Kodagu banks surpass SME target

Business & Economy, Records, All
Under the Prime Minister's Jana Dhan Yojna, Kodagu has achieved 100% target
Under the Prime Minister’s Jana Dhan Yojna, Kodagu has achieved 100% target

Madikeri:

In the sector of small and medium bu siness enterprises, Kodagu district has surpassed its target by registering more transactions compared to previous year.

As against the target of transactions worth Rs 20,000 lakh, the banks have achieved Rs 25,655 lakh, registering a growth of 128%, explained Kodagu lead bank manager K A Devaiah. He announced this at the district-level annual review meeting attended by MP Prathap Simha and MLC Sunil Subramani here recently.

The advances given to farming and other sectors stood at Rs 3,41,948 lakh, which is 10% more compared to figures in financial year 2015. With agriculture loans receiving a priority, advances of up to Rs 2,46,211 lakh was extended, which is 30% more compared to previous year. The deposits have also increased, with the aggregate standing at Rs 5,06,625 lakh (16% more compared to 2015).

Kodagu district has 16,851 self-help groups (SHGs) with an enrolment of 98,450 women, including 12,846 SC/ STs. The savings of these SHGs stand at Rs 2,480 lakh. Under the Prime Minister’s Jana Dhan Yojna, Kodagu has achieved 100% target.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Mysore / TNN / July 07th, 2016

TripTease : The Kopatty Climb

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Green Initiatives / Environment, Nature, Sports

KopattyPeakKF05JUL2016

Hill slopes blanketed with coffee estates, foggy climate, and fairly adamant rains are what Kodava Nadu welcomes you with during the monsoons.

The Kodagu region’s salubrious weather makes it an ideal getaway for weekend treks, and the Kopatty trail comes highly recommended. One of the lesser known trails of the region, Kopatty takes you through coffee plantations, forest areas, and a massive grassland before taking you to the summit. This entire trek takes about three hours to complete.

Typically a day trek, it’s best to start your journey towards Kopatty early in the morning, closer to the sunrise, but during the rains it’s quite difficult to see one, so you could start as per your convenience as long as you keep track of time.

Reaching Kopatty is easy; get to Madikeri a day ahead. From there take a bus to Bhagamandala or to Tala-Cauvery and get off at Charambane village. It takes about an hour to reach the village from Madikeri. Many people make a stop at Tala-Cauvery to see the origins of the Cauvery rive, but at this time you can’t really see much thanks to the rains. Having said that, the thick fog and continuous rains can be an extraordinary experience. From Charambane Village, head towards the Bhagamandala route for another kilometre, and you will reach Kopatty Temple, which is where the trail begins.

Charambane is nestled between thick forest cover; it’s a small village with light population, and a few shops selling food and beverages for the trekkers. This is also last place where you’ll see any human settlement before you start your trek. Pick up some essentials from the stores here if you’ve missed carrying anything.

The walk into the forest begins at Kopatty Temple. You can meet the locals, or even guides at the base of the hill who help you into the trail. There are also jeeps available in case you want a ride all the way to the top. But there’s not much fun in that is there?

The start of the trail is a tarred road, with paddy fields on either side. The muddy path for jeeps begin soon after, as do the coffee plantations. The road is fairly flat for a few kilometres till you reach a small stream, the first one on the trail. After that the steep climb through the forest begins. It will lead you to a ‘Y’ junction; take the left from there as the trail narrows down, and you’ll find two abandoned houses. Take a right from the houses, and you will be inside the forest. Hereon, the trails gets very little natural light, thanks to the canopied trees, and you need to focus on where you’re going. Also be aware of bugs and leeches. Hold branches to move ahead, but don’t lean against the trees because they’re usually crawling with large ants.

KopattyPeak02KF05JUL2016

After a while you will spot the second stream on the trail; it’s a small one, and you can rest here for a while before moving forward. You can even drink this water.

As you move forward, you will leave the forest area and be in the middle of a beautiful meadow. On your right will be the dense forest area, and on your left will be the beautiful valleys of the region. And if you look ahead, you can see the Kopatty peak in front of you. The path from here is literally like walking on a carpet. It should take you about 10 minutes to reach the peak, which is said to be at a height of 4,500 feet above sea level. From here you get a magnificent view of the Western Ghats as well.

The descent will have you walk towards Kallugundi across the Kopatty ridge and you will head towards the valley on the left. It will lead you back to the forest from where the climb down is steep, with lots of slippery paths, and dried leaves.

GETTING THERE

Kopatty Village is around 296 kilometres from Bangalore. It can be reached by either bus or a private transport. There are buses from Bangalore to Madikeri too.

source: http://www.bangaloremirror.com / Bangalore Mirror / Home> Columns> Others / Bangalore Mirror Bureau / by Kumaran P / July 05th, 2016

Joshna Chinappa breaks Top10 barrier

Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Records, All, Sports, World Opinion

JoshnaKF05jul2016

New Delhi :

Top squash player Joshna Chinappa on Friday rose to a career high 10th position in the latest PSA world rankings, becoming the second Indian to break the top-10 barrier after longtime India teammate Dipika Pallikal.

Chinappa, who has been in fine form in the last six months, moved a place to be 10th in the standings. Pallikal, who broke the top-10 barrier in December 2012, is ranked 19th in the latest rankings.

Chinappa had reached her biggest ever final at the HKFC International in Hong Kong in May.

She is now getting ready to defend her title in the National Championship, to be held in Mumbai from July 12.

Pallikal, who was 18th last month, dropped a place in the rankings. She was a quarterfinalist at the HKFC International.

The only other Indian in the top 20, Saurav Ghosal, remained on 17. Ghosal had been off action for a while nursing an ankle injury and is due to return to active squash at the Nationals in Mumbai.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Sports News / July 04th, 2016

Kodagu palace brings alive fading memories

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

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Madikeri :

The Nalkunadu palace in Yuvakapadi, 30 km from Madikeri, was built in the late 18th century by Doddaveera Rajendra, a king of the Haleri dynasty. The last king who lived there, Chikaveera Rajendra, was immortalised in fiction by the celebrated Kannada writer Masti Venkatesa Iyengar. The palace is also called Nalnad aremane in Kodava parlance.

KodaguPalace02KF04jul2016

The palace is now attracting a huge number of tourists. Its unique features include a mantap where marriages were solemnised. The palace stands atop a hillock next to Tandiyandamol, the highest peak of district. (This breathtaking expanse is drawing bigger numbers after it was featured as Mugilupete in the hit Kannada film Gaalipata).

KodaguPalace03KF04jul2016

Built in brick and mortar, the palace is about 65 feet wide, and has a spacious verandah. The ground floor has a wooden roof with carvings, depicting flowers, vines, dancing girls, musicians, and a king and queen. The style is Indo-Saracenic. A 6×10 ft mural depicts the king in a procession, but it is damaged. Four dark rooms at the back, historians say, were used as a prison.

A spacious darbar hall, several baths and chambers for the king and queen are still in evidence. In 1796, king Doddaveera Rajendra married Mahadevammaji, his second wife, at the mantap here.

Some walls have lime carvings of the two-head mythical bird Gandabherunda, elephants, and lions. Artists from Rajasthan and Mysore were brought in for the special carvings, some of which have been ravaged by time. Similar architecture is seen at the Madikeri Omkareshwara temple.

Surrounded by lush greenery, the palace had a copper kalasha (cupola) on its roof which, elderly people say, is now obscured.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Karnataka / by Coovercolly Indresh / July 03rd, 2016

Brewing coffee from jackfruit seeds

Agriculture, Business & Economy, Coffee News, Nature
Healthy:Maithraye Shenoy displaying the ‘Jaffe powder’ made of jackfruit seeds.— Photo: H.S. Manjunath
Healthy:Maithraye Shenoy displaying the ‘Jaffe powder’ made of jackfruit seeds.— Photo: H.S. Manjunath

Can powdered jackfruit seed taste like light coffee without adding any other ingredient to it?

If you cannot believe it, you ought to taste the “health drink” made by Shivanna from Sakharayapatna, of Parivarthana, a non-government organisation, in Chikkamagaluru district.

“My product is very near to coffee; it can become a substitute for coffee,” said Shivanna, who was at the jackfruit mela here on Sunday. He told The Hindu that the processed seed powder was the result of his one-year research and it was free from any stimulant like caffeine.

He said that three cups of the “health drink” could be prepared from one spoon of his new product. Shivanna has sent the sample to the Central Food Technological Research Institute, Mysuru, for analysis of carbohydrate, fibre, fat and calorie contents. “You can drink this product like you drink coffee by making its decoction,” he said.

‘Jaffe powder’

Maithraye Shenoy, a homemaker from Pandeshwara in Mangaluru, has also made a “health drink” from jackfruit seed. She has named it “jaffe powder”, which can be mixed with milk. “It was the result of a two-month research. I roast the jackfruit seed before making the product,” she said.

Meanwhile, Artocarpus Foods Pvt. Ltd., at Taliparamb, near Kannur, is already marketing jack seed powder. It can be used to make chapattis, dosas, cakes, and bread. It also makes a product from the seed as masala for chicken curry, said Shree Padre, executive editor, Adike Pathrike, a farm monthly and a crusader for jackfruit and its value-added products.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Mangaluru / Raviprasad Kamila / Mangaluru – July 04th, 2016

Joshna Chinappa Breaks Into World’s Top-10

Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Records, All, Sports, World Opinion

Joshna Chinappa is now the second Indian squash player after Dipika Pallikal to enter the top-10 ranking. Dipika is currently ranked 19th.

Joshna Chinappa entered final at the HKFC International in Hong Kong in May. / @ AFP
Joshna Chinappa entered final at the HKFC International in Hong Kong in May.
/ @ AFP

New Delhi:

Joshna Chinappa, top squash player, on Friday rose to a career high 10th position in the latest PSA world rankings, becoming the second Indian to break the top-10 barrier after Dipika Pallikal.

Chinappa, who has been in fine form in the last six months, moved a place to be 10th in the standings. Pallikal, who broke the top-10 barrier in December 2012, is ranked 19th in the latest rankings.

Chinappa had reached her biggest ever final at the HKFC International in Hong Kong in May.

She is now getting ready to defend her title in the National Championship, to be held in Mumbai from July 12.

Pallikal, who was 18th last month, dropped a place in the rankings. She was a quarterfinalist at the HKFC International.

The only other Indian in the top 20, Saurav Ghosal, remained on 17. Ghosal had been off action for a while nursing an ankle injury and is due to return to active squash at the Nationals in Mumbai.

source: http://www.sports.ndtv.com / NDTV Sports / Home> News / by Press Trust of India / July 01st, 2016

Harshika’s wild night with Vikram, Shruti Haasan!

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

HarshikaKF02jul2016

Harshika Poonacha is sure having fun. The pretty actress is currently in Singapore for an award function that honours the best of the South Indian film industry, and while there, Harshika seems to be having a ball of a time.

The actress has been interacting with her peers from all the four southern film industries, and was also partying with Tamil stars Vikram and Shruti Haasan. She posted a selfie that she took with the two stars, amd even called Vikram the “most handsome photobomber”.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> Entertainment> Kannada Movies / TNN / July 01st, 2016

Indian Writer Gets Gourmand Award for World’s Best Book on Coffee

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Coffee News, Coffee, Kodagu (Coorg), Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, World Opinion

City-based freelance journalist and author P T Bopanna’s book ‘The Romance of Indian Coffee’ has been chosen as the world’s best book on coffee at The Gourmand World Awards function at Yantai in China.

The book, earlier shortlisted for the finals of the ‘Best in the World’ books under the ‘coffee books’ category, was picked from the entries of 64 countries, according to Bopanna.

‘The Romance of Indian Coffee’ was published in 2011, and takes a 360-degree view of Indian coffee.

The final results were announced recently in which the book was ranked first, followed by entries from the United States and Brazil in the second and third places respectively, Bopanna said in a release here.

Spain headquartered The Gourmand International every year honours the best food and wine books, printed or digital, as well as food television with the awards open to publishers in all languages and countries.

The Gourmand Awards celebrate global cookbook and wine book publishing, and feature many world-renowned chefs each year.

Bopanna has authored five books and runs a few Kodagu-centric websites and recently produced a documentary film titled ‘Discover Coorg’.

source: http://www.outlookindia.com / Outlook / Home> The Newswire> Books & Culture / PTI / June 28th, 2016

Govt exploring coffee cultivation possibility, says Addl Chief Secy

Coffee News

Shimla :

Additional Chief Secretary Dr Shrikant Baldi said today that the state government was exploring the possibility of coffee cultivation as the Coffee Board of India had already surveyed prospective areas in Kangra, Mandi, Una and Bilaspur.

Eight market yards would be set up at Mendli, Fatehpur, Annu, Bhadshali, Jukhala, Totu, Tapri and Shilai to ensure remunerative prices to growers, he added.

Speaking on National Statistics Day after releasing a document, Agriculture and Farmer’s Welfare, brought out by the Department of Economics and Statistics today, Dr Baldi said: “Besides this, the state government is bringing 4,000 hectare area under off season vegetables cultivation. Under Rs 100-crore Dr YS Parmar Kisan Swarozgar Yojana, a target had been set for constructing 4,700 poly-houses covering 8.3 lakh square meter area for which farmers get 85 per cent subsidy”.

He said the government exempted levy of market fee on all vegetables and fruits and improved varieties and rootstocks of apple, pear, cherry, walnut and strawberry were being imported and distributed to farmers, who were given 80 per cent subsidies on anti-hail nets.

For the betterment of sheep breeders, procurement price of different varieties of wool had been increased and procedure for grant of grazing permits had been streamlined, he said.

He said the Shahnehar and Sidhata irrigation projects had been completed. Under the Vidhayak Nidhi, at least Rs 20 lakh would be spent on minor irrigation works and command area development.

Under the Rajiv Gandhi Micro Irrigation Scheme, about 8,500 hectare area would be brought under drip/ sprinkler irrigation system benefiting 14,000 farmers, he added.

He said under the Dr YS Parmar Kisan Swarozgar Yojana, 85 per cent subsidy was being provided to farmers to set up poly-houses, 50 per cent assistance for setting up vermi compost units and 60 per cent subsidy on setting up of milk processing and chilling facilities to the dairy co-operative societies.

He said the Rs 1,115 crore Himachal Pradesh Horticulture Development Project would provide new technologies to the horticulturists.

source: http://www.tribuneindia.com / The Tribune / Home> Himachal> Governance / by Tribune News Service / Shimla – June 29th, 2016

Starbucks Plans to Debut Small-Lot Coffee From This Tea-Growing Country

Coffee News, Coffee, Kodagu (Coorg), World Opinion
Staff work behind the counter of India's first newly-inaugurated Starbucks outlet in Mumbai on October 19, 2012. / Photo- PUNIT PARANJPE/AFP/Getty Images)
Staff work behind the counter of India’s first newly-inaugurated Starbucks outlet in Mumbai on October 19, 2012. / Photo-
PUNIT PARANJPE/AFP/Getty Images)

It’s also one of the coffee chain’s fastest-growing markets.

Starbucks for the first time will sell single-origin, premium coffee from India in the United States as part of its effort to support coffee production in the country better known for its tea.

Starbucks SBUX -0.23% for a limited time later this year will sell a small-lot arabica coffee from the Tata Nullore Estates in India’s Coorg coffee growing area. The coffee will be roasted and sold at Starbucks’ Reserve Roastery and Tasting Room in Seattle. The price was not disclosed.

John Culver, group president for Starbucks Coffee China/Asia Pacific, told Reuters that the aim is for this to be the “first step in what we hope will be many reserve coffees coming out of India.”

It’s also one of the coffee chain’s fastest-growing markets.

India, which produces both robusta and arabica, is the world’s sixth-largest coffee producer. Its coffee output has increased 16% over the past 5 years, according to International Coffee Organization (ICO) data.

India’s estimated 2015/16 harvest is expected to be 5.83 million 60-kg bags of coffee, according to ICO.

The country is one of the coffee chain’s fastest-growing markets. Starbucks’ India, an equal joint venture between Starbucks and Tata Global Beverages Limited, has grown to 84 stores across six cities in India since its start in 2012.

Starbucks India, which so far has served only 100% arabica coffee grown and roasted in India, will also begin offering Kenyan and Sumatran coffee soon, Culver said.

source: http://www.fortune.com / Fortune / Home> Retail> Coffee / by Reuters / June 27th, 2016