Centenarian Brijita Lobo with her daughter Philomena Lobo. Rotary Club of Mysore Royal
by Rtn. Pius Saldanha
This doctor neither has a medical degree nor has she gone to any school but she was an expert in herbal medicine. Meet Brijita Lobo, who celebrated her 101st birthday recently.
Born on Sept. 30, 1913 in Betolli village of Virajpet taluk, and settled down in Beppunad (Kedamullur village) after marrying M.P. Lobo (late), who was a Shirastedar in Virajpet court, she celebrated her 101st birthday on Sept. 30 at Bangalore. Many joined the celebrations which included a Thanksgiving Mass and prayed for her good health.
Like a Kannada saying goes, ‘Aadu muttada soppilla,’ there is no ailment that she did not handle and was an expert as Gynaec. The nearest town, Virajpet being six kilometres away, she was often disturbed for midnight emergency. Any difficult delivery, she handled with confidence. She was fondly called as ‘Badavara Bandhu’ (Messiah of the Poor) by the villagers.
I was her neighbour and in the summer of 1977 came down on holidays from Haryana. Following day, I was relaxing under a tree, talking to my neighbours. I saw her coming down from a hillock, situated a kilometer away. On seeing me, she came and enquired fondly, ‘how are you my son!’ (kosuasaiputa?). I said, ‘Moushe, (O Aunt) I can’t lift my right hand, a dozen boils under my arm due to the heat of summer. On examining me, she went back to the hillock, and returned after 45 minutes and treated me with her herbs. Next day, I could lift my hand with ease and on the following day, I was cured totally.
My cousin Trecilla, a teacher delivered a baby girl in a hospital, and was suffering with acute stomach ache. After a week, this ‘doctor’ treated Trecilla with her herbal medicine, the dead twin baby was flushed out. Trecilla is enjoying her retired life with good health now. Her first twin girl is a mother of two now.
The grand-mother, Brijita Lobo is living with her children in Bangalore. Last year, well-wishers and friends wished her for her 100th birthday. She can be contact on Mob: 9482220399.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Feature Articles / by Rtn. Pius Saldhana / October 04th, 2013
Horticulture department
You may get to savour the famous ‘Kodagina Kittale’ (Kodagu orange) again. The State Horticulture Department has decided to revive the now-extinct variety.
“Our department is tying up with the Indian Institute of Horticultural Sciences (IIHS), Chettalli in Kodagu, to revive ‘Kodagina Kittale’. We are ready to pump in whatever funds required for the purpose,” said Horticulture Department Principal Secretary M K Shankarlinge Gowda.
A couple of decades ago, Kodagu was famous for its variety of orange known for its taste. Coffee planters used to grow the plants in the coffee estates. Over the years, it became extinct because of frequent pest attacks. Gowda said his department will take assistance from the IIHS to revive the citric fruit.
Chettalli farm has around 160 acres of land on which orange saplings will be raised. Once they are ready for transplantation, they will be distributed to farmers and estate owners. Scientists at IIHS will be requested to make those plants pest-resistant so that they will not vanish again. In fact, there is a group of agriculture graduates in Kodagu which is interested in the revival of the variety. “We will rope in their services to create awareness among the people to go for orange cultivation again,” Gowda said.
He said, during hey days orange was planted on more than 2,000 hectares in Kodagu district as the climate is well suited for growing this citric fruit. But now it vanished from coffee estates.
Although Kodagina Kittale cannot compete with the orange of Nagpur, still it has its own place.
No Dearthof Funds
Gowda said plenty of funds are available under Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojna and Competitive Horticulture Programme for promotion of horticulture crops in the state. Around `240 crore is now available with the department and it can spend this money at its discretion.
“My aim is to revive all rare fruits, flowers and vegetables for which Karnataka is known, at least for the future generation,” he said.
A Nanaiah, a resident of Kodagu, said loads of oranges were harvested and sent to neighbouring states but the pests pushed this rare variety of orange to extinct. “As children, we used to eat this orange but now we miss it,” he laments.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Bangalore / by Shyam Sundar Vattan / October 07th, 2013
The tiny hill district of Kodagu (Coorg) in Karnataka is facing an ecological disaster with the President of India giving his assent to a controversial legislation which allows the disposal and sale of Jamma lands in Kodagu located in the fragile Western Ghats. It is feared that the resultant denudation of the forests in the region could trigger an environmental damage with unpredictable consequences.
The repercussions of the legislation — The Karnataka Land Revenue (Third Amendment), Act, 2011, which received Presidential assent early this year after the bill was referred to the President by the Karnataka governor last year, will not only be severe on the Western Ghats region, considered as one of world’s bio-diversity hotspots, but will also take its toll on the customary laws, traditions and culture of the indigenous communities.
Jamma land tenure is unique to Kodagu district and it is estimated that the extent of ‘Jamma Baane’ land in Kodagu is around 2.55 lakh acres in possession of the local people — Kodavas, Amma-Kodavas, Heggades, Airis, Koyavas, Moplas and Gaudas. Jamma lands consist of wetland for growing paddy and the accompanying Baane land, initially used for cattle grazing and held free of assessment, now converted into coffee estates.
According to Sir J B Lyall, a British expert on tenures in Coorg who traced the origin of Jamma, it was originally a military tenure held on payment of half the assessment in consideration of military service. Jamma was granted under ‘sanads’ largely by the Coorg Rajas (1600 AD to 1834 AD) and to a smaller extent by the British till 1895 to the local inhabitants.
Hitherto, there was a ban on the sale of Jamma lands as the cultivator was only a ‘deemed owner’. The new legislation will confer the title of ‘occupant owner’ and allows the sale of land. The legislation, it is feared, will legitimise large scale denudation of trees and the formation of human settlements on Jamma Bane lands as there will be heavy influx of population from the neighbouring states. The presence of increased human habitation will have its impact on the adjoining forest land, its flora and fauna.
For generations, the life of the local communities, centered around the cultivation of the Jamma lands, the principal tenure in Kodagu. The Jamma lands could not be alienated as there was no provision for transferring the title of the property. The ownership was jointly held by the clan and it was managed by the head of the clan (Pattedara).
The issue went before the Karnataka high court and a full bench of the court held in its judgement delivered in October, 1993 that Jamma Baane landholders had limited privileges for cattle grazing, supply of firewood and timber for the domestic and agriculture purposes, but had no right to exploit the trees for commercial purposes, unless the holder had paid full timber value to the government. The court also held that the land-owner had no right to the sub-soil.
Customs and traditions
Once the ban on the sale of Jamma lands is lifted, the indigenous communities will be removed from their traditional Jamma holdings which formed the basis of their customs and traditions. The ‘ain-mane’ or the ancestral houses of the clans, was the focal point of all festivities and religious usages. It is feared that once the Jamma lands are sold to outsiders, the new land owners could lay claim to the ‘ain-manes,’ considered sacred to the local communities. This could lead to social tensions and law and order problem.
The biggest threat will come from the real estate mafia who were eyeing the Jamma lands all these years. With tourism boom in Kodagu, the local communities will be under pressure to sell their lands as the state will not have any control over them. It is learnt that already Jamma lands are being sold in anticipation of the new law taking effect.
The amendment to the Jamma tenure was effected during the previous BJP regime. The amendment was politically motivated and passed in haste without much debate in the Legislative Assembly, reportedly at the instance of the then Speaker K G Bopaiah who wanted to take political advantage. One of the reasons for Bopaiah’s re-election from the Virajpet constituency was on account of the political mileage he gained by getting the amendment passed.
The new amendment will create more problems than it hopes to solve. Those who drafted the amendment bill have failed to recognise the fact that apart from Jamma Baane lands, there are other types of Baanes — ‘Hithlu’ and ‘Sagu Baane’ lands.
Advocate K Sarojini Muthanna, who is knowledgeable on Jamma tenure matters, has suggested that the government should carry out further amendments to the Karnataka Land Revenue Act, 1964, devoting a separate chapter for the Jamma lands of Kodagu. The main support for the amendment has come from Akhila Kodava Samaja, representing a small section of the Kodavas. The president of the Samaja, Mathanda C Monnappa, opined that the amendment removed ‘irritants’ by way of government circulars which gave the impression that the land belonged to the government.
A large section of people, however, feel that in the interest of preserving the culture of Kodagu, and maintaining the ecological balance in the Western Ghats, the Siddaramaiah government should not give effect to the amendment to the Jamma land tenure.
source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> Panorama / by P.T.Bopanna / July 24th, 2013
The two songs of the upcoming Kannada movie Ajith, which has Chiranjeevi Sarja and Nikki Galrani in the lead roles, will be shot in Madikeri and surrounding areas. Harsha will do the choreography for the songs.
The film, which is directed by Mahesh Babu, is the remake of Tamil film Paiyya. The movie will mark the debut of Nikki Galrani in Sandalwood and Yuva Shankar Raja — the music composer for Paiyya — as he will be scoring the music for the Kannada version too. The film also has Arpitha, Rockline Sudhakar and Shivamanju in important roles. Ajith has already been shot in Mysore and other locations of the state, and Sundaranath Suvarna is the cinematographer of the movie.
Meanwhile Chiranjeevi Sarja will soon start working for the movie Ayya-2, which will be a sequel to Ayya movie. The film will be directed by Om Prakash Rao. Chiranjeevi Sarja also has another remake film Chandralekha in the pipeline, which is a remake of the Telugu film Prema Katha Charitham.
source: http://www.articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / Home> Entertainment> Regional> Kannada> Film / by Vinay Lokesh, TNN / September 13th, 2013
What comes to mind when you think of Kodagu or Madikeri? Coffee, homestays, waterfalls, elephant camps, Tibetan settlements, meaty-pork stews? How many of us know that Kodagu, unlike the other districts of Karnataka, is home to a range of wildlife species? And in particular, birds and reptiles?
I found the answers in a plantation located in Galibeedu village, Madikeri. I visited a 25-acre plantation, in which coffee, pepper, cardamom and vanilla are cultivated for a two-day stay. It is run by a North Indian couple who quit their jobs 20 years ago to develop this piece of land into an eco initiative that can be enjoyed by all.
The plantation is dense with coffee and other spices grown under the inter-cropping method. Guests are accommodated in tents and a handful of cottages. Locally grown organic food is served to them. The entire plantation is run on solar power, bringing it as close to the nature as possible.
The plantation also serves Civet Coffee, which is made out of beans that are defecated by the civet, a wild cat, that feasts on ripe coffee berries. The beans are washed, sundried and roasted to yield maximum aroma. Due to the enzymatic activity and the touch of amino acids in the Civet’s gut, these beans acquire unique flavours—making it less bitter, more aromatic and hence one of the most expensive and exclusive kinds of coffee in the world.
The night called for a few pleasant surprises—the deafening sounds of the crickets followed by a soothing array of fireflies. Though their charm might be ephemeral, they have a magical effect on you. I tried so hard not to blink, fearing the loss of a few glints. The minimally-lit tents with below 10-watt bulbs paved a perfect setting for this magical moment.
The plantation is an ornithologist’s delight. I spotted the Malabar Whistling Thrush, Woodpeckers, Racket Tailed Drongos, Fly Catchers and Kingfishers among several tiny birds. The plantation is also home to stick insects, hibernating butterflies, tree frogs and leaf frogs. Some belonged to the Lateralus family and are endemic to the Western Ghats region. The frogs were a sight to behold; they changed colours, had shiny-green skin, big, bulgy eyes and had perched themselves on twigs as if waiting for us to visit them.
My two-day stay passed away in a blur and I decided to walk down to the much talked-about stream surrounded by birds about five kilometres away before departing. As I trekked down, the clouds got thicker and darker. I spotted a flock of birds, all different in colour and kind, perched on a tree. It suddenly began to drizzle and the birds in search of shelter, flew from one tree to the other at once. The swarming birds flew low, making it one of my most colourful memories—tints of hidden orange and blue, reds and greys exposed—a flying rainbow indeed.
Ignoring the rain and time, I soaked and hiked at my own pace. When I got back, I was the only one for breakfast and I had missed out on my last dig at the sumptuous avocados too! Oh well!! What more can one ask for when you had the experience of a flying rainbow?
source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> Supplements> Spectrum / by Aishwarya Madineni, DHNS / September 03rd, 2013
The two-day operation to drive wild elephants back into forests by the forest department in South Kodagu in progress | Express photos
The two-day initiative of the Forest Department to drive wild elephants back into the forests came to an end on Saturday.
On Friday, the operation commenced in the presence of chief conservator of forests, Kodagu circle, Brijesh Kumar Dixith, Deputy Conservator of Forests (DCF), Virajpet division, Malathi Priya, Deputy Conservator of Forests, Nagarahole wildlife division, Gokul, assistant conservator of forests and range forest officials and staff from all the forest department divisions of Kodagu district.
14 Jumbos Driven Back to Forests
The teams were able to chase away 14 elephants from Devarapura and Nokya Gram Panchayat limits, ACF Belliappa told Express.
On Saturday, the teams were unable to spot even one elephant.
He said the teams will continue to ensure the elephants do not return.
“The operation will be continued next week in Pollibetta areas. Movement of vehicles and people will be restricted through publicity arrangements,” he said.
Belliappa added that most elephants entered South Kodagu either from Mauvkal or Nagarahole forests.
Need for Public Help
The operation involved tamed elephants, special task force staff, wildlife staff from Nagarahole, Virajpet division forest officers and staff along with watchers. General public and police also extended required assistance to the department.
Chief conservator of forests, Kodagu circle, Dixith told reporters here on Saturday that as per the elephant census taken last year, as many as 6,000 elephants were located in the state. In Kodagu region, covering Gonikoppa, Thithimathi and Maldaare areas, as many as 100 wild elephants are troubling people, he said.
“Another 32 elephants are permanent residents of BBTC coffee estates in Siddapura. These should be captured and shifted,” he said. However, before their capture, a few technical and legal aspects need to be addressed, he said.
In Bramhagiri wildlife sanctuary, 30 elephants on the Kodagu-Kerala border have been identified that need to be captured and sent back into forest cover, he said. All these issues have been brought to the notice of Forest Minister Ramanath Rai, Dixith added.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Karnataka / by Express News Service – Madikeri / July 29th, 2013
Harangi Reservoir, one of the most important water bodies in the Cauvery basin, will soon get a garden modelled after the Brindavan Gardens of Krishna Raja Sagar Dam, thereby fulfilling a dream that has been pending for decades.
The idea of a park came about when R Gundu Rao was the chief minister. However, once he stepped down, the project was sidelined and came to a standstill.
Later, when M P Appachu Ranjan became MLA and then District Minister, he put in all his efforts to make the dream a reality. He was supported by then minister for Major Irrigation Basavaraj Bommai who gave his nod for the project.
Bommai also came down to Harangi Dam and laid the foundation stone for the about `4 crore project.
MLA M P Appachu Ranjan told Express that the project was one of his major achievements as a minister in the BJP government.
Executive engineer of Harangi Reservoir Phalanethraiah and manager Nagaraj told Express that the park would be inaugurated on August 15.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Karnataka / by B C Dinesh / ENS – Madikeri / June 21st, 2013
Kodagu is inundated after recent downpours. – DNA
The copious amount of rain that areas near Bhagamandala in Kodagu received in the recent past has pronounced good news for the people of Bangalore and Mysore. The rainwater has started filling up the Krishnaraja Sagar reservoir in Srirangapatna taluk in Mandya district, which is the main source of water for Bangalore and Mysore.
As a result of the heavy rain on the hills of Madikeri, the Bhagamandala-Talacauvery area, which resembled a drought stricken place a few days back, filled people with joy, despite the road from Bhagamandala-Napoklu being inundated, throwing life out of gear.
People did not mind their children missing classes and ignored the absence of the workers in their fields and plantations, and chose to just sit back and enjoy the rain. Men settled down with their bottle of rum while ladies were in a holiday mood and many of them cooked their signature dish ‘Pandi Curry’(pork chops) and ‘Pundi’ (rice dumplings) for their family.
“This is the time to be happy. Kodagu is looked upon by the people in the Cauvery basin as the provider of life. We were sad when there was less water in Cauvery. But, for the past few weeks, the elders were worried about the drought like situation in Bhagamandala and the entire river course of Cauvery and the dry situation at the KRS,” said Prasad Nanjappa, a resident of Madikeri town.
Confirming copious inflow of water into the reservoir, executive engineer of the KRS facility told dna that the inflow improved tremendously to reach 4,300 cusecs per day, which subsequently increased the water level from 65 feet in the past week to 80.16 feet.
“With the rains in Kodagu district intensifying, we expect more water to flow into the KRS reservoir in the next few days,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Kodagu district administration has declared holidays for schools and colleges for the next two days.
source:http://www.dnaindia.com / DNA / Home> Bangalore> Report / by M Raghuram / Place:Mysore, Agency:DNA / Wednesday – June 26th, 2013
Rain Man: Abraham Tharakan with his son, Bobby / Photo: K.K. Mustafah / The Hindu Abraham Tharakan’s family has been recording rainfall since the late 1950s. He talks about his family’s unique engagement and its relevance in these times. Shilpa Nair Anand learns about the family’s unique engagement and its relevance in these times.
Rain is on everyone’s mind this year, every millimetre and inch of rain is a conversation piece. But a family in Muvattupuzha is ‘into’ rainfall and has been recording it for close to 50 years.
There is a story to how Abraham Tharakan’s family got interested in rains, specifically in measuring rainfall. His grandfather, his namesake, a native of Thaikattussery, moved from the traditional coconut and paddy cultivation into plantation agriculture. He bought land in Kothamangalam in the late 1920s or early 30s for this purpose.
“My father, also Abraham Tharakan, had the green thumb. He started cardamom, coffee and rubber plantations. And then in the 1950s he heard about coffee plantations in Coorg,” Abraham Tharakan reminisces. A huge photograph of his late father dominates the drawing room in the house in Muvattupuzha. A smaller oil painting of his grandfather rests on a corner table.
Abraham Tharakan’s family has been recording rainfall since the late 1950s. It started out as a planter’s necessity in Coorg, which it still is, Tharakan says. He shows records of the rains in Muvattapuzha from 1988. If you are wondering how much rainfall Muvattupuzha received in July 1989, all you need to do is refer to his meticulously well-kept records. It rained 150 days in 2002 as compared to the 124 days in 2001; in 2010 Muvattupuzha got 4. 25 inches of rain in one-and-a-half hours and the same year it got 7.75 inches over a 24 hour period. “I had records of rain in Kothamangalam from the 1970s too. Some of those were lost when we shifted here.”
Dedicated notebooks
The ‘records’ are maintained in notebooks dedicated to recording rainfall. Some of the books are informal notebooks. But the records since 2000 are in a specific notebook, which he bought from Coorg. “When Kodavas buy property, one of the first records they ask for, even before the land deed, is the rain chart. Their conversations start with ‘how much did you get?’”
The record-keeping started with his father, during his days in Coorg. He remembers seeing his first rain gauge as a 10-year-old. “There was hardly any irrigation there and planters solely depended on rain. Coffee is a one time crop and untimely rain can damage the crop. The idea behind monitoring weather conditions was to help agricultural operations,” he says. When his father returned to Thaikattusserry (Alappuzha) he installed a rain gauge there. Father and son would exchange notes on the rainfall received, something which he does today with his sons, Ebbey and Bobby. The coastal belt gets less rainfall as compared to the high ranges, he says. “If Muvattupuzha gets an average of 110 inches of rain then Kochi would get an average of 90 inches of rainfall,” says this engineer-turned planter.
As we chat, his son informs him that Kothamangalam has already recorded 13 inches of rainfall till July 8. When Tharakan talks about the rain it becomes clear how little we know about it. “There is a difference between getting four inches of rain and three-and-a-half inches.” An agriculturist needs to know the pattern of rainfall received. He shows the rainfall patterns of 2010 and 2011, during the monsoon, and the chart for 2012. The charts show a clear deficit of rainfall during the June-July period.
“If someone had been monitoring rainfall then the power shortage could have been anticipated and corrective measures could have been taken before it was too late.” He is not only talking from a planter’s point of view.
He is against the attitude of taking rain for granted, “you cannot sit back thinking it will rain because it rained the year before. There is all this talk about the water table and rain water harvesting…but how much do we know about rain?”
He even records the number of days it rains each year. Ebbey and Bobby measure the rainfall and make the records.
“My sons go on the Net for accurate weather forecasts. If it rains more in November rubber tapping is affected. This way we know what the weather is going to be; so we can be prepared. The Indian Meteorological Department is very accurate and so are the satellite pictures in The Hindu. The various websites are extremely helpful. Information is more detailed; it is very different from what it was in my time.”
He has not missed a single day of recording rainfall. Outings are planned in such a way that they don’t hamper the recording, his wife says. There is always somebody around to monitor rainfall.
Another cause
Abraham Tharakan is a member of the All Kerala Parents’ Association of the Deaf. The cause of the deaf is close to his heart as both his sons are hearing impaired. He counsels parents of similar children. He moved to Kerala from Mysore in 1976. He was at the All India Institute of the Hearing Impaired aiding them in their treatment. Both his sons look after the estates; they are perfect examples of assimilation. Ebbey and Bobby even have driving licenses.
How it works
The rain gauge is a cylindrical metal pipe with a funnel inside with a container placed under it to collect rainwater which is then measured.
The gauge is not high-tech. The rainwater once collected in the gauge is then measured using a cylindrical measuring glass used specifically to record rain.
The previous day’s rain is measured every morning at 7 a.m.
Of the rain gauges he uses, one is ‘made in Coorg’. He has installed two in his garden, but he finds the ‘Coorg’ one more reliable.
He bought one from Kochi but he is not sure about its accuracy because there is a variation in the sizes, which, he believes, might hamper accuracy.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> MetroPlus / by Shilpa Nair Anand / Kochi – July 14th, 2013
Coffee’s rich history in India There is a world of spice growing alongside the coffee plantations in Coorg, and it is indeed a site worth seeing.
Cruising at an altitude of 35,000 feet, on a flight back to the U.S., I knew I had left a part of me in Madikeri, Coorg, India. I have never experienced the raw beauty of nature the way I did on this trip. I can go on about this for hours, but I will let the photographs speak for themselves. Get yourself a nice cup of steaming coffee, it is going to be a long post.
Click here for the Inside Look at India’s Coffee Growers (Slideshow)
http://www.thedailymeal.com/inside-look-indias-coffee-growers-slideshow
Supposedly, Turkish law in the late 1400s made it legal for a woman to divorce her husband if he failed to provide her with her daily quota of coffee. I’m not sure of the authenticity of this, but coffee has always been a serious beverage, which you do not want to mess up with. Perfect ripened beans are processed, dried, and then roasted at perfect temperatures to give us the cup of bliss that we enjoy every morning. (In my case, multiple cups of bliss.)
It was in the 17th century that coffee came to India, when Bababudan smuggled eight beans and planted it in the hills of Chikmagalur, Karnataka. Now, thanks to the British who helped cultivation of coffee in South India, both coffee Arabica and coffee Robusta are cultivated in Coorg. The rainforest provides a perfect canopy to grown coffee in shade. There is a world of spice growing alongside the coffee plantations in Coorg, and it is indeed a site worth seeing… pepper creeper embracing the tall redwood and silver oak, almost like green pillars towering the sky with cardamom bushes alongside. Picture this… and it is pouring because it is the monsoons, probably the wrong time to visit a rain forest. For me, there would have been no better time than this…
I managed to take some pictures between the long bouts of rain, but the picture of the wet rain forest that I carry in my memories could not be captured from a lens and is truly priceless. I cannot say I did justice to the beauty of this place; you have to see it to believe it.
Among all the different types of coffee I tasted there, “bella coffee,” or coffee made with jaggery, was indeed the best and I am not sure how many cups or gallons I had; my father-in-law was my partner in crime, looking at the rain pouring, the cloud playing hide and seek to reveal the rich mountains… and a cup of coffee. What more can anyone ask for?
Simi J. enjoys cooking and celebrating the pleasure that food brings to our lives.Visit Simi at Turmeric N’ Spice. http://www.turmericnspice.com/
source: http://www.thedailymeal.com / Home> Drink / by Simi, Special Contributor / August 14th, 2013
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