It’s raining in Kodagu and so are ‘Rain Lilies’ (Zephyranthes candida) in some coffee estates.
This photo is from an estate on Siddapura-Mysuru Road where Lilies with their inconspicuous grassy leaves have bloomed silently amidst the plantations forming a sight to behold.
These rain lilies bloom repeatedly following rains, while some bloom primarily in spring, others flower in summer.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home > Photo News / April 23rd, 2021
Gulshan Devaiah completes a decade in Bollywood today i.e April 22.
To mark the occasion, the actor took to his Twitter handle to share a heartfelt note. He said that he has just started and is far from done.
The note read, “I’m better now, than ten years from today. So much better in every way. I came with dreams in my eyes, & fire in my belly. Some came true, not too much too soon, And the fire, it’s still going steady. Been a bit lucky…yeah it’s true. It’s been a good journey, not a great one,
But hey! I’m just getting started , I am far from done. I do feel pride, for I’ve done this on my own, but like it is said, I ‘ve also had a bit of fortune. Thanks for your love, and support, On an endless river, I row my boat. Yours sincerely, Gulshan Devaiah.”
He captioned the note as, “My first decade in Bollywood! Class of 2011 #22ndApril #10yearsinBollywood Thank you all !! of the horns I’m grateful for all the love & support. See you at the cinemas!! Cinema Zindabad!!”
On the work front, Gulshan will next be seen in Ajay Bahl’s next co-starring Taapsee Pannu. Reportedly, the film is expected to go on floors in mid June in Nainital.
source: http://www.bollywoodhungama.com / Bollywood Hungama / Home / by Bollywood Hungama News Network / April 22nd, 2021
She was the first woman referee from India to officiate in 88 international hockey matches
The first Indian woman umpire who started her international career in 2004 and the first woman referee from India to officiate in 88 international hockey matches Mundanda (Puchimanda) Anupama, wife of Mundanda Mithun Mandanna of Nelaji village in Kodagu, passed away in Bengaluru this morning. She was 41.
She was selected by the Federation of International Hockey as one of the youngest umpires among ten men and women in the world. She had a passion for sports when she was nine and since then she never looked back. She was the first woman referee from India to officiate in 88 international hockey matches, junior world cup and three Commonwealth Games.
Born to Puchimanda Shivappa and Shanthi Shivappa (Achhandira) at Bittangala, Anupama was awarded the Best Umpire (Women) India by Sardar Gyan Singh Memorial Hockey Society in 2007. Anupama represented India in the umpires seminar held at Singapore, Hyderabad, Chennai, Chandigarh and New Delhi and represented Karnataka as a player in the sub-junior and senior women’s National Hockey Championships. She officiated as the umpire in the four-nation tournament held at Singapore in 2007 and refereed the finals between Australia Vs Malaysia.
She was the umpire in the three-nation tournament held at Italy and also umpired the Central American and Caribbean games, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic in 2006. In 2008, Anupama officiated as the umpire for two four-nation tournament at Rotterdam in Holland and also at Bremen in Germany. Anupama umpired the Junior Asia Cup held at Malaysia in and was the umpire in the youth Olympic Games held at Australia in 2009.
She started her sports career at the age of nine as an amateur athlete at Sports School Kudige in Kodagu. At 13, she joined the Sports Authority of India, Madikeri, where she got into hockey. She represented the State in sub-junior and senior national championships several times. She has also officiated in events in Asia, Africa, and America and European continents.
She had a passion for umpiring and she cleared the umpiring exam in 2001 and first officiated as an umpire at Cheppudira Family Hockey Tournament in Kodagu and went onto make international name and fame. Anupama’s goal was to be an Olympics umpire. “I am happy I chose this profession. This motivates me to focus more on the job and I will be happy if one day I get to officiate in the Olympics,” she had stated in one of her interviews.
Recently Anupama was selected as Executive Council Member by Karnataka State Hockey Association.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Sports / April 18th, 2021
Mysore/Mysuru:
Rev. Fr. John Francis Texeira (72), Parish Priest of Sacred Heart Church at Naganahalli, passed away yesterday at a private hospital in city following brief illness.
Funeral was held today afternoon at the Catholic Cemetery in Belawadi Parish, Mysuru and the Requiem Holy Mass was held at 3 pm today at St. Joseph’s Cathedral in city, according to the communication from the Bishop’s House.
Rev. Fr. John Texiera was born in Virajpet, Kodagu district on June 4, 1949 to Paul Texiera and Hilda Vaz couple. He was the eldest among three sons. After completing his primary education at Virajpet, Rev. Fr. John joined St. Marys Minor Seminary in Mysuru. He completed his High School education at St. Philomena’s High School, PUC at St. Philomena’s College and later completed his Philosophy and Theology studies at St. Peter’s Pontifical Seminary, Bengaluru.
Fr. John completed Master Degree in Catechetics at Vishwadeep, Bengaluru. He also served as the Director of Catholic Centre in Mysuru for six years and was also the Dean of Hunsur Deanery. He was ordained a Priest on June 24, 1975 at Siddapura, Kodagu district by the then Bishop of Mysuru Most Rev. Dr. Mathias Fernandes.
After serving for a few years as an assistant Parish Priest at St. Joseph‘s Cathedral in Mysuru, Fr. John was appointed as the Parish Priest of the Sacred Heart Church in Yadavagiri. He later served as the Parish Priest at Pandavapura, Kamagere, Siddapura, Shantipura, Nanjangud and was serving as the Parish Priest of the Sacred Heart Church, Naganahalli since last June.
Bishop of Mysuru Most Rev. Dr. K. A. William, Bishop Emeritus Most Rev. Dr. Thomas A. Vazhapilly and Priests of the Diocese have condoled the demise of Rev. Fr. John F. Texiera.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / April 19th, 2021
Virajpet:
K.B. Harshavardhan (45), Vice-President of Virajpet Town Panchayat and a prominent BJP leader of Kodagu district, passed away following a heart attack on Monday morning.
Harshavardhan, who suffered a heart attack, was immediately rushed to a hospital in Virajpet, where he breathed his last.
Harshavardhan was elected from Meenpet Ward in the Town Panchayat. He leaves behind his mother, wife Divya, two children and a host of relatives and friends.
Harshavardhan had also served as the President of Kodagu District Hindu Malayali Association.
Virajpet TP Office, shops and other business establishments in the town were shut for two hours in the afternoon as a mark of respect for the departed leader.
Virajpet MLA K.G. Bopaiah and a host of other BJP leaders were among those who paid their last respects. Last rites were performed yesterday evening, according to sources.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / April 20th, 2021
In dense tropical forests in Sierra Leone, scientists have rediscovered a coffee species not seen in the wild in decades — a plant they say may help secure the future of this valuable commodity that has been imperiled by climate change.
The researchers said on Monday that the species, called Coffea stenophylla, possesses greater tolerance for higher temperatures than the Arabica coffee that makes up 56% of global production and the robusta coffee that makes up 43%. The stenophylla coffee, they added, was demonstrated to have a superior flavour, similar to Arabica.
Botanist Aaron Davis, who led the study published in the journal Nature Plants, said stenophylla was farmed in parts of West Africa and exported to Europe until the early 20th century before being abandoned as a crop after robusta’s introduction.
Many farmers throughout the world’s coffee-growing belt already are experiencing climate change’s negative effects, an acute concern for the multibillion dollar industry.
Arabica’s flavour is rated as superior and brings higher prices than robusta, which is mainly used for instant coffee and coffee blends. But Arabica has limited resilience to climate change and research has shown its global production could fall by at least 50% by mid-century.
Stenophylla grows at a mean annual temperature of 24.9℃ — 1.9℃ higher than robusta coffee and up to 6.8°C higher than Arabica coffee, the researchers said.
The stenophylla rediscovery, Davis said, may help in the “future-proofing” of a coffee industry that supports the economy of several tropical countries and provides livelihoods for more than 100 million farmers. While 124 coffee species are known, Arabica and robusta comprise 99% of consumption.
“The idea is that stenophylla could be used, with minimum domestication, as a high-value coffee for farmers in warmer climates,” said Davis, head of coffee research at Britain’s Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
“For the longer term, stenophylla provides us with an important resource for breeding a new generation of climate-resilient coffee crop plants, given that it possesses a great flavour and heat tolerance. If the historic reports of resistance to coffee leaf rust and drought tolerance are found to be correct, this would represent further useful assets for coffee plant breeding,” Davis added.
Leaf rust is a fungal disease that has devastated coffee crops in Central and South America.
The study included flavour assessments involving 18 coffee-tasting experts. Stenophylla was found to have a complex flavour profile, with natural sweetness, medium-high acidity, fruitiness and good “body” — the way it feels in the mouth.
In December 2018, Davis and study co-authors Jeremy Haggar of the University of Greenwich and coffee development specialist Daniel Sarmu searched for stenophylla in the wild. They initially spotted a single plant in central Sierra Leone. About 140 km away in southeastern Sierra Leone, they found a healthy wild stenophylla population.
“Both locations were thick tropical forest, but stenophylla tends to occur on drier, more open areas: ridges, slopes and rocky areas,” Davis said.
Stenophylla had not been seen in the wild in Sierra Leone since 1954 and anywhere since the 1980s in Ivory Coast, Davis said. A few examples were held in coffee research collections.
Davis said stenophylla is threatened with extinction amid large-scale deforestation in the three countries where it has been known to grow in the wild: Sierra Leone, Guinea and Ivory Coast.
Unlike the red and occasionally yellow fruit of Arabica and robusta plants, stenophylla’s fruit are intense black. The coffee beans are inside the fruit.
“I think we’re hugely optimistic for the future that stenophylla can bring,” said Jeremy Torz, co-founder of the specialty coffee business Union Hand-Roasted Coffee in East London where part of the taste-testing was held.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Sci-Tech> Science / by Reuters / April 20th, 2021
To create awareness about the ill effects of narcotic drugs, artist B R Sathish conducted a Kunchagayana programme on social media.
Speaking on the occasion, Kodagu Press Club president Ajjamada Ramesh Kuttappa said that there is a need to fight against the drug menace. Everyone should join hands to create a drug-free Kodagu.
In the Kunchagayana, T D Mohan sang songs while artist B R Sathish made drawings to create awareness.
Janapada Parishat district president Ananthashayana and others were present.
source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> State> Mangaluru / DHNS, Virajpet / April 17th, 2021
Anupama had officiated in junior women’s World Cup and the Asia Cup among other major hockey events.
One of India’s former international hockey umpires Anupama Punchimanda lost her battle with COVID-19 in Bengaluru on Sunday. She was 40!
Punchimanda, a former national level player, took to officiating early in her career and excelled as an umpire.
She oversaw a number of big-ticket events like the 2005 Junior Women’s World Cup in Santiago, Chile, the 2013 Hockey World League Round II in New Delhi and the 2013 Women’s Asia Cup in Kuala Lumpur.
“Anupama Punchimanda was one of the first few women in India to umpire at very reputed international tournaments,” Hockey India president Gyanendro Ningombam said in a statement.
“We at Hockey India share the grief of her family and friends and we extend our deepest condolences to Anupama’s family members.”
Punchimanda’s death comes just a few days after former Indian footballer and Olympian Ahmed Hussain died following complications related to the novel coronavirus. Hussain was 89 years old.
India have been dealing with a second wave of COVID-19 over the past few weeks with the ministry of health and family welfare reporting 1.8 million active cases as on April 18 with 177,150 reported deaths.
source: http://www.olympicchannel.com / Olympic Channel / Home / by Naveen Peter / April 18th, 2021
Kodagu Seva Kendra and Kodagu for Tomorrow organisation handed over beehive boxes to 130 families in Soorlabbi, Kumbaragadige, Mankya, Kikkaralli and Muttlu. Each family was given two boxes.
All the beehive boxes along with the families of bees have been procured from Everyday Honey Farm in Tumakuru.
Seva Kendra’s Pramod Sommaiah said that whoever engages in apiculture using the beehive boxes will get additional four boxes next year.
Kodagu for Tomorrow convener Ponnolatanda Kaverappa said that the organisation will impart training in beekeeping.
source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> State> Karnataka Districts / by DHNS, Madikeri / April 17th, 2021
‘Departments should implement SCSP and TSP programmes effectively’
The progress of works taken up under SCSP (Scheduled Castes Sub-Plan) and Tribal Sub-Plan (TSP) should be uploaded in the district progress monitoring system during 2021-22, directed Deputy Commissioner Charulata Somal to officials.
She was chairing a meeting to discuss the projects initiated under SCSP and TSP in the district.
There is a need to verify whether the funds earmarked for the welfare of SC/STs reach the beneficiaries. Hence, the details should be mandatorily uploaded in the district progress monitoring system, she said.
She also directed officials to upload details on the beneficiaries and the programmes initiated under SCSP and TSP during 2020-21.
Zilla Panchayat CEO Bhanwar Singh Meena said that details need to be uploaded in the district progress monitoring system under the Karnataka Scheduled Castes Sub-Plan and Tribal Sub-Plan (Planning, Allocation and Utilization of Financial Resources) Act, 2013.
The various departments should implement SCSP and TSP programmes effectively, he added.
District Social Welfare Officer Shekar said that a circular has been sent to all the departments on uploading the progress in the district progress monitoring system.
ITDP officer Shivakumar said that the engineering department should take up works where a large number of SC/STs reside.
source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> State> Mangaluru / by DHNS, Madikeri / April 17th, 2021
