Caf’e Civet day

Agriculture, Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Nature, , , , , , , , , , ,

In a pretty little camp in Coorg, you can find one of the world’s most expensive coffees. The rider: it comes in the guise of cat poop

Kari Beckoo (so called in Kannada) or Kopi Luwak is one of the most expensive, most aromatic coffees in the world. Internationally, it can fetch anywhere between Rs 15,000 and 20,000 a kilo. A cuppa will set you back by a cool Rs 2,000. For something so obviously exclusive, Kopi Luwak (as it is known in Indonesia and the Philippines), has very down to earth origins.

Type: Food discovery
Best from: Bengaluru
You need: 2 days

Coffee beans drying in the sun are a common site on most house terracesin the area and estates. Pics/ AMrita Bose

It comes from the poo of the civet cat. Our visit to the Civet Creek Camp, located 18 km from Madikeri, the district headquarters of Kodagu or Coorg, was centred around an agenda very different from that of regular tourism. We were hot on the trail of the Asian Palm Civet cat and its bowel movements to inspect it from a purely epicurean perspective. The Palm Civet cat’s droppings, left under coffee plants, are responsible for one of the most expensive and aromatic coffees in the world.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Palm Civet Cat feeds on ripe coffee berries that are partly digested
and worked on by enzymes before being discarded in its excreta.

Bordered by reserve forest area and frequently visited by civet cats, Civet Creek Camp was started three years ago on an eight-year-old coffee estate that offers accommodation only in tents. Pitch your own tent in the open or borrow one under a shack and you are all set to play (boy or girl) scout. Warm up with rope walking, air rifle shooting, trampling, or spider walking or just lie on the web at night to watch the stars.

We timed our visit with the beginning of the coffee picking season — just after December; usually the time when civet cats eat ripe coffee berries. Although the owner Madappa warned us about the difficulty of finding droppings since the season was almost over, we were determined.

Mission poo
The area frequented by civet cats was near a waterfall in a forest area bordering a village called Awandur. Getting there involved trekking a distance of four kilometres on foot. We set out early in the morning with our guide Vasu, who is considered a poop-spotting expert.

The trek involved meandering through narrow coffee estate pathways, through terraced fields, passing by thatched roofed homes and watching coffee beans drying in the sun while scarecrows stood guard next to a couple of new homes under construction. Here, the scarecrows help ward off the evil eye and bring in good luck.

Like a hound strong on the trail of blood, Vasu was on high alert by now, poking around in coffee bushes as we trudged uphill next to a meandering stream fed by a waterfall. On the way, we spotted a giant Shikakai tree — a natural detangler for hair — the black sooty sap of which is extracted for incense sticks and the occasional cardamom plant.

Vasu explained that Coorg was originally known for its cardamom plantations, not coffee, but dwindling labour forces in recent years, and the vulnerable nature of cardamom plants had given way to hardy coffee plantations of Arabica and Robusta varities.

A rare species of a fiery coloured snail found in forests nearby

A cat with good taste
Suddenly, Vasu disappeared under a thick coffee shrub only to emerge with what looked like sticky peanut chikki. A little squeamish, we approached it with trepidation. Strangely odourless, the poop contained half-eaten coffee beans.

Enzymes in the cat’s digestive system work on the beans, breaking them down before it’s excreting from its body. The part-digested beans are separated from the dung by washing them thoroughly, and keeping them in water, before drying and roasting them.

The fact that this coffee is completely organically processed, and that the civet cat is one with good taste (it picks only the best coffee beans for consumption), goes a long way in determining the delicate flavour and the aroma associated with this frightfully expensive coffee.

Although the estate doesn’t produce enough to brew or sell this coffee on a largescale basis, the coffee board is willing to accept it at between Rs 3,000 and 5,000 a kilo.

Expensive stash
Eventually, we made it back to Civet Creek Camp in a happy daze, clutching at our prized discovery now neatly sealed in a plastic bag. Oh, and the regular coffee beans drying in the sun that Coorg is oh-so-famous for? We couldn’t care less. The writer travelled to Civet Creek Camp on invitation.

Bored of expensive cat potty? Here’s what you can do in and around Civet Creek Camp
Talakaveri: The birthplace of River Kaveri and a known pilgrimage site, Talakaveri is located on the Brahmagiri hills. The river originates as a spring and feeds into a tank where pilgrims bathe.

 

Jumping on a trampoline is one of the acitivities offered here.

Dubare Elephant Training Camp: Located about 40 km away from Civet Creek, this elephant training camp is run by the Karnataka Forest Department. It houses elephants that are trained under naturalists, and doubles up as a tourist spot. It’s located on the banks of the River Kaveri, with the Dubare Reserve Forest as a backdrop.

Tourists are allowed to participate in a three-hour interaction with elephants which begins with their grooming and scrubbing, feeding them and taking them on a 45-minute ride in the jungle. Resident naturalists will also give you a lowdown on all you need to know about these pachyderms. You need to reach the camp by 8.30 am.

Abbey Falls: Also known as Abbi or Abbe, this waterfall is located in a private coffee estate among pepper trees, about seven km away from Madikeri. A hanging bridge opposite the waterfall offers a breathtaking view.

Kaveri Nisargadhama: A picnic spot on an island formed by river Kaveri is a nature resort with a deer park, orchidarium and a forest full of bamboo, teak and rosewood. The island can be accessed via a hanging bridge. You can rent out tree houses run by the forest department.

Stock up on Coorgi delights
Coffee Powder: A mix of Arabica and Robusta, you can buy filter coffee from the Coffee Board or local shops at Madikeri.

Coorgi Pork Masala: The perfect aid to making the famous Coorgi Pandhi or Pork Curry. Also don’t forget to buy a bottle of black vinegar extracted from Kachampuli, a wild, tart fruit. This vinegar gives that distinct black colour and tangy flavour to the Pandhi curry.

Spices: Stock up on nutmeg, star anise, pepper and cardamom.

Civet Creek Camp FAQs
It only offers tent accommodation with common bathrooms. The camp organises treks to nearby waterfalls, mountain peaks and coffee estate walks. You can request for a special trek to spot civet cat droppings along with estate coffee pickers. Night treks can be organised too. Rs 1,350 per night per person gets you two breakfasts, lunch, dinner and barbeque with unlimited coffee, tea or juice.

Call: 9845827010
Email: civetcreek@gmail.com

 

Getting there

BY ROAD: Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) Volvo buses, known as Airavat, leave Bengaluru every day at 2 pm, 4 pm and 11 pm, and take you to Coorg in five hours. Frequent buses from Mysore are available too. Take any bus going to Talakaveri or an auto rickshaw, and get off at the Betegeri village junction to get to Civet Creek Camp.

BY RAIL: The nearest rail head is Mysore which is connected to all major cities and is two-and-a-half hours away from Madikeri.

BY AIR: The nearest airport is Mysore (120 km) followed by Mangalore (135 km) and Bangalore (250 km).

BEST TIME TO GO:  The best time to visit Coorg is between October and March. The weather is pleasant during the day but temperatures may dip at night. Carry a jacket.

 

source: http://www.mid-day.com / by Amrita Bose / 2011.03.06 / Place: Mumbai

A Coorg Away From Coorg

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, , , ,

You might have to wait till the weekend for this feast, but the food served at Coorg the restaurant comes very close to the fare that might be cooked out a of a home kitchen
During the 80’s a student of St Joseph’s college started writing freelance articles on formula one racing for the Sunday MiD DAY to earn a buck or two and also to sustain his crazy obsession about sports. Whatever he would earn, he would spend on buying copies of his favourite magazine Sportsweek (now defunct).

Coorg
Food: homestyle
Service: attentive
Ambience: quirky

A Coorgie Spread Pics / Sanjay M D

Though the association with MiD DAY might have ended somewhere along the line, KC Aiyappa has not given up his dream of doing something other than tending and working on coffee plantation, a staple Coorgie profession for the last decade.
A year back, Aiyappa decided to turn his Indiranagar home’s terrace into a little Coorgie joint and started serving up a simple buffet for those who craved a taste of food from back home in Coorg. The buffet (Rs 275 plus taxes) is served only for dinner during the weekend and also extends to Fridays.

After you have ended up trudging three flights up all the way to the terrace, you will be greeted into a bamboo adorned space with Janice Joplin shrieking from the speakers and you will get transported instantly to a beachside-like shack.

Coorg is stamped all over the place with a wall dedicated to the culture, flora and fauna of this hill station in the form of pictures and coffee table books. Coffee beans in jars adorn the walls as decoration, along with some old fish traps, a device that squeezes out rice noodles, sepia toned photographs of coffee planters and other paraphernalia that will remind you of the region.

The highlight of the eatery though is a long board that notes down the  family names of people from Coorg. Currently, the record shows about 600 odd families that have visited the restaurant in a year.

We headed straight to the buffet that offers both vegetarian and non vegetarian Coorgie dishes. We started off with noolputtu or string hoppers, rice noodles shaped into a mound and steamed. We teamed up the noolputtu with a chicken curry.

The Coorgie chicken curry was thickened with poppy paste and coconut and had a lovely aftertaste of cinnamon. While the chicken was mild and was perfect for moping up with the hoppers, it was the pandi or pork curry, we were waiting for eagerly. But we decided to keep the suspense going on by opting for the mushroom curry and the daal first.

Hot Akki rotis were served on our tables as we went through the first course of the meal. Though the vegetarian fare was nice, it was the dry fried jackfruit that found favour with us. The jackfruit had been shredded and tempered with mustard and curry leaves and fried with spices.

The pandi curry was almost blackened by the addition of the Kochampulli, a tarty fruit that grows in the wild in Coorg and adds that tangy flavour to the otherwise immensely spicy curry. The pork was tender on the bone and fat had melted to just the right consistency and it went splendidly with rice soaked up with ghee, caramelised onions and cashewnuts.

The buffet also offers salads, raita and some interesting chutneys which we didn’t care for much thanks to the pandi curry. We finished our meal with caramel custard which reminded us of our mother’s cooking. It was sweet without being overpoweringly so and came flecked with nuts.

While we have had some outstanding Coorgie food in the city, what might draw people to food served in Coorg is the fact that it is free of frills and greasiness of a restaurant offering and will exactly make you feel satiated after a good home cooked meal.

At: 477, Krishna Temple Road, 1st Stage, Indiranagar
On: Friday, Saturday and Sunday, 7.30 pm onwards for dinner
Call: 98454 93688
Meal for two: Rs 650

Coorg didn’t know we were there. The Guide reviews anonymously and pays for meals.

source: http://www.mid-day.com / by Amrita Bose, Date 12.06.2010 / Bangalore

A Land far far away :” Storm Festival” in Coorg

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, , , , , , , ,

The locus where fantasies are woven from everyday lives. There is a land far far away, where happiness is not only prerequisite but also the only mode of survival. The place where the Storm Festival is brewing. Just a sneeze away from Bangalore and you are amidst the lush green natural settings. About 250 kilometres from Bangalore lies a hamlet, near the town of Madikeri, Coorg. This is the place where Storm Festival is shaping up to give you the ultimate music experience. Coorg is a geography rich in flora and fauna, as well as a brave and long culture, among a breed of warriors. This is where Liquid Space decided to stage the first Storm Festival, India’s first camp-out music festival.

Spread across 28 acres of luxuriant greenery and thick bamboo groves lies the Storm fields, a peninsular region surrounded by river Cauvery on all 3 facets. The entrance of the ground leads you to a vast opening which leads you to the camping area. You can have the ultimate music experience for 48 hours, where you will be treated to the music of various DJ’s and multiple bands. After which you can chill out at the deck overlooking the river, wherein you can have unplugged jamming sessions, to enrich the music experience or retire to your tents in the camping area.

Life is and will always be incomplete without music. Music is change and change is vital. Begin your getaway with Storm festival and taste the sweet joy of free rein; a freedom engineered by music, nature and warm fellowship. It is a sonnet to Dance, Music and Nature, making it the cleanest and greenest festival this side of the universe. The dance floor being at the height of 5000 ft above sea level is going to be the most beautiful one you have ever seen.

We would be coming up soon with more details on the venue about the festival. Browse www.stormfestivalindia.com  for more surprises and gifts.

source: http://www.blogs.siliconindia.com / by Hari Mohan / Friday Jun 17th, 2011

 

Kodagu’s Oranges in Kerala

Agriculture, , , , , , , , ,
The oranges that usually come up for harvest at the beginning of the rainy season have seen a great demand this time round.

Kodagu’s oranges in Kerala
Kodagu’s juicy oranges are famous across the country. The fruit which is harvested twice a year, has now entered the market. In fact, the fruit has found a huge market in neighbouring Kerala. TOwing to the delay in monsoon, most farmers and traders are now busying themselves with Kodagu’s oranges.

Several traders are buying oranges in a wholesale manner at Kottamudi, Hodawada, Murnadu and other places near Napoklu. They then transport them to Kerala.
The oranges that are harvested from the winter find a larger demand in the local markets than the oranges harvested in the rainy season.

The oranges from the rainy season are priced between Rs 20 and Rs 30 per kilogram.
Orange yield has come down drastically in the recent past. The size of the fruit has gotten smaller, but they still retain the true Kodagu orange flavour, points out Hodawada’s orange trader Hamsa.

Still, orange crops have had their share of troubles. In the recent past, they have been afflicted with a pest and that has affected orange produce. It is imperative that coffee estate owners pay greater attention to orange crops.
C N Suresh

 

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Supplements / Spectrum / Miscellany

As many as 38 Poets Recite their Creative Works at Multi-lingual Meet

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Poets highlight society’s problems through their works
That was a perfect occasion for the poets to let lose their imaginations and highlight the problems in the society.
They made best use of the occasion at the multi-lingual poets meet organised by the Madikeri Dasara janotsava Bahubhasha Kavighoshti Committee and Karnataka Kodava Sahithya Academy at Kaveri Kalakshethra on Sunday. 

There were descriptions of Kodagu’s land, water, agriculture, tradition, culture and heroic deeds along with the beauty of the nature and wildlife. There were disappointment over the failure of government in responding to the problems of the district. There were displeasure over Kodavas not getting the rights over Baane land. There were concern over threat to sanctity of Talacauvery along with the wild elephant menace. This was how a senior poet Chendrimada Ga Muthappa explained Kodagu through his poem.
Muthappa recited poem on ‘Jamma bane’ and highlighted the problems faced by people in Kodagu.

The limericks by an invited poet of Somwarpet, Ha Thi Jayaprakash on politicians Shobha Karandlaje, Siddaramaiah, Goolihatti Shekar, Aravinda Limbavalli, Janardhan Reddy and B S Yeddyurappa highlighted the present political situation in the state. As many as 38 poets recited poems on the occasion. This included four in English and one in Hindi.

Recitation of poems by little V J Monish of Madikeri and Ananya Sharma of Gonikoppa were the centre of attraction. B R Joyappa recited poem ‘Kalajnani,’ B Siddaraju Bellyya— ‘IT BT gala benneri,’ Kayapanda B Tata Changappa— ‘Madikeri,’ T L Padmaja—‘Shikshaka,’ Sathish Kumar of Cherambane—‘Naanu bareyuthene,’ Hemalatha Poornaprakash— ‘Nirlipta baduku,’ Sunitha Lokesh— ‘Pranaya male,’ Shanthaleela— ‘Dr Raj ge namana,’ Manju Gopinathan — ‘Kaarana ishte,’ M E Mohammed—‘Bedagina Kodagu,’ M K Ashraf — ‘Guruve Namaha,’ and Asha Dharmapal recited ‘Prabhu Kaneyagiddare’.

K P Devidas of Gonikoppa recited Malayalam poem ‘Yakshi paramb,’ Narayana of Neerabidire recited Tulu poem ‘Ippodu Incha,’ B M Vasu Rai—’Bale Dasarogu’, Sabalam Bojanna Reddy recited Telugu poem ‘Nenu Manishi Kada.’ A V Manjunath of Virajpet recited limericks. The English poems recited included— M S Subbaiah’s  ‘The power of the invisible,’ Kiggalu G Harish’s ‘We surely will succeed,’ Thekkada Gulabi Janardhan’s ‘Ever green teacher,’ and  V J Monish’s ‘Flower.’ M E Manoj recited Hindi poem.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Madikeri / DH News Service / Oct 11th

Forest Dept plans Survey to Protect ‘Devarakadu’

Agriculture, Green Initiatives / Environment, Nature, , , , ,
The Forest Department has decided to conduct a survey to protect Devarakadu in association with the local villagers by evicting the encroached Devarakadu after monsoon.
The survey will be carried out in association with revenue department. Speaking to presspersons here on Tuesday, Kodagu Circle Conservator of Forest K B Markandeya said “government had earmarked Rs 8 lakh to preserve Devarakadu. The government had also assured to release additional Rs 20 lakh.” 

Devarakadu spreads from half acre land to 350 acre land in Kodagu. Some of the Devarakadu lands have been encroached upon. It has been decided to evict the encroached land in association with local villagers. In this background, a joint survey will be conducted in association with revenue department. As Devarakadu RTC, survey number and other documents are with revenue department, joint survey will be conducted, he informed.

He said: “It has been decided to mark the boundary of Devarakadu by constructing a permanent fence. Instead of forest department taking a unilateral decision, it has been decided to consult Devarakadu committee office-bearers and then chalk out plans on the development of Devarakadu.”

1214 Devarakadu

Ponnampet Forest College Prof C G Kushalappa said Kodagu district has 1,214 Devarakadu spread in 2,550 hectare land. “There is one Devarakadu for every 300 acre land. Such a vast Devarakadu is not found anywhere in such a small land. In Kodagu, 165 Gods are worshipped in Devarakadu in Kodagu,” he informed.

The Devarakadu committee will fetch 90 per cent of the income by selling fallen trees in Devarakadu. “About 10 per cent will be given to the government. The funds can be utilised by the committees for the development of temples in their vicinity.”

Devarakadu have been declared as reserve forest in 1887 itself. Even 150 years ago, our forefathers were protecting Devarakadu. Hunting and felling of trees in Devarakadu is banned, he added. “We do not have complete information on the encroachment of Devarakadu. As Forest law is strong, it will not be evict the encroached area,” he said.

Prof Kushalappa said those who have voluntarily evicted the encroached Devarakadu land have been conferred on ‘Devarakadu mithra’ award. Kadanooru Devarakadu committee was given a financial assistance of Rs 10,000 for best maintenance.

 

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Madikeri / DHNS / Jun 15th

 

Under the Canopy of Tradition

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Green Initiatives / Environment, Historical Links / Pre-Independence, Nature, Uncategorized, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

 

The district of Kodagu has approximately 346 ‘devara kadu’s (sacred groves). The drop in the number of such groves has been cause for concern in recent times. Some environmentalists blame it on the proliferation of coffee estates, observe M G Chandrakanth and M G Nagaraja
These are ancient groves that are deeply revered by the communities that live in their vicinity. The groves, which are hubs of biodiversity,  are called devara kadus, found largely in the State’s Kodagu region. 

The belief that people of the region have in these groves has ensured forest conservation. The concept of sacred worship of trees is unique and nurtures nature conservation with people’s participation and management. India’s first IG of Forests Sir Dietrich Brandis, who influenced and mentored Gifford Pinchot, the first chief of US Forest Service, recognised devara kadus of Kodagu in 1868.

Every village in the district has at least one devara kadu. The tradition of tree worship has its roots in the Vedas, where the ficus tree has been described as housing the fertility spirits of the mythical gandharvas and apsaras. Over the years, Kodagu has lost more than 50 per cent of its devara kadu (755 in 1,900 to 346 at present) with a forest cover loss from 10,343 acres to 4,184 acres. Kodagu currently has an approximate 346 devara kadus spread over 4,184 acres.

The size of the grove varies between one cent and 1,000 acres. For the nature-loving Kodava community, the devara kadu is a place of worship to appease its favourite deities. The drop in the number of devara kadus has been attributed to encroachment of the forest area for cultivation of coffee.

While sacred groves are found all over the State, for instance, Bidirammana gudi (Tiptur), Salumaradamma (Tarikere), Hongelakshmi (Tumkur), Kadamba (dynasty of Mayuravarma who ruled Kodagu), the Kodagu district is special because it has a devara kadu in every village. Uttara Kannada, Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts have naga banas in most villages.

Kodagu is dominated by forests interspersed with valleys. In the west and north, there are peaks ranging from 3,800 feet to 5,724 feet high. The district is peppered with coffee, orange, cardamom and other spice plantations. Each devara kadu has a temple committee which conducts the annual devara kadu festival with participation from Kodagu families and the village community.

The oldest devara kadu of Kodagu (dating back to 1,000 BC) is in Kolathode-Bygode en route to Hathur-Kaikeri in Virajpet taluk. The grove has a prehistoric cone-shaped menhir, about 12 feet high and five feet deep, another menhir ten feet high and three feet deep and a dolmen with a U-shaped porthole near the menhirs. In Yedur and Choudlu in Somwarpet taluk, in the ajji bana (ancient grove), stones are arranged in the form of capstone with stone circle, which is a megalithic practice, for worship even to this day.

This is held during the suggi katte festival. At the foot of the big menhir, a stone axe dating back to the Neolithic era, is still worshipped. An open well, about 50 feet deep, has been dug to meet water needs during worship. The menhirs are unique when compared to the menhirs at Heggadehalli and Doddamolathe in North Kodagu.

For, villagers are known to have offered earthen images, such as that of a dog, child, horse, elephant and other forms to appease the deity, a prehistoric practice. During 1990, a compound was built around both the menhirs by Muruvanda family with the help of Kelappanda, Maletira and Chappanda families. At present, the deva thakka responsibility is shouldered by the Muruvanda family. The name Kolathode-Bygode indicates existence of a rivulet Golagundi joining the river Barappole (as thode implies rivulet).

Linked to family festivals

The tradition of devara kadu conservation by Kodavas is very closely linked to their family festivals, both involving the appeasement of the same deity. The festivals are known as karana kodupa, puttari, kailpod and Cauvery Sankramana (theerthodhbhava). As part of the karana kodupa ceremony, the head of the family and relatives assemble in the Iyenmane (ancestral home) to offer meedi (food) to the ancestor/s.

In Puttari, the harvest festival, the first harvest of paddy crop is offered to the karana (ancestor) seeking a good harvest. In the kailpod or kailmurtha (upon transplanting paddy), hunting weapons and agricultural implements are worshipped. In the Cauvery (Tula) sankramana, river Cauvery, the goddess of Kodagu is worshipped, as Cauvery takes its birth in the Brahmagiri hills at Talacauvery.

Policy implication

The size of the devara kadu is not crucial, but the code of forest conservation that every community or village in Kodagu teaches by way of preserving its devara kadus is a key lesson for the world. Each devara kadu has three common features: the deity, the temple forest and the sacred tank. Tree diversity as well as ancient trees are high in sacred groves attract diverse flora and fauna. In recent times, silver oak, an exotic tree from Australia is becoming a popular shade-giving tree in coffee plantations, because planters need not obtain felling permit from the Forest Department.

This however is affecting diversity of flora, fauna and contributing to climate change.  It is crucial that the Forest Department takes the initiative to demarcate devara kadus as devara kadu reserve forest and not merely as ‘reserve forest’ in the forest / land revenue records, as this practice will protect devara kadus from gradual loss.

A survey of all devara kadus is necessary to demarcate, preserve and protect devara kadu area and numbers. The Forest Department and all the temple forest committees which met under the leadership of Prof CG Kushalappa of Forestry College, UAS Ponnampet have the potential to jointly protect this unique tradition of forest conservation, and hold it as a shining example for the world to emulate.

(M G Chandrakanth is Professor, Department of Agricultural Economics, University of Agricultural Sciences, while M Nagaraja is Hon Secretary, Mythic Society)

source: http: //www.deccanherald.com / Supplements / Spectrum / Sacred Spaces /

Sahithya Sammelan Chief Dr. Padmashekar Speaks her Heart –

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

“Understand subject for creation of good literature”

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Dr Padmashekhar who has been elected as the president of eighth district Kannada Sahithya Sammelan basically hails from Kodagu. At present she is the HoD of Jainism and Prakruth Study Centre of Mysore University.
Dr Padmashekhar 

The sammelan will be held on March 30 and 31. In an interview with Deccan Herald, she spoke on the growth of Kannada language, literature, need for conserving land and water in Kodagu.


* How do you feel being elected as the president of Sahithya Sammelan?

 

I felt happy. In spite of having worked in the literary field for long, I had to wait for so long to get the love of the people of my land.

* What do you feel on the growth of literary activities in Kodagu?

It is not satisfactory. Kodagu district has failed to get a permanent position to get interest in literature and reading habit.
All the written documents are not literature. Better understanding of a subject is essential for the creation of a good literature. Such a good literature has not been created in Kodagu so far.

* What is your opinion on the growth of literature in Kodagu?

Literature is a continuous process. The children should be made to develop interest in literature from childhood.

* In the backdrop of increase in love for English, how far Kannada sahithya sammelan have helped in the growth of the language?

More and more Kannada literary meets should be organised in border areas. The sammelan should be held in those places wherever the language has been affected. There is a need to create an awareness on Kannada. The fact that Kannadigas are liberal and not cowards should be made known to the people through such meets. We all should believe in unity. The united Karnataka was created due to the struggle by our forefathers. No one should come in the way of the unity of the state.

* Do you feel that Kannada has not developed in Kodagu owing to the British rule and migrants from outside the State?

Kodagu is a land with multi-culture. Kannada has not been affected in the land. Kannada language can digest any challenges.

The Kannada speaking people in Kodagu have not declined. Though people from Kerala have settled down in Kodagu, there was no strife between the languages. However, now we are worried over Kodagu property. Kodagu land and Cauvery river is the lifeline of the district. If our land is sold to the outsiders, then we may lose our relation with the land. Now the land and Cauvery has become a property. If this situation continues, what can we save for our future generation? What will happen to the primitives?

* How did you develop interest in Jain literature?

Kuvempu’s ‘Chitrangada’ motivated me to study Kannada. All the girls should read it. By reading Pampa, Ranna, I developed interest in Jain literature. In fact, even my research topic was on Jain literature.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Madikeri / DHNS / Mar 29th

K C CARIAPPA is the ‘Coorg Person of the Year’

Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Green Initiatives / Environment, Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Leaders, , , , , , , , , , , ,
Air Marshal K C Cariappa (retd), an environmentalist who took on the powerful timber lobby in Kodagu district of Karnataka is the ‘Coorg Person of the Year, 2009’.
K C CariappaAir Marshal Cariappa, son of Field Marshal K M Cariappa, topped a poll conducted by www.coorgtourisminfo.com, the first news portal of Kodagu, to select the Coorg Person of the Year. The others who were in the reckoning for the title, include another hardcore environmentalist and President of the Coorg Wildlife Society, Col C P Muthanna (retd) and New York-based novelist Sarita Mandanna, who has been given the largest advance by Penguin India ever paid to a debut novelist for her novel ‘Tiger Hills,’ set in Kodagu. 

Taking a pro-active role, Air Marshal Cariappa went beyond the ‘call of duty’ and approached the Supreme Court of India to restrain the timber mafia, backed by the Kodagu district administration and sundry politicians to prevent the formation of a road across the Pushpagiri Wildlife Sanctuary in Kodagu in the ecologically sensitive Western Ghats.

Following a public interest litigation filed by Air Marshal Cariappa, the Apex Court directed the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) to make an on the spot study of the situation and file a report. In a blatant violation of the law, the Kodagu district administration, backed by the two Kodagu MLAs, and supported by local villagers attempted to lay a road through the Pushpagiri reserve forest, amid opposition from Karnataka forest officials.

The controversial road is a seven km stretch between Madikeri and Subramanya near Mangalore in Dakshina Kannada district. Over 400 villagers from Galibeedu near Madikeri, deployed earthmovers to make the road. Their contention was that the road would shorten the distance between Kodagu and Subramanya.

In a mockery of justice, the villagers were provided ‘police protection’ to form the road by the district administration, headed by the then Deputy Commissioner Baldev Krishna. The top district officials, including the Superintendent of Police, went to the extent of publicly humiliating forest official Anil Rathan who protested against the road being formed through the reserve forest.

Air Marshal Cariappa was commissioned into the Indian Air Force in 1957 and he was shot down in the 1965 India-Pakistan war while carrying out attacks on enemy positions and taken Prisoner of War (POW). When President Ayub Khan of Pakistan, an old buddy of Field Marshal Cariappa, offered to release his son forthwith, the later famous said: “They (other POWs) are all my sons, look after all of them.”

After retirement from the Air Force in 1996, Air Marshal Cariappa has been living at Madikeri in Kodagu. He has been taking a keen interest in environment and was the President of the Coorg Wildlife Society for four years. Two years ago, Air Marshal Cariappa wrote the biography of his father, which brought out his literary talent as a writer.

Dr Jagadeesh Subbaiah Moodera, of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and winner of Oliver E. Buckley Prize, was the Coorg Person of the Year, 2008.
The past winners of Coorg Person of the Year include cricketer Robin Uthappa, researcher Dr Boverianda Nanjamma Chinnappa, and novelist Kaveri Poonacha Nambisan.

 

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Madikeri / DHNS / Dec 31st

 

Multi-faceted Talent makes Kodagu Proud

Education, Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Sports, , , , , , ,
With her special achievements in academic and extra-curricular activities, multi-faceted talent Jahnavi Prasad, an SSLC student of St Joseph’s College in the city, has shown all potentials of attaining a bright future.
Daughter of B N Prasad, the manager of Canara Bank branch here and C N Thejaswini, Jahnavi has secured several awards in the competitions held at different parts of the State. A budding talent in education, arts and sports field, she is the only student from Madikeri to secure the merit scholarship, given by the State government in 2007-08.  

Jahnavi’s mother Thejaswini is a dancer. Hence, the girl has naturally endowed with the talent. She has already given dance performances at different places for the past seven years, and is presently undergoing rigorous training from Vidushi Dr Vidya Muralihar of Madikeri for the senior grade in Bharatanatyam.

Jahnavi Prasad has passed the Kannada entrance exam conducted by the Kannada Sahitya Parishat by securing 178 marks out of 200. She has also passed the all India level general knowledge exam with distinction conducted by the Centre for Human Resource Development, Bangalore, in 2005 and secured a scholarship too.

The girl has also cleared the national-level scholarship contest conducted by the National Council for Development of Education, Chandigarh, this year. She has the credit of being third in the district in the Bharatantyam junior grade exam (2007-08) by securing 352 marks out of 400.

Jahnavi is good at Mathematics too. She surprised the peers by winning the ‘Professor of Maths’ award, clearing an exam conducted by National Educations, Bangalore, as early as 2002. She was the topper at the national-level in a competitive exam on Science conducted by ICETC, Davangere, in 2006-07.

Naturally, Jahnavi is a favourite of her teachers and friends. Proving her potentials in sports, she has won the first place in the Bangalore south zonal level table tennis tourney hosted by Bangalore Urban Zilla Panchayat and Public Instructions Department

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Madikeri / DH News Service / Aug 29th, 2009