by Abdul-Aleem

This Free and easily accessible new product is being introduced for the First time in Kodagu (Coorg) District, Karnataka . 

Karnataka produces over 70% of India’s coffee and Kodagu accounts for roughly 50% of the state’s production.

For ease of the reader/user, the following information is divided into 3 (three) parts. 

First a simple profile and easy to understand communication on the new App www.kaapilekka.com.  Second a brief interview with the App creator, to better understand the App www.kaapilekka.com.  Thirdly thumbnail notes on the Ammathi (Virajpet District) Kodagu native ,whose idea it was to benefit the planters of Kodagu with FREE access.

Part 01 (One)

About Kaapi Lekka (www.kaapilekka.com)

A free digital ledger built for Kodagu coffee planters

In one sentence Kaapi Lekka helps a coffee planter keep labour, advances, expenses, harvest and sales in one private ledger, so the year’s real cost and cost per kilogram become easier to understand.

From one estate ledger to a community tool

Seventeen workers turn up today. Four have advances. One worked a half-day. The brush cutter needs maintenance. Fertilizer must be paid for. Pepper is harvested and coffee goes for curing.

A coffee year advances through hundreds of such entries – each ordinary on its own, but difficult to reconstruct later.

Most planters keep records, but those records are often split between a labour book, diary, spreadsheet, messages and memory.

By the end of the year, one practical question can be surprisingly hard to answer:
what did the year really cost, and what did each kilogram of clean coffee return?

Kaapi Lekka began as a personal estate ledger built to answer that question. It was not conceived as a startup or a commercial accounting package.

The aim was simpler: keep the everyday plantation record in one place and make the running picture of the estate easier to see.

Once the tool proved useful in day-to-day estate work, it was opened to fellow planters as a free community project.

Built around the way an estate actually works

Kaapi Lekka is designed around routine estate decisions rather than formal accounting terminology. It keeps people and payments, estate activity and the running financial picture connected without asking a planter to learn a conventional accounting system.

a. People and payments — daily labour by worker, block and work type; reusable wage rates; receiver grouping; and visible advances and settlements.
b. Estate activity and costs — expenses such as fertilizer, spray and transport, together with harvest and sales recorded as the season progresses.
c. The running picture — a dashboard that brings cost, output, settlements and cost per kilogram together for review.

Especially useful for small and medium planters

Large estates often have established systems, dedicated staff or people assigned to accounts. On a smaller or family-run holding, the planter may be the owner, supervisor, record keeper, buyer and seller at once.

Important information can remain scattered simply because there is no separate person available to organise it.

Kaapi Lekka is intended especially for that situation: discipline without complicated paperwork, and a clearer view of labour, advances, expenses, harvest, sales and profitability while the season is still in progress. It supports the planter’s judgement rather than trying to replace it.

A simpler first-time experience

The current sign-in experience is direct. A new user visits kaapilekka.com, chooses English or Kannada, signs in with a Google account and can start immediately. There is no access request form and no waiting period for manual approval.

A short guided setup then helps the user name the estate, add the first block, optionally add a worker, and optionally record a first activity such as a workday, expense, harvest or sale. The Home screen keeps a simple getting-started checklist so the user can return to unfinished steps later.

Designed for phones, field conditions and local use

Kaapi Lekka works in a web browser on Android phones, iPhones and laptops, and it can be added to a phone’s home screen like an app. The interface is available in English and Kannada. It uses large, direct actions and a guided setup intended to reduce the learning burden for users who do not work with conventional accounting software.

Connectivity on estates is not always reliable. After a successful online sign-in and load, the app can cache work on the device while offline and resume synchronization when connectivity returns. The screen shows whether entries are saved, queued or synchronized so that a planter is not left guessing.

FREE-to-Use & privacy-conscious

Kaapi Lekka is currently offered free of charge as a community project. The Kaapi Lekka Team bears the hosting and maintenance costs and intends to continue doing so in support of the community.

The service has no advertisements, paid tier or sale of planter data. The application uses Google sign-in, Firebase Authentication and Firestore. Security rules separate each signed-in member’s ledger from other members, while the member can use the same Google account across devices.

The current public experience is August 28th, 2026

For more information : contact the Kaapi Lekka Team : email:kaapilekka.support@gmail.com

_____________________________________________

Part 02

An INTERVIEW with the idea and product creator of www.kaapilekka.com – Makeen Khan

^{” Kaapi Lekka applies the discipline and clarity I learned in large organisations to a very practical problem at home. The aim is not to replace a planter’s judgement, but to make the year’s real costs easier to understand. “ says Makeen}

Makeen Khan – Founder, Creator & Project Steward – KAAPI LEKKA – kaapilekka.com

Interview in Q & A format to address specific issues, one-by-one :

1. What specific problem prompted you to build Kaapi Lekka?

The immediate problem was fragmented estate record-keeping. Labour might be in one notebook, advances in another, expenses in messages or bills, and harvest and sales in separate sheets. That makes it difficult to know the estate’s true running cost or cost per kilogram of clean coffee. Kaapi Lekka began as a practical ledger for one estate and was later opened to other Kodagu planters.

2. How did you validate that a digital app was the right solution?

The first validation came from actual use on the creator’s own estate. The test was not whether it looked modern, but whether it reduced reconstruction at the end of the season and made everyday figures easier to retrieve. A phone-based ledger was useful because the phone is already present when labour, payments and field activity are being recorded. The project is still learning from real use; it does not claim a formal market study.

3. Were local growers or cooperatives involved in design and testing?

The product grew from a planter’s own workflow and early informal feedback from a small number of Kodagu planters, rather than from a formal cooperative-led design programme. That feedback reinforced the need for simplicity, local terminology, clear payment handling and a low-friction first-time experience. Wider planter feedback is now important, but we prefer to describe that process honestly rather than overstate the scale of testing.

4. How does the app handle weak connectivity and synchronization?

After a successful online sign-in and load, the app uses local browser storage and Firestore offline persistence to keep entries available when signal drops. Pending changes synchronize when connectivity returns, and the interface shows whether data is saving, queued offline or synchronized. An internet connection is still needed for the initial Google sign-in and first load.

5. How did you address language and accessibility for non-technical users?

The interface currently supports English and Kannada. A new user chooses a language before sign-in and can change it later. The app uses a guided first-time setup, direct action labels, large tap targets, helpful empty screens and an always-available quick-add action. Kodava Takk is not currently supported, so we would not claim that it is.

6. What technology stack keeps the app affordable enough to remain free?

Kaapi Lekka is a lightweight progressive web app built with web technologies and hosted through Firebase. Google sign-in handles authentication, Firestore stores and synchronizes data, and the app can be installed from the browser without an app-store distribution layer. This serverless approach keeps infrastructure and operational complexity low for a small community project.

7. What metrics are you tracking to measure real-world impact on yield or income?

We do not currently claim a measured improvement in yield or income. The first useful indicators are simpler: whether a member completes setup, returns to the ledger, records activity consistently and can use the resulting cost and settlement information. Administrative monitoring is deliberately limited to activation signals rather than private ledger values. Any future impact study should rely on voluntary, consented feedback rather than inspection of members’ financial records.

8. Since the app is free, how will it remain sustainable?

Kaapi Lekka is maintained as a small community project, and its serverless architecture keeps operating costs modest. The Kaapi Lekka Team currently bears the hosting and maintenance costs and intends to continue doing so in support of the community. No paid tier is planned; the intention is for Kaapi Lekka to remain free and ad-free, without selling planter data.

9. How do you protect privacy and prevent commercial exploitation of planter data?

Members sign in with Google, and Firestore security rules separate each member’s ledger from other members. Data synchronizes only for the signed-in account, and users can export a JSON backup of their own records. Kaapi Lekka does not sell planter data or use it for advertising. Support and activation monitoring are designed around account and onboarding information, not the member’s detailed labour, expense, harvest or sales values.

10. Does Kaapi Lekka address white stem borer, monsoon variation or other local crop challenges?

Kaapi Lekka is not an agronomy or pest-diagnosis app. It does not predict weather or prescribe treatment. What it can do is help a planter record the labour, inputs, dates, blocks and costs associated with estate work. For example, spray-related labour can be recorded against a block and the related expense recorded by date and category, creating a clearer history to discuss with a qualified agronomist. Specialist crop advice should continue to come from qualified agronomists and local institutions.

11. Will the app expand to Chikmagalur, Wayanad or crops such as pepper?

The present focus is Kodagu coffee estates. The ledger can already accommodate mixed-estate activity and planter-defined work or expense categories, but the product has not announced a broader regional rollout. Expansion should happen only if the current Kodagu experience remains simple and dependable and if growers elsewhere confirm that the workflow fits their needs.

Important and Beneficial Facts of kaapilekka.com for the Users:

• Kaapi Lekka is a free, ad-free community ledger for Kodagu coffee planters.
• It covers labour, workers, advances, expenses, harvest, sales and cost-per-kilogram reporting.
• The current interface supports English and Kannada.
• New users can sign in with Google and start immediately; there is no request form or approval wait.
• The app can be added to a phone’s home screen and can queue entries during poor connectivity after an initial online sign-in/load.

EASY ILLUSTRATION FOR FIRST-TIME USERS :

Important, easy technical ‘Qualifications & Information’ for the Users :

• Proven yield or income gains — no formal impact study has yet established this.
• The app can be added to a phone’s home screen and can queue entries during poor connectivity after an initial online sign-in/load.
• Agronomy advice — the app records estate activity but does not diagnose pests or recommend treatment.
• Always works offline — the initial Google sign-in and first load need connectivity; offline work follows a successful online load.
• Gmail-level security — say that the app uses Firebase Authentication, Firestore and per-user security rules instead.
• Formal cooperative validation — describe the present evidence as own-estate use and early informal feedback from a small number of Kodagu planters.
• Website: kaapilekka.com
• Support contact: kaapilekka.support@gmail.com

_____________________________________

Part 03 (Three)

THUMBNAIL BRIEF on Makeen Khan – the Creator, Founder and Project Stewart of App – Kaapi Lekka

Makeen’s roots are in Ammathi (Virajpet Taluk), Kodagu, where his family has been landholders for generations. After a long international career in technology and digital transformation, he returned to Coorg following his retirement from Coca-Cola and brought that experience back to a practical challenge at home: helping planters understand the true running picture of their estates.

Professional journey

Across more than four decades in technology, Makeen worked on enterprise systems, data and analytics, cloud technology, cybersecurity, automation and large-scale digital transformation. He spent nearly three decades with Coca-Cola and served as Chief Information Officer. His leadership responsibilities extended across the Middle East and South West Asia, bringing together technology, people and business priorities across different countries and cultures.

He is currently Senior Vice President at eBest Mobile, where he contributes to the company’s growth. His professional background is relevant to Kaapi Lekka not because the project is intended to become a large commercial platform, but because it brings disciplined systems thinking to a familiar local problem.

From Ammathi roots to Kaapi Lekka

After returning to Coorg, Makeen saw how estate information could remain divided between labour books, diaries, messages, bills, spreadsheets and memory. Kaapi Lekka began as a personal estate ledger to connect labour, advances, expenses, harvest and sales in one place and make the cost per kilogram easier to understand. Once the approach proved useful in everyday estate work, it was opened to fellow Kodagu planters as a free community project.

Makeen currently bears the hosting and maintenance costs and intends to continue supporting the service for the community. Kaapi Lekka has no advertisements, paid tier or sale of planter data. The public support channel remains Kaapi Lekka Support, allowing the project to be accountable without exposing personal contact information.

At a glance

• Roots: Ammathi, Kodagu; from a family of landholders across generations.
• Career: More than four decades in technology and digital transformation; former Coca-Cola Chief Information Officer.
• Current role: Senior Vice President at eBest Mobile, supporting the company’s growth.
• Community work: Founder and project steward of Kaapi Lekka, built by a Kodagu planter for fellow planters.

For more detailed information: Website: kaapilekka.com

Support contact: kaapilekka.support@gmail.com

Disclaimer :

Editorial use: Name and the biographical facts in this approved profile may be used with agreed coverage. Personal phone, personal email, home or exact estate location, relatives’ identities, and any photograph require separate approval. Coca-Cola and eBest Mobile are biographical references only and do not imply organisational endorsement of Kaapi Lekka.

(Abdul-Aleem the interviewer, is the founder/creator of the News Aggregators www.karnatakafirst.com (also available on Whats Ap) and www.kodagufirst.in amongst others. He maybe contacted at : aleem.ilmcity@gmail.com).

To unveil portrait painting of the Gallery Co-founder late Sheela Kaverappa

Mysuru :

Bharani Art Gallery, Mysuru’s first service-oriented private art gallery, will host a three-day art exhibition from June 7 to 9 at its premises, 3rd Main, 6th Cross, Vivekananda Nagar, Mysuru, bringing together artists and art enthusiasts from across Karnataka.

Established in 1994, Bharani Art Gallery has been dedicated to the promotion and development of visual arts through exhibitions, workshops, artist camps and cultural initiatives. The gallery is recognised for providing artists with a professional exhibition space, modern lighting facilities and free-of-rent residential accommodation for participating artists.

Over the years, Bharani Art Gallery has organised numerous art camps and exhibitions and has played a significant role in discovering and promoting emerging artists from Karnataka.

The gallery has also hosted works by acclaimed artists from cities such as Mumbai, Kolhapur, Sangli, Bengaluru, Udupi and other cultural centres across the State. To date, around 100 art exhibitions have been conducted at the gallery.

The gallery has also achieved the distinction of conducting an art camp, exhibition and discourse of then 10 senior most artists of Karnataka and also hosting, one of the first exhibitions themed ‘Vedic Art’ featuring women artists from Finland and Australia.

As part of the upcoming event, a portrait painting of the Co-founder of Bharani Art Gallery, late Sheela Kaverappa, done by well-known portrait artist Baburao Nadoni of Belagavi will be unveiled during the inauguration ceremony and he will subsequently conduct a live portrait demonstration for visitors and fellow artists.

The exhibition from 11 am to 7 pm will feature artworks by 16 well-known artists, showcasing a diverse range of contemporary and traditional artistic expressions. The event will be inaugurated by Sadhana Ashok Pote, Joint Director, Administrative Training Institute (ATI), Mysuru, at 11 am on June 7.

The portrait will be unveiled by Addanda Cariappa, former Director of Rangayana, Mysuru. Maddikere Gopal, President, District Kannada Sahitya Parishat, Mysuru, will preside over the event.

Entry is free.

For details, contact Bharani Art Gallery Founder & Chief Convenor N.B. Kaverappa on Mob: 94485-54221.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Feature Articles / June 04th, 2026

‘I want to create worlds in these books that are an immersive way to learn history without it being forced,’ the author says

The battle between Alexander and Porus forms the backdrop of Sarita Mandanna’s novel The War Elephants of Trigarta. | Photo Credit: Wiki Commons

Sarita Mandanna, author of the 2010 book Tiger Hills, a bildungsroman set in 19th century Coorg, is back with two new books of historical fiction, The War Elephants of Trigarta and Secrets Among the Stars (Aleph Book Company). The difference is that this time, she is writing for a younger audience. The U.S.-based author talks about why she wants children to learn about Indian history, what it means to mix history and science with fiction in politically charged times, and resisting the temptation to write happy endings. Edited excerpts:

Author Sarita Mandanna

 Your previous books, Tiger Hills and Good Hope Road (2015), are also works of historical fiction, but this is your first foray into writing for children. What inspired you to explore this new direction?

 I grew up in a house of books. I attribute my love of the written word, both reading and writing, to my mother, and I’d love to inculcate that in my child as well. My son is in middle school now, and it can be challenging to get him to read. I’m always looking for content that would interest him. Since we live overseas, it’s also important to me that he knows his roots. That was a major motivation.

Also, the way I was taught history in schools was so focused on dates and learning by rote. I had some wonderful teachers, but I think it’s fair to say that people of my generation liked history despite the way it was taught, rather than because of it. I wanted to create worlds in these books that are an immersive way to learn history without it being forced.

 How rigorous is the research that goes into a book like ‘The War Elephants of Trigarta’. Of course, Alexander the Great is a household name, but how much of the rest of the book is based on actual history?

 It is a mix of both. We grew up hearing that old Hindi song ‘Sikandar Ne Poras Se Ki Thi Ladayi’, so we all know that Alexander fought Porus, but we don’t know who Porus is. We don’t even know if it was his name, or a title. What we know is Alexander fought the Battle of Hydaspes where he faced Porus and his large contingent of war elephants. Therefore, the kingdom was likely to have been fairly large and prosperous. I looked backwards, at the Mahabharata, to research sizeable kingdoms that were there at the time. That’s where the leap of imagination comes into it — Trigarta was an ancient kingdom in the region and I used that as the setting.

There’s also the issue with Alexander — what we know about him is second-hand. So much has been lost to time. I read several books, cross-referenced them, and then tried to find the human motivation through it all. Once you have the scaffolding of facts, then you just overlay that with the story. People haven’t really changed that much. Motivations haven’t changed.

 The book ends on a bittersweet note. I found that very interesting since with children’s books, there is sometimes a temptation to force in happy endings.

 I would have loved for everyone in the book to have a happy ending as well. War is brutal though. When you live through one of the most epic battles of the time, what does that aftermath look like?

We should give children a lot more credit than we do in terms of how to handle big emotions and large ideas. War is terrible, loss does happen. The challenge is to find your way forward after the battle.

 History as a subject has become particularly contentious in India lately. So has the history of science and technology. The Pushpak Vimana, which features heavily in ‘Secrets Among the Stars’, was the subject of controversy when it was brought up as a fact during the Indian Science Congress in 2015. As a writer of fiction, do these complications play on your mind?

 It’s important to stick as closely to the facts as possible. What happened happened, and I don’t support excluding or championing episodes of history without factual backing. Now, the further back in antiquity you go, the harder it is to get definitive proof. I do think it’s important to retain a questioning mind. Take the Pushpak Vimana, for instance: to categorically state that this was just the product of someone’s imagination is perhaps reductive. Stating its existence as indisputable fact is sub-optimal as well. The truth is out there, and until there is firm proof one way or the other, why not try and learn more? There is so much in India that is still undiscovered, troves of documents that are still being deciphered. So much has been lost through the millennia, with the various conquests and invasions. I certainly believe there’s room for a lot of questions, and startling answers as well.

 What is the future of the Bold Chronicles series that these books are a part of? Are there more books coming?

  That’s the idea! These are the two bookends of the series. The War Elephants of Trigarta is set 2,500 years ago, and Secrets Among the Stars is set much more recently during ISRO’s mission to the moon. The rest of the books will be set within this time period. Each one will be standalone, and the books can be read in any order.

Bold Chronicles is a passion project, to showcase this 2,500-year-old subset of the incredibly rich history of India in an easy and accessible manner. The protagonist of each of these books is placed in challenging circumstances, but they are never a victim. They have the ability to make choices and bring about real change. I want the books to ignite in each reader, the spirit of curiosity, questioning and agency. I want them to ignite a sense of lasting pride in our shared heritage and an appreciation for all that has happened before us.

The interviewer is a Mangaluru-based science writer and author, most recently, of ‘ Lab Hopping : A Journey to Find India’s Women in Science’.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Books> Authors> Interview / by Nandita Jayaraj / June 05th, 2026

According to reports, Sandhya had ventured into the coffee estate along with two others.

Forest Department personnel captured an elephant at Chenneyyanakote, Badaga Banangala, in Kodagu district, following the death of a coffee planter in an attack by a wild elephant in March 2026. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

The wife of a senior IPS officer was killed in a wild elephant attack in a coffee estate in Konanakatte village near Thithimathi in Ponnampet taluk of Kodagu district, in Karnataka, on June 5.

The deceased Sandhya Achaya (51) is the wife of A. Sunil Achaya, a 1991-batch IPS officer of the Nagaland cadre.

The incident has sent shockwaves across the district, where recurring human-elephant conflict has claimed several lives in recent years. Residents of elephant conflict-prone areas have repeatedly urged the government of Karnataka to implement long-term measures to address the growing menace.

A senior forest officer from Nagarahole Tiger Reserve confirmed the elephant attack.

According to reports, Sandhya had ventured into the coffee estate along with two others. During the visit, a wild elephant suddenly emerged and charged at the group. While the others managed to escape to safety, Sandhya was reportedly attacked by the animal. She sustained grievous injuries, and succumbed while being rushed to a hospital.

The tragedy marks another fatality linked to elephant encounters in Kodagu.

In May, a tourist lost her life at Dubare Elephant Camp near Kushalnagar after being caught in a tussle between two captive elephants. The incident resulted in the closure of elephant camps for tourists as a safety measure until an SOP for visitor safety is framed.

The latest incident at Thithimathi has once again highlighted the issue of human-elephant conflict. Increasing encounters between people and wild elephants continue to pose a serious challenge for forest authorities and local communities across Kodagu, even as the government of Karnataka has assured elected representatives from the district that it will work towards finding a permanent solution to the problem.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> India> Karnataka / by The Hindu Bureau / July 05th, 2026

Manju Chinappa, the president of the UKO, said complaints have been received about the Gram Panchayats imposing exorbitant taxes on Ain Manes in the district.

Image of tax used for representational purposes only.File Photo

Madikeri :

The United Kodava Organisation (UKO) has urged the government to exempt Kodava traditional houses known as Ain Mane from property tax.

Manju Chinappa, the president of the UKO, said complaints have been received about the Gram Panchayats imposing exorbitant taxes on Ain Manes in the district. He demanded immediate withdrawal of these taxes and complete tax exemption to Ain Manes in Kodagu. He said Kodavas consider Ain Manes as the divine abode of their ancestors and deities. “The elders of the Kodavas, who followed the joint family system, had built large Ain Manes centuries ago. Family worship and rituals are being conducted there for generations,” Chinappa said.

Although joint families have faded out, the Ain Manes are still being maintained despite many challenges, and a family is assigned to maintain each of these traditional houses, he said. “These Ain Manes are considered divine abodes of the entire clan. Maintaining the Ain Manes at present is a big challenge, and it is condemnable that the local bodies are imposing such high taxes,” Chinappa said.

He also warned that if the tax is collected by force, a strong agitation will be launched in the coming days.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com/ The New Indian Express / Home> Karnataka / by Express News Service / June 03rd, 2026

Mysuru :

Nainy’s World by Nanumals has organised ‘Meet the Author: C.P. Belliappa’ at their Booktique known for Fashion, Books and Art, located at Ground Floor, Om Sai Complex, Doctors’ Corner (7th Main, 9th Cross), Gokulam III Stage, Mysuru, on June 5 (Friday) from 5 pm to 7 pm.

He is the author of the following five books:  Tale of A Tiger’s Tail and other Yarns from Coorg; Nuggets from Coorg History; Victoria Gowramma: The Lost Princess of Coorg (English and Kannada); Tongue of the Slip: Looking back on Life with Humour; Coorg Stories and Essays

On the occasion, Nanumals Books and Cultural Club will be inaugurated. C.P. Belliappa writes humour, history and human interest stories and is a contributor to websites, magazines and newspapers, including Star of Mysore.

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