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‘ The Highland, Coorg ‘ – a Poem on Coorg

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, ,

Mallalli Falls, CoorgMallalli Falls, Coorg

The Highland, Coorg

Disheveled meadow swells aloft
And the sailing blue whispers the song
Tickles the niched nature wind soft
Unearthed ecstasy stays strong

Hangs low, coffee seeds so genuine
Cardamom widespread a unique aroma
Urchin chants through the bottled wine
The valour stands an enigma.

A narrow adorable river streams
Along the heaven in a mysterious way
Bliss blooms through the dark dreams
While the dawn watches mists play

Thick downpour roars out the rest
A gloomy mask for half a year
Atop a tree a sparrow’s nest
Within which is a gun and a chandelier.

Slugabed daylight late kisses the ground
Reluctantly peels out the slumbered eye
Perplexed eyeballs scowl blur around
And later discovers the deep blue sky.

By: Taufeeq, Mercara, Coorg

 

source: http://www.coorgnews.wordpress.com / Oct 30th, 2009

 

Coorg Girl plays a Lead Role in ‘Aaranya Kaandam’

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

Yasmin PonnappaYasmin Ponnappa

Yasmin Ponnappa (Coorg Girl), who’s debuting in Aaranya Kaandam, is a Bangalore-based model. Apart from modelling, she has also appeared in many television commercials and has won many beauty paegants.

Ask her about her role in the film and she gets all excited, “I am like a hurt doe in a jungle, which works up courage to fight back. I am really happy to be working on this project, especially with Jackie dada.” Surprisingly, this Bangalore girl can speak Tamil fluently. “I learnt Tamil when I was young. Thanks to that, I can now give hundred percent to the movie. I don’t have any language problems now,” says the sexy Coorg lass.

Directed by Kumarraja, Aaranyakandam is produced by SPB Charan. The film also stars Jackie Shroff for the first time in a tamil film. Ravikrishna and yasmin ponnappa play the lead roles. Yuvan Shankar Raja scores the music.

 

source: http://www.coorgnews.wordpress.com / Nov 01st, 2009

Feathered Jewels of Coorg

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, , , , , ,

Feathered Jewels of Coorg

Feathered Jewels of Coorg

By Dr. S.V. Narasimhan

Coorg Wildlife Society, Rs. 99

**********************************************

This bilingual book beautifully documents the richness of the avifauna of the small Kodagu district. The book contains the descriptions and sketches of 305 species of birds along with synoptic notes of each family.

The initial chapters have a useful, concise and good general description of bird morphology, anatomy, general usefulness of birds, migration and tips for bird watching. These details make the book more useful for a general reader. The main text contains brief description of each species with its common and scientific names in English, Kannada and Kodava languages.

The status, key morphological characters, habitats, habits are clearly explained. Thus the book is not only a good checklist, but also a valuable field guide to the birds of Kodagu. The descriptions of bird species are precise and follow the standard format.

These are excellently supported by the beautiful colour paintings by the author who is professionally a practicing physician. Giving details of specific bird watching areas within the district would have enhanced the usefulness of the book. Zafar Futehally, the famous ornithologist, writes in his foreword: “The book is invaluable in arousing an interest in birds among the population of Coorg, and Narasimhan has done great service to local birders.” He adds: “Dr. Narasimhan is fortunate in his profession.

Apart from the service which doctors render to mankind, they develop the habit of looking at things closely, attempting to connect cause and effect.”

This elegantly printed and neatly got up book goes a long way in fulfilling the need for such practical information about birds as also about the natural wealth of Kodagu. Feathered Jewels of Coorg emphasises the urgent need for protecting all our natural resources so that our lives may be better and more joyful.

For a well-produced book like this, the pricing is surprisingly low.

– By K.B. Sadananda

 

source: http:// www.coorgnews.wordpress.com  / Nov 10th, 2009

 

65 year Old Graduated with a Diploma

Education, Inspiration / Positive News and Features

Daisy Karumbaiah

Daisy Karumbaiah

Daisy Karumbaiah graduated with a diploma from her psychotherapy and counselling course recently. So what’s the big deal you ask?

The deal is that Daisy is a 65-year-old who spends her time telling wonderful stories or holidaying with her son and his wife at their home in Coorg. Last year, she decided she wanted to be involved with people, therefore the psychotherapy diploma.

“The others in my batch were young people or doctors and PhD holders,” she says. For Daisy, age doesn’t translate into rolling chairs. There’s lots more to do.

“It’s never too late to learn”

 

source: http://www.coorgnews.wordpress.com / Nov 13th, 2009

 

Shubra Aiyappa – Coorg Model on Ramp

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

Shubra Aiyappa – Coorg model

She beat a horde of Indian ravision beauties to win Ford Model Supermodel of the World Contest in 2005 at the age of 18.

Standing 5 feet 11 inches tall, this Bangalore beauty was born in Coorg and schooled in Baldwin Girls School and Mount Carmel’s College.

Now 21, this lissome beauty has a graceful air about her, which is more evident when she takes to the ramp.

Her ambition is to be a good businesswoman.

…and we wish her all the best

 

source: http://www.coorgnews.wordpress.com / Nov 30th, 2009

 

Tilak Shatters Course Record

Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Sports, ,

The Indian elite athletes fared the best in the men’s half-marathon one-way dash from Bandra to CST with Coorg-based BC Tilak shattering the course record. Tilak, who plans to graduate to the full marathon next year, breasted the tape in an hour, four minutes and 45 seconds and was followed by Railways’  Soji  Mathew (1:05:04), his Army Sports Institute (ASI) teammate Kheta Ram (1:05:32) and Parsaram Bhol (1:05:32), all inside the old mark of 1:05:44 set by two-time winner Surender Singh in 2008.

The ASI trio of Bining Lyngkhoi, Angad Kumar and Ram Singh Yadav expectedly topped the full marathon in that order, but none of them, however, succeeded in finishing under the targeted 2:18:00 sec timing. “I paced myself with an African runners at the start but I couldn’t generate enough power till I reached the 25k mark,” said Lyngkhoi, who finished 20th overall (2:21.16).

Kumar (2:24:32) and Yadav (2:25:33) too were at a loss for words for their poor timings. “Maybe the timing pressure played on our minds,” said Kumar. Yadav, in fact, was not unhappy. “After the hamstring injury I had 12 days back, it feel good that I was able to finish this well,” he said.

Indian women full marathoners, aside from the controversial finish by two, saw the top four also finish in the top-20 overall, although none breached the three-hour barrier.

Maharashtra’s Jyoti Gawate, who was runner-up in the Indian category last year, pulled away to finish nearly three minutes ahead of second finishing reigning champion Shastri Devi. At 3:05.30, Gawate was a good 16th overall. Also impressive was pint-sized Anuja Bijagare who finished her first full marathon run of her professional career in fourth position behind the experienced M Sudha.

Ethiopians light up Mumbai morning

Sumil VS adds: It was to be their show of strength against their Kenyan brothers. And, nothing, it seemed, could have stopped the Ethiopians, not even the brief chaos created by the security dog of Trident Hotel in the initial minutes.

And their perseverance and strong teamwork paid off 2 hours 09 minutes and 54 seconds later as one of them, 24-year-old Girima Assefa, his hands reaching for the sky, broke the white tape at the finish line. To add to it their women made it a Super Sunday  as Koren Yal, Merima Mohammed and Elfenesh Alemu completed another year of Ethiopian domination in the full-marathon.

The athletes enjoyed running in the race that began amid chilling breeze at 7.40am on Sunday.

source: http://www. hindustantimes.com / by  Camilo   Fernandes  / Hindustan Times / Mumbai /Jan 16th, 2011

Joshna Chinappa upsets Pallikal to Win Chicago Open

Famous Personalities of Kodagu / Coorg, Sports, ,

India’s Joshna Chinappa scored an upset 3-2 victory over compatriot Dipika Pallikal to win the Metrosquash Windy City Open title in Chicago.

Fourth seeded Chinappa, ranked 35th in the world, won 11-4 6-11 12-10 2-11 11-6 against another Indian Pallikal, seeded second, in the $ 8,000 WISPA World tour event.

Both the Indians were neck on neck throughout the tie and matched each other in execution of shots and dead drops for winners.

But Chinappa was able to hold her nerve better and the third game which she won in deuce put pressure on her higher ranked opponent.

In the semifinals, Chennai girl Chinappa, ranked 24th in the world, had defeated top seed Ireland’s Aisling Blake 7-11 11-5 5-11 11-8 6-11 in 59 minutes.

Pallikal, who recently became the highest ranked Indian in the world, advanced to the summit clash after her opponent USA’s Latasha Khan retired in the fifth game.

Both were locked 2-2 (5-11 11-6 8-11 12-10) after the fourth game.

 

source: http://www.coorgnews.wordpress.com / Feb 17th, 2011

 

Victoria Gowramma: The Lost Princess of Coorg

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Historical Links / Pre-Independence, , ,

Veerarajendra, the exiled raja of Coorg, and his eleven-year-old daughter of Gowramma, were the first Indian royals to land in Britain in the summer of 1852. Veerarajendra used the pretext of his daughter’s embracing Christanity and acquiring a Western education, as a ruse to secure permission to visit England.

What was his true motive behind this journey? Furthermore, as godmother to Gowramma, Queen Victoria had grand plans for the princess and another exiled royalty: Maharaja Duleep Singh of Punjab. In this book, C.P. Belliappa has reconstructed the extraordinary saga of the earliest Indian royalities to visit and live in Victorian England. He has unearthed hither to unpublished material that throws light on Veerarajendra’s and Princess Victoria Gowramma’s life in England, and the amazing affection Queen Victoria bestowed on the young princess.

source: http://www.coorgnews.wordpress.com / by P.C. Belliappa / Feb 20th, 2011

 

In 40 Years, Kodagu Stripped of Forests

Nature, Uncategorized, , ,

BRAHMAGIRI (Kodagu)

From 86 to 16 — that’s the percentage of green cover Kodagu lost over the past four decades due to unabated illegal timber smuggling and development initiatives by the government and locals.
“Kodagu, which had about 86% of its land under forest cover in the late 1970s, now has a mere 16%. This includes about 40% which has been converted into coffee estates. If things continue in this way, we may end up with no forest in Kodagu by 2025,” said K M Chinnappa , chairman of Wildlife First, a state-level NGO fighting for environment and wildlife.

He maintained that Unesco’s World Heritage tag is needed to save Kodagu’s precious forests. “I am not saying the district will get back its 86% green cover the moment it is bestowed with the heritage tag. But at least it will put a stop to further destruction,” said Chinnappa, who was with the state forest department for 26 years, before taking voluntary retirement.

Data from various sources collected by NGOs states that dense forests extend to more than 4,102 sqkm and reserved forests to 830 sqkm. The trend shows a net loss of more than 20-26 sqkm every year in greenery.
Environmentalists point out that illegal timber lobbies are active in the region – both from Karnataka and Kerala. They said that despite continuous media reports about the illegal timber trade in nexus with forest officials, there has been little impact. “It is time the authorities wake up and make their stand clear. The depleting forest cover has led to the extinction of many rare animal species and destroyed the habitats of wild animals,” said environmentalist Ravi Chengappa , principal convener of Cauvery Sene.

It’s not that the locals here are not conscious about conservation and environment, but illegal felling of forests continues. Coffee planter C K Ganapathy , residing near Srimanagala forest range close to Brahamagiri Wildlife Sanctuary, said trucks loaded with illegal timber ply frequently from forests in Kodagu but are rarely seized by forest authorities. He pointed out that the issue of Transit Permits (TP), flouting the laws of the district, is one of the reasons for the high rate of timber smuggling.

Going Bald
In 1970s, 86% of Kodagu was forest cover
40% of this land was converted into coffee estates
Development, projects shaved off green cover to 16%
Trend shows annual net loss of 20-26 sqkm

 

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / by Manu Aiyappa / TNN / Jun 18th, 2011