Years after it was formed, the Kodagu Institute of Medical Sciences at Madikeri, the District Headquarters, has been granted permission by the Government for introducing B.Sc Nursing Course. The course was a long-standing demand from the people of Kodagu, which did not have any medical institute until 2014, when the Medical College was announced.
Following the sanction for starting the much in demand B.Sc (Nursing), the Medical College has begun preparations for admitting 100 students in the current academic year. As all the 100 seats are under Government quota, the students have to get admission through counselling from Karnataka Examinations Authority.
The construction of the building for Kodagu Institute of Medical Sciences began in 2014 and was completed in 2016. At present, there are 750 students in the College studying for MBBS course and the District Hospital, which has been attached to the Medical College, has been recently upgraded.
Medical College Dean Dr. Cariappa said that with the Government granting permission for B.Sc Nursing, the classes will begin from this year itself. Pointing out that there are 100 seats for B.Sc Nursing, he said that this is a four-and-half-year course. The College has recruited teaching and non-teaching faculties and classes are expected to commence soon, he added.
Madikeri MLA Appachu Ranjan said that the Government was appealed last year to start Nursing Course in the Medical College. The Government has now granted permission and the course will commence this year itself. However, a meeting of Medical College authorities and Health Department officials will be held shortly to decide on the place where classes will be held, he added.
Virajpet MLA and former Assembly Speaker K.G. Bopaiah said that the Health Minister was appealed to start B.Sc Nursing when he last visited Kodagu. This apart, the Chief Minister too was appealed to start the course.
Now, responding to our appeal, the Government has granted permission for Nursing course and classes are expected to commence soon, he pointed out.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / February 22nd, 2021
A four-month dragonfly survey that concluded at the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary (WWS) recently spotted 84 species of odonates (order of insects comprising dragonflies and damselflies) belonging to 59 genera under 11 families.
The survey was jointly conducted by the Forest Department and Ferns Nature Conservation Society (FNCS). Of the 84 species, 49 were dragonflies and 35 damselflies. Muneer Tholpetty, secretary, FNCS, told The Hindu.
A previous survey by the Malabar Natural History Society (MNHS) in the sanctuary in 2016 had identified 75 species of odonates belonging to 50 genera under 11 families.
“Since odonates are amphibiotic insects, the study focused on waterbodies in the sanctuary. Ponds were the richest in terms of species, but streams had the most number of endemic species,” Mr. Muneer, who coordinated the survey, said.
The four-month-long study was held from August to November 2020 when waterbodies in the sanctuary were full after the southwest monsoon.
“This is the time when large number of adult odonates can be seen flying around, jostling, mating, and laying eggs in water. They live as aquatic nymphs for a few months and later emerge out as aerial predators we commonly see,” he said. The team covered 33 ponds, 28 streams, and 12 swamps of the 344.44-sq.km sanctuary spread over four forest ranges.
“The spotting of Coorg False Spreadwing [Indolestes pulcherrimus] in the sanctuary is a first for the State. The rare damselfly was earlier thought to be restricted to the Coorg region of Karnataka,” Mr. Muneer said.
“Restless Demon (Indothemis limbata) and Azure Dartlet (Amphiallagma parvum) were the other rare odonates we were able to record,” Vivek Chandran of the Society for Odonate Studies, who extended technical assistance for the study, said. Odonates are good bio indicators and help the scientific community assess the health of freshwater ecosystems, he added.
“The Forest Department has plans to extend the study on odonates across all seasons to document their diversity in the sanctuary and give training sessions to field staff and students on odonates,” WWS warden S. Narendra Babu said.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Kerala / by E.M. Manoj / Kalpeta – February 22nd, 2021
Bengaluru-based advocate sends legal notice to clear the Statue near Kushalnagar; Kannada activists oppose move
Kushalnagar/Periyapatna:
The Statue of Cauvery on the border of Mysuru-Kodagu near Kushalnagar has become a flashpoint with a Bengaluru-based advocate sending a legal notice to Periyapatna Tahsildar to clear the Statue as it obstructs smooth traffic.
This legal notice has, however, irked Kannada activists who have demanded that the legal notice must not be considered and the Statue must be retained in as-is where-is condition.
The notice has been issued by High Court advocate Amruthesh to Periyapatna Tahsildar under Mysuru District Administration. The Statue, however, is situated in the land that comes under Kodagu District and a banyan tree near the Statue is considered as the actual border area and belongs to Koppa, under Mysuru District.
Whoever travelling from Mysuru to Kodagu via Bylakuppe and Kushalnagar can see the big Statue of Cauvery that has been established by the side of the road. The Statue was installed at this point to convey a message to tourists that they are entering Kodagu the birthplace of River Cauvery that is a lifeline of people of Mysuru, Bengaluru, Mandya and Tamil Nadu where the river is considered holy.
The notice has, however, stirred a hornet’s nest as the advocate has claimed that the Statue obstructs traffic on National Highway 275 and it must be cleared. Many rituals including pujas, homas and havanas are held near the Statue frequently and this obstructs traffic. As per the norms of National Highways, the Statue must be cleared, advocate Amruthesh said in his notice.
The Statue was constructed in 2013 by Baravi Kannada Abhimanigala Sangha at an estimated cost of Rs. 16 lakh. Later, protective walls were built around the Statue. In his notice, Amruthesh further argued that as per Supreme Court guidelines, no religious structures should come up beside National Highways and this Statue on NH 275 violates the Supreme Court orders.
Amruthesh basically hails from Somwarpet in Kodagu District and is at present settled in Bengaluru. His notice has ruffled the feathers of Kannada activists who alleged that Amruthesh was doing this to gain cheap publicity. The Karnataka Kaavalu Pade has urged the Mysuru District Administration and Periyapatna Tahsildar not to give importance to the legal notice. They have submitted memorandums in this regard.
Periyapatna Tahsildar Shwetha confirmed that the legal notice has been sent. “We will have to examine the notice first and then take a call. Also, it is a Statue, not a religious place. We will make this point clear to the advocate,” she said.
Meanwhile, Baravi Kannada Abhimanigala Sangha President Babindra Prasad said that the Statue was a public property and the Sangha is pained to hear about the legal notice.
“The land on which the Statue stands comes under Kodagu District and Periyapatna Tahsildar has no jurisdiction over it. Permission to construct the Statue was obtained from the Kodagu and Mysuru Public Works Department and 13 other Departments including Karnataka State Pollution Control Board in 2008 and officials from Mysuru and Kodagu districts have done spot inspection and cleared the Statue. It was constructed and inaugurated in 2013 and there is no illegality in this,” he said.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / February 05th, 2021
A woman crosses the road through the pouring rain, in Bengaluru on Friday. Many parts of the city received unseasonal showers | AshishKrishna H P
Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) officials in Bengaluru were surprised on learning about hailstorms in Kodagu and Chikkamagaluru during this time of the year.
Madikeri :
It was a surreal experience for many in parts of Kodagu district on Friday.
A sudden, heavy hailstorm, lasting over half an hour, left several villages across Shanivarsanthe wearing a snow-capped look.
While youngsters in the villages frolicked with chunks of ice, the farmers were worried about crop losses.Villages including Nidtha, Mulluru, Gudugalale, Ankanahalli and Dundalli in Shanivarsanthe hobli were swathed in about 1.5 inches of white.
Many students of Mulluru Government Primary School had their first experience with a hailstorm. “Hail stones had collected on a tarpaulin we had put up outside the classrooms for conducting classes. All the students brought buckets and collected ice chunks. It was a unique experience for them,” explained Satish, a teacher at the school.
“I have not witnessed such a hailstorm in the last 45 years of stay at Shanivarsanthe,” said M P Mohanraj, an agriculturalist. He grows pepper, coffee, orange and lemon and expressed concern that this was not good news. “Such rains are always disastrous for farmers and growers. Following the coffee picking season, the coffee plants have to dry till March. On March 31, the farmer’s much sought-after rain – the ‘rathi’ rain – enables blossoming of the crops. This hailstorm will damage the crops and will affect the next year’s crop,” he felt.
Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) officials in Bengaluru were surprised on learning about hailstorms in Kodagu and Chikkamagaluru during this time of the year. The IMD-Bengaluru, Director in-charge, Geeta Agnihotri, told TNIE that thunder and lightning, coupled with light rainfall, was the forecast following the formation of the easterly system.
“There was no forecast of a hailstorm. It has come as a shock. The conditions were also not favourable for it to occur as there was no rise in temperature and sufficient moisture in the air,” she explained. She added that they have been getting inputs from across districts about hailstones and damage that have occurred. The IMD has forecast rainfall and thunder showers for the next three days.
As per the IMD, Bengaluru received 5.7 mm rainfall and HAL airport recorded 5.8 mm rainfall till 8.30 pm on Friday. Most parts of Karnataka received rainfall because of a trough over north Kerala to south Gujarat coast. The rainfall and dip in temperature is also because of easterly winds, explained an official.
Heavy rains lashed Chitradurga district on Thursday and Friday, inundating low-lying areas. Several parts of Chikkamagaluru district also received moderate rainfall on Friday. A 20-year-old youth died after he was struck by lightning at Nidgal village in Khanapur talluk on Wednesday evening.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Karnataka / by Express News Service / February 20th, 2021
Vismaya Cricketers of Hebbettegeri will organise K Nidugane Premier League (KPL) cricket tournament at Field Marshal K M Cariappa College ground in Madikeri on February 7.
K Nidugane Gram Panchayat member Kokkalera K Ayyappa will inaugurate the tournament, while Field Marshal K M Cariappa College lecturer Dr Major Raghav will preside. The valedictory of the tournament will be held at 5 pm.
A total of five teams will take part in the tournament. During the valedictory, the newly-elected members of K Nidugane Gram Panchayat will be felicitated.
In addition, Covid warriors like Asha worker Nalini, staff nurse Usha and lab technician Nanditha Gonsalves will be felicitated.
The top scorer in SSLC, M G Dhanush, will also be felicitated on the occasion.
source: http://www.deccanherald.com / Deccan Herald / Home> State> Mangaluru / by DHNS, Madikeri / February 07th, 2021
With the Zilla Panchayat (ZP) and Taluk Panchayat (TP) polls scheduled to take place this year, the State Election Commission (SEC) has set in motion the process of delimitation of ZP and TP Constituencies in all districts of the State. The SEC, which has fixed the number of ZP and TP Constituencies in all districts, has directed the Deputy Commissioners to depute election Tahsildars and other concerned staff in their respective district to appear before the Commission on specified dates, along with maps of Constituencies and other corresponding details.
Accordingly, the election Tahsildars of Mysuru, Kodagu, Hassan, Mandya, Chamarajanagar, Chikkaballapur, Kolar, Chitradurga, Ramanagara and Bengaluru Rural districts are required to appear before the SEC at Bengaluru on Feb. 22.
After delimitation, Mysuru ZP will have 53 Constituencies from eight taluks and the district will have 144 TP Constituencies collectively. Of the 53 ZP seats, Mysuru, T. Narasipur, Hunsur, K.R. Nagar and Periyapatna taluks will have seven seats each, while Nanjangud taluk will have 10, H.D. Kote 5 and Saragur 3 seats.
As far as the Taluk Panchayat is concerned, Mysuru, T. Narasipur and Hunsur Taluks will have 19 seats each, K.R. Nagar and Periyapatna 18 seats each, Nanjangud 27, H.D. Kote 13 and Saragur 11.
Kodagu District with 5 taluks, will have 29 ZP seats and 52 TP seats collectively.
Regarding ZP seats, Madikeri taluk will have 7 seats, Kushalnagar and Virajpet five seats each and Somwarpet and Ponnampet six seats each.
In respect of Taluk Panchayat, Somwarpet, Kushalnagar and Virajpet taluks will have 11 seats each, while Madikeri taluk will have 10 and Ponnampet 9 seats.
Mandya ZP will have 46 ZP Constituencies from seven taluks and 124 TP Constituencies collectively.
Regarding ZP seats, Mandya, Maddur and Malavalli taluks will have 8 seats each, while Pandavapura, Srirangapatna and Nagamangala will have 5 seats each and K.R. Pet taluk 7 seats.
In respect of Taluk Panchayat, Mandya Taluk will have 23 seats, Maddur 22, Malavalli 20, Pandavapura 14, Srirangapatna and Nagamangala 13 seats each and K.R. Pet 19 seats.
Chamarajanagar ZP will have 27 seats from five taluks and 75 TP Constituencies collectively .
Regarding ZP seats, Chamarajanagar taluk will have 9 seats, while Kollegal will have 4, Hanur 5, Gundlupet 6 and Yelandur 3.
In respect of Taluk Panchayat, Chamarajanagar taluk will have 24 seats, Kollegal 10, Hanur 14, Gundlupet 16 and Yelandur 11.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> News / February 14th, 2021
The beekeepers and producers of ‘Coorg Honey’ said they want the authorities concerned to take their brand across the country and beyond and bring back the halcyon days when the hill district used to be the country’s top honey producer.
Nagesh, an apiarist in Bittangala village in South Coorg. (Express Photo by Darshan Devaiah)
Be sweet with Coorg Honey. Those were the words of Sri Shambhavananda Swamiji from Sri Ramakrishna Mission who developed a unique method of bee-keeping known as ‘Coorg Standard Hive’ in the hilly district of south Karnataka-Coorg (Kodagu). Now, the beekeepers want the state government to not only make the practice sustainable but also go big on promoting brand ‘Coorg Honey’.
Citing a recent investigation by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), which found that honey sold by major brands in India was laced with modified sugar syrup, the beekeepers and producers of ‘Coorg Honey’ said they want the authorities concerned to take their brand across the country and beyond and bring back the halcyon days when the hill district used to be the country’s top honey producer.
After becoming the first president of Sri Ramakrishna Saradashrama in Coorg way back in 1928, Swami Shambhavananda initiated a bee-keeping project in the district knowing that the lush, hilly terrain presented an ideal setting for the practice which could also contribute to the local economy. In 1936, Swamiji set up the ‘Coorg Honey and Wax Producers Co-operative Society Ltd’, which, in time, became the first honey producers’ co-operative in the country.
Coorg Honey society building in Virajpet. (Express Photo by Darshan Devaiah BP)
Over the last few years, the practice of bee-keeping and honey collection in the district has declined, to the extent that the Coorg Honey and Wax Producers Co-operative Society Ltd is now forced to procure honey from North Indian states just to keep their brand alive.
Speaking to indianexpress.com , Kodira Praveen Chengappa, former president of Coorg Honey and Wax Producers Co-operative Society Ltd, said, “Everyone who comes to Coorg, which is one of the country’s top tourist destinations, wants to take home a pot of ‘Coorg Honey’. However, the beekeepers in the district are not producing honey now like they used to. Since the production has reduced, our society has little option but to buy honey from beekeepers in Chikamagaluru, Karnataka, Bihar, Punjab and other places, who collect pure and original honey. We do a strict quality check then if the honey meets our standards, we sell it under the ‘Coorg Honey’ brand name.”
Kodira Praveen Chengappa taking honey from his honey bee box. (Express Photo Darshan Devaiah BP)
Apis Cerana bees, known as the honey bees of Coorg, still flock around the colourful indigenous flowers, lining the Western Ghats, drawing nectar. However, the practice of beekeeping has been severely hit.
“Earlier, many trees were planted and wildflowers, including coffee blossoms, paddy, ragi, were cultivated, drawing bees by the droves. However, honey collection has been severely dented as the use of pesticides these days is killing the bees,” Chengappa said.
Apiculture or beekeeping used to be one of the important farming activities in Coorg and contributed substantially to the income of local farmers. “In 1936, Shambhavananda Swamiji started the first honey producers’ co-operative in India at Virajpet in Coorg district. Later, in 1938, he founded the Ramakrishna Ashram and started to impart beekeeping lessons to local youth, who took an interest in the practice, at his office and a honey processing unit. He also sent local enthusiasts to beekeeping training centres in Pune and Coimbatore. He also marketed ‘Coorg Honey’ in Mumbai and other cities,” Chengappa said.
Though the production of ‘Coorg Honey’ has declined drastically, the former boss of the co-operative said the demand for the brand remains undiminished and with a bit of hand-holding from the government and other authorities concerned, the district could return to its glory days of honey making.
Bee hive boxes kept inside a coffee estate in Coorg. (Express Photo by Darshan Devaiah BP)
Traditional beekeepers, who have been harvesting honey since ages, are struggling these days as the honey bees of Coorg are declining in number, largely because of the use of pesticides. They said that radiations from mobile towers in the district are proving fatal for the bees.
Nagesh, an apiarist at Bittangala village in South Coorg who has been into beekeeping for three decades, told indianexpress.com, “I request our farmers not to use pesticides as it is because of these chemicals that the honey bees are dying. I have also seen the bees dying because of radiation from mobile towers. As much as 30 to 50 per cent of bees are dying due to mobile tower radiation and another 80 per cent because of the use of pesticides.”
Nestled in the midst of rolling hills and dense forests, Coorg experiences periodic shifts in climate and temperature, making it a favourable haunt for four major species of honey bees. According to Nagesh, a Coorgi, the honey tastes different as seasons roll and also at time of crop cultivation. “During the harvesting of coffee beans, the honey tastes very different compared to the season when paddy is cultivated,” Nagesh said, adding that the main four species of honey bees found in Coorg are Ponn thene (Apis dorsate) in forest areas, Potti thene (Apis cerena), Kaddi thene (Apis floria) and M ooli thene(Apis trigona), which are domesticated.
Beekeepers in Coorg keep around 30 to 50 bee boxes within an area of one to one-and-a-half kilometres, depending on the source of bee forage, in their coffee estate or areca nut farms. Nagesh said bee colonies, these days, is very hard to find as they are facing the risk of a colony collapse disorder where the majority of worker bees in a colony disappear.
Coorg honey. (Express Photo Darshan Devaiah BP)
A beekeeper in Coorg can harvest 2-3 kgs of honey from one box. “Earlier we used to harvest 10 to 20 kgs of honey from one box. During the peak time, honey can be extracted once in 15 days from one box if there are strengthened colonies. However, that is not possible now,” Nagesh said.
The horticulture department has started providing Bee Hive Boxes and training to interested people at the beekeeping training centre in Bhagamandala, North Coorg. Founded in 1953, the centre provides three months of training, where students are taken through the basics of bee collecting, bee hiving and honey collecting or extraction, among other practices.
Prakash Mandanna, a beekeeper who took his lessons in the practice at Bhagamandala training centre, said, “After enrolling for a training course 10 years ago, I started beekeeping. However, six years later, the bees were afflicted with diseases such as Thai sac brood. Planting of exotic trees such as Silver Oak, Eucalyptus and Acacia Auriculiformis in the coffee estates affected pollinators and altered the native flora of Coorg.”
“The loss of forest cover and native trees is also an important reason for less honey bee production in Coorg. The government should focus on revival of bee production through the expansion of forest cover and forage plants in the district,” Mandanna told indianexpress.com.
He said the need of the hour is for the state horticulture department to promote beekeeping among the youth in the district. “Our government has undertaken various initiatives to promote beekeeping but the problem is that people are losing interest in the practice as the bees are not available in plantations and forests now. The horticulture department should come forward and support beekeeping in Coorg,” he said.
Officials in the horticulture department said various initiatives have been taken up in recent years to increase production of honey and provide subsidy to farmers interested in Apiculture.
Speaking to indianexpress.com, Dr Hemalatha, senior assistant director, Horticulture (Apiculture), said, “We have three different schemes at central, state and district levels to help farmers who are interested in apiculture. As part of the state sector, we are giving a budget for beekeeping development and under the central sector scheme, we are providing pollination support. We are also giving residential beekeeping training at the Bhagamandala centre in Coorg where approximately 15 to 20 interested farmers can take a training in beekeeping every year and earn a stipend.”
She said the horticulture department is also reaching out to farmers across the state, who are interested in beekeeping. “Our schemes are aimed at helping farmers interested in Apiculture and we are spreading the word through local newspapers and grama sabha meetings. Honey Mela is also organised every year in Bengaluru to promote Apiculture,” Hemalatha said.
source: http://www.indianexpress.com / The Indian Express / Home> Cities> Bangalore / by Darshan Devaiah BP, Coorg, Madikeri / February 15th, 2021
Chefs at city hotels are whipping up dishes sprinkled with nostalgia as they serve recipes that have been passed down to them from their mothers and grandmothers.
Naren Thimmaiah with his mother Parvathy Uthappa from whom he learnt the recipe of Koli Barthad
Bengaluru :
While a regular chicken curry was always a staple on his menu at the hotel, two months ago, executive chef Rohan Malwankar introduced a new dish at Courtyard by Marriott Bengaluru Hebbal. The Malvani Chicken Curry is spicy and eaten with brown rice. But there’s another ingredient here – a whole lot of love, especially since the dish has been a part of Malwankar’s family since ’82, when his grandmother first started cooking it. Now, the chef, whose hometown is Malvan in Maharashtra, recreates the same recipe for his guests in Bengaluru, sans any change from the original recipe.
Like him, other chefs in star hotels too are relying on recipes from their family archives. This, they believe, is them doing their small part in preserving the Indian food culture. “Inventing new dishes or crafting fresh recipes is important for a chef,” says Naren Thimmaiah, executive chef, Vivanta Bengaluru, Residency Road.
“The actual feather in the cap lies in mastering one’s traditional dishes,” he adds. Which is why, while setting up Karavalli 30 years ago, Thimmaiah spent weeks in Goa, Mangaluru and Kerala, learning heirloom dishes.
The one closest to his heart is the Koli Barthad, a chicken preparation that has been a staple in his own house in Kodagu. “Cooking this dish reminds me of my childhood. I used to fetch curry leaves from our backyard and peel ginger to help my mother during this preparation. Only if I knew that years later, I would be making the same dish for my guests and they would enjoy it just as much as me,” says Thimmaiah.
The key to nailing such dishes lies in no trial, no error. Dirham Haque, executive sous chef, Four Seasons Hotel Bengaluru, explains that his Awadhi Biryani – a “family treasure” that has been a part of many Eid celebrations – tastes “just the same as it would if it came from a grandmother’s kitchen”. “Traditional dishes are best not tampered with. Using quality ingredients and letting those shine is the best way to pay homage to tradition,” he adds.
While there’s love, there’s also equal amounts of labour that goes in. Malwankar explains how the star of the Malvani Chicken Curry is a paste of dry and wet coconut. “This needs to be freshly prepared. It takes 35 minutes and is done with a grinding stone,” he says, adding that the other ingredients, like the Malvani masala, are locally sourced.
It is this quality of being made from scratch that makes home-style cooking popular with guests, believes Sandeep Kalra, the executive chef of The Ritz-Carlton, Bangalore. “For restaurant-style cooking, half our preparation is done beforehand. But for home-style cooking, it’s done from scratch, there’s less butter and oil, and a lot of love,” says Kalra, who whips up recipes from his childhood for guests upon request. These include dishes like Kurkure Bhindi, Amritsari Pulao and Wadi, Baingan Bharta or Murgh Tariwala. “I make these dishes the way it has been consumed in my house for years,” he says, adding that these are served with a side of nostalgia. “Sometimes, you get emotional and end up calling mum in the middle of cooking,” he says with a laugh.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Bengaluru / by Simran Ahuja , Express News Service / February 16th, 2021
Meanwhile, before taking part in the inaugural ceremony, the President alongside First Lady Savita Kovind and daughter Swati Kovind visited Talacauvery and offered puja to Goddess Cauvery
President Ram Nath Kovind inaugurates the General Thimayya Museum in Madikeri (Photo | Special arrangement)
Madikeri :
It was an ode to the pride of Kodagu as the President of India inaugurated the General Thimayya Museum in Madikeri on Saturday. The museum has been built at Sunnyside, the former residence of General KS Thimayya.
The President unveiled the inaugural stone at the General Thimayya Museum and took a tour inside the museum, which retold the story of the General. The war diary preserved inside the museum narrated the stories of various wars fought by the Indian military. The words of the first elected Prime Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Sheikh Abdulla appreciating General KS Thimayya, the narration of the Battle of Kangaw in the war diary and the release of the ‘General Thimayya March’ battalion tune were among the numerous artefacts that retold the greatness of the erstwhile General.
“General Thimayya Museum preserves special aspects of the extraordinary character and contribution of one of the finest soldiers in the history of our army. The memorial at ‘Sunny Side’, once the residence of General Thimayya, highlights the sterling features of our brave forces. District Kodagu has the honour of having enriched our Armed forces with stalwarts like General Thimayya and Field Marshal Cariappa. I am sure that this museum will inspire our youth to carry forward the legacy of General Thimayya,” were the words inscribed by the President in the logbook at the museum.
The inaugural ceremony also witnessed participation from Chief of Defense Staff Bipin Rawat, General Officer Commanding (GOC) and Colonel of the Kumaon and Naga Regiment Lt Gen Rana Pratap Kalita alongside other dignitaries from the military. District in-charge minister V Somanna, Kannada Culture Department minister Aravind Limbavali alongside Kodagu MLAs took part in the inaugural ceremony. Only about 40 dignitaries were allowed to witness the inaugural ceremony.
Kovind offers puja to Goddess Cauvery at Talacauvery
Meanwhile, before taking part in the inaugural ceremony, the President alongside First Lady Savita Kovind and daughter Swati Kovind visited Talacauvery and offered puja to Goddess Cauvery. The Temple Committee and archaks offered the President a shawl and a saree each to Savitha and Swati Kovind as a token of respect.
“This is the first time that the President of our country has visited Talacauvery. We are proud that he visited the centre and this has been possible because of the greatness of General Thimayya,” shared Rajesh Achari, one of the archaks at the temple. Meanwhile, a stringent combing operation by the forest department, police and anti-naxal squad had been ordered to ensure safe visit of the president to Talacauvery.
The security was tight across Talacauvery and Madikeri. While nearly 500 police were guarding Bhagamandala-Talacauvery area, the President’s convoy route in Madikeri was guarded by nearly a hundred police. Zero traffic was ordered on the convoy route in Madikeri from 2.30 pm to 5 pm.
MLC submits memorandum seeking Bharat Ratna
MLC Veena Achaiah, who was present during the inaugural ceremony of the General Thimayya Museum, handed over a memorandum to the President. The MLC has requested the President to award Bharat Ratna posthumously to Field Marshal KM Cariappa and General KS Thimayya.
Stray cattle and dogs shifted
To ensure smooth travel of the President’s convoy, Madikeri city municipal workers along with support from police were seen herding stray cattle and street dogs on Friday at midnight. All the stray cattle were shifted to the Madikeri Market Complex without fodder or water, evoking anger among many residents.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Karnataka / by Express News Service / February 06th, 2021
Completes 80-metre hurdles (U-16) in 11.50 seconds at National Junior Athletics Championships
Bollanda Unnathi Aiyappa from Kodagu has created a new national record in the 80-metre hurdles held on Feb. 8 and 300-metre hurdles held on Feb. 9 at the 36th National Junior Athletics Championships at the Sarusajai Stadium in Assam.
Representing Karnataka in the Under-16 category, Unnathi Aiyappa clocked 11.50 seconds in the 80-metre hurdle and bagged the gold medal. It is a new national record. In the 300-metre hurdles too, she clocked 40.11 seconds, creating a record. She defeated Soumita Paul (West Bengal) 40.15 and Roshani Yadav (Uttar Pradesh) 40.94.
She is the daughter of former Indian heptathlete Pramila Aiyappa (from Guddanda family) and quartermiler B.P. Aiyappa. Notably, it was her father, presently a national athletic coach, trained her to achieve the feat.
In 1979, the legend P.T. Usha had created a record in Under-16 category by completing the 80-metre hurdles in 12.2 seconds and in 1985, Karnataka’s A.N. Rekha matched Usha’s record. Now Unnathi has broken this record to wind up the race in 11.50 seconds.
In the 300-metre hurdles, Unnathi clocked 40.11 seconds, thereby breaking a national record that was held by an athlete from West Bengal.
Unnathi was a constant presence at the Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru from a very young age, accompanying Pramila during contests and later on, as a trainee under her parents.
She watched on television her mother winning the Asian Games bronze in the heptathlon at Guangzhou in 2010 but at five, was too young to understand its significance. Soon though, she too was winning medals on her own at the school level and now she has risen to national level, breaking records.
source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Sports / February 11th, 2021
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