Karma Kargyue Monastery is home to 700 indigenous tree species; under Guru Karma Samtenlingpa Rinpoche, plans are afoot to plant 1,500 more saplings
Monks of Eco Nalanda work in the fields every week to gain practical knowledge about the environment Photo | Express
Madikeri :
Buddhism has a profound connection with the natural world — a bond rooted in the very moment Siddhartha Gautama attained enlightenment beneath the canopy of a Bodhi tree.
This reverence for nature is reflected in Buddhist monasteries, which serve as tranquil, spiritually-charged sanctuaries. And deep within Southern India lies the Karma Kargyue Monastery, a premier example of spirituality intertwined with environmental stewardship.
Nestled in the heart of a 100-acre forest zone, the monastery has evolved beyond a place of worship to become a vital hub for conservation and ecological harmony.
Established under the aegis of Bodhi Sattva Trust, the monastery is in the Tibetan Refugee Camp at Bylakuppe in Mysuru district. The trust also runs a Gurukul institution named Eco Nalanda School, where monks are taught to lead sustainable practices along with the routine academics.
What is special about this monastery is that it is home to over 700 indigenous tree species. The trust was established in 1995 with an ambition to initiate a conservation programme. Established by Guru Karma Samtenlingpa Rinpoche, the trust is leading a conservation and nature rejuvenation mission even as it has grand plans to promote its conservation initiative for a sustainable living.
“Buddha is the ambassador of peace and we at Bodhi Sattva want to share spiritual science,” explains Guru Karma Samtenlingpa Rinpoche, the founder of the trust.
He goes back in time and retells the story of his inspiration to start such a massive conservation project. Son of Maha Yogi Kazung, Karma Rinpoche was born in Bylakuppe and he calls this place his Karma Bhoomi. As a child, he grew up amidst nature even as his grandfather was his first inspiration.
Karma Kargyue Monastery Photo | Express
“My grandfather, a great yogi who meditated in Mt Kailash, was a nature lover. After the communist invasion of Tibet in 1959, my grandparents and father moved to Bylakuppe. And whenever my grandfather was here, he always spent time meditating and creating spiritual art atop a mango tree. He spent most of his time atop the tree and only came down to eat,” he says.
According to Karma Rinpoche, his house had a large orchard and all kitchen items were grown in the backyard. He said it was where he found his calling towards conservation.
After he graduated from the Gurukul in 1995, he established the trust to start the conservation project. However, the path was not easy. A youngster then, Karma Rinpoche did not have a proper plan for the project and he started off by planting saplings that he received for free from government departments. A silver oak sapling planted in 1995 still stands as a testimony to his conservation journey that began in a small manner at the monastery.
“The only ‘sathya’ I knew was surrendering to Mother Nature and Mother Nature is the only true Dharma. My conservation story started beside the then small temple of Karma Kargyue Monastery built using Mangalore tiles,” he says.
After meditating in this temple, he used to head out to plant saplings. He travelled across the globe seeking support to promote his vision and his journey introduced him to D Kupendra Reddy, former MP, who has led many conservation initiatives, including lake conservation projects in Bengaluru. Karma Rinpoche’s conservation journey led him to Dr Yellappa Reddy, a well-known conservationist, who helped shape the Bodhi Sattva Conservation project.
“We both shared the same vision for conservation and a month after our meeting, he visited the monastery,” he recalls, explaining that till his visit, the conservation project was lagging due to unscientific management. Dr Yellappa Reddy scrutinised the entire area, surveyed the land, conducted soil tests and even identified the indigenous species of flora that existed in the region. While several saplings had been planted in the region randomly, over 400 indigenous saplings were planted after Dr Yellappa Reddy’s visit.
Sharing that this happened in 2006, Karma Rinpoche explains that monks in the monastery were part of the project and walked miles carrying buckets of water to nurture these plants. While the trust now has a rainwater harvesting unit and a drip irrigation unit, the challenges they faced initially were a test turned into a testimony.
“Rainwater harvesting was planned by Prof Ravi Kumar from Mysuru and Dr Chandrashekar from Kerala Forest Science Institute became a horticulture advisor. All these scientists, including Dr Yellappa Reddy, did not take a single rupee for their efforts towards conservation,” says Karma Rinpoche.
The trust has planted 700 species of indigenous tree saplings and aims to plant 1,500 more. Karma Rinpoche has a vision to make Bodhi Sattva and Eco Nalanda, a small ecology arboretum learning centre, so that conservationists can easily replicate the concept. The trust is now involved in constructing a model house near the monastery to promote the concept of sustainable living. “Around this house, we will develop an orchard, a garden for kitchen needs and plant ayurveda saplings for daily needs. We will also build a ‘Happy Cow Temple’ where we will introduce ‘Malnad Gidda’, the indigenous cattle breed, and promote a sustainable lifestyle,” he says.
At Eco Nalanda, several tree species, including those connecting with the concept of ‘Sathyam Shivam Sundarm’, and several ayurvedic saplings are being nurtured. The trust has developed a Nakshatra Vana, Raashi Vana and Navagraha Vana plantation.
The 100-acre conservation project is in the centre of the 5,000-acre Tibetan Camp in Bylakuppe and it has become a resting place for wild elephants. “The region is known for elephant menace. Elephant herds are often chased from one estate to another. However, Eco Nalanda is like a guesthouse for elephants. With fodder and water aplenty, the elephants often enter this place and return to their home forest,” he says.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Karnataka / by Prajna GR / April 12th, 2026
A new climate analysis finds India’s coffee farms absorbed 30 extra days of harmful heat annually because of carbon pollution. Researchers are racing to find alternatives before Arabica and Robusta run out of room.
A worker picks ripe coffee cherries at Kelachandra Coffee Estate, in Chikkamagaluru district, Karnataka, on January 10, 2026. | Photo Credit: Laxmi Devi Aere/PTI
More than two billion cups of coffee are consumed every day, and for several years now, surging prices and falling production have marked the global coffee trade. Farmers in the world’s top five coffee-producing countries have faced mounting losses because of a warming planet, and India’s coffee sector is not immune. A new analysis by Climate Central, an independent group of scientists and communicators who research the changing climate, finds that 25 coffee-growing countries together accounting for about 97 per cent of global production all experienced more coffee-harming heat over the past five years.
Kristina Dahl, Climate Central’s Vice President for Science, explained to Frontline in an email interview why coffee was chosen as the subject. “Coffee is one of the most popular beverages in the world and a daily staple for billions of people,” she said. “It also provides a very direct and tangible link between climate change and everyday life. Any climate-driven disruption to coffee production has global ripple effects—from farmers in the ‘bean belt’ to consumers worldwide.”
Coffee plants are highly sensitive to temperature. When maximum temperatures regularly exceed 30°C, the quality and quantity of bean harvests decline. Reduced harvests and lower-quality beans tighten global supplies, contributing to price volatility—as seen in December 2024 and again in February 2025, when global coffee prices reached record highs, Dahl said. For farmers, many of them smallholders, lower yields, crop losses, and the cost of adapting to new conditions strain already thin profit margins.
The analysis, which examined daily temperatures between 2021 and 2025 across 25 major producing countries, is the first to directly attribute the increase in coffee-harming heat days—defined as days when maximum temperatures exceeded 30°C—to climate change using attribution science, she said. Climate Central drew on its Climate Shift Index, which compares observed temperatures to modelled estimates of temperatures in a hypothetical world without carbon pollution. Last year, the organisation conducted a similar attribution analysis on cocoa, another climate-sensitive crop.
Heat is already impacting harvests
The top five coffee-growing countries—Brazil (roughly 37 per cent of global production), Vietnam (17 per cent), Colombia (8 per cent), and Ethiopia and Indonesia (6 per cent each)—together are responsible for 75 per cent of world’s supply, experienced an average of 57 extra coffee-harming heat days per year because of climate change. Brazil averaged 70 additional harmful heat days annually; Indonesia 73; Vietnam 59; Colombia 48; and Ethiopia 34.
The situation is particularly acute in Asia, Dahl pointed out. Thailand recorded an average of about 75 additional harmful heat days a year. India, which contributes approximately 3.5 per cent of global coffee production, experienced an average of 118 coffee-harming heat days per year between 2021 and 2025, of which 30 were attributable to climate change. In a world without carbon pollution, India would have had roughly 88 such days instead of 118. Kerala recorded 65 additional heat days linked to climate change annually; Tamil Nadu 43; and Karnataka, India’s largest coffee-producing State, 32.
These impacts are not theoretical. “In practical terms, rising heat is already affecting harvests in major coffee-producing countries, threatening both quantity and quality,” Dahl said. She pointed out that while earlier studies had linked rising temperatures, drought, and shifting rainfall to reduced yields and shrinking suitable growing areas, the Climate Central analysis adds a new dimension: it quantifies precisely how many additional harmful heat days can be attributed to carbon pollution.
Beyond heat, the analysis notes that climate impacts are worse for Arabica plants, which account for about 60–70 per cent of global supply, since they are more sensitive than Robusta varieties to temperatures above 30°C. Pests and diseases—coffee leaf rust and the coffee berry borer in particular—also intensify with climate change. Without significant reductions in carbon emissions, suitable land for coffee farming could decline by up to 50 per cent by 2050, according to earlier research cited by Dahl. “Adaptation and resilience can only take farmers so far,” she said.
Wild species and the search for alternatives
India is the world’s fifth-largest Robusta producer, and about 80 per cent of its coffee is grown by smallholders, according to World Coffee Research. The country’s coffee exports earned approximately $1.28 billion in fiscal year 2023–24, making it a significant agricultural earner.
Akshay Dashrath, co-founder of the South India Coffee Company (SICC), which he set up in 2017 with his wife Komal Sable as a sourcing and logistics platform, has been researching Excelsa (Coffea dewevrei) since 2019. He found a market initially difficult to reach, but publications by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, on Excelsa and related species accelerated demand. He has been working with Kew for three to four years on climate-resilient coffee species, running trials of Excelsa, Stenophylla, and four coffee species native to India—Coffea bengalensis (found from Chikmagalur to Thailand), Coffea travancorensis, neobridsoniae, and wightiana—on his family’s Mooleh Manay Estate in North Coorg, Karnataka. For the past two years, he has also been breeding Excelsa for better cup quality and commercial viability.
“A hotter environment means coffee is under stress: production per plant reduces, cup quality drops, and the plant weakens. It is happening in specific blocks—those with less shade are more susceptible to disease, and once the plant is weak, it becomes prone to fungal infection,” Dashrath said. He described a severe leaf rust outbreak on his farm: the heavily shaded plants survived, but those under direct sunlight lost their foliage.
Rising heat is not the only problem. He pointed out that for Robusta—and for Arabica—dry air matters as much as temperature. “Heat with dry air is more damaging to certain species,” he said. Excelsa, native to Central Africa, tolerates heat, dry air, and drier soils better than Arabica or Robusta because its root system goes considerably deeper, giving it access to soil moisture that shallower-rooted varieties cannot reach. Dashrath puts Excelsa’s root depth at 4.5 to possibly 7–8 feet, compared with Robusta at 2.5 feet and pure Arabica at around 3 feet.
Coffee plants are highly sensitive to temperature. When maximum temperatures regularly exceed 30°C, the quality and quantity of bean harvests decline. | Photo Credit: Prakash Hassan
Indian coffee has been grown under shade since the 1850s, making canopy management central to the crop’s culture. However, Dashrath notes that many growing belts are now thinning their canopy to increase yields by admitting more sunlight, and supplementing Robusta with external irrigation—a trend that could leave farms more exposed to heat and moisture stress.
India also carries a legacy of genetic limitations. “Historically, we had access to diverse germplasm, including hybrids of Arabica, Liberica, and Excelsa,” Dashrath said. “But in the 1940s, the research focus shifted towards developing Arabica–Robusta hybrids for leaf rust tolerance.” The result is that the country’s commercial varieties remain concentrated in two species highly sensitive to warming. The Central Coffee Research Institute, founded in 1925, is conducting research on climate-resilient coffee, though its director did not respond to a request for comment.
The case for Excelsa as a climate buffer became clearer to Dashrath in July 2024, when 33 inches of rain fell on his farm in a single month—far more than the typical annual average of 58 inches. Arabica and Robusta could not withstand the waterlogging, but Excelsa’s deeper root system held. “When we talk of climate-resilient coffee, we need species that can handle not only heat but also climate variability,” he said.
Stenophylla (Coffea stenophylla), a wild species from West Africa, offers another avenue. Rediscovered in Sierra Leone in 2018 after not being seen in the wild since 1954, Stenophylla has been found to tolerate temperatures significantly higher than Arabica while producing a comparable flavour profile, according to research published in Nature Plants in 2021 by scientists from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, the University of Greenwich, CIRAD, and researchers in Sierra Leone. It is currently on the IUCN Red List as “Vulnerable.”
Excelsa currently accounts for about 1 per cent of the global coffee market and is grown commercially in small quantities in Chikmagalur and Coorg. SICC received a grant from Coffee Circle last year to grow Excelsa on trial plots across six different sites; the data from those trials has been shared with Kew, which is mapping climate conditions from Uganda to India and parts of South-East Asia. The trials are informing a broader picture of which plant material performs under changing conditions.
Still, Dashrath is candid about the timeline. Arabica has been bred for around 600 years; Robusta for 150. Excelsa is a wild species with considerable variation from plant to plant, and no consistency in yields. Getting it to a standard where it can compete in commodity markets is a 20–25-year project, he said. “The market is there, but it needs more breeding, standardised seeds, and testing before it can be deployed at scale. Currently it is a niche product, priced rather high.”
There are over 120 recognised coffee species, according to Kew researchers, though most are either inedible or commercially unviable. Coffea racemosa, from Mozambique, has also attracted attention for its claimed heat tolerance, though published data on its upper temperature threshold remain limited. Dashrath is blunt about the bottom line: “If the world gets warmer, coffee-growing areas may shift, or alternatives like Excelsa may need to move to centre stage. To sustain coffee, we need to start looking outside the realm of Arabica and Robusta.”
Concerns about Arabica’s future are felt most acutely in Ethiopia, the crop’s birthplace. Dejene Dadi, General Manager of the Oromia Coffee Farmers Cooperatives Union (OCFCU), one of Ethiopia’s largest smallholder coffee cooperatives and exporters, put the stakes plainly: “Coffee farmers in Ethiopia are already seeing the impact of extreme heat. Ethiopian Arabica is particularly sensitive to direct sunlight. Without sufficient shade, coffee trees produce fewer beans and become more vulnerable to disease.” He called for governments to act on climate change and invest in smallholder organisations capable of scaling up adaptation. “Coffee farming is part of our cultural heritage, and coffee trees are symbols of continuity and pride,” he added. “Ethiopia is the birthplace of coffee, and Ethiopian coffee farmers are key to safeguarding its future.”
Research at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew—through a project focused on Excelsa and Liberica coffee and related species, with field and farm trials across Africa and Asia—offers some grounds for cautious optimism. The work is designed to identify which species combinations can sustain coffee cultivation in warming conditions and provide farmers with alternatives to the two varieties that currently dominate.
For India’s approximately 3.6 lakh coffee farmers, most of them dependent on Robusta for their livelihoods, and for the country’s coffee export sector—worth close to $1.3 billion in FY2023–24 and significantly more since—the challenge from climate change is not distant. It is measured, now, in 30 extra days of harmful heat each year, and rising.
Meena Menon is a freelance journalist and visiting postdoctoral fellow at Leeds Arts and Humanities Research Institute, University of Leeds.
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Summary
A Climate Central analysis reveals that 25 major coffee-producing countries, including India, are experiencing increased ‘coffee-harming heat’ due to climate change, impacting global production and prices. India faces an average of 118 such days annually, with 30 directly attributable to climate change. This heat stress reduces yields and quality, particularly for sensitive Arabica plants. Researchers are exploring climate-resilient coffee species like Excelsa and Stenophylla, which exhibit better tolerance to heat and variable weather conditions. While these alternatives offer hope, their widespread commercial adoption requires significant research and development, highlighting the urgent need for climate action and adaptation strategies to safeguard the future of coffee.
Key Questions & Insights(AIⓘ)
What is the primary finding of Climate Central’s analysis regarding global coffee production?
Why was coffee chosen as the subject for Climate Central’s analysis?
How does high temperature affect coffee plants and global coffee prices?
What is ‘coffee-harming heat’ as defined by Climate Central?
How many additional coffee-harming heat days did India experience annually due to climate change between 2021 and 2025?
Which Indian states were most affected by climate change-linked heat days for coffee production?
Why are Arabica plants more vulnerable to climate change than Robusta varieties?
What is the potential impact of climate change on suitable land for coffee farming by 2050?
What is the significance of Excelsa coffee in the context of climate change?
What is the current status of Excelsa in the global coffee market?
What is Stenophylla and why is it considered a promising alternative coffee species?
What is the main challenge for India’s coffee sector due to climate change?
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source: http://www.frontline.thehindu.com / Frontline / Home> India> Environment> Digital Exclusive / by Meena Menon / February 25th, 2026
I learnt to appreciate coffee at the age of thirty-seven and since then I have been tasting coffee at speciality coffee shops in and out of Singapore. The more types of coffee I tried, the more I want to try. From just drinking coffee made by others, I ventured into brewing coffee on my own and soon I became the owner of many coffee gadgets and accessories.
When I was in Papua New Guinea for ten days, I was drinking one of the best coffees from the Eastern Highlands. I did not stop at that. I visited coffee plantations in countries like Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Mexico, Thailand, and India. Within India, I have visited coffee plantations in the states of Odisha, Kerala and most recently Karnataka.
Karnataka produces about 71% of India’s coffee and Coorg in Karnataka produces 33% of India’s coffee! Coorg, a beautiful hill town is covered with acres of green, lush coffee plantations. I had to the pleasure of not just touring but also roasting and grinding my own coffee blend when I visited @fivefarms.in coffee plantation in Coorg.
I have not been exposed to Indian coffee much except when I am travelling in India. I became much more enlightened after my visit to @fivefarms.in and my meeting with Subbaiah and Ashith, partner and founders of @fivefarms.in.
Subbaiah and Ashith stay in a 75-year-old bungalow surrounded by the Malcode coffee estate in Chetthalli Village, Coorg, Karnataka. This coffee estate produces Arabica and Robusta coffee beans and the popular #Indianblackpepper — Paniyoor black Pepper.
The husband-wife team are third generation coffee farmers and founders of fivefarms.in – one of India’s premium single estate coffee stores. Subbaiah told me that they believe in very traditional plantation skills but ensure that they apply only modern roasting and grinding techniques to their coffee beans.
They conduct Seed to Cup tours of the coffee estate. I learnt the history of how coffee was discovered and brought to India, its culture, farming techniques including harvesting, inspection of the coffee plants, and production process from its raw state.
After the tour, I had the pleasure of sampling a sumptuous lunch prepared by Ashith and her mother-in-law, ending with a cup of freshly brewed coffee!
I left the farm with about a kilogram of freshly roasted and ground coffee!! Thank you @fivefarms.in
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Devagi Sanmugam
As a chef, spice curator, and author of over 20 cookbooks, my life revolves around the exquisite world of food. I am deeply passionate about experiencing food in all its forms—I love to see, touch, smell, hear, and feel the ingredients that create culinary magic. Each spice tells a story, every herb evokes a memory, and the textures of food bring joy to my senses. Traveling is not just a pastime for me; it is an essential part of my journey as a culinary educator. Exploring diverse cuisines around the world allows me to expand my knowledge and understanding of food, enriching both my cooking and teaching. I revel in discovering new flavors and techniques that I can share with others, igniting their own passion for cooking. This blog is a heartfelt expression of my love for food—a platform where I can share my culinary adventures, insights, and recipes. Join me as we explore global cuisine, celebrating the beautiful and delicious experiences that food offers.
Coromandel International Limited, one of India’s leading agri-solutions providers, announced the inauguration of its 1200th Gromor retail store at Arji Village in Virajpet Taluk, Coorg, Karnataka. Branded as ‘Namma Gromor’, the store marks a significant milestone in the company’s journey of strengthening its last-mile connect with the farming community.
The event was inaugurated by Mr. IK Anil, Founder – Kuttappa Coffee, Co-founder, Indian Vanilla Initiative and Editor-in-Chief – Coffeeland News, in presence of Mr. S. Sankarasubramanian, Managing Director & CEO, Coromandel International Limited, along with senior leadership team.
Launched as a coffee specialty store, the outlet is strategically located to serve key coffee-growing belts across Virajpet Taluk, including Arji and surrounding villages, as well as prominent estate clusters across the Coorg region. The store aims to engage closely with progressive farmers, estate owners and grower communities, creating a strong localized impact across 20–25 villages.
“The launch of our 1200th Gromor store is a proud milestone in Coromandel’s journey of empowering farmers through integrated agri-solutions. With the Coorg region being a key hub for coffee cultivation, this specialty store reflects our commitment to deliver localized, crop-specific expertise. Our focus remains on strengthening farmer connect, improving productivity and enabling sustainable livelihoods through a combination of physical and digital interventions.”, said Mr. S. Sankarasubramanian, Managing Director & CEO, Coromandel International Limited.
Mr. IK Anil, Founder – Kuttappa Coffee, Co-founder, Indian Vanilla Initiative and Editor-in-Chief – Coffeeland News said, “My association with the Murugappa Group spans generations, as a third-generation coffee planter, my bond with this group transcends business and is rooted in mutual respect and shared values. What has always distinguished Murugappa Group is its unwavering commitment to quality and integrity, sustained across decades without compromise. That steadfastness has earned the trust of generations like mine. As the Namma Gromor Centre now expands into the plantation segment for the first time in Coorg, I sincerely hope it will bring forward new technologies and meaningful advancements that empower planters in Coorg, helping them navigate evolving agricultural challenges with confidence, built on the same fair, genuine, and dependable values that have long strengthened Coromandel Retail’s bond with the farming community.“
Since its foray into rural retail in 2007 under the ‘My Gromor’ brand, Coromandel has built one of India’s largest agri-retail networks. With the launch of the 1200th store, the company now operates a robust, company-owned and company-operated network across five states—850 Mana Gromor stores in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, 270 Namma Gromor stores in Karnataka, 31 Namadu Gromor stores in Tamil Nadu, and 49 Apla Gromor stores in Maharashtra—serving over 5 million farmers.
Backed by a dedicated workforce of over 4,500 employees, the Gromor network plays a pivotal role in delivering extension services, agronomic support and quality agri-inputs, helping farmers enhance productivity and improve farm outcomes.
Each ‘My Gromor’ centre functions as a comprehensive agri-solutions hub, offering a wide range of products including fertilizers, crop protection solutions, biologicals, cattle feed and farm implements. In addition, farmers benefit from value-added services such as soil and carbon testing, drone spraying, agronomy advisory, and access to farmer-focused insurance solutions.
The retail ecosystem is further strengthened by the MyGromor mobile app, which provides farm-specific advisory, real-time pricing, and AI-powered pest and disease detection. With over 1 million downloads, the platform is enhancing both accessibility and transparency for farmers.
About Coromandel
Coromandel International Limited is amongst India’s pioneers and leading Agri solutions provider, offering diverse products and services across the farming value chain. It operates in two major segments: Nutrient and other allied businesses and Crop Protection. These include Fertilisers, Crop Protection, Bio Products, Specialty Nutrients and Organic businesses. The Company is 2nd largest manufacturer and marketer of Phosphatic fertilisers in India. The Company’s Crop Protection products are marketed in India as well as in international geographies, offering a wide range of technical and formulation products. The Specialty Nutrients business of the Company focuses on water soluble fertilisers, secondary & micronutrients and Nano fertilisers products. The Company is a leading marketer of Organic fertilisers in India. The Bio Products business of the company focusses on plant extractions for various applications. It also operates a network of 1200 rural retail outlets across Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra. Through these Retail outlets, the Company offers agri inputs and farming services including crop advisory, soil testing and farm mechanization to around 3 million farmers. The Company currently has 8 R&D centers and a strong Regulatory setup, supporting the businesses in process development and new product introduction. The Company currently has 21 manufacturing facilities, spread widely across India, producing a wide range of Nutrient and Crop Protection products, which are marketed through an extensive network of dealers and its own retail centers.
The Company clocked a turnover of Rs. 24,444 Crores during FY24-25. Its efforts towards environment have been well recognized by international organizations like UNDP and has also been voted as one of the ten greenest companies in India by TERI. Coromandel is a part of the Murugappa Group with a turnover of INR 90,178 crore.
A 125-year-old conglomerate with presence across India and the world, the INR 902 billion (90,178 crore) Murugappa Group has diverse businesses in agriculture, engineering, financial services and more.
The Group has 10 listed companies: Carborundum Universal Limited, CG Power & Industrial Solutions Limited, Cholamandalam Financial Holdings Limited, Cholamandalam Investment & Finance Company Limited, Coromandel International Limited, E.I.D.-Parry (India) Limited, NACL Industries Limited, Shanthi Gears Limited, Tube Investments of India Limited, and Wendt (India) Limited. Other major companies include Cholamandalam MS General Insurance Company Limited and Parry Agro Industries Limited. Brands such as Ajax, Hercules, BSA, Montra, Montra Electric, Mach City, Chola, Chola MS, CG Power, Shanthi Gears, CUMI, Gromor, Paramfos, Parry’s are part of the Group’s illustrious stable.
Abrasives, technical ceramics, electrominerals, electric vehicles, auto components, fans, transformers, signalling equipment for railways, bicycles, fertilisers, sugar, tea and several other products make up the Group’s business interests.
Guided by the Five lights — integrity, passion, quality, respect and responsibility — and a culture of professionalism, the Group has a workforce of 94,041 employees.
General Thimayya Museum at Madikeri, is one of the most visited attractions at Coorg. The museum houses images of the General, documents, weapons and other items, that the late illustrious General was associated with.
Gowdanda Thimmaiah at General Thimayya Museum
General Thimayya Museum at Madikeri, is one of the most visited attractions at Coorg. The museum houses images of the General, documents, weapons and other items, that the late illustrious General was associated with.
Subedar Major (Retd) Gowdanda Thimmaiah proudly wearing his medals.
Gowdanda Thimmaiah joined the Indian Army (8th Madras Regiment) in November 1987, and has seen multiple postings throughout India and also in Bhutan.
Thimmaiah has actively participated the following Indian Military campaigns:
1. Operation Rhino – Counter Insurgency operation in Assam (1990) 2. Operation Rakshak – Counter Insurgency operation in Kashmir (1990) 3. Operation Vijay – Kargil War in Kashmir (1999) 4. Operation Parakram – Military Mobilization on the border with Pakistan (2001)
The most challenging operation, Thimmaiah remembered was during his participation in counter insurgency operation in Kashmir. The militancy in Kashmir was at its peak and I have been witness to many casualties. If I recall correctly, from my battalion itself – around 10 to 15 casualties. It was tough to witness so many casualties of my brother soldiers, but we were not the be swayed by emotions and we were up for the challenge and ready to fight it out., he recalled.
The following is a list of medals that Gowdanda Thimmaiah has been awarded:
1. OPERATION VIJAY MEDAL 2. SAINYA SEVA MEDAL 3. SPECIAL SERVICE MEDAL(SURAKSHA) 4. HIGH ALTITUDE MEDAL 5. SAINYA SEVA MEDAL (ASSAM) 6. 9 YEARS LONG SERVICE MEDAL 7. 20 YEARS LONG SERVICE MEDAL 8. 50 YEARS INDEPENDENCE MEDAL
Gowdanda Thimmaiah retired from the Indian Army after serving 28 years and 28 days, with his character being judged by his superiors as exemplary.
Today, this illustrious soldier mans the museum of one of the most famous Generals of Indian Army. To quote Field Marshal Cariappa: “An officer is nothing without the soldiers”.
Lt General Dhiraj Seth presenting the certificate and medallion to Gowdanda Thimmiah
On the 24th of March, 2025, Lt General Dhiraj Seth (PVSM, AVSM) – Army Commander Southern Command, while on his visit to General Thimayya Museum, took note of Thimmaiah’s work as a curator and his dedication towards the museum.
General Dhiraj Seth, presented Thimmaiah with a commendation certificate and VETERAN HONOR MEDALLION in recognition of his contribution, post retirement.
True to the concept that a soldier never retires, Thimmaiah is also involved in every activity at Surlabbi village. The family is the Deva Thakka for the ancient temple and the Gowdanda family have the privilege of leading the sacred dance that takes place every year.
A hardworking farmer, beekeeper and sportsman. He played for the family in the ongoing Muddanda Hockey Namme, with his two accomplished daughters. One has recently completed her Aeronautical Engineering degree and the other is qualifying as a Dentist. His wife is currently serving in the Health Department as Taluk Nursing Supervisor at Madikeri.
Like Gowdanda Thimmaiah, in Kodagu – there are many such gallant soldiers. And all would have a story to tell. A story worth listening to and sharing. A story of serving the Indian Army and Nation with grit and determination.
source: http://www.clnews.in / CoffeeLand News / Home> Articles / by A S Aiyappa / April 19th, 2025
Army personnel handing over the tricolour to the wife of Hawaldar Althaf Ahmed, who died in Kashmir on February 22. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangemen
Althaf Ahmed | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
The last rites of 37-year-old Indian Army Hawildar Althaf Ahmed, who died in a blizzard while on duty in Kashmir, were performed in his native in Meenupete in Kodagu district’s Virajpet taluk with state honours on Saturday.
The body of Althaf Ahmed, who had died on February 22, arrived in his native in Kodagu early on Saturday as its departure by air from Srinagar was delayed owing to bad weather. The body was kept at Eidgah Maidan in Meenupete for the public to pay their last respects before it was laid to rest at the burial ground as per Islamic rituals.
Virajpet MLA K.G. Bopaiah, MLCs Suja Kushalappa and Veena Achaiah, besides Deputy Commissioner B.C. Satish, Kodagu Superintendent of Police M.A. Aiyappa and other senior officials of the district administration were among the large number of people, who paid their last respects.
According to sources, Althaf Ahmed grew up in Meenupete and completed his SSLC in St Anne’s School in Virajpet and Pre University Education at the Virajpet Government Junior College. He later joined the Army Ordnance Corps (AOC) regiment. He had been serving the Army in various places since the last 19 years.
While guarding the border in Kashmir, Althaf Ahmed was caught in a blizzard on February 22 and died.
After the ceremonial gun salute during the funeral of the martyred solider, Army personnel handed over handed over the tricolour that draped Althaf Ahmed’s body and his uniform to his wife and two children. He leaves behind his mother, wife, a son and a daughter.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> India> Karnataka / by Special Correspondent / February 26th, 2022
There’s more to Coorg than the coffee plantations, resorts and mountains shrouded in mist.
There are no Café Coffee Days or Baristas in the coffee county. Instead, vistas of stumped coffee plants growing in the shade of benevolent native trees stretch through silence broken by whistling wind and falling yet uplifting waterfalls. Wild elephants meander in the plantations in the day and fireflies fly in the plantations at night. Coorg is a country painted on a canvas and brought to life.
When you travel within India, you feel the truth of the cliché you’ve heard since childhood — India is many countries into one. How different are the people, their attires, aspirations, lives and even histories and humanities.
The bumpy, washed out road from Mangalore to Coorg changes its rough character drastically the moment it enters the Coorg district.
Perched on the Western Ghats of Karnataka, Coorg or Kodagu has gained its popularity in India in the recent years. She has claimed her place as a coffee plantation hill station, like her near and distant tea plantation cousins Kodaikanal, Ooty and Darjeeling. And with this claim numerous new resorts in the region have burgeoned, many of them located inside the coffee estates.
According to popular belief, coffee in India is rooted in a mystical beginning in the 17th century. The Muslim saint Baba Budan, returning from a pilgrimage, clandestinely brought along seven coffee seeds from Yemen (from where it was forbidden to take coffee seeds) and planted them in Chandragiri hills in Karnataka. These hills are now known as Baba Budan Giri. Like the seven skies and the seven rounds of Kabaa, the holy significance of number seven led him to carry seven seeds.
Kodavas are the main ethnic group of Coorg, carrying a rich farming and militia history. It is a culture that thrives on Nature, not industry. Paddy fields in the foothills and coffee plantations on the slopes, mainly around the district headquarter Madikeri, are the traditional and main source of livelihood.
What is different about the coffee country is not just the coffee, but guns. The Kodavas, being warriors in ancient times, worship arms. Guns are an important part of the festivals of this region. “Most families carry two or three guns,” says Biju, the co-owner of a coffee plantation that spreads over 400 acres. He continues with a glint in his eyes, talking about his passion, i.e., guns. “And yet it is one of the safest places to live in. The crime against women is quite rare and they are the main decision makers in many families.”
That is indeed reflected in the sex ratio where the number of females exceeds the number of males.
There are other ethnic communities and forest-dwelling hunter and gatherer tribes as well. Water is aplenty and the main river of the region is Cauvery. Coffee makes Coorg one of the richest districts of India. Sunil, the co-owner of a coffee plantation and The Porcupine Castle resort answers with a knowing grunt, when we inquire where we can find good coffee, “The coffee that you’re used to , is a mixture of different varieties of coffees.
And each one has a secret formulation, which the company doesn’t disclose. They just buy the raw coffee variety from us like Robusta and Arabica and process and mix it themselves.”
Nonetheless, the Indian coffee is supposed to be one of the finest in the world, grown fully in the shade of eucalyptus, vanilla and native evergreen and leguminous trees. The shade giving trees not only protect the coffee plants but also enrich the soil and prevent erosion. The exotic, full-bodied taste and aroma finds its way to your cup through intense labour and extraordinary care.
The coffee plantations are as multicultural and inclusive as the medley that is India. Pepper, cardamom, vanilla, a local variety of orange and bananas share the same home, drawing their daily supply of nutrients from the shared pool of coffee plantations.
The homesick British, who once inhabited the cool climes of Coorg, named it the Scotland of India. British architecture still stands strong in Madikeri and many tourists visit the same. Around 5 km away from Madikeri is Abbey Falls, a sight to behold, provided it’s not a public holiday.
There is Iruppu Falls too where you can actually go inside the water. An elephant camp of the forest department at Dubare is another tourist attraction and so is Nisargadhama, an island in Cauvery. For the religious, there is Talacauvery, the origin of Cauvery, with a Lord Brahma temple on the bank. For the adventurous, there are the Nagarhole National Park, and Brahmagiri, Talacauvery and Pushpagiri Wildlife Sanctuaries. You can hope to catch a glimpse of a tiger, gaur, dhole (wild dog), leopard or elephant that magnanimously let you pass through the privacy of their living space.
Ever wondered what we would do if a tiger or a guar or a dhole or a leopard enters the privacy of our home or our garden or our street or even our city?
But the Kodavas and the other ethnic groups and tribals of Coorg don’t mind them coming in to their plantations and passing by their villages.
They know better than us that the mountains and fields belong as much to a lonely elephant or a pack of dholes. If I were to settle in the coffee country, it won’t be only for the lush landscape or healthy sex ratio or rich culture; it will be for the forgotten pleasures of experiencing synergy with nature.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Todays Pages> Features> Metroplus / by Arefa Tehsin / May 18th, 2016
Delegates during the workshop at the Coorg Institute of Dental Sciences, Virajpet, Kodagu.
A four-day pan-global hands-on workshop on ‘Tip-edge plus orthodontic mechanics’ was inaugurated at the Department of Orthodontics and Dento-facial Orthopaedics in the Coorg Institute of Dental Sciences (CIDS), Virajpet, Kodagu, on Tuesday.
It was attended by 25 delegates from India, Malaysia, Sweden, and Germany.
International speakers and course directors, Urban Hagg, Director of Clinical Education, University of Copenhagen, Denmark, and Margareta Bendeus, multi-specialist practitioner in Landskrona, Sweden, were mentors at the workshop, according to information received from the CIDS here on Wednesday.
Three doctors from Afghanistan, Abdul Ghafar Gayur (plastic surgeon from Kabul), Habibullah Atif (general surgeon from Badakhshan) and Sebghatullah Natory (maxillofacial surgeon from Kunduz) performed 15 cleft surgeries at the cleft centre and the Department of Maxillofacial Surgery at the CIDS.
Getz Ehmann, maxillofacial surgeon from Hamburg, and Ulrike Lamle, cleft ENT surgeon from Berlin, were also present. Sunil Muddaiah, Dean, CIDS, addressed the gathering.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Bengaluru /by K Jeevan Chinnappa / February 19th, 2015
C.P. Belliappa’s A Slice of History: `Victoria Gowramma : The Lost Princess of Coorg’, brings to life the tragic tale of the princess from Coorg
A Slice of History: C.P.Belliappa’s `Victoria Gowramma : The Lost Princess of Coorg’. Photo: M. Vedhan
In a quiet corner of the Brompton Cemetery in London lies a 19th Century grave partially covered by undergrowth. The graceful stone cross above it is slightly broken, but the epitaph composed by Queen Victoria can still be read: “Sacred to the memory of the Princess Victoria Gouramma (sic), daughter of the ex-Raja of Coorg…”
That’s where the strange and tragic tale of Victoria Gowramma, the princess from Coorg who was raised Christian and became Queen Victoria’s goddaughter, ended in 1864. But, her story has come to light again in all its fascinating detail, thanks to C.P. Belliappa’s rigorously researched book “Victoria Gowramma: The Lost Princess of Coorg”, which was recently launched in the city.
“Historical writings on Coorg — mostly gazetteers by the British who lived there during the 19th Century — mention the story of Gowramma and her father, the exiled Raja Veerarajendra, in a paragraph or two,” says Belliappa, author of “Tale of a Tiger’s Tail & Other Yarns from Coorg” and “Nuggets from Coorg History”. “But the details were never there, and I got more and more inquisitive.”
Accidental discovery
His big break came when he accidentally stumbled upon three books written in the 19th Century by people who knew both the Raja and his daughter.
“I was able to download them — for free! — from www.archive.org, where old books are digitised and uploaded,” he says. “They were authentic, first-hand accounts, and comprised 75 per cent of the information I needed.”
The rest he found from the digital archives of The Times, London — reports of court functions and events that contained all sorts of interesting titbits of information. .
“Victoria Gowramma…” traces the intriguing series of events surrounding the princess’ journey to England with her father in 1852, and her difficult and often lonely life there subsequently. The various threads include the exiled Raja’s attempts to reclaim the wealth the British took from him (his reason for taking Gowramma to England in the first place), and the grand plans by Queen Victoria to match-make between Gowramma and another young royal convert to Christianity, Maharaja Duleep Singh of Punjab.
“Queen Victoria believed that if two royals converted to Christianity were married, and their children were born Christian, it would encourage more of their subjects to convert,” says Belliappa. “What’s interesting is that although the plan didn’t work, the Queen continued to be fond of Gowramma to the very end.”
Power dynamics
The book, then, is more than just a portrait of a princess; it gives you a glimpse into the political and religious power dynamics of the time. With its wealth of primary sources, it’s a solid historical work, though Belliappa admits that he was very tempted to go the historical fiction route. “I gave it a lot of thought, and decided finally that the facts themselves were so sensational that they didn’t need fictionalising,” he says.
Since the book’s release in England last year, the author has uncovered even more interesting nuggets of information — for instance, after a bit of detective work, he’s discovered that direct descendants of Gowramma live on to this day in Australia. “I have enough material to add at least an epilogue in future editions of the book,” he says. “It’s been a very exciting time.”
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Books / by Divya Kumari / March 04th, 2011
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