Kodava weddings: Keeping Coorg’s warrior legacy alive

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Records, All

Centuries-old customs preserved through attire, weapons and ancestral rituals.

The peeche kathi and odikathi are traditional symbols of Kodava identity, worn as part of ceremonial dress (Photo: Yana Kaveramma/Wikkimedia Commons)

Held against the green hills of Coorg in Karnataka, Kodava weddings are distinctive for the Kodava community’s warrior heritage, ancestral traditions and close-knit social customs. From the bride and groom’s traditional attire and ceremonial weapons to rituals honouring ancestors and community participation, these weddings preserve a cultural identity shaped over generations.

Away from the better-known coffee plantations and mist-covered landscapes of Coorg, or Kodagu, in Karnataka, the weddings of the Kodava community offer a glimpse into a distinctive cultural tradition where marriage is closely connected with ancestry, family and martial heritage. Traditional attire, ceremonial weapons, ancestral homes, music and community rituals come together to create a celebration that reflects the history and identity of the Kodavas.

The customs surrounding a Kodava wedding have evolved over generations, shaped by the community’s distinctive social organisation and its long association with military service. While contemporary weddings may incorporate modern venues and practices, several traditional elements continue to connect families with their ancestral past.

A community shaped by warrior heritage

Kodagu has long been associated with the Kodavas, a community whose history includes a strong martial tradition. Kodava men traditionally served as soldiers and were known for their association with weapons, while military service remained an important part of the community’s identity.

This heritage is particularly visible during weddings, where ceremonial weapons form an important part of the groom’s traditional appearance. The peeche kathi, a small ceremonial dagger, and the odikathi, a traditional weapon carried as part of Kodava ceremonial dress, are among the symbols associated with Kodava identity.

Rather than serving a practical purpose during the wedding, these weapons represent values such as courage, honour and the community’s warrior past. Their presence also reflects the importance of family possessions and traditions passed from one generation to another.

Where wedding clothes reflect a community’s past

The clothing worn by the bride and groom are among the most recognisable features of a Kodava wedding. The bride traditionally wears a sari in the distinctive Kodava style, with the pleats tucked at the back. The sari is accompanied by traditional jewellery that forms an important part of the community’s visual identity.

Kodava ainmanes, or ancestral homes, are closely tied to family lineage, ancestral memory and important community gatherings (Photo: Raqesh Thimmaiah/Wikkimedia Commons)

The groom traditionally wears a kupya, a long, knee-length garment, with a chele, a traditional waist sash. The ceremonial dagger is worn with the sash, bringing together the community’s traditions of dress and martial heritage.

The attire is not simply wedding clothing. It carries elements of identity that distinguish Kodava customs from other wedding traditions found across Karnataka and the wider region.

Ancestral homes at the heart of tradition

For Kodava families, the ainmane, or ancestral home, occupies an important place in community life. These traditional family homes are closely associated with lineage and the memory of ancestors and have historically served as gathering places for important family occasions.

Ancestral customs remain an important part of Kodava social traditions. Weddings can therefore become occasions to reconnect with the family’s lineage and acknowledge the generations that came before the couple.

The role of the ainmane also highlights the collective nature of Kodava identity. Marriage is not viewed only as a union between two individuals but as an occasion involving two families and their wider social networks.

Ancestral customs at the heart of the celebration

Kodava wedding customs include ceremonies that reflect the community’s relationship with its ancestors. Karanang Kodpo is one such traditional ceremony associated with honouring and invoking ancestral spirits.

The rituals surrounding marriage have traditionally involved members of the extended family, reinforcing the idea that the wedding is a community occasion rather than a private ceremony involving only the bride and groom.

Unlike weddings where religious priests and elaborate rituals dominate the proceedings, traditional Kodava marriage customs have historically placed considerable emphasis on family participation, ancestral traditions and community practices.

A wedding celebrated by the community

Community participation is one of the defining features of a traditional Kodava wedding. Relatives and members of the wider community come together to assist with preparations, participate in ceremonies and share meals.

Music, traditional songs and dances can form part of the celebrations, helping preserve elements of Kodava oral culture. Such gatherings also provide an opportunity for younger generations to encounter customs that may otherwise be less visible in everyday life.

Food is another important part of the occasion. Traditional Kodava cuisine, known for its distinctive use of local ingredients and meat preparations, forms an important part of wedding feasts and brings families and guests together.

Weapons that carry memory

The ceremonial weapons seen during Kodava weddings are among the most distinctive symbols of the tradition. Their significance extends beyond the wedding itself, as weapons have historically been closely associated with Kodava family identity.

The peeche kathi is generally worn by the groom as part of his traditional attire, while the odikathi has a ceremonial association with Kodava traditions. In some families, such objects may be inherited, giving them an additional connection to family history.

Their presence at weddings therefore serves as a reminder of a time when martial traditions played a much greater role in the social life of the community. Today, they function primarily as cultural symbols, preserving that history within a contemporary celebration.

Kodava weddings adapt to a changing world

Like many traditional ceremonies across India, Kodava weddings have evolved as lifestyles and social circumstances have changed. Families increasingly hold celebrations in marriage halls, hotels and other modern venues, while some incorporate elements of contemporary Indian weddings.

Yet the changes have not necessarily removed the community’s traditional identity. Kodava attire, ceremonial weapons, ancestral customs, traditional cuisine and community participation continue to feature in many celebrations.

For Kodavas living outside Coorg, weddings can also become occasions to return to their ancestral homes and reconnect with relatives and community traditions. This has given the ceremony an additional role as a means of cultural transmission.

A living heritage of Coorg

A Kodava wedding offers more than a glimpse into a community’s marriage customs. As modern lifestyles reshape the way weddings are organised, these customs are also being adapted to new settings. Yet their continued presence ensures that the history of the Kodavas remains visible not only in Coorg’s landscapes and ancestral homes, but also in the ceremonies through which each new generation celebrates family and community. 

source: http://www.mediaindia.eu / Media India Group / Home> Tourism / by Ananya Karn / September 20th, 2026

Scientific paper on genetic make up of Kodavas published

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B.K. Thelma, Professor in the Department of Genetics at the University of Delhi, South Campus. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

A scientific paper on the genetic makeup of Kodavas  has been published by scientists from the University of Delhi, South Campus, and the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad.

The paper, titled ‘Unique Demographic History and Population Substructure Among the Coorgs of Southern India’, was published last year in Communications Biology, a peer-reviewed, open-access journal covering research in biology.

President of Karnataka Kodava Sahitya Academy President Ajjinikanda C Mahesh Nachaiah in the traditional Kodava attire – Kuppia. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Journalist and author P.T. Bopanna, who is shortly bringing out a book on the origin of the Kodavas (Coorgs) based on the findings, said Coorg-born Prof. Buttiyanda Kuttapa Thelma of the Department of Genetics, University of Delhi, South Campus, and her team had carried out systematic sampling of the Kodava population across Kodagu using available genetic analytical tools.

Discussing the study’s key findings, Bopanna said the Coorgs are not a single population but three, each with distinct histories and genetic makeups. The study segregated the present-day Coorg population into three genetically distinct sub-groups — Coorg1, Coorg2 and Coorg3.

According to a summary of the study, Coorg1 shows a strong tribal genetic component (70–80% of ancestral south Indian ancestry) and is estimated to have formed around 2,000 years ago through the admixture of a Palliyar-like group with another Dravidian group (proxy Mala).

Coorg3, on the other hand, emerged as the oldest of the three, with divergence dating to around 3,000 years ago. This group carries a distinct genetic component that does not match any contemporary South Asian or Eurasian population.

The analysis further revealed that Coorg1 and Coorg3 combined to form Coorg2 only around 330 years ago — a finding that may partly explain the socio-cultural homogeneity seen among Coorgs today, the study notes.

Yet despite this unified cultural identity, the genetics point to a far more fragmented ancestry. Y-chromosome analysis suggests male Coorg ancestors may have shared genetic ties with Eurasian and Middle Eastern populations, while female ancestors were primarily indigenous to South Asia, the study’s summary points out.

The findings also shed light on historical migrations that shaped the Indian subcontinent, pointing to male-mediated migration followed by assimilation with native females. The Coorgs appear to carry one of the oldest Y-chromosome lineages to have migrated from Central Asia into South India.

“They were among the first people to settle in India during the Bronze Age, before the majority of male-mediated migration, which includes the majority of caste groups in North and South India,” the study notes.

While noting that the findings underline India’s complex demographic history — marked by multiple ancient migrations and deeply divergent lineages — Bopanna said the Coorgs have practiced strict endogamy alongside family-level exogamy (marrying outside the immediate family but within the community). 

Geographical isolation in the Western Ghats, he added, helped preserve distinct genetic boundaries, while stating that the study makes a landmark contribution to understanding South Indian ancestry, ancient migration patterns, and genetic evolution.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News>India>Karnataka / by The Hindu Bureau / September 18th, 2026

Kodava Sahitya Academy seeks review of references to community’s origin, attire in CBSE textbook

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A chapter titled “Coorg” in Class X English textbook Glimpses of India indicates that the Kodava community is “possibly of Greek or Arabic descent”.

As the textbook is prescribed for class 10 students across the country, statements concerning the history, identity and origin of a community carry considerable educational and social significance and therefore require particular scholarly care and accuracy, the letter said. | Photo Credit: M.A. Sriram

The Karnataka Kodava Sahitya Academy has sought a review of references to the origin and traditional attire of the Kodava community in the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) Class 10 English textbook.

In a letter to the Chairperson and members of the CBSE Text Committee, Academy president Ajjinikanda C. Mahesh Nachaiah referred to passages in the Class X English textbook Glimpses of India, Chapter II, “Coorg”, and sought not only a scholarly review but also correction and withdrawal of historically unsubstantiated statements concerning the origin and traditional attire of the Kodava community.

Identifying the passages in question, Mr. Nachaiah said the textbook states: “The fiercely independent people of Coorg are possibly of Greek or Arabic descent.” It also says: “As one story goes, a part of Alexander’s army moved south along the coast and settled here when return became impractical.”

The textbook also refers to “the theory of Arab origin” and states that the traditional Kodava attire, particularly the kuppia, resembles the “kuffia worn by the Arabs and the Kurds”.

Need for credible scholarly review

As the textbook is prescribed for class 10 students across the country, statements concerning the history, identity and origin of a community carry considerable educational and social significance and therefore require particular scholarly care and accuracy, the letter said. The Academy had received representations and objections regarding the passages, it added.

Mr. Nachaiah emphasised that such statements, particularly when presented to school students, should be supported by credible historical, linguistic, archaeological and anthropological evidence.

“The Karnataka Kodava Sahitya Academy places on record its firm and considered position that Kodagu is the ancestral homeland of the Kodavas; the history, mythology, traditions and cultural identity of Kodagu are inseparably connected with the Kodava community,” the letter said.

“Therefore, theories attributing the origin of the Kodava community to Kurdistan, Arabia, Greece or to a section of Alexander’s army should not be presented to class 10 students as established historical facts without compelling and credible scholarly evidence,” it said.

The history and cultural heritage of Kodagu encompasses a long-standing body of traditions, customary institutions, mythology, oral narratives, social organisation and cultural practices associated with the Kodava community, the Academy said.

Kuppia vs. kuffia

Referring to the perceived resemblance between the traditional Kodava kuppia and the kuffia associated with Arabs and Kurds, Mr. Nachaiah said: “Similarity in clothing, design or appearance, by itself, cannot conclusively establish ethnic origin, migration or genealogical descent.”

Traditional attire can evolve through geographical, environmental, cultural and historical influences. Therefore, any inference concerning the ancestry or origin of a community based primarily on similarities in dress would require substantial supporting evidence, he said.

The Karnataka Kodava Sahitya Academy urged the Committee to consider its representation and take appropriate corrective action following a review by suitably qualified historians, linguists, anthropologists and other relevant scholars.

The textbook refers to ‘the theory of Arab origin’ and states that the traditional Kodava attire, particularly the kuppia, resembles the ‘kuffia worn by the Arabs and the Kurds’. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> India> Karnataka / by The Hindu Bureau / September 18th, 2026

India International Coffee Festival 2027: the national coffee championships prelims arrive in Mumbai

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Barista Championship (wef. July 28th, 2022), Business & Economy, Coffee News, Coffee, Retail-India (wef. Jan 25th, 2025), Records, All

From 2nd to 5th October 2026, Nexus Seawoods in Navi Mumbai will host the regional qualifying rounds for the National Barista Championship, Brewers’ Cup and Latte Art Championship ahead of the Bengaluru finals.

Mumbai Prelims

Navi Mumbai :

The India International Coffee Festival (IICF) 2027 is making its way across the country, and Mumbai is next. Presented by the Speciality Coffee Association of India (SCAI) and the Coffee Board of India, the regional prelims of India’s national coffee championships arrive at Nexus Seawoods, Navi Mumbai, from 2nd to 5th October. These are qualifying rounds, not the main festival. Winners earn a place at the National Finals, held at the flagship IICF event in Bengaluru in February 2027. Mumbai is one of three prelim cities on the national circuit, alongside Delhi and Bengaluru.

Over four days, India’s most accomplished coffee professionals compete across three disciplines. The National Barista Championship prelims, sponsored by Kaapi Solutions, open the stage on 2nd and 3rd October, where technical mastery and consistency separate contenders from champions.

On 4th October, the National Brewers’ Cup celebrates precision and technique across a range of manual brewing methods.

The competition concludes on 5th October with the National Latte Art Championship prelims, sponsored by Kaapi Machines, where espresso, milk and craft converge in a display of skill and artistry.

While these are qualifying rounds rather than the main festival, the experience extends well beyond competition. Leading coffee brands, roasters and equipment makers will be on hand making it a compelling stop for café professionals, home brewers and anyone serious about speciality coffee.

Dates: 2nd – 5th October 2026

Venue: Nexus Seawoods, Navi Mumbai

source: http://www.communicafe.com / International Communicafe / Home> Coffee > News> Trade Shows / September 15th,2026

A journey to an ancient underwater world

Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Nri's / Pio's, Records, All, Science & Technology, World Opinion, , , , , , , ,

Alpena :

What can Lake Huron tell us about early life on Earth? Join a live streamed exploration today at 11 a.m. of one of the Great Lakes’ most extraordinary underwater environments and discover a world that resembles the Earth as it was years ago.

The backup dates are Sept. 17-18.

Hidden beneath the waters of Lake Huron lies the Middle Island Sinkhole. Formed over thousands of years as groundwater dissolved the limestone beneath the lakebed, the sinkhole plunges 80 feet below the surface into a colorful ecosystem unlike anything in the Great Lakes. This rare environment attracts researchers from around the world seeking clues about early life on Earth.

Freshwater explorers and filmmakers Zach Melnick and Yvonne Drebert are teaming up with Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary and Great Lakes Now for the first-ever livestream from this underwater time capsule, providing an up-close look at an area that, until now, has only been experienced by advanced divers. Using a high-tech remotely operated vehicle (ROV) equipped with high-resolution cameras, the team will descend into the sinkhole, following divers as they collect samples from the remarkable microbial mats that carpet the bottom.

Viewers will get an up-close look at the sinkhole’s colorful bacterial communities, vast carpets splotched with shades of purple, brown, and white. Scientists believe this globally significant ecosystem can provide insights into how life evolved on early Earth and how the planet’s first oxygen-producing organisms transformed the atmosphere. While beautiful to look at, the sinkhole is deadly to most other lake lifeforms due to the water’s lack of oxygen.

Along for the journey will be Dr. Bopaiah Biddanda from Grand Valley State University, an Aquatic Microbial Ecologist who has spent years studying the sinkhole’s unique ecosystem. Sarah Morrison, Media Specialist at Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary, will share how the sanctuary supports researchers looking to uncover the secrets of the sinkhole.

Biddanda, Morrison, Melnick, and Drebert will answer audience questions in real-time during the dive.

The date and time are subject to last-minute change due to weather conditions. Follow Great Lakes Now and Hidden Below: The Great Lakes on social media to stay updated about the expedition.

Hidden Below: Live is a collaboration between Great Lakes Now and Inspired Planet Productions to bring real-time, interactive explorations of the Great Lakes to audiences around the world. Previous expeditions have included the deepest part of the Great Lakes and the fish-filled warm waters surrounding North America’s largest nuclear power plant

source: http://www.thealpenanews.com / The Alpena News / Home> Lifestyles / by The Alpena News / September 15th, 2026

Documenting Kodava Culture: A Trip That Rearranged Something in Me

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Records, All, Women/Girls (wef. Sept 03rd, 2022)

Under the “Enhancing Indic Oral Culture” initiative on Wikimedia Projects

For the past two years, our team (Mr Santhosh Notagar and Mr Hariprasad Shetty) has been part of the Enhancing Indic Oral Culture on Wikimedia projects initiative, travelling across North Karnataka to record folk traditions before they quietly slip out of living memory. I had already written about our time with the Lambani community for this same project. When it came time to choose a language for Phase 2, our team settled on Kodava — the language of Coorg. And if I’m honest, this one felt personal long before it felt like work.

I’ve lived in Mangalore for four years now, and in that time I’ve crossed paths with more students and colleagues from Madikeri and the wider Coorg region than I can count. There was always something different about them — an energy I couldn’t quite name. Part of it, I think, was how close they lived to nature. Part of it was the quiet pride with which they carried their traditions, their attire, their food, into every room they walked into. When we realized how little of Kodava language and community history existed online, it felt less like spotting a gap and more like being handed a responsibility.

A Sunday in Madikeri

On June 21st, 2026, a Sunday, we drove up to Madikeri to meet Mr. Bopanada Poonacha—a man who earned a Master’s degree in the Kodava language in his late fifties, not for a career, not for a title, but purely because the subject wouldn’t let him go. I haven’t stopped thinking about that. Most of us spend our fifties trying to hold on to what we’ve already built. He spent his time learning something new, just because it mattered to him. He and his family welcomed us the way you’d welcome someone you’d been waiting for, not strangers arriving with a camera. His home stopped me at the doorway—Kodava architecture everywhere, warm and lived-in, nothing performative about it. But it was the small temple space inside that undid me a little. It wasn’t like any traditional temple space we would usually find in other parts of Karnataka. Just a single traditional lamp, kept burning, representing Kaveri Amma. No face, no form — just light, quietly doing the work that a thousand statues elsewhere try to do. Standing in front of it, something in me went still. I understood, in a way I hadn’t before, why the river and the mountain and the forest hold the place they do in Kodava belief. Nature isn’t decoration for their faith. It is the faith, unguarded and unadorned.

The temple consisting of mainly a lamp inside traditional Kodava House

Mr. Bopanada Poonacha in Kodava traditional attire for DDIOC 2026 project interview

Small details kept finding me after that, the way they do when your heart is already open. None of the homes had ceiling fans—they’d simply never needed one, the climate having always taken care of that for them. It was only with the creeping heat of climate change that families were beginning to bring in stand fans, almost reluctantly, like admitting something they didn’t want to admit. And every home had a garden, not manicured for show but genuinely alive—flowering plants, fruit-bearing saplings, and soil that clearly got tended to before breakfast. Nature at home first, in the plainest, most literal sense I’ve ever seen it practiced.

History, Food, and a Marriage That Belongs to No One Else

Mr. Poonacha spoke for hours, and it never once felt like an interview. It felt like being let into a room we hadn’t yet earned entry to. He told us how Talakaveri came to be and why nature is the most celebrated god in Kodava belief and walked us through their food and their history of hunting. He described their attire in loving detail. And then he told us something that quietened the whole room: a Kodava wedding has no priest presiding over it at all. No outsider is called in to make the moment official. It’s the community itself, the family itself, that carries the ceremony from start to end—and it’s the mother who ties the mangalasutra on her daughter, no one else, no exception. I’ve sat through weddings my whole life where the most sacred moment is handed to someone outside the family to perform. Here, it never leaves the people it belongs to. I didn’t expect that detail to move me the way it did, but it did.

One of the things Mr. Poonacha spent the most time on, almost like he wanted to make sure we got it exactly right, was the story behind the Kodava logo. It comes from the region’s martial heritage, he explained, and brings together three objects that have carried Kodava identity for generations: the Peeche Kathi, a traditional dagger; the Odi Kathi, a broad-bladed war sword; and a thok, a gun. Listening to him lay out each piece—what it was used for, what it meant to carry one, and why all three together and not just one—I realized the logo wasn’t a design choice at all. It was a whole history of a warrior community, folded down into a symbol small enough to wear.

By the time we were ready to leave, the family sent us off with homemade wine—brewed from betel leaves, from grapes, or whatever the season had given them that year. It felt less like hospitality and more like being fed by people who had quietly decided, somewhere in those few hours, that we were worth feeding properly.

Why This Stayed With Me

I’ve documented culture before, but this trip sat differently in my chest. Maybe because Kodava is endangered enough that almost none of what we recorded — the lamp, the wedding customs, the mangalasutra tradition, Mr. Poonacha’s own story—existed anywhere online before us. Maybe because somewhere between the doorway and the temple lamp, I stopped thinking of this as fieldwork and started feeling like a guest who’d been let in on purpose.

Kannada Wikipedia Team (DDIOC 2026) along with Mr. Bopanada Poonacha and his daughter

Two years into this project, I’ve learned that the folk songs and oral histories we record are never really the whole story. The whole story is also in the fan that isn’t there yet, the lamp instead of the idol, and a man who decided in his late fifties that a language still deserved his full attention. I came back from Madikeri a little quieter than I left, in the good way—the way you get when something has genuinely rearranged a small part of how you see the world. If our footage means even one more person online meets Kodava culture the way we got to meet it—with warmth and without a screen standing between them and it—then this trip did exactly what it set out to do.

source: http://www.diff.wikimedia.com / Diff / Home / by Reema Jalihal / August 26th, 2026

I went to Coorg for three days and came back rethinking how I take holidays and plan family vacations

Travel, Tourism & Homestays (wef. Oct 03rd, 2021)

A three-day stay at Club Mahindra Virajpet changed how I think about short holidays, with food, coffee, family time and plenty to do. 

A monsoon weekend at Club Mahindra Virajpet with coffee plantations, lazy breakfasts, family time, local food and plenty of green views. (Hindustan Times)

I think I have been doing short holidays wrong. For years, a three-day trip meant one of two things. Either I would pack the itinerary so tightly that by the time I was heading home, I needed another holiday to recover. Or I would book a lovely hotel, stay put for three days, eat, swim, sleep and eventually start wondering what we were supposed to do next. My three-day stay at Club Mahindra Virajpet in Coorg made me realise there is a third option. Find a property where the holiday is already happening. And suddenly, three days felt like a lot more.

Do you really need to leave the resort?

This was the first thing that struck me at Club Mahindra Virajpet. The property is enormous, surrounded by the green hills of Coorg, with its own coffee plantation, private lake, walking paths and plenty of open space. It is the kind of place where you can arrive, check in and then realise you have absolutely no reason to get back into the car.

That sounds like a small thing, but for me it was quite a revelation. I usually want to see the place I have travelled to. If I am in Coorg, I want coffee, viewpoints, local food, pretty roads, little shops and all the things that make Coorg, well, Coorg. But when you only have three days, trying to fit everything in can turn a holiday into a very attractive version of a timetable. Here, I could actually slow down. Our family room was spacious enough for two people to spread out properly, with a sofa cum bed and a balcony overlooking the greenery. And that balcony quickly became my favourite spot. Coffee in hand. Rain in the distance. Green hills in front of me. Honestly, I could have sat there for hours.

What do you do for three days without getting bored?

This was the other pleasant surprise. There was so much going on that everyone could do their own thing for a while and then come back together. There was a gaming zone, pottery, cycling, live music and a pool. You could book a pottery session and actually sit down to make something instead of simply watching someone else do it. There was also a cake decorating session where a pastry chef prepared the cake and brought out all the cream and decorations for us to use.

It was the sort of activity that made sense for the entire family because everyone could get involved at their own level. Then there was the spa. We tried a Swedish massage, and I think the weather decided to provide its own soundtrack. Sitting there while the rain fell outside was possibly one of the most relaxing parts of the entire stay. And when we did not feel like walking all the way across the property, there were golf carts to take us around. Which, considering just how big the place is, was very welcome.

The coffee plantation walk was my favourite part

I will admit I was slightly apprehensive about this one. A coffee plantation in monsoon sounds gorgeous until you remember that you have to actually walk through it. So we put on long socks, pulled on our boots and headed out. It turned out to be completely worth it. Walking through the plantation, surrounded by all that greenery, felt very different from simply looking at a coffee plantation from the road. We also got to do a coffee tasting, which made the whole experience even better. This was one of those moments when I realised the property was giving us a taste of Coorg without making us spend the entire day driving around Coorg. And that became the recurring theme of the holiday.

Then came the food. Lots of it.

I have to talk about the food because it was a fairly important part of our three days. Breakfasts became long, lazy affairs. We sat in the balcony area of the buffet restaurant, ate slowly and looked out at the scenery instead of rushing off to the next stop.

Then came the Chef’s Table, which was a completely different experience. The chef served us a menu that brought together Kodagu flavours and international cuisine. It was fun, a little fancy and very different from simply picking something off a buffet. We got to try dishes we probably would not have ordered on our own, and the whole afternoon felt like an occasion.

Then there were the Coorg thalis. What I particularly liked was how much attention went into individual preferences. Vegetarian meals were catered for vegetarians, ingredients could be left out for people who did not eat them, and the non-vegetarian thalis could be planned around the meat each person preferred. It made the meal feel personal rather than like a standard regional thali placed in front of everyone. And yes, I ate very well.

Maybe the property is the destination

There was something else I liked about the stay. You could still get a little local shopping done without turning it into another outing. There was a shop selling local coffee and chocolates, along with another space where you could pick up local silks. So even the little bits of Coorg that I usually look for while travelling were right there. Of course, you can leave the property and explore the rest of Coorg. The location gives you that option, and the drive itself is beautiful. But for this particular trip, I did not feel that familiar pressure to make sure we had “seen enough”. That was new for me.

This changed how I think about a weekend holiday

I came to Coorg thinking the destination was the important part. I left thinking the property might matter just as much. If the purpose of a three-day break is to spend time with family, catch up with friends, relax with your partner or simply get away from city life for a bit, you do not necessarily need an itinerary filled with tourist spots. You need enough things to do, enough space to breathe and enough variety that everyone can enjoy the holiday in their own way.

At Club Mahindra Virajpet, one person could be at the spa while another was playing a game. Someone could be walking through the coffee plantation while someone else was sitting on the balcony with a cup of coffee. We could all come together for lunch, a thali dinner or an activity and then disappear into our own little corners again. That, I think, is what made the three days feel longer. Not because we were constantly doing something, but because we were never stuck for something to do. And perhaps this is what I have been missing from short holidays. I do not always need to see more places. Sometimes I just need to choose a place that gives me more holiday.

For three days in Coorg, Club Mahindra Virajpet did exactly that.

source: http://www.hindustantimes.com / Hindustan Times / Home / by Neha Khandelwal / September 13th, 2026

The Roar Of ‘Tiger Bright’ At BRICS 2026: Odisha CM Hails Koraput Coffee Brewed For World Stage

Coffee News

Bhubaneswar/New Delhi:

The ‘Tiger is burning bright’! One of Odisha’s most celebrated homegrown brands has grabbed global spotlight amid efforts by the state to showcase its economic strengths and investment potential on international platforms.

Here we are talking about Koraput Coffee, specifically its premium Tiger Bright blend, which was included in special MEA’s media kit at the BRICS India 2026 Summit at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi. Curated under the Centre’s One District One Product (ODOP) initiative, the kit highlights India’s regional diversity alongside items such as Bihar’s sattu and makhana and a Bandhani-printed stole.

The recognition of the tribal-grown coffee was celebrated by Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, who praised the milestone on X as a moment of immense pride that reflects the state’s rich natural heritage, hard work, and growing global identity.

“Over the past few days, I have been speaking about #Odisha on global platforms, inviting the world to see the opportunities, strength and potential of our State. Today, it is especially heartening to see Koraput Coffee telling another side of Odisha’s story at the BRICS India 2026 Summit,” he wrote.

Linking the moment to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Vocal for Local” initiative, he added, “This is the Odisha I want the world to know—rooted in its soil, proud of its identity and confident in sharing its story with the world.”

Koraput Collector Manoj Satyawan Mahajan described the inclusion as a matter of immense pride. “Koraput Coffee is not just a product; it represents the hard work of our tribal farmers, the unique agro-climatic conditions of Koraput and the rich natural heritage of the district,” he said. The exposure, he added, would strengthen the brand’s identity, raise awareness of its quality and open new market opportunities that benefit local growers and the regional economy.

A Journey Rooted in History

The story of Koraput Coffee stretches back nearly a century. In the early 1930s, Rajbahadur Rama Chandra Deo, the polyglot ruler of the then Koraput (Jeypore) principality and a coffee enthusiast, experimentally planted the first seeds and established small gardens in the region’s rolling hills and forests. Government efforts followed in the 1950s and 1960s, when the Odisha Soil Conservation Department expanded plantations—particularly around the Machkund basin—to prevent siltation in the Jalaput reservoir, recognising the crop’s dual ecological and agricultural value. Private planters later joined, though commercial scale and organised marketing remained limited for decades.

A decisive revival began in 2017 with the formation of the Coffee Development Trust under the district administration, aimed at transforming Koraput into a coffee hub and providing structured support to tribal cultivators. The formal branding came on 11 September 2019, when TDCCOL—under the state’s ST & SC Development Department—launched “Koraput Coffee.” The initiative created an end-to-end value chain covering procurement, processing, packaging and marketing, ensuring a greater share of returns reached the tribal growers who form the backbone of production.

Today the coffee is cultivated as 100% Arabica, shade-grown under mango, jackfruit, citrus and other native trees in blocks including Laxmipur, Kashipur, Dasmantpur, Nandapur, Lamtaput, Koraput and Pottangi. Elevations of around 900–950 metres (and higher in places), cool climate, adequate rainfall and laterite soils create ideal conditions. Cherries are handpicked at peak ripeness, carefully processed (often washed), sun-dried on raised wooden beds and roasted under strict hygiene standards. The area under cultivation has expanded significantly—from roughly 2,000 hectares around 2018 to more than 4,400 hectares in recent years—with tribal farmers managing a substantial portion.

Tiger Bright and Growing Recognition

Tiger Bright, the premium Arabica blend, embodies the brand’s distinctive character: bright tropical citrus notes of orange, lemon and sweet lime balanced by undertones of caramel, chocolate and cocoa. A carefully calibrated mix of light, medium and dark roasts delivers consistency. The coffee has earned national accolades, including two Fine Cup Awards at Know Your Kaapi (KYK) 2024 and a fourth-place ranking in the Coffee Board’s Flavour of India Fine Cup 2024.

Procurement figures illustrate the transformation. In the 2025–26 season TDCCOL procured a record 102.54 metric tonnes of coffee fruit—nearly triple the 34.68 MT of 2022–23—benefiting around 360 tribal families, including 71 women farmers. Payments of ₹1.07 crore have been transferred directly to growers’ bank accounts, replacing cash transactions, while Smart Cards aid identification and tracking for a growing share of producers. TDCCOL operates eight Koraput Coffee brand cafés across Odisha and Delhi (including one at NALCO Damanjodi), which generated ₹1.64 crore in sales in FY 2023–24. More than 10,000 packs of Tiger Bright have been commercialised, alongside roasted beans and other value-added offerings.

“The presence of Tiger Bright at the BRICS Summit marks a significant milestone. What began as an experimental royal plantation and later a soil-conservation measure has evolved into a branded specialty product that carries the identity of Koraput’s tribal communities onto a global diplomatic platform. Officials and growers alike see the recognition as validation of sustainable livelihoods, value addition and the potential of India’s regional and tribal produce to compete and connect on the world stage, exactly the story Chief Minister Majhi wants the world to hear,” an official release added.

source: http://www.odishabytes.com / Odisha Bytes / Home> Odisha / by OB Bureau / September 12th, 2026

After Kodagu visit, Durga Stalin calls on GTD family in Mysuru

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Caption: Former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin’s wife Durga Stalin (centre) called on Chamundeshwari MLA G.T. Devegowda (GTD) at his residence in V.V. Mohalla yesterday evening as GTD’s daughter Annapurna, Durga Stalin’s sister Jayanti, GTD’s wife Lalitha Devegowda, GTD, former Tiruvallur MLA Rajendran’s wife Indira Rajendran and Annapurna’s husband Vishweshwaraiah alias Babanna look on.

Mysuru :

Former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK President M.K. Stalin’s wife Durga Stalin, called on Chamundeshwari MLA G.T. Devegowda (GTD) at his residence in V.V. Mohalla yesterday evening, where she was accorded a warm welcome.

While Stalin and his son Udhayanidhi Stalin travelled from Kodagu to Tamil Nadu, Durga Stalin remained in Mysuru for a few hours, keeping her visit low-key and away from political engagements.

GTD’s daughter D. Annapurna and her husband Vishweshwaraiah, popularly known as Babanna, a businessman, share a long-standing acquaintance with the Stalin family. Annapurna, accompanied by her family, personally received the guests.

Arriving from Kodagu, Durga Stalin, accompanied by her sister Jayanti, Indira Rajendran, wife of former Tiruvallur MLA Rajendran and an aide Rajkumar, began the day with breakfast at a hotel on the Outer Ring Road.

They later visited Nimishamba Temple in Srirangapatna and Sri Chamundeshwari Temple atop Chamundi Hill in Mysuru.

Annapurna told Star of Mysore this morning that Durga Stalin contacted her over the phone and informed her that she was in Mysuru and would visit the family after offering prayers at the temples.

After lunch at Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel, the group visited GTD’s residence in V.V. Mohalla at around 3.30 pm. Members of Devegowda family extended traditional hospitality and presented a memento.

In a light-hearted moment, Durga Stalin reportedly remarked to GTD, “I am former, you are current,” referring to her husband M.K. Stalin’s former status.

GTD responded warmly, wishing her and her family all the best in the days ahead.

GTD’s wife Lalitha Devegowda and other family members were present on the occasion. Former Corporators Prema Shankaregowda and Bhagya Madesh were also in attendance.

Before concluding her brief stay in Mysuru, Durga Stalin visited the Karnataka Silk Industries Corporation (KSIC) showroom, where she purchased Mysore Silk sarees. The group later departed from Mysore Airport in the Chennai-bound flight at 7 pm.

source: http:www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News> Top Stories / by Star of Mysore / June 02nd, 2026

Why do Coorg families still treasure their guns?

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For the Kodavas, weapons are treasured links to their ancestry, identity and a martial tradition.

Why weapons are still part of Coorg’s culture and traditions? AI- generated image

Walk into a traditional ancestral home in Kodagu, Karnataka, and you might notice something rather unusual- guns, daggers and swords displayed alongside family photographs and heirlooms. For the Kodava community, these aren’t simply weapons. They are tangible reminders of ancestry, identity and a martial tradition that has been passed down through generations.

Why are weapons part of Coorg’s family heritage?

Why Coorg families preserve these historic Heirlooms AI-generated image

The Kodavas are an ethno-linguistic community native to Kodagu (Coorg, Karnataka), with a long-standing association with hunting, agriculture and warfare. Their customs place a strong emphasis on ancestor and nature worship and their history has shaped many of their customs, where weapons continue to have a place in both everyday heritage and ceremonial life.

The relationship is particularly visible during Kailpodh (translated to festival of weapons), the Kodava festival associated with arms, traditionally observed after the agricultural season. It is said that families bring out their guns and traditional weapons, clean them and offer prayers. The festival also marks the beginning of the traditional hunting season, with gunshots forming part of the celebrations. Weapons also feature during Huttari, the harvest festival. Even important family milestones have been marked by gun salutes, including the birth of a child and the death of a family member.

Among the community’s best-known traditional weapons is the peeche kathi, an ornate dagger traditionally worn at the waist with the kupya chale, the distinctive Kodava traditional attire. The odikathi, a larger curved blade historically associated with warfare, has also found a place in ceremonial life. For instance, at Kodava weddings, the groom traditionally carries the odikathi as part of his wedding attire.

Historically, Kodavas have enjoyed a special exemption from certain firearms licensing requirements, allowing eligible members of the community to possess firearms under specific conditions. The roots of this arrangement go back to the British period, when the colonial administration formally recognised the Kodavas’ longstanding martial traditions.

Today the weapons are said to be more about what they represent. An old gun may have belonged to a grandfather; an ornate dagger may have been carried at wedding generations ago or a ceremonial sword may have its own family story.

source: http://www.indulgexpress.com / The Indian Express, Indulge Express / Home> Society / by P Sangeetha / September 10th, 2026