hanging bridge that was inaugurated on October 30, the distance which was 18 kilometres earlier, has been cut down to three. The concept of a hanging bridge was first conceived by Guddemane Vishu Kumar, a photographer from Guddehosur who is also the brother-in-law of former chief minister D V Sadananda Gowda. When Gowda became the chief minister, Vishu Kumar generated publicity about the subject and took it to Vidhana Souda with the help of then member of Legislative Assembly M P Appachu Ranjan.

Through the Malnad Area Development Board, `83.75 lakh was sanctioned and Girish Bharadhwaj took up construction. It was finally inaugurated on October 30 by Sadananda Gowda in the presence of District In-cahrge Minister Appachu Ranjan and others who strived to make this dream a reality. Gowda said the state government had managed to reach rural areas by providing basic facilities.

Ranjan told Express that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government was committed to the overall development of the district, the hanging bridge being one such example.

Vishu Kumar told Express that after the inauguration, an average of 500 to 600 people had crossed the bridge, some even on motorbikes.

Earlier, people used rafts made of bamboo to reach their destinations, which took several hours to cross the river. During the rainy season, it was very risky and sometimes people were marooned for months together, he added.

Vincent M B from Sunticoppa, who worked with Vishu Kumar, said that a six decade-long dream had finally come true.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / Home> States> Karnataka / by B C Dinesh, Madikeri / November 05th, 2012

Birds of the same feather

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Green Initiatives / Environment

Kodagu, straddled on the Western Ghats, boasts of more than 300 varieties of birds. This pristine area abounds in an assortment of rare flora and fauna as well.

One of the unique selling propositions for coffee grown in these environs is that the berries develop under dappled sunlight filtered through friendly shade trees, to a medley of melodious sounds of numerous feathered bipeds.

It is claimed that these ‘happy’ berries are imbued with the finest qualities of the salubrious sylvan surroundings. Just as in a popular commercial for a Scotch that says, “as you sip their whiskey you hear hundred pipers playing,” the coffee planters in this area market their produce with the hype that the consumers could listen to chirping of birds as they savour the brew which is famously known as: the cup that cheers but not inebriates!

When it comes to these bright coloured feathered bipeds, there are two medical doctors in Kodagu who have evocatively captured the images of local birds in all their splendour, through different art forms.

Besides their medical profession, they are well-known ornithologists as well. The first, Dr S V Narasimhan, has brought out a bilingual (English and Kannada) book titled ‘Feathered Jewels of Coorg’ in which he has painstakingly colour-sketched 310 birds of this region.
He has meticulously described each species giving their popular English names along with their scientific Latin names. Also included are the names of each species in Kannada as well as in Kodava languages.

However, Narasimhan’s efforts go far beyond just documenting bird-life in Kodagu. He is actively involved in bringing about environmental awareness and wildlife conservation in a unique way. Every year, Narasimhan hand-paints thousands of postcards of birds and animals of Kodagu with specific messages composed by him pertaining to our milieu.
He then mails them free of cost to a host of recipients.

His modest request, however, is for postage stamps so that he could distribute his hand-painted postcards to even more beneficiaries to spread his message on conservation and protection of wildlife, so very crucial to our environment. Narasimhan has, as on date, hand-painted 56,590 cards in a span of 28 years! I am sure it’s a world record. I am one of the lucky beneficiaries this year.

Aim and shoot

The other doctor, Dr Bishan Monnappa, an orthopaedician, is a keen photographer. He brilliantly captures wildlife in their natural habitat through powerful cameras. His high-definition photographs of birds of various plumages are simply spectacular.

Dr S V Narasimhan and Dr Bishan Monnappa are popularly known as ‘Bird-men of Kodagu’. They are extending their healing touch beyond humans to the wellbeing of Mother Nature as well.

Now, who can resist drinking coffee that has bird songs recorded in its brew!

source: http://www.DeccanHerald.com / Home> Supplements> Spectrum / by C.P. Belliappa / November 06th, 2012

Exploring the unknown this festival

Arts, Culture & Entertainment

This Diwali vacation, families are looking to experiment with their travelling plans. Exploring new places in domestic travel is the new trend.

“Going to places like Mahabaleshwar or Lonavala does not make sense. They are commercialised and we have been there several times,” said Vrinda Choughule, a Mahim resident who has decided to go on an eight-day vacation to Coorg. Coorg, surprisingly happens to be one of the most happening destinations amongst vacation-goers.“My family wanted to be close to greenery and hence we chose Coorg. Besides, it’s nice living at a home stay,” said a traveller from Borivli who will be visiting Coorg, Vainad and Kabini.

Cheap rentals and a greater distance from home rank high on the list when choosing a destination. “The per head cost is around Rs20-25,000 for places like Coorg and these can also be customised according to preference enhancing their appeal,” said Yogesh Lele, director of Dadar based Sanyog Tours Pvt. Ltd.

Another destination that is hot on to-do list is wild life sanctuaries. The sanctuaries appeal to people who are tired of the same old hills and beaches. “A lot of youngsters like going with their families to places like Gir, Kanha and Ranthambore. Besides the novelty of a safari ride, they like being in the lap of nature,” said Gaurav Athalye, director of Jungle Lore, a Mahim-based tour operator. “My brother and I have planned a trip to Ranthambore this year. We like Rajasthan and feel that this is the right time to go there as the weather will be pleasant too,” said Vidhi Salla, a 27-year-old Kandivli resident.

In the international market, it is popular destinations like Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand that are still the favourites fro travellers. “Better connectivity and cheaper travel is what attracts people to these palces,” said Iqbal Mullah, president of Travel agents association of India.

source: http://www.dnaindia.com / Daily News & Analysis / Home> Mumbai> Report / by DNA Correspondent, Place: Mumbai, Agency: DNA / Sunday, November 04th, 2012

Bhupathi-Bopanna win Paris Masters

Leaders, Records, All, Sports

Mahesh Bhupathi and Rohan Bopanna clinched the Paris Master, their second title of the year, after scoring a hard-fought win over Aisam-ul-haq Qureshi and Jean-Julien Rojer, here today.

The fifth seed Indian pair, playing their fourth final of the season, struggled past the Pakistan-Dutch combination 7-6 (6) 6-3 in the summit clash, lasting one hour and 24 minutes.

Bhupathi and Bopanna had won the Dubai ATP event and ended runners-up at Cincinnati and Shanghai.

The Indians could not convert a single breakpoint of the six chances in the opening set but held nerves in the tie-breaker to take the lead.

They saved a crucial break chance in the second set and cashed in on both the chances on opponents’ serve to seal the win.

The Indians have already qualified for the season-ending finale, where they will make debut as a pair.

The 38-year-old Bhupathi is a four-time runner-up at the event, losing the final in 2010 with Max Mirnyi and 1997, ’99 and 2000 with Leander Paes.

Bopanna, 32, had made his debut at the year-end championships last year with Qureshi.

source: http://www.DeccanHerald.com / Home> Sports / by PTI / Paris, November 03rd, 2012

Rajyotsava in Kodagu

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

A variety of dances by school children, attractive march past by men in uniform, Naadageethe and Raita Geethe sung in unison marked Kannada Rajyotsava, organised by the district administration at the fort here on Thursday.

Amid drizzle that drenched the earth in the morning, district in-charge minister Appachu Ranjan hoisted the national flag and Kannada flag and inaugurated the celebration. In his inaugural address, the minister gave a call for the people to unitedly work towards preserving Kannada language and culture. Kannada language, which we speak today, has a history of 2,000 years. Apart from shouting slogans hailing Kannada, we should work in the ground level to preserve and promote the language. Specially, the emphasis should be laid on schools and colleges where they should be taught the skills of reading and writing Kannada.

“Language is a symbol of the richness of life and it reflects the culture. Kannada could be developed only when each of us dedicate ourselves and work proudly for the language and culture. The Central government has already given the classical status to Kannada. We should make an organised effort to gain all profits that the status would bring to the language,” he said.

Award Winners

Kodagu Zilla Rajyotsava award was conferred on several achievers from different fields on the occasion. The awardees are as follows: B S Lokesh Sagar (light music); B N Mohan Palegar (folk song); Roopa Srikrishna Upadhya (Bharatanatyam); Addanda Anitha Kariyappa (drama and cinema); B R Sathish (art); C N Boapaiah, Kayapanda Shashisomaiah, Nandagujar, Umesh (journalism); P M Appaiah, K Aine Asmakhanam, (sports); Dr Korana Saraswati Prakash, Paradanda Changappa (literature); Jeevan T B, P Mahadewaswami (education); Koodakandi Kaveramma Somanna, Manavattira Kaveriyamma Poovanna, Prakash B N, N S Kandadevaiah, P M Ravi (social service).

Kodagu zilla panchayat president B Shivappa, vice-president Usha Devamma, CMC president H M Nandakumar, deputy commissioner Dr N V Prasad and others were present.
Arogya Shri soon
Minister Appachu Ranjan announced that Vajpayee Arogya Shri scheme which helps the BPL families to avail free medical check-up and treatment at select facilities will be launched at Virajpet taluk on November 17.

source: http://www.DeccanHerald.com / Home> District / Madikeri, DHNS, November 01st, 2012