Tag Archives: Coorg

Madikeri Fort / Madikeri Palace

About Kodagu / Coorg, Historical Links / Pre-Independence, , , , , , , , , , , ,

Madikeri Fort / Madikeri Palace

Madikeri Fort was first built as a mud fort by Mudduraja at the end of 17th century. He also built a palace inside the fort. It was eventually rebuilt in granite by Tipu Sultan who later named the site as Jaffarabad.

The Madikeri fort had witnessed several fierce battles. In 1700, Doddavira Rajendra took control of the fort. The Palace was renovated by Lingarajendra Wodeyar II in 1812-1814.

The fort encompasses a church which houses the state archaeological museum, and in 1812, when the British took over the territory the fort, the palace and its apartments were all transformed into district offices. Two magnificent mortar elephant figures can also be seen inside the fort. The palace features a stone formation of a tortoise, which has initials of King Vijayarajendra engraved on it.

The palace is built in gothic style, and the church inside is known as the St. Mark’s Church which has been converted into a museum with historical artifacts, along with a section dedicated to Field Marshal Cariappa. Besides museum, this fort also houses a district prison, the Kote Mahaganapathi Temple and the Mahatma Gandhi Public Library.

source: http://www.folksden.com / Karnataka

Designer Arati Monappa’s 10 rules of style for homes

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


Arati Monappa, designer and owner of Serenity reveals her 10 rules of style.

1. There are two categories of people who have antiques — those who have inherited them and those who buy them because they are genuinely interested and have read up about them. It’s important to keep a piece from the past, that has been handed down from generation to generation. Especially because, antiques today are so expensive. So, if you’ve inherited any antique, keep it.

2. There are so many ways you can put your heirlooms to use. For instance, if you have a very old pashmina shawl, one that’s not good to be used by you, you may use it as a drape over your sofa. It enhances the furniture piece and two, becomes a talking point.

3. Antique pieces blend very easily into today’s modern homes. You may have a technology driven home, stocked with plasma TVs and other hi-tech gadgets and still add antique pieces like old copper or brass lamps or wood carvings. These pieces give character and personality to an otherwise stainless steel, shiny, impersonal house.

4. Talking about care for copper pieces, I use a powder called Pitambari. You just rub the powder over the item to make it gleam. There are more solid means of preserving these pieces too, like applying a coat of lacquer. For old wooden pieces, you may apply a coat of MRF’s wood coat polish. Or you may simply use a brush to remove the dust and rub linseed oil on it.

5.Antiques are undervalued. I see people throwing out items like old copper pots or beautifully woven baskets and replacing them with plastic mugs and plastic bags. There is a need for a certain education about the value of the old heirlooms. Not because of their value, but mainly because, plastic can’t be recycled and is not good for the environment. By buying plastic, you are adding to the junk.

6. There are quite a few old valuables that young couples interested in doing up their homes could buy. They could go for a lovely ceramic pottery piece or pick up old lamps. An old lamp in the corner is enough to add character to the living room. Old textiles are another option. For instance, your grandmother’s old woven sari could make for a beautiful framed piece of art, in the hall.

7. My store Serenity, is a good example of how you can bring the old into the new. We’ve re-used old glass panes, doors and grills for the interiors. So, even if its a modern five- year-oldbuilding, it’s got all these old elements like granite pillars, attangadi tiles for the floor, old mirrors and more.

8. Bangalore has quite a few places where you could go hunting for antiques. There’s Thar Gallery in Indiranagar. I believe Raintree carries a range of old furniture. Then of course, you have Russell Market, where you still have little shops where you can pick up an interesting salvaged piece.

9. I like to spend money on carpets and artworks. I think these two are very important in a home and add a whole new character to it. A painting doesn’t have to be expensive. It could also mean indigenous art like a mithila, madhubani or warli art.

10. I am very fond of carpets for the intricacy of their weaves. I am partial to porcelain and ceramic too. I like my teacups and teapots!

source: http://www.dnaindia.com / Home> Lifestyle> Report / by Mahalakshmi Prabhakaran / Place:Bangalore, Agency:DNA / Thursday, December 01st, 2011

Nikhil Chinappa’s magical night in Bangalore

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

The weekend started with a bang for all the revellers who stepped out into the nippy Bangalore evening, dressed in their best for a night on the town.

Nikhil Chinappa took over the console at Bling, The Zuri Whitefield, weaving his magic over all the people who thronged the nightclub and tripped non-stop on some funky commercial numbers.

As it was a ladies’ night, the girls were given complimentary vodka shots, which went down very well! BT spotted Rohit Barker, Tuhin Mehta and Priti Chand, among others thoroughly enjoying the evening.

source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / Parties> Bangalore> Home> Collection / TNN / November 27th, 2011

BAI website gives Jwala-Ponnappa WC bronze a miss

Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Sports, , , , , , , , , ,

Badminton fans in the country cannot stop raving about the exploits of doubles stars Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa, who created history last Sunday by winning a medal in the World Badminton championship after a gap of 28 years. While the two girls made news across the country, it seems the Badminton Association of India (BAI), or more precisely their official website, is completely unaware of their heroics.

Even after a week, the official website is completely oblivious to the performance of the Indian contingent in London and is more bothered about publishing the internal circulars and other mundane stuff like appointment of technical officials and other committees.

The attitude of those maintaining the website is no different from the overall approach of the sports administrators, who are happy holding on to their chairs rather than looking to be proactive to popularise the game.

Shuttlers Jwala Gutta (foreground) and Ashwini Ponnappa created history last Sunday by winning a medal in the World Championship after a gap of 28 years. Reuters

 

The last few years have been the best period for Indian badminton since the Prakash Padukone era. In fact, I would say the situation is even better than the 70s and 80s when Padukone was the lone flag-bearer of the country on the international stage. Today, there are many players who have been performing consistently at the highest level and there are at least three disciplines in which India can aim to win medals in major international tournaments.

Such a situation should be an open invitation for any sports administrator to try and popularise the sport and what can be a better way than to build the marketing strategy around the players, whom the fans and even the corporate world can relate to.

And the officials need not look beyond their very own Saina Nehwal, who has become a household name once she signed up with a sports management firm and the company began building her image around the “I will do anything to succeed” attitude.

Thankfully, almost all the top players in the country are very articulate and can connect to the masses very easily. But somehow, the ‘shuttler’ seems to be the least important entity in the badminton set-up in India and the badminton activities that are organised during a season are more out of compulsion than with a long-term plan for the benefit of the players.

The last concrete step for the development of sport was taken back in 2000, under the leadership of Padukone, when the prize money structure was introduced in the domestic circuit and a national ranking system put in place.

The BAI honchos made us believe that their endeavour to host major international events in the country since 2009 was an attempt to provide the players an opportunity to grow. But instead, in the first two years, they put restrictions on Indians participating in these tournaments under the pretext that “the image of the country” will be tarnished if players lost in the initial rounds.

Even after the Commonwealth Games, where India won two gold medals and a team silver, the association members indulged in the capital instead of arranging an event or a sponsorship deal as a token of appreciation for the players.

But what can one expect from an association which has still not bothered to put in place a basic mechanism of providing the media with the results of domestic and international tournaments, which is very important to keep the sport and sportsperson in public memory.

In these circumstances, expecting the association to promote the cause of players by building an interface between fans and sportspersons seems to be a distant dream. But the very least a player can expect is a mention of his/her achievement on the website and a word of appreciation from those running the sport.

source: http://www.FirstPost.com / blog > shuttle talk> / Aug 22nd, 2011

Modern Hanging Bridge Facilitates Kodagu-Mysore Villages

Business & Economy, Uncategorized, , , , , , , , , ,

Kushalnagar:

The much-anticipated dream of the villagers to get a hanging bridge for Cauvery river near Kanive Sri Ramalingeshwara Temple in the north Kodagu region, has at last come true.

A hanging bridge for Cauvery river has been built by Malenadu Area Development Authority at a cost of Rs.42 lakh by using modern technology. The attractive bridge, constructed under the guidance of hanging bridge expert from Sullia, Girish Bharadwaj, is now ready for inauguration. It is the nearest bridge connecting Kodagu and its neighbour Mysore district. This bridge lessens the distance between various border villages including Dodda Kamarahalli, Shyanubhoganahalli, Dindigaadu, Muttina Mullusoge, Kanagalu, Hanumanthapura, Karadilakkana Kere of Periyapatna taluk in Mysore district and Kodagu valley, Bhuvanagiri, Huluse, Hakke, Koodige, Marooru, Hebbale and other villages of Kodagu district.

Girish Bharadwaj, who has built the bridge with the help of 20 labourers in two months, says the help and trust of the villagers of the valley has been memorable. Two concrete pillars of two metre width and 33 feet height on two sides of the river are balancing the 83.5-metre- long hanging bridge with the help of iron ropes. Galvansied iron cables are fitted to the sides of the bridge for safety, Girish said.

The hanging bridge is a result of the special interest shown by MLA Appachu Ranjan, who heeded to the requests of the villagers for a bridge. Until now, the villagers including students crossed the river on the dangerous canal bridge built for lift irrigation to reach Kodagu for their daily business and schools and colleges. Many women commuted to Kudloor everyday for coffee curing works and it was difficult for them to return home at dark after 7 pm on the dangerous old bridge. The new hanging bridge has facilitated the villagers from both sides of the river to carry out their daily activities without much hassle, said Sri Ramalingeshwara Temple Committee President E.S. Ganesh, expres-sing his happiness that both the temple and tourism will improve due to the hanging bridge.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / by Raghu Hebbale / August 22nd, 2011

Funeral Held for Keeki Thammaiah, Harrow Council’s first Asian Mayor

Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Nri's / Pio's, , , , , , , , ,

A PACKED funeral service was held for a former Labour councillor described as a “true ambassador of Harrow” yesterday.

Packed funeral service for Harrow's first Asian mayor

Packed funeral service for Harrow’s first Asian mayor

Former Queensbury ward councillor Keeki Thammaiah, 76, passed away following a heart attack on his sofa while his wife Naila made dinner in their kitchen last Monday evening.

The former Wembley High School teacher was elected as a councillor in 1992 and served the borough up until the elections last year, when he stepped down.

He was appointed mayor in 2000 and during his time on the council also sat on licensing and planning committees.

He was born in Coorg, in South India, and came to Britain in 1964, teaching maths at Wembley High in the Seventies before moving on to City of Westminster College in 1985.

London Assembly member Navin Shah spoke at the service referring to Mr Thammaiah as an “elder brother.”

He said: “He was a laid-back, quiet person with a smile and a glint in his eyes. For Keeki there were no long speeches, no aggression, no controversy, wherever Keeki went as the mayor he gave measured and short speeches in his own inimitable style.

“He was respected and loved and naturally carried himself as a true ambassador of Harrow.

“Keeki’s achievements and his contribution to the community are a matter of pride and celebration.”

Former Harrow mayor Alderman Keith Toms knew Mr Thammaiah for 20 years.

He said: “He was so honest and related so well to the public. Harrow became a better place because of him but he did things quietly.

“Keeki stood out simply for all the things he did to improve the area but he never did it loudly.

“He was very laid-back, unruffled and so dependable.

“He achieved everything through quietly working within the community and laying the foundations for a better area.”

Mr Thammaiah is survived by wife Naila, son Ponnu, granddaughter Sonali and grandsons Adit and Alok.

Son Ponnu, 38, was one of the pallbearers carrying his father’s coffin yesterday.

He said: “I was so touched by everybody. The visitors and messages have been non-stop.

“I was living at home when he was mayor and we are so proud of him and the work that he did.

“There was a great turnout for the funeral so thank you to everyone who came and who has supported us at this time.

source: http://www.harrowtimes.co.uk / by Suruchi Sharma / Tuesday Apr 05th, 2011

Maj Gen Chengappa is New IG AR (S)

Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, , , , , , ,

Imphal:

Major Gen BK Chengapa who earlier commanded the 14 Garhwal Rifles in Manipur has taken over as the IG AR (South) from Maj General BS Ghotra who has been posted to a coveted appointment at Integrated Defence Headquarters.


Incoming IG AR (S) Maj Gen Chengapa shakes hands with his predecessor BS Ghotra

In a statement, PIB (Defence Wing) said that Maj Gen Chengapa hails from Coorg in Karnataka and his earlier association with Manipur has enabled him to experience the rich socio-cultural dynamics of the State.

The new IG is a veteran of the 1971 Indo-Pak war and has experienced CI Ops in JK and the North East as well as at the battle field of Siachen, said PIB.

Gen Chengapa had also commanded the 25 Sector AR at Arunachal Pradesh.

Prior to his present assignment as the IG AR (South) Gen Chengapa was the Head of Faculty as the College of Defence Management, Secunderabad.

source: http://www.e-pao.net / The Sangai Express / Home> Headlines / Aug 29th

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