Ranji Trophy: Uthappa, Nair script Karnataka’s dominance

Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Sports
Karun Nair's strike rate was marginally higher than Robin Uthappa as the two ended the day having scored an unbeaten 108 each. – B. JOTHI RAMALINGAM
Karun Nair’s strike rate was marginally higher than Robin Uthappa as the two ended the day having scored an unbeaten 108 each. – B. JOTHI RAMALINGAM

Assam’s first-innings century-maker Amit Verma seems to have passed the run-feast baton on to the Karnataka batsmen.

Seasoned Robin Uthappa and Karnataka’s stand-in captain Karun Nair made full use of the chances offered by the Assam fielders to pile on hundreds on Day Two in the Ranji Trophy Group B tie at the Mumbai Cricket Association’s Bandra-Kurla Complex facility. It helped Karnataka snatch the advantage in the contest.

Scorecard
At stumps, Karnataka – after restricting Assam to 325 in the morning with Verma running out of partners – was comfortably placed at 223 for two. If the unbeaten pair sees off the second new ball, due in 11 overs, on a wicket that still offers decent carry for pacers, then it would be interesting to see if Karnataka presses for an outright victory to mark the festivities.

The conditions were not at all threatening for Uthappa and Nair. But the situation in which they scored hundreds was remarkable. Pacerts Arup Das and Krishna Das had removed openers Mayank Agarwal and R. Samarth in the first three overs. Had wicket-keeper K. B. Arun Karthick latched on to a sharp chance down the leg side off the second ball Nair faced, Karnataka would have been three down with nothing much on the board.

But Nair survived, and thereafter, looked in little trouble. Uthappa played cautiously at the start but soon started playing his trademark drives. All four of his scoring strokes before lunch were boundaries, with a straight punch off Krishna Das the highlight among them.

On the first ball after lunch, Uthappa had a slice of luck. He nicked one from Abu Nechim Ahmed that pitched in the off-stump channel to Karthick, but the umpire consulted the television umpire to check if Ahmed had overstepped. The bowler didn’t have any part of his foot behind the crease. Uthappa, then, concentrated harder and preferred to go after the loose balls bowled by the spinners.

Nair survived another chance when he was dropped by Assam captain Gokul Sharma off leggie Amit Verma on 85, before he was outdone by Uthappa in the race for the hundred. While Uthappa steered Ahmed for his twelfth four to celebrate his 21st first-class century, Nair soon joined him in a similar fashion – a late cut off Verma that sped for a four.

source: http://www.sportstarlive.com / Sports Star Live.com / Home> Cricket / by Amol Karhadkar, Mumbai / October 28th, 2016

Crimson Cup Expands Friend2Farmer® Direct Trade Relationships with Peruvian Coffee Farmers

Coffee News, World Opinion

Columbus, Ohio coffee roaster Crimson Cup Coffee & Tea recently traveled into Peru’s Andes Mountains to expand relationships with coffee farmers. During the trip. licensed Q Grader Brandon Bir led judging for a coffee competition in the Junin region.

Columbus, Ohio :

Brandon Bir, coffee sourcing and education manager for Columbus coffee roaster Crimson Cup Coffee & Tea recently traveled into Peru’s Andes Mountains to expand relationships with coffee farmers, agronomists, and others dedicated to improving the quality of the country’s coffee. While there, the licensed coffee Q Grader led judging for a coffee competition in the Junín region.

Bir’s trip originated in Lima. While visiting the capital city, he shared samples of Crimson Cup’s Ethiopian Kossa Kebena and 1991 Blend coffees with local coffee houses and coffee cuppers.

“We had some great discussions about Peruvian coffees, Lima’s coffee culture and how things are evolving,” he said. “They have some well-put-together cafés, and everyone’s competing for exceptional coffees.”

“Local coffees are getting better every year, with better coffees scoring in the mid-80s on the 100-point coffee quality scale,” he added. “In the past, they were known for their chocolatey flavors but were not extremely nuanced.”

From Lima, Bir traveled into the Andes Mountain jungle to La Merced, a town in the Junín region. There, he visited with Don Julio Arevalo Tello, founder of private co-op NARSA (NEGOCIACIONES AGROINDUSTRIAL AREVALO S.A.) Since 1988, NARSA has focused on helping small coffee and cacao farmers in Peru’s Central Highlands and Amazon regions with achieving market access throughout Peru and beyond.

“NARSA has been instrumental in coffee development in the Junín region,” Bir said. “We’ve been extremely impressed with the way they live their principles of integrity, eco-efficiency and transparency and their focus on inclusion of indigenous families.”

For the next four days, he visited local coffee farms and prepared for the upcoming coffee competition sponsored by NARSA. “The competition is just one of the ways NARSA is involved in improving local coffee quality,” he said.

One of the farms he stayed at was Finca Santa Rosa near the small town of Villa Rica. This farm is owned by third-generation grower Selena Contreras Obregon. Established by Contreras’ grandfather in 1927, the 104-acre, Rain Forrest Alliance-certified farm grows catuai, caturra, bourbon, typica and geisha varietals under a canopy of indigenous trees at an elevation of 1,600 meters.

“This is the third year we’ve visited Selena, her family and her farm,” Bir said. “They continue to impress us with their passion for quality coffee and dedication to progress in every aspect of operations. Over this past year, Selena’s coffee professionals created a new coffee lab to evaluate coffee quality.”

On his final day at NARSA, he coordinated a quality competition among more than 25 local coffee farmers. In addition to friendly competition, a goal was to help farmers understand the qualities that are more prized in coffee beans and that command a higher price. Bir and three other Q Graders cupped coffee samples from morning until the competition ended at 10 p.m.

“Our winner was an 89-point coffee from Damien Conde in Alto Palomar,” Bir said. It stood out from the typical coffees of the region with its flavor profile more similar to that of a high grown Kenyan coffee.”

Crimson Cup will evaluate the purchase of coffee from this crop through its Friend2Farmer direct trade program in the future. The roaster developed its Friend2Farmer direct trade program to ensure that farmers receive a fairer share of proceeds from coffee sales. The company pays a premium to farmers, who can then invest in agricultural and community improvements. Crimson Cup coffee experts also collaborate with farmers on ways to improve the quality of the coffee and quality of live for farmers, workers and their communities. In addition, the roaster invests in projects such as solar dryers to help improve coffee quality.

About Crimson Cup Coffee & Tea

Since 1991, Crimson Cup Coffee & Tea has hand-roasted specialty coffee in Columbus, Ohio and taught independent business owners to succeed through its coffee shop franchise alternative program. Sustainably sourced Crimson Cup coffee is available through a network of more than 350 independent coffee houses, grocers, college and universities, restaurants and food service operations across 28 states, as well as the company’s own Crimson Cup Coffee House in the Columbus suburb of Clintonville.

For more information, visit crimsoncup.com.

For the original version on PRWeb visit: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2016/10/prweb13805703.htm

source: http://www.benzinga.com / Benzinga / Home> PR Web – Columbus, Ohio / October 28th, 2016

Madikeri : Rs 125 crores for development of Catholic community – MLA Lobo

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Education, Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Leaders

Madikeri :

“An amount of Rs 125 crores is set aside for the development of Catholic communities, and they must make the best use of it, ” said Vidhana Mandala Backward Class and Minorities’ Committee president, MLA J R Lobo.

He was speaking during a discussion held with the Catholic community leaders, at St Michael School in the city, on Thursday, October 27.

“The government has announced several programmes for the development of society and a special grant in the budget. The amount of Rs 125 crores can be used for several pro community programmes,” he said.

“The government has created Catholic Development Committee for community development. It has appointed Bengaluru urban development minister K J George as the president and me as the vice president of the committee. It has also formed a subcommittee and appointed me as its president. Petitions for renovation or repairs of churches, cemetery, boundary wall, skills training and other development work in the community can be submitted,” he said.

“Christians comprise 3.6% of the population in the state. The government has given special importance to their development, but the community lags behind in making use of government released funds,” MLA Lobo said.

“Special camps should be held in various districts to make information on government programmes reach the people. Fund up to Rs one crore in the city and Rs 50 lac in towns is being provided for community halls. An amount is also paid for maintenance of old age homes,” he said.

Community representative, K T Baby Mathew, requested for additional funds for repairs of churches, and donations to poor people and for the district level committee, like in the state. Requests for reservation for Catholics could also be heard in the meeting.

K E Mathew said, extensive details of the government facilities such as scholarships, caste certificates, etc are required.

Committee assistant secretary Amba, additional deputy commissioner M Sathish Kumar, zilla panchayat assistant secretary Vishwanatha Poojary, assistant director of the department of public instruction G R Basavaraju, backward class and minority welfare department district officer K V Suresh, minority development corporation manager Nagendra Prasad, district employment exchange officer C Jagannath Virajpete, St Anns school’s Fr Muthuswamy, and others were present.

source: http://www.daijiworld.com / DaijiWorld.com / Home> Karnataka / by DaijiWorld Media Network – Madikeri (EP) / Madikeri – October 28th, 2016

The no-nonsense town

About Kodagu / Coorg, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Historical Links / Pre-Independence, Records, All, World Opinion

In the hills of Coorg in Karnataka lies Madikeri, the town that gives a military feel & charms with its orderliness

Where order prevails: View from the Raja’s Seat garden; The church in the Fort, now an ASI Museum; Two of the Royal Tombs; The Sri Omkaresvara Siva Temple Photos by the writers
Where order prevails: View from the Raja’s Seat garden; The church in the Fort, now an ASI Museum; Two of the Royal Tombs; The Sri Omkaresvara Siva Temple Photos by the writers

Hugh and Colleen Gantzer

At first glance, Madikeri looks as precise and orderly as a cantonment. In a way, that’s what it is. According to a coffee-planter, “If you throw a stone in Madikeri, you’ll hit a General. If you throw two stones, you’ll probably get a brace of Colonels, bristly moustaches and all!” This could account for the military look of this cottage-dotted town in the hills of Coorg in Karnataka. Madikeri’s narrow, winding roads were meant for brisk walkers and horses. We felt this when we drove through the town to the Palace Fort.

It certainly is a Fort, with thick walls and deep gates. At the far end of its grounds, next to two enormous effigies of elephants is a board that proclaims:

“Mercara was founded by Prince Mudduraja of the Haleri dynasty in 1681 and named after him as Muddurajanakeri. This later became Madikeri by the locals. The British called it Mercara.”

At one corner is a steepled building, now a museum with hero-stones standing erect in the yard. We walked across this former Anglican Church. The light streaming in through its beautiful stained glass windows added to its meditative ambience, ideal for a museum. And, in a fitting tribute to India’s revered Field Marshal Cariappa, the former little vestry had been dedicated to the memory of this unforgettable army chief. He was a Coorgi, a Kodava.

From such shrines to the past, we drove down into town and parked at the gate of a living shrine: the impressive Sri Omkaresvara Temple.
Officially this is a Siva temple of the Lingayats but there are distinctly Islamic idioms in its eclectic architecture. It has a central dome with minarets at the four corners, surmounted by their own, smaller, domes. It is possible that the influence of Tipu Sultan had a lasting impact on the architects of this temple. It was built by Lingaraja II in 1820, just 21 years after Tipu Sultan died in Srirangapatna. We saw the Islamic influence even in other Lingayat monuments crowning a green hill referred to as Gaddige. A plaque installed at the foot of one of the plinths read ‘Royal Tombs’. Built in the Indo-Sarcenic (sic!) style, these monuments with domes and minarets, hold the mortal remains of Kodava Royalty and court dignitaries.

The central tomb is of Dodaveerarajendra and his queen. To the right is the tomb of Lingarajendra built by his son Chikkaveerarajendra in AD 1820. To the left is the tomb of the royal priest Rudrappa, built in 1834.

Nearby are buried two royal officials, Biddanda Bopu, who died fighting Tipu Sultan, and his son Biddanda Somaieh. Clearly these warrior people opposed anyone who tried to cub their freedom to decide their own future.

Our immediate future, however, was constrained by the weather. We looked up at the roiling clouds above us. These were threatening but it hadn’t rained. We decided to rush down to Abbi Falls before a storm boxed us in.

Abbi was spectacular. Even though the water was not gushing in its roaring monsoon fury. it foamed and cascaded over rocks, frothing and surging before pouring into a large pool, and then flowing under a suspension bridge. The falls are well worth visiting but do treat that forest path with a great deal of respect.

It was almost sunset when we reached Raja’s Seat, a popular public garden with horizon-stretching views of the plains. Had the ancestors of the Coorgis battled across those lowlands? We began to think about the origin of the Kodavas.

Their traditional masculine dress of a turban, long coat, sash and curved dagger points strongly to a Middle Eastern connection. The Kodavas have no temples or pujaris, they conduct all their religious or social ceremonies themselves, and revere their ancestors. The Kurds of the Zagros and Taurus mountains of Turkey, Iran and Iraq are also known for their proud and independent nature. Were they the ancestors of the Kodavas? ‘Kurd’ and ‘Kodava’ have a certain similar ring. A popular theory claims that they are the descendants of people who were part of the army of Alexander the Great.

That could explain the very no-nonsense character of their mountain home, Madikeri.

source: http://www.tribuneindia.com / The Tribune / Home> Spectrum> Travel / October 23rd, 2016

Creative spirit

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Nri's / Pio's, World Opinion


A month-long festival of words, performance and visual art, all inspired by the ghost story is taking over the Leeds Library. Yvette Huddleston reports.

There’s a bit of a chill in the air at Leeds Library this month when it hosts a programme of events and interventions entitled The Haunting: Ghosts of Every Shade.

The Haunting is presented by Alchemy – a Leeds-based arts organisation which aims to connect people through the arts and open doors to new ideas through shared cultural experience – working in collaboration with the Library, Leeds International Film Festival and Ilkley Literature Festival.

The Library itself, on Commercial Street in the heart of Leeds, was founded in 1768 and is the oldest surviving example of the ‘proprietary subscription library’ in Britain. It is also rumoured to be haunted by a former librarian from the 19th century, so it is the perfect 
venue for the month-long programme.

“The space is very evocative – it lends itself to all kinds of interventions,” says Nima Poovaya-Smith, curator and director of Alchemy. “It is an inspirational source of stories through its diverse collections and in putting the programme together we have worked with the rhythm and ambience of the library.”

Pulling together a variety of different art-forms which complement and repsond to each other, visitors are in for a treat. Internationally acclaimed writers Simon Armitage, Imtiaz Dharker, Rommi Smith and John Siddique explore not only the thrills and chills but also the more reflective and provocative aspects of ghosts and hauntings through poetry, performance, short stories.

There are enigmatic installations from artist Zareena Bano and others, plus soundscape, dance, vocals and film with around sixteen new commissions as well as performances, masterclasses, workshops and ghostly trails.

And it’s a wide brief that’s open to all sorts of interesting interpretations. “The project grew out of my own love and passion for ghost stories, particularly the stories of M R James and Edith Wharton, but we are not just looking at haunting in the supernatural sense,” says Poovaya-Smith. “People are haunted in all kinds of ways; haunting can be metaphorical not just literal so we have a great depth with what the artists have done.”

Our fascination with ghost stories is long-standing and complex – on the most profound level they are a reminder of our own mortality – and it is a tradition that crosses cultures and continents.

“I think there are many reasons for our interest in them,” says Poovaya-Smith. “But I think one element is the concept of being ‘safely scared’ – it’s a thrill. And there is such a rich tradition of demonology and dark forces. Then there is our curiosity about the possibility of an afterlife, especially if we have lost somebody.”

A highlight of the programme is artist Steve Manthorp’s exquisitely detailed and mildly discomfiting The Haunted Doll’s House, based on MR James’ classic ghost story of the same name.

“Steve shares my passion for MR James’ work and he told me that he has been wanting to make a Haunted Doll’s House for about thirty years,” says Poovaya-Smith. “It was an idea that haunted him.”

Other highlights include ceramicist Adele Howitt’s installation which responds to Edith Wharton’s psychologically unsettling story Pomegranate Seed and a late night walk through Ilkley with Literature Festival apprentice poet in residence Mark Pajak sharing scary stories and poetry that reveal the macabre folklore and history associated with some of the town’s landmarks.

Across the month there will be numerous workshops and masterclasses including poetry masterclasses by Simon Armitage and Rommi Smith and a spooky Halloween workshop.

“None of the artists have done anything obvious, everyone has produced exquisite work, they have outdone themselves,” says Poovaya-Smith. “In the library itself we have several interventions. We have put objects in bookshelves for people to discover, so around every corner you encounter something interesting.” She adds, smiling: “All these things came together, one might say, in an almost supernatural way.”

The Haunting: Ghosts of Every Shade runs until November 7. For the full programme details visit www.alchemyanew.co.uk

source: http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk / The Yourshire Post / Home> LifeStyle> Books / by Yvette Huddleston / Friday – October 14th, 2016

The better halves !

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Leaders
Tabu and Dinesh Gundu Rao
Tabu and Dinesh Gundu Rao

Celebrity couples are going all out to give partners the support they require during special moments

It’s all about the balancing act and these prominent couples are doing to nurture their relationships. With so many modern day marriages falling apart, there are quite a few prominent married couples that are standing together through thick and thin. There are also that many strong relationships that have survived the test of time, despite alluring temptations. Bollywood star Kajol has accompanied her actor/director husband Ajay Devgn for all national promotions of Shivaay. Kiran Rao, who was spearheading the 18th MAMI Festival in Mumbai received tremendous support from her star hubby Aamir Khan. Actor Akshay Kumar regularly tweets about Twinkle Khanna’s columns and is clearly proud of her accomplishments. What does it take to prioritise family over career and complementing each other’s personality?

South Indian actress Sumalatha, who is married to actor-politician, Ambareesh says, “My priorities were always clear — family first. Had my husband objected then, there was no question of me going against it, but he respected me enough to never stand in my way. This was a big step, and I wouldn’t have been able return to the profession, I have always loved and which has given me everything, without his consent and cooperation, it wouldn’t have been possible. Today, I look around and realise that my whole identity would have been submerged and lost, but for his understanding and support. Truly, he’s the reason that I can peacefully work and handle my domestic responsibilities too.”

Tabu Rao, wife of Dinesh Gundu Rao, president of Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee adds that there has to be respect and faith in every marriage, “I get involved in every family matter and never crib as I love doing it all. I’m also involved in the matters of the constituency and totally clued into social media and politics. I even handle my husband’s Facebook account and those who find it tough to get in touch with him go through me and I always help them out. He’s given me all the freedom without any restrictions and we always stand by each other.”

source: http://www.asianage.com / The Asian Age / Home> Life and Style / by Namita Gupta / October 26th, 2016

NGO Credit-I launches programmes to mark its 10th anniversary

Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Inspiration / Positive News and Features, Sports

Mysuru :

V R Raghunath, hockey player from Kodagu district who has represented Karnataka at national and international tournaments, was conferred Karnataka Kanmani State Award by Centre for Rural, Education Development and Innovative Technologies of India (Credit-I) recently.

Credit-I, the NGO, honoured the national player as part of its 10th anniversary celebrations at Jaganmohan Palace here. Raghunath has played in over 200 tournaments.

The organization also conducted various programmes to mark its anniversary over two days. On October 22, it conducted an inter-collegiate folk song singing contest, wherein students from 54 colleges in Mysuru, Mandya, Hassan and Chamarajanagar vied for honours.

On the occasion, environmentalist Vasanth Kumar Mysoremath launched the four programmes — ‘Spandana’ for the welfare of senior citizens, ‘Nele’ and ‘Paraspara’ to impart skills among youths so they can become entrepreneurships. The NGO has also adopted Malara, a drought-hit village in HD Kote taluk, to develop it into a model village in the 10 years.

Trinetra Mahantha Shivayogi, seer of Chandravana Ashram, industrialist Umesh K Shenoy and retired professor H M Vasanthamma attended the programme.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City News> Mysore / TNN / October 26th, 2016

Bengaluru Round-Up

Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Sports

RASHMY TO LEAD

Nithin Thimmaiah and P.P. Rashmy will lead Karnataka’s teams at the inaugural Hockey India five-a-side national championships in Pune from October 26 to 30.

The teams: Men: Nithin Thimmaiah (Capt.), Jagdeep Dayal, D.S. Darshan, M.B. Aiyappa, Pradhan Somaiah, Rathan Muthanna, G. Shreyas, Abharan, and Pruthviraj.

Women: P.P. Rashmy (Capt.), M.P. Rohini, H.P. Sandya, Komala, Tanushree, Bhagyashree, Vishma, Kruthika and Niha.

RAVINDRA WINS

Ravindra Kumar and M. Sagar won round two of the South Zone MRF FMSCI INTSD Rally Championship here on Sunday. V. Santhosh Kumar and T. Nagarajan were second with A. Vinodh and D. Raghuraman third.

Other results: Ladies: 1. Malathi Bhavani (Sunitha Suresh), 2. Geetha Shetty (Bhargavi Shetty), 3. Asma Ashfaq (Julie James).

AKSHAY SHINES

Akshay (31 points) helped Bharath Sports Union to a 62-29 win over Viveks SC in the State under-16 basketball championship.

The results (semifinal league): Boys: Bharath SU 62 (Akshay 31) bt Viveks SC 29 (Pattu 12); YMMA 69 (Prashant 23) bt VNSC 49 (Vishal 14). Girls: Alva’s 38 (Nisarga 16) bt DYES Mandya 22 (Rakshitha 12); DYES Vidyanagar 31 (Harshitha 11) bt Beagles BC 18 (Sanjana 10).

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Sports / October 26th, 2016

KPA urges centre to amend Rule 7B of Income Tax Act

Agriculture, Business & Economy, Coffee, Kodagu (Coorg)

The Karnataka Planters Association (KPA) on Thursday urged the Centre for an amendment in Rule 7B of Income Tax Rules.

kpakf27oct2016

According to KPA Chairman Baba P S Bedi, “In Rule 7B of Income Tax Rules, they consider ‘Coffee Curing’ as value-addition. If you cure coffee, you can’t drink it. However, you can drink it, only once it is roasted and powdered. How can they treat it as value-addition?”

KPA will submit a memorandum routed through The United Planters’ Association of Southern India (UPASI) to the central government to amend Rule 7B R/w Section 2 (1A) of Income Tax Act so as to give effect to the changes in the ruling to cover ‘Coffee Curing’ is within the meaning of ‘Coffee Grown’.

The Government of India is keen to introduce the Goods and Services Tax (GST) from April 1, 2017. Bedi said, “If coffee is made taxable under GST, input tax paid by the agriculturist on inputs used or consumed by the agriculturist in growing this product should be allowed to be set off.”

Appointment of chairman

A full-term chairman of Coffee Board has not been appointed yet.

“We have requested the Ministry of Commerce and Industry to appoint a full-time chairman to the board. The former chairman Jawaid Akthar’s tenure came to an end on May 11, 2015,” a statement from KPA said.

However, Leena Nair, a 1982 batch IAS officer from Tamil Nadu cadre, was given the additional charge of Chairman, Coffee Board.

Currently, the 1997 batch IAS officer of Uttar Pradesh cadre, M K Shanmuga Sundaram, has been accorded with the additional charge of the post of Chairman in the Coffee Board, Bengaluru, under the Department of Commerce.

source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> Business / DHNS – Bengaluru, October 14th, 2016

Kodagu’s Cauvery – A River In Trouble

About Kodagu / Coorg, Agriculture, Green Initiatives / Environment, Nature, Records, All

Kodagu, in Karnataka, is the main catchment area of the river Cauvery – and the environmental health of this district has a direct impact on the river itself. As the battle between states continues over the sharing of Cauvery waters, we visit the source of the river to see the ecological challenges at the birthplace of this precious river.

Kodagu’s Cauvery – A River In Trouble
PUBLISHED ON: OCTOBER 6, 2016 | DURATION: 18 MIN, 49 SEC
04:12 / 18:48

source: http://www.youtube.com

http://www.ndtv.com/video/shows/ndtv-special-ndtv-24×7/kodagu-s-cauvery-a-river-in-trouble-434019