Any talk of Kodagu often begins with the aromatic coffee, golden-glazed honey and some lip-smacking authentic delicacies. Honey has a special place in the district and Kodagu is known to produce distinct and rich honey that is famous for its originality, purity, taste and longevity even when stored in closed containers for years together.
However, the district hit a low in honey production in the 1990s as Thai Sac Brood disease hit the industry hard. Said to have originated in Thailand, the disease killed bees, including the queen bee and so far there has been no effective remedy for the disease. Also, the red ant menace further crippled the industry and most of the apiculturists were forced to switch to other means of livelihood. So badly affected was the industry that the honey production in Kodagu has dipped to a low of 50 percent in the late 1990s.
Now slowly the industry is regaining foothold and thanks to people who are growing conscious about their health and healthy habits, there is a global market for Coorg Honey. Honey is produced mainly in Bhagamandala, Galibeedu and Cherangala of Madikeri taluk, Birunani, T. Shettigeri and Kedamulloor in Virajpet taluk, Shanthalli, Jakkanalli, Soorlabbi, Hammiyala, Hachchinadu, Kumbaragadige and Mutlu in Somwarpet taluk.
At present, Kodagu has over 7,000 bee-keepers and Bhagamandala region alone accounts for more than 50 percent of production of the district with the total being about 850 tonnes.
To bring back the glory of honey production in Kodagu, the State government has set up a Honey Park in Bhagamandala where the only Apiculture Technical Training Centre of State is located. The Park also houses a Honey Museum. The Park and the Museum are the first in the State.
Honey extractors, beehives, honey containers, honey pots on display at the Honey Museum.
Built at a cost of Rs. 1.42 crore, works on the Honey Park began in 2015 and is completed now. The Park is housed at Apiculture Technical Training Centre that was established at Bhagamandala way back in 1948 by the then Coorg State Government. Funds for the Honey Park was released by the State Horticulture Department and initially in 2015-2016, Rs. 50 lakh was released. Later, in 2016-2017, Rs. 82 lakh was released and Rs. 10 lakh was released in 2017-2018.
A honeycomb kept for demonstration at the Honey Park.
The Honey Park acts as a comprehensive centre for honey production and related activities. It would also endeavour to provide marketing facilities for the product in the entire State. The Park is being maintained by food processing division of Agriculture Department. The Park has been set up to promote apiculture, which will supplement the income of the farmers.
According to officials managing the Honey Park, they get regular visitors who want to know about honey production, the costs and apiculture procedure.
Certificate course
“We will provide a three-month certificate course during November-December-January for students and professionals who want to take up apiculture as a part-time business,” they said. Hostel facilities will be provided to the trainees during their three-month stay at Bhagamandala and already many students from Mysuru, Belagaavi, Koppal and Dharwad have enrolled for the training programme.
This apart, the Honey Museum traces the history of honey in Kodagu, its origin, golden period, its gradual decline owing to diseases and the present state. Also, it gives the visitors information about global honey growth and how it has become popular among health freaks. Models have been prepared and ways and means of honey extraction with machines and bare hands without getting bitten or stung by bees are demonstrated here.
A short movie screening is another attraction in the Honey Park. It captures the honey development in Kodagu. The centre will train local tribals and farmers in apiculture. Tribals will be trained in collecting honey in forests. This in turn will help in improving their economic conditions.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Feature Articles> News / June 30th, 2018
Death Wish Coffee is sending what is hailed as the world’s strongest coffee to astronauts at the ISS. The blend contains 200 percent more caffeine than standard coffee. ( Death Wish Coffee )
The world’s strongest coffee is headed to the International Space Station. It will launch into space on June 28 aboard SpaceX CRS-15.
Contains 200 Percent More Caffeine Than Regular Coffee
Death Wish Coffee is billed by its producer as the strongest coffee in the world for its high caffeine content and intense flavor.
The coffee company said that the blend contains 200 percent more caffeine compared with standard coffee, which could give astronauts the added punch that they need while working at the space station.
“Death Wish Coffee is the world’s strongest coffee with the highest-caffeine content available, resulting in a buzz that blows other coffees out of the water,” Death Wish Coffee described the product.
“And because we’ve taken the time to source fair-trade, USDA-certified organic coffee beans and refined our roasting techniques, we’ve created a high-caffeine coffee with low acidity that tastes good, too.”
Specially Packaged Death Wish Coffee For Astronauts Aboard The Space Station
The company is sending crew members of Expedition 56 a special freeze-dried version of the coffee packaged in the same foil packets used by astronauts for other beverages including normal-strength coffee.
Death Wish coffee is normally sold in 1-pound bags of whole and ground beans as well as in K-Cups, but the space-bound coffee is specially packaged by NASA in astronaut drink pouches.
Death Wish said that the coffee is designed to caffeinate astronauts aboard the ISS sans sacrificing the texture, flavor, and potency of the coffee.
Mike Brown, the founder of Death Wish Coffee, revealed about the plan to provide the world’s strongest coffee to astronauts aboard the orbiting laboratory in a statement dated June 6.
“We couldn’t think of a better way to showcase the smoothness and strength of our coffee than by providing the crew aboard the International Space Station with an easy-to-make blend that will keep them on their feet,” Brown said in a statement.
Coffee And Coffee Machine For Astronauts Working In Microgravity
Coffee is a staple aboard the ISS as early as 2000, the year the first batch of crews arrived at the orbiting lab.
Astronauts and cosmonauts can choose from caffeinated or decaf instant coffee. Kona blend with just sugar or powdered cream or both already mixed in are also available.
The space station received its first coffee machine in May 2015 with the arrival of the Lavazza and Argotec ISSpresso.
source: http://www.techtimes.com / Tech Times / Home> Science> Space / by Allan Adamson Tech Times / June 27th, 2018
The Cauvery River Gallery, which was proposed to be established in the city, five years back, may finally be a reality with Chairman of the Karnataka Knowledge Commission and former chairman of ISRO K Kasturirangan announcing that he has spoken about the project with Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, in Bengaluru, recently.
The formation of the Cauvery Tourism Development Authority was mooted in March 2015 and the idea of the Cauvery River Gallery was discussed in the first meeting of the authority, chaired by then Tourism minister R V Deshpande, in June 2015. Neither of them materialised so far, even though the previous chief minister was a native of Mysuru district, the nucleus of the Cauvery River basin.
According to the annual report (April 2016 – March 2017) of the National Academy of Sciences of India (NASI), River Cauvery is among the most sacred rivers in the southern region of India and is thought to be the Dakshina Ganga, on account of its diverse characteristics and attributes.
“Originating from the Brahmagiri Hill in the Western Ghats and flowing towards the Bay of Bengal, the river travels along Karnataka and Tamil Nadu in the southeastern direction. River Cauvery is well inscribed in Tamil and Kannada literature because of its sacredness. Bathing in waters of Cauvery is a traditional belief. The striking Shivanasamudram falls of Cauvery River is the second biggest waterfalls in the country.
At the request of Minister for Higher Education and Tourism, Government of Karnataka, K Kasturirangan, Chairman of Karnataka Knowledge Commission, requested Manju Sharma, former president of NASI, to establish a Cauvery Gallery on the lines of Ganga Gallery and Brahmaputra Gallery.
Manju Sharma, with the consent of the NASI Council, sent a preliminary intent proposal to establish a high-quality gallery that captures the etymological, ecological, cultural, heritage and social characters of River Cauvery,” the report states.
The Cauvery Gallery can be established with the help of the National Council of Science Museums (NCSM), Kolkata, and the financial support of the department of Tourism, Government of Karnataka. Interactive multimedia with diorama, animation, graphics and the 3-D display will be used to make the gallery interactive and interesting for visitors, the report states. At present, there is a gallery for River Brahmaputra in Guwahati, in Assam, and a gallery for River Ganga at Allahabad, in Uttar Pradesh .
The gallery is expected to showcase the life, culture and biodiversity along the Cauvery River from its birth in Talacauvery of Kodagu district till it reaches the Bay of Bengal at Poompuhar (now Pombuhar) in Nagapattinam district of Tamil Nadu. It splits into two, twice, and forms the islands of Srirangapatna and Sivanasamudra in Karnataka.
Kasturirangan has said that he held talks with Chief Minister Kumaraswamy on setting up of the gallery on the Karnataka Exhibition Authority Grounds (Dasara Exhibition Grounds) in Mysuru and a detailed project report would be prepared soon.
In 2016 itself, Karnataka’s Tourism department and the NASI had signed a memorandum of understanding to set up the gallery at Mysuru. Then, the Tourism department officials and NASI experts had decided to establish the gallery on the premises of the Karnataka Exhibition Authority (KEA) complex. The project was scheduled to be completed in six to nine months and was expected to be a major tourist attraction in the city. The KEA complex is also yet to be constructed.
For Indian hockey team the opening encounter in the Champions Trophy is vital as it will set the tone for …
For Indian hockey team the opening encounter in the Champions Trophy is vital as it will set the tone for the rest of the tournament, believes Indian veteran SV Sunil, speaking to NNIS exclusively in Breda, ahead of the big clash against Pakistan.
Sunil speaks on arch-rival Pakistan and whether it is an advantage for Pakistan Coach Roelant Oltmans, a former India coach of knowing the boys in and out.
A 26-episode TV programme titled “Do it with me,” written and directed by Bharathanatyam exponent and teacher Yamini Muthanna and picturised at her studio Yogastala in Indiranagar, Bengaluru, is being telecast by Doordarshan (DD) Chandana Channel.
The TV series, which has sequences of Yoga Asana patterns for therapeutic benefits, aims to inculcate a habit of practicing Yoga on a daily basis.
The show is being telecast on DD Chandana every Saturday and Sunday from 7 am to 7.30 am and repeat telecast on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7 am to 7.30 am.
The show will soon be telecast in the National Network and also in the Regional Channels as the translation work is under progress.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / June 24th, 2018
Majority of those who attended stakeholders’ meeting sceptical of the concept
The stakeholders’ meeting on the State’s attempt to permit private sanctuaries adjoining national parks and tiger reserves, held in Bengaluru on Monday, elicited conflicting opinions. This only served to underline the division between the conservationists and officials on the initiative.
It also brings to the fore the imperatives of a thorough discussion on the subject given the sensitivity of the issue and the environmental and social ramifications.
Vandita Sharma, Additional Chief Secretary, Forests, Ecology and Environment, who chaired the meeting, said she has been flooded with views on why the private conservancy rules should or should not be introduced. Hence this calls for a comprehensive discussion on wide-ranging aspects before taking the initiative forward.
Some of the speakers cautioned that the concept of private conservancy was non-existent in the Indian laws or the Wildlife Protection Act. Hence the very legality of framing a policy on private conservancies in Karnataka has to be examined because the Wildlife Protection Act, being a Central Act, overrides the State laws if it is at variance or conflict with the former.
There were also views that one had to study the pros and cons that prevail in other countries where such a model is in place and wondered whether such a law should be proposed at all in the first place.
Sanjay Gubbi, wildlife biologist, said one should consider ecological and social aspects, the economic incentives local communities derive etc., and then go ahead with the experimentation.
“I am not sure how many promoters would be willing to invest as the area has to be first notified as a Private Forest under the existing legal provisions. Once it is declared as a Private Forest, then the laws governing the Forest Conservation Act, Supreme Court order of WP 202/1995, etc. will all become applicable,” he said.
Col. C.P. Muthanna ((retd) of Coorg Wildlife Society was sceptical of the concept reducing the conflict situation by merely augmenting the sanctuary boundary with private conservancy.
He feared it would only bring animals closer to human habitation and escalate human-animal conflict, besides increasing local communities’ hostility against the Forest Department and wildlife.
However, Sudheer, of Voice for Wildlife, opined that the proposal provided a legal framework for genuinely interested people keen to promote conservation and forests.
Allaying fears of commercial exploitation, he argued that the draft rules make it clear that only 5% of the private conservancy area can be utilised for tourism and no change of land use would be permitted for the remaining 95%. This itself was a disincentive to keep investors who are not conservation-minded, out of the picture, he added.
D. Rajkumar of Wildlife Conservation Foundation, said there was no rationale to suggest that by merely declaring a portion of land outside forest boundary as “private sanctuary” it would mitigate conflict situations. The general drift of the argument against the concept was that it cannot be pushed merely to promote tourism and one had to look at the ecological and social aspects as well.
P. Sridhar, head of Forest Force; Jayaram, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF); former Forest Department officials; wildlife conservationists; NGOs; and representatives of the hospitality sector were among those present.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Karnataka / by Special Correspondent / June 26th, 2018
Image credit: World Coffee Events, SCA and Jeff Hann.
Agnieszka Rojewska of Poland has won the 2018 World Barista Championship (WBC). Agnieszka, a veteran of multiple coffee competitions across the globe, triumphed over 55 other baristas to become the first woman ever to win the title.
Lex Wenneker of The Netherlands was runner up, Mathieu Theis of Switzerland was third place, Michalis Katsiavos of Greece was fourth, Cole Torode of Canada was fifth place, John Gordon of New Zealand was sixth place, and Craig Simon of Australia finished in seventh place.
“I never thought I’d be in the final so the fact I [was] is the best experience,” Rojewska said post-performance. “This is like the craziest day of my life.”
Rojewska of Full Pro Coffee has been making coffee for more than 10 years. She started working in a coffee chain before starting her own cafe. Agnieszka now works mostly as a coffee trainer, but has spent the past four years competing in various coffee competitions, tackling almost every category of competition there is to win.
Rojewska is a three-time Polish Barista Champion and four-time Polish Latte Art Champion with a career high ranking of third in the world in 2017. Rojewska will compete in Poland’s Brewers Cup Championship on Sunday 1 July, and will attempt another world title when she competes in the World Latte Art Championship in Brazil from 7 to 9 November.
Last year, Rojewska placed Runner-Up in the Polish Brewers Cup competition and New York Coffee Masters, but this year has been one of first places, winning the London Coffee Masters competition in April, and now the WBC in Amsterdam.
For her 15-minute routine, Rojewska used a coffee sourced from Project Origin Coffee’s CM Selections lot in Mesina, Ethiopia, a new coffee growing area. Because of the fresh soil and young 10-year-old trees planted at 2300 metres above sea level, Agnieszka said the result in the cup would have “more intense yellow fruit characteristics” and “extraordinary sweetness”.
The Heirloom cultivar underwent washed carbonic masceration processing, a concept Ona Coffee Founder Sasa Sestic first presented to the WBC in 2015, the same year he won the event. With this process, the coffee is depulped, put into tanks and pressurised with carbon dioxide to remove all oxygen and encourage lactic bacteria. The coffee was roasted by 2017 Brewers Cup Runner Up Sam Corra of Ona Coffee.
Rojewska says she chose to use Ethiopian coffee because of how expressive it is, with flavours of yellow and red fruit that are easy to recognise. “It was the first coffee I have fallen in love with,” Rojewska told the judges.
To make her milk beverage exude strawberry notes, Rojewska prepared a more intense espresso using 23 grams in the basket and 36 grams out via the Victoria Arduino Black Eagle machine. She added three-and-a-half ounces of milk to help achieve notes of milk chocolate and warm strawberry jam. The full cream milk had a high fat content for a creamy texture and combined with a lower temperature, reminded Rojewska of slow-melted chocolate ice cream.
Despite her accomplished latte art skills, Rojewska poured a simple small heart in the centre of each cup to help stretch the milk, give more aromatics, and more intense strawberry flavours.
For her signature beverage, Rojewska used Ona Coffee’s O.C.D and Stem devices to produce her shots and made a passionfruit infusion. This was made adding 100 grams of passionfruit to 30 grams of coconut sugar, 50 millilitres of water, and cooked for three hours at 60°C for more natural tropical fruit notes. To replicate the same lactic acid bacteria used in washed carbonic masceration, Rojewska used 100 grams of warm milk and seven grams of citric acid in the form of lime juice, which she then let sit and separate for three hours before straining three times. The end result was 20 grams of ‘washed milk’ and a creamy mouthfeel in her signature beverage. She added 4 grams of this liquid to 100 grams of water infused for 20 hours at 120°C, and blended it together with her espresso shots at 20 grams in the basket, 35 grams out.
Lastly, Rojewska prepared her espressos using the same Ethiopian coffee. Despite her coach Sasa Sestic pointing out that she was 20 seconds behind in his Livestream commentary, Rojewska pushed on, using 20 grams in the basket and 45 grams out to achieve medium sweetness, medium bitterness, and flavours of orange, plum, and low intensity of peach. She used visual aids to describe the body and texture of the body and concluded with a simple message.
“It’s my greatest pleasure to bring this world stage coffee to you as my customers, and most importantly, my friends,” Rojewska said with one seconds remaining on the clock.
In the past week, thousands of coffee professionals gathered in Amsterdam for World of Coffee (WOC), one of Europe’s largest coffee trade show, and the host of the 2018 WBC. Just under 11,000 professionals from across Europe and around the globe registered to attend, breaking records for the event.
Next year, WOC heads to the German capital of Berlin from 6 to 8 June, 2019 at the Messe Convention Center.
source: http://www.gcrmag.com / Global Coffee Report / June 25th, 2018
In a freewheeling conversation with City Express, Harshika Poonacha, who awaits the release of Chitte, looks back at her decade-long career and gives us the low-down on her choice of films
As the release of Chitte draws close, actor Harshika Poonacha’s anxiety is on the rise. And naturally so. But as she awaits the release and reaction from fans and fraternity to know how the film will fare at the box office, the actor has been hopping from bus stands to metro stations and railway stations, and has even been frequenting malls. During interactions with the public, she is posing like a chitte (butterfly) and even challenging her fans to. Ahead of the release of the film directed by ML Prasanna with Yashas and Harshika in lead roles, the actor, who started her career at the age of 15, tells City Express about how her early days when she played support roles which has given her the confidence that she will one day play lead roles with top stars. Excerpts.
Still from Chitte
How different is Chitte from your other films
So far, my roles have mostly been those of school girls or college-goers. Otherwise, it’s been love stories with a happily-ever-after ending. In Chitte I play the role of a married woman, who is bubbly. What we’re trying to say is, ‘Who said a married woman cannot be bubbly?’ And this is the first time that I’m going to be scaring viewers. It’s something to watch out for. (laughs). Playing the kind of role like I do in Chitte was a totally new experience. The challenging bit was bringing out the horror element. Having grown up watching actors like late Soundarya Ma’am in Apthamitra, I thought helped me pull off the role. Of course, that’s not to say that I’m anywhere close. But she has been my inspiration to play a role like this. Horror films in Sandalwood are taking shape, and audience are also showing interest in such films.
You made your debut at a time when many others did. Would you call yourself the dark horse?
I entered the industry at the age of 15, and this is my 10th year in the cinema industry. I remember how many people were making their debut at the same time I was. It was a year when there was a wave created in Sandalwood with fresh faces. Having said that, nobody has stuck on this long. I have seen heroines who have done two-three films and then disappeared. During these 10 years, I have not taken a break. This journey has given me my identity. I’m known by my real name than just that as a film’s heroine. I have come to a stage where people whistle when I enter and cheer for me. At the end of the day, this is what every actor looks for, and I feel content. I wouldn’t have been happy if I was sitting in a cubicle as an engineer. It can’t match the satisfaction when I face the camera, get my make up and hair done, and rehearse dialogues. The feeling is soulful.
Do you regret taking up some films in the early stages of your career?
There was a time when I regretted taking up wrong projects in the early stages of my career. But now I have decided that I live my life without regrets. Tell me any hero or heroine who has not done wrong films in his/her career. Every actor has gone through it or will go through it. Those so-called wrong projects have been a learning for me. Those were the films that had kept me busy, and ultimately helped me pick the right films. I have done close to 23 projects. I am happy to have a solid number.
What is your next course of action?
I started off playing the role of a sister to top stars in Sandalwood, but now I’m confident that I will get to star opposite them. I was young and most filmmakers considered me for the sisterly kind of roles. I’m at an advantage compared to many other heroines who make their debut at 25. I, on the other hand, already have ten years experience on my side.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Entertainment> Kannada / June 27th, 2018
Thathanda Gowramma Muthamma (Thamane Balianda), wife of late Thathanda Muthanna, passed away this morning at her residence in Rajivnagar 1st stage in city. She was 94.
She leaves behind three sons, two daughters and a host of relatives and friends.
Cremation was held at the foot of Chamundi Hill at 1.30 pm today, according to family sources.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Obituary / June 14th, 2018
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